Friday, 16 October 2026

A study published by the Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal) concludes that demand-side subsidies fail to resolve the national housing crisis and instead drive up property prices and rents. The analysis by João Amador found that a 1% increase in demand pushes home prices up by 0.69% and rents by 0.37%, with the sharpest price pressures concentrated in Lisbon and Porto. The study warns that housing affordability can only improve through structural supply-side measures that increase housing construction.

Satisfaction among coordinators of Family Health Units (Unidades de Saúde Familiar or USF) regarding primary care reform fell to 26% this year, down from 31.9% in the previous period. A study by the National Association of Family Health Units (Associação Nacional das Unidades de Saúde Familiar or USF-AN) revealed that 85% of health centers are still waiting to receive outstanding financial incentives from the state. Clinic leaders also warned of chronic IT software crashes, equipment shortages, and excessive workloads across local practices.

The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) debated legislative proposals to regulate non-resident access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS). Lawmakers considered introducing mandatory private health insurance requirements to prevent foreign visitors from misusing Portuguese medical facilities at public expense. The initiative follows findings that over 20% of the 19 million patient records in the national healthcare database lack full identification information.

Former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho positioned himself for a return to national leadership within the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD). In a televised interview, Passos Coelho advocated for the governing Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática or AD) to build a broader coalition that includes Chega and the Liberal Initiative (Iniciativa Liberal or IL). The proposal directly conflicts with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who has ruled out any formal government agreements with Chega.

The Portuguese government selected Germany's Lufthansa Group to acquire a minority stake in national airline TAP Air Portugal (Transportes Aéreos Portugueses). Under the privatization plan, Lufthansa will pay €1.2 billion for a 44.9% holding with an option to reach 49.9%, while the Portuguese state retains 50.1% of the shares with 5% reserved for airline workers. Lufthansa stated that the agreement will support TAP's expansion while safeguarding its brand identity and strategic flight routes to North and South America.

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas announced plans to suspend and remove shared electric scooters from the capital, pointing to persistent safety complaints and cluttered pedestrian pavements. The proposal still requires formal approval by the Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa). While commercial scooter operators face an exit from the city, the municipal bike-sharing system Gira will remain in service and receive further fleet investments.

The Portuguese League Against Cancer (Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro or LPCC) renewed its appeal for the government to provide 100% wage compensation for oncology patients on sick leave (baixa médica). The charity reported spending nearly €3 million on social assistance for struggling households in 2025, noting that cancer patients currently lose up to 44% of their net pay during their first month away from work. Extending full sick leave compensation to all cancer patients would cost the state an estimated €14 million annually.

The Energy Services Regulatory Authority (Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços Energéticos or ERSE) proposed a 1.5% average rate increase for normal low-voltage electricity customers in mainland Portugal's regulated market. The adjustment takes effect in January 2027 and follows an earlier 2.7% rate hike introduced in October. Higher wholesale power prices driven by natural gas costs contributed to the increase, though savings from renewable energy contracts prevented steeper price jumps.

A brush fire in Alto do Varejão, in Lisbon's Penha de França neighborhood, forced the emergency evacuation of hundreds of students from Escola Secundária Patrício Prazeres. The fire also left a 67-year-old resident homeless. Emergency services brought the blaze under control during the afternoon.

Parliament debated legislative proposals from the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), CDS – People's Party (CDS – Partido Popular or CDS-PP), and Chega to restrict access to the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS) for non-resident foreigners. The bills would require non-resident foreign citizens to pay user fees (taxas moderadoras) for public medical care. Opposition lawmakers criticized the measures during parliamentary debate, arguing that the right-wing parties are blaming foreigners for operational pressures across public hospitals.

Carris Metropolitana is expanding its bus fleet in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Área Metropolitana de Lisboa) with 37 new electric buses starting Friday. The vehicles represent an investment of €16 million, according to Lisbon Metropolitan Transport (Transportes Metropolitanos de Lisboa). The presentation took place at the Rodoviária de Lisboa facilities in Santa Iria de Azóia, in the municipality of Loures.

Taxis departing from the arrivals terminal at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport (Aeroporto Humberto Delgado) must now apply fixed fares ranging between €16 and €19 depending on the destination zone. The measure, agreed between the Lisbon City Council (Câmara Municipal de Lisboa) and national taxi associations, aims to curb overcharging and improper ride refusals. Full implementation of the airport system, including mandatory card payment terminals and vehicle accreditation, is scheduled for early November.

Parliament's Labor Committee unanimously approved a joint legislative proposal from the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) and the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) to extend parental leave entitlements. The bill also broadens the right to continuous working hours (jornada contínua) to private sector employees with children up to 12 years of age. The measure now advances to a final plenary vote in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República).

The Independent Union of Teachers and Educators (Sindicato Independente de Professores e Educadores or SIPE) filed a formal complaint with the Ombudsman (Provedora de Justiça) over pension calculation errors by the state. The issue stems from corrections by the Civil Servants' Pension Fund (Caixa Geral de Aposentações or CGA) that affected nearly 3,000 pensions and resulted in demands for retirees to return overpaid sums. The union argued that asking teachers to repay money caused by administrative miscalculations is unfair.