Sunday, 27 September 2026

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and the CDS – People's Party (CDS – Partido Popular or CDS-PP) have resubmitted a bill to restrict non-resident foreigners' access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). The proposal, which previously lapsed due to the dissolution of parliament, aims to limit care for those without residency status.

A 64-year-old Irish national died Saturday after getting into difficulty in the water at Prainha beach in Alvor. The National Maritime Authority (Autoridade Marítima Nacional or AMN) confirmed the incident occurred in an area without lifeguard supervision, despite resuscitation efforts by bystanders and emergency teams.

The Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP) has expressed zero expectations for the government's 2027 State Budget proposal. Secretary-General Paulo Raimundo called for a 'fire and brimstone' policy to combat the rising cost of living, warning that the party will not support the budget if it continues the government's current economic path.

Former Finance Minister Mário Centeno has criticized the government's fiscal narrative, warning that the state may face a 12 billion euro cut to public accounts. Centeno argued that the reported budget surplus is misleading because it improperly includes social security balances, leaving no real budgetary margin for the executive led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

Starting Sunday, the Green Rail Pass (Passe Ferroviário Verde or PFV) is valid on CP – Comboios de Portugal suburban lines in Lisbon and Porto. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing stated the measure aims to simplify travel and reduce costs for commuters. While the pass covers most CP lines nationwide for 20 euros monthly, it excludes Alfa Pendular and Intercidades services.

The government has requested further information from ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal regarding the expansion strategy for the New Lisbon Airport (Novo Aeroporto de Lisboa or NAL). Officials are seeking justification for the current terminal configuration and are pushing to accelerate the project's timeline, which is currently scheduled for completion in 2037.

The political party Livre has accused the government of a lack of institutional respect after officials warned that the negotiating margin for the 2027 State Budget is very limited. The party spokesperson stated that conditioning the debate before formal meetings with parliamentary parties is inappropriate.

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) has clarified that Portugal will not be hit by a bomb cyclone next week. While explosive cyclogenesis is occurring in the North Atlantic, it remains far from the country, though residents should expect rain, thunderstorms, and cooler temperatures starting Monday.

The Lisbon Alcoholism Unit (Unidade de Alcoologia de Lisboa or UAL) has reopened its inpatient service at the Health Park after being closed since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The facility now provides 16 beds for treatment programs lasting between 10 and 21 days.

The government is reducing the discount on the Tax on Petroleum and Energy Products (Imposto sobre os Produtos Petrolíferos or ISP) as fuel prices are expected to drop next week. The support for diesel will decrease to 0.85 cents and for petrol to 0.07 cents, a move that has drawn criticism from transport sector representatives.