Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa defended the EU–Mercosur agreement as a historic deal and rejected European criticism as based on a “totally wrong perception”. Costa framed the pact as both a trade and an investment agreement, arguing it does not simply favour Europe. His remarks come after the 27 EU member states reached a qualified majority to approve the accord; Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro? No — the content states Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will not attend the signing ceremony in Paraguay as the long-delayed pact moves into the ratification phase in Europe.

Update: Diário de Notícias reports that António Costa will attend the signing ceremony in Asunción and reiterated that concerns about farmers’ opposition are misplaced, saying the agreement includes safeguards for European agriculture.

Update 2: Additional coverage quotes Costa saying criticisms rest on a “completely wrong perception” and using the image of the EU and Mercosur “building bridges” rather than raising barriers; RTP and Expresso note he continues to portray the pact as both trade and investment, emphasising expected benefits for Portuguese exporters.

The Canadian rating agency DBRS left Portugal's credit rating unchanged at its recent review and kept the outlook stable, citing continued fiscal progress and a path to a budget surplus in 2025. Outlets note this follows DBRS's upgrade to 'A (high)' last year and is consistent with other recent assessments of Portuguese public finances. Borrowers, investors and anyone monitoring mortgage or bond markets should see this as a sign of continued credit stability.

Yazaki Saltano has moved ahead with a collective redundancy affecting 163 employees at its Ovar plant, less than a year after an earlier round of job cuts that dismissed over 300 workers. The company says the measure is part of restructuring; unions and local stakeholders are monitoring the process. Workers and those in the Ovar labour market should follow union briefings and company communications for support and next steps.

Pensioners will see slightly higher net payments from this month after routine inflation adjustments and new IRS withholding tables were applied; simulations show, for example, a gross €1,000 pension could yield roughly €27 more net. The change reflects updated income‑tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares or IRS) withholding rates rather than a direct benefit increase. Pension recipients should check payslips to confirm new net amounts.

Economist João Rodrigues de Santos warns that a public guarantee scheme is encouraging young people to take on mortgages with high repayments and minimal financial headroom, just as Portugal faces major international uncertainty. With wages among the third‑worst in the EU, the end of pandemic-era supports and the prospect of rising interest rates, many borrowers — including first-time buyers and expats — are exposed to rapid financial distress. The combination of weak income growth, a heated property market and policy incentives to lend underestimates downside risks; the commentator argues for tighter underwriting, better safety nets and targeted borrower support to reduce systemic vulnerability.

Update: The economist reiterated in a CNN Portugal piece that the public guarantee is actively pushing young buyers into mortgages with high repayments and little buffer amid heightened international uncertainty. He highlighted that the withdrawal of pandemic-era supports and the prospect of rising interest rates mean many borrowers — notably first-time buyers and expatriates — could rapidly fall into financial distress, strengthening his call for stricter underwriting standards and targeted safety nets to contain systemic risk.

Portuguese exports to the four Mercosur countries amount to just 1.3% of the country’s total, with Brazil alone representing 95% of that small share. With a market of nearly 300 million people, Portuguese business leaders view the bloc as largely unexplored terrain offering significant scope for export diversification, new investments and deeper trade ties — particularly beyond Brazil — but realising this opportunity will require targeted commercial strategies and stronger economic engagement across Mercosur members.

Opinion coverage outlines how the DORA law could shift liability for digital fraud between banks and customers, spotlighting a policy debate on who should absorb online‑fraud costs. The piece argues the new rules may force banks to change indemnity practices and could alter customer protections depending on the final implementation. Online banking users and small businesses that accept digital payments should watch for regulatory clarifications that may affect fraud liability.

The Development Bank has budgeted €4 billion in guarantees to finance construction, refurbishment and support for housing cooperatives aimed at delivering more affordable homes, according to reporting on the plan. Observers note the measure fills a recent policy gap after a year with few sector‑specific supports and is intended to leverage private lending. Those looking for affordable purchase or cooperative housing should monitor forthcoming programme details and application windows.