The article analyses a surge in national defence innovation driven by a €5.8 billion SAFE loan—the largest single investment in the Armed Forces—positioning defence as a strategic area for both European and national investors. Key growth areas include drones, satellites and aircraft, with emphasis on R&D, dual‑use technologies and strengthened aerospace supply chains that can create jobs and boost exports. The piece examines how procurement reform, public‑private partnerships and targeted skills development are needed to translate investment into sustained industrial capacity and economic impact. It concludes that coherent policy and sustained funding will be essential to maximise technological and economic returns.

Julien Jarjoura, an investor based in Switzerland, has acquired Claire’s European business, preserving roughly 200 jobs in Portugal and maintaining the brand’s retail footprint across Europe. The purchase effectively separates the continental operation from insolvency proceedings affecting Claire’s in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, stabilising local employment and stores while broader group restructuring and creditor processes continue.

In response to an ERS warning about diagnostic delays, the association of private hospitals says it has the capacity to meet the SNS’s demand but is urging the Government to guarantee the resources, contracts and regulatory clarity needed to mobilise that capacity. The claim highlights a policy tension over using private provision to reduce diagnostic backlogs while ensuring adequate public funding and oversight.

Despite public reticence from Virgílio Lima, the Mutualist Association has reportedly decided not to reappoint Pedro Leitão as CEO of Banco Montepio after his mandate expired at the end of last year. The bank is said to have settled on José Azevedo Pereira — a former director — as the successor. The move signals a leadership change at Banco Montepio that will shape its strategic direction and investor and member relations going forward.

Official data show exports from Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) countries to China fell 4% in the first 11 months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. The decline signals cooling Chinese demand and possible shifts in commodity prices or trade composition that weigh on economies exposed to Chinese markets. Policymakers and exporters will be watching full-year figures and country-level performance for signs of a sustained trend and potential policy or market responses.

The 11-candidate presidential debate, held in two instalments across three topics, was overshadowed by a sustained personal clash between PSD’s Marques Mendes and independent candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo. Mendes publicly rejected allegations of impropriety — insisting “I am not a facilitator of business deals” — and branded parts of the admiral’s conduct as “vulgarity,” a dispute that punctuated exchanges throughout the evening. Amid this confrontation, Jorge Pinto’s near withdrawal and his declaration that he would not stand in the way of a potential Seguro victory illustrated how interpersonal attacks and tactical moves risked eclipsing substantive policy debate.

An analytical update on the protracted Sócrates trial, framed as a slow-motion courtroom drama punctuated by unexpected or seemingly choreographed incidents that lend a surreal air to proceedings. Journalist Luís Rosa outlines how procedural delays, political overtones and episodic disruptions have complicated the legal narrative, raising broader questions about the judiciary’s capacity to deliver timely justice and the need for legal and policy reform to protect public trust. The piece examines implications for corruption cases and systemic reform in Portugal’s judicial and political spheres.

Almost a year after the minister warned of unacceptable A&E waiting times, there has been no meaningful improvement. Persistent delays point to systemic strain on emergency services, heighten risks to patient safety and wellbeing, and indicate a need for urgent policy and resource interventions rather than repeated warnings.

The RTP debate — the only one to include all 11 candidates — centred on personalised attacks and contrasting styles. Ventura and José Seguro were frequent targets while Rui Rio’s former ally Mendes emerged as the most aggressive, clashing chiefly with Admiral Gouveia e Melo; the two men’s exchange became the debate’s defining confrontation. Other notable dynamics included mutual restraint between Almirante and the Chega leader, André Pestana’s bold interventions, Manuel João Vieira’s ironic tone, and even criticism directed at Marcelo, suggesting a campaign increasingly shaped by personality and tactical barbs rather than detailed policy battles.

Buenavista Equity Partners, an investor in Portuguese language-technology startup Unbabel, has filed a legal challenge to the sale that transferred control of the company to US firm TransPerfect. The fund lodged the action a few days before Christmas, according to public records on the Citius portal cited by ECO. The court filing formally disputes the transaction and brings the acquisition into the judicial realm, potentially affecting the deal's implementation.