Sunday, 31 May 2026

The human resources director of the Lisbon Western Local Health Unit (Unidade Local de Saúde Lisboa Ocidental or ULSLO), André Coelho Dias, is accused of physically restraining an employee by taping her to a chair to force her to complete a task. The incident follows reports of internal unrest and staff departures at the hospital center, which is currently facing significant operational challenges.

The Governor of the Banco de Portugal (Banco de Portugal or BdP), Álvaro Santos Pereira, has expressed support for an interest rate increase at the next European Central Bank (Banco Central Europeu or ECB) meeting in June. Citing the need to act quickly against potential inflationary spirals, the governor noted that while the economy remains resilient, inflation remains a primary concern.

Comboios de Portugal (CP) has warned of significant train service disruptions from Tuesday through Thursday due to a general strike scheduled for June 3. The rail operator has published minimum service schedules for urban, regional, and long-distance trains, advising passengers to check their website for updates and potential ticket exchanges.

The BdP has reduced the maximum debt-to-income ratio (DSTI) for home loans from 50% to 45% to curb high-risk lending. Industry analysts estimate this change could lead to the rejection of 10% to 15% of mortgage applications that would have previously been approved. The government has introduced a public guarantee (Garantia Pública) to help mitigate these impacts for younger buyers.

The European Commission has confirmed that Portugal will temporarily suspend the collection of biometric data for the Entry/Exit System (EES) at national airports when necessary. The measure aims to prevent excessive queues during peak travel times, with the government notifying Brussels of the planned suspensions.

Fuel prices are expected to decrease by 12 cents per liter for both diesel and petrol between June 1 and June 7. The estimates, provided by the Automobile Club of Portugal (Automóvel Club de Portugal or ACP) based on data from the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (Direção-Geral de Energia e Geologia or DGEG), may vary by location and gas station.

The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Área Metropolitana de Lisboa or AML) is coordinating with the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) to establish a network of local support centers for migrants. The initiative, discussed by municipal officials and AIMA representatives, aims to improve integration services across the region.

The government has approved an expenditure of up to 4.5 million euros to demilitarise the Alcochete Shooting Range. This process is a necessary step to clear the site for the construction of the new Luís de Camões Airport, which will serve the Lisbon region.

The government has approved a legislative proposal requiring telecommunications operators to block fraudulent messages and spoofed phone numbers. The new rules also mandate the identification of all prepaid mobile card users to improve security and prevent online scams.

The government has approved a new Single Social Benefit (Prestação Social Única or PSU) to consolidate 13 existing support schemes, including the Social Insertion Income (Rendimento Social de Inserção or RSI). Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated the policy aims to combat fraud, though it faces criticism for requiring working-age recipients to perform up to 15 hours of community work per week.

The Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária or PJ) arrested a 48-year-old woman in Oeiras for human trafficking and labour exploitation. The victim, recruited in Angola with promises of domestic work and a minimum wage, was allegedly subjected to isolation and irregular pay without a formal contract.

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS), and Chega have submitted a joint list of four candidates to fill vacancies at the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional or TC). The election is scheduled for June 12 and requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass.

The Ministry of Internal Administration (Ministério da Administração Interna or MAI) clarified that the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) may temporarily suspend biometric data collection at airports for up to six hours when necessary to manage queues. This follows reports of increased capacity and electronic entry machines at major terminals.

The PSD has agreed to support the PS nomination of Luísa Neto for the position of Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça). The parliamentary vote is set for June 12, aiming to fill a vacancy that has persisted since the start of the current legislative term.