Saturday, 6 June 2026

Health Minister Ana Paula Martins maintains that the tender process for the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) ambulance geolocation system was conducted without flaws. The contract was awarded to Diálogo Emergente, a firm linked to Duarte Moral, who is currently a defendant in an investigation regarding public contract awards.

The Ministry of Education has finalized the placement of over 5,400 teachers in areas facing the greatest staff shortages, with 3,938 of these positions located in the Lisbon and Setúbal regions. Minister Fernando Alexandre noted that these early placements are intended to facilitate better planning for the upcoming school year.

Portugal has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term. This marks the first time the country has secured the seat in the initial round of voting, a result Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described as a victory for Portuguese diplomacy and a commitment to global peace.

President António José Seguro has asked that his public statements regarding national challenges not be interpreted as direct political criticism. During a visit to Luxembourg, the President emphasized that his role involves highlighting issues like the country's ageing population to foster national convergence rather than shortening legislative terms.

Health Minister Ana Paula Martins has declared the issue of patients with delayed clinical discharges a national priority. As of late April, nearly 3,500 patients remained in public hospitals despite being medically cleared for discharge, a situation the minister says reduces the capacity of the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) by over 14%.

A general strike organized by the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses or CGTP) caused significant nationwide disruptions to public transport, education, and healthcare on June 3. The action targeted proposed labor reforms championed by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, which unions argue threaten worker rights. While the strike was constitutionally protected, it faced criticism for its timing and lack of support from other major unions like the UGT.

Update: Protesters released following general strike demonstrations

The five individuals detained during protests outside the Assembly of the Republic following the strike have been released by the court. They are now required to provide identity and residence information (termo de identidade e residência) while awaiting further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Luís Neves expressed support for the police response during the strike, stating that the force acted firmly to uphold the law.

The government will deploy 340 additional Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) officers to international airports starting July 4 to reduce wait times. Interior Minister Luís Neves confirmed that 140 officers will be assigned to Lisbon, 100 to Porto, and the remainder to Faro, Funchal, and Ponta Delgada. The minister acknowledged that while this reinforcement aims to streamline border procedures, ongoing digital issues continue to impact operational speed.

A tax dispute has emerged between Portugal and Spain regarding foreign retirees who previously benefited from the non-habitual resident regime. Spanish authorities are reportedly refusing to recognize certain residency certificates issued by Portugal, potentially allowing Spain to tax pensions that were previously exempt or subject to lower rates.

Variable-rate housing loans in Portugal face upward pressure as the Euribor rates for three, six, and twelve months have risen. The six-month rate, which is the most common benchmark for Portuguese variable-rate mortgages, reached 2.588% as of June 5.

The Competition Authority (Autoridade da Concorrência or AdC) has imposed fines totaling 13.35 million euros on Meo, NOS, Vodafone, and the consultancy firm Accenture. The penalties relate to an anti-competitive agreement involving subscription television services and advertising in television recordings. While Meo has reportedly reached an agreement to avoid further legal action, other companies have indicated they will challenge the decision.

The National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR) recorded 2,921 rural fires through May 30, a significant increase compared to the 795 incidents reported during the same period in 2025. As part of the Safe Forest (Floresta Segura) operation, the GNR has also issued over 11,800 notices for failure to clear vegetation from land and made 109 arrests related to fire safety violations.

New legislation published in the Diário da República authorizes the government to change the payment model for the Single Circulation Tax (Imposto Único de Circulação or IUC). Starting in 2027, the tax will move to a fixed payment schedule rather than being tied to a vehicle's registration month. The transition year of 2027 will feature single or split payments depending on the tax amount, with a permanent format taking effect in 2028.

President António José Seguro has promulgated a government decree regulating the hiring of temporary doctors in public hospitals, often referred to as 'tarefeiros'. The new rules aim to standardize the use of service provision contracts within the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). Health officials emphasized that the regulation is intended to improve management rather than criticize the medical professionals involved.

Despite maintaining some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the European Union, Portugal's environmental performance is hindered by a heavy reliance on private vehicles. Data from the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos) shows that the transport sector accounts for 34.4% of national emissions, with public transport usage dropping from 29% to 12% between 1990 and 2023.