After threats of backtracking, the Azorean Parliament on Thursday approved an amendment to a proposal that preserves the integrity of the largest marine protected area in the North Atlantic. An agreement between the Regional Government and the Socialist Party made the outcome possible.
Azores maintain full protection of the Marine Protected Areas Network and avert risk of losing international credibility
Thursday, 15 January 2026RSS
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Context & Explainers
Portugal has seen a long-term decline in road deaths since 2000, and recent years show substantially fewer fatalities than two decades ago; for example, the country recorded roughly 380 road deaths in 2023 (about 37 per million), down from much higher rates around 2000. That places Portugal slightly below or close to the EU average (around 42 deaths per million); by comparison Germany is about 38 per million, France about 52 per million and the UK about 25 per million, so Portugal sits between lower- and higher-performing EU states.
Portugal's share of new car sales that are battery‑electric has recently been roughly in line with the EU average — broadly around the mid‑teens percent of new registrations — reflecting steady uptake driven by incentives and charging expansion. By comparison, Germany has tended to be higher (around ~20% BEV of new sales), France and the UK sit roughly in the mid‑teens (~15–17%), and the US has been lower (~6–8%), so Portugal is close to or slightly below the strongest European markets but clearly ahead of the US.
Turnout was very high in the immediate post‑revolution years (often above 80% in the mid‑1970s) but has trended downward to roughly half of eligible voters in recent national elections (about 48.6% in 2019 and roughly 51% in 2022). That recent level is below the typical EU median for national parliamentary turnout (often around 60–70%) and lower than countries like Germany (~76% in 2017) and the UK (~67% in 2019), so election outcomes can be shaped by smaller, more motivated groups — something expats should bear in mind if they register to vote.
