Wednesday, 28 October 2026

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro defended police handling of recent housing demonstrations as parliament opened the general debate on the 2027 State Budget (Orçamento do Estado para 2027). Montenegro stated that his government remains open to opposition proposals and attentive to living costs, but rejected criticisms from both left-wing parties and Chega leader André Ventura over law enforcement conduct.

The debate took place as demonstrations continued outside parliament in Lisbon. Across the capital, 55 housing activists arrested during a sit-in at Rossio square faced decisions by prosecutors on disobedience charges, while initial approval of the budget bill remains expected after the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) pledged to abstain on the general vote.

Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) leader José Luís Carneiro confirmed that his party will not change its planned abstention on the 2027 State Budget, avoiding a government collapse. However, Carneiro urged the executive to transfer hundreds of vacant public properties held by the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (Instituto da Habitação e da Reabilitação Urbana or IHRU) directly to local municipalities. The PS also called on the government to abandon its proposed tenancy legislation, which the opposition argues weakens tenant stability.

Health authorities confirmed 19 cases of measles (sarampo) in Portugal this year, with nine detected in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley (Lisboa e Vale do Tejo) region since early October. The Directorate-General for Health (Direção-Geral da Saúde or DGS) reported that three recent cases involved unvaccinated individuals who travelled abroad, leading to six secondary infections, including an infant. No patients are currently hospitalized, but six additional suspected cases remain under laboratory analysis.

Pending cases in Portuguese tax courts fell by 54 percent, according to a new report on the country's tax justice system, though systemic delays persist. Legal disputes in traditional administrative courts can still drag on for more than a decade, with backlogs in the Southern Central Administrative Court taking up to five years to clear. In contrast, tax arbitration tribunals resolve matters in less than five months, now handling more than a third of all tax disputes filed in the country.

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has formally asked the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) to evaluate seven rules introduced in the recent penal procedure reform, which entered into force on 1 September. The legal challenge targets provisions allowing defendant confessions to waive the gathering of trial evidence, alongside contested rules imposing financial penalties on defence lawyers. Constitutional judges will now review whether the measures violate procedural guarantees and fundamental legal rights.

The number of international students attending Portuguese higher education institutions has more than tripled over the past decade, according to new education data. While student mobility previously relied heavily on applicants from Brazil and Portuguese-speaking African nations (Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa or PALOP), recent cohorts show increasing geographic diversity. The trend reflects Portuguese universities expanding English-language course offerings and active recruitment across European and Asian markets.

Only 48.5 percent of residents in Portugal know that state pensions are financed directly by current workers' contributions, according to a recent study on pension literacy. Nearly 28 percent of respondents incorrectly believed they receive only the specific funds they personally accumulated during their careers, while nearly 18 percent attributed payments to general tax revenue. The findings point to widespread confusion surrounding the pay-as-you-go mechanics of the Social Security (Segurança Social) system.

The European Investment Bank (Banco Europeu de Investimento or BEI) has approved 700 million euros in new financing for Portugal, dividing the funds between housing and transport. EIB President Nadia Calviño announced 300 million euros to support housing construction and renovation, primarily for the private sector, along with 400 million euros for the expansion of the Lisbon Metro (Metropolitano de Lisboa). The announcement coincides with Bank of Portugal (Banco de Portugal) figures showing total mortgage debt rose 11.2 percent year-on-year to 120.2 billion euros in September.

The Portuguese Society for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery (Sociedade Portuguesa de Cirurgia da Obesidade e Doenças Metabólicas or SPCO) is contesting rules that exclude specialized bariatric surgeons from prescribing state-subsidised weight-loss medication. A ministerial order (portaria) published on 22 October created a special co-payment regime (regime especial de comparticipação) to make anti-obesity drugs more affordable. While welcoming the subsidy, the SPCO urged the government to expand prescribing rights to surgical specialists directly treating severe obesity.

The Common Front (Frente Comum) of public administration unions announced a nationwide strike for 20 November to protest the proposed 2027 State Budget. Union coordinator Sebastião Santana said the stoppage serves as a warning to lawmakers before the final budget vote, arguing that government spending plans fail to address public wages and services. Meanwhile, the government declined to intervene in a separate rail strike scheduled for Friday, stating that negotiations remain the responsibility of state rail operator CP (Comboios de Portugal).

House prices in Portugal climbed 41.5 percent over five years, marking the largest increase in the European Union since 2020. Data compiled by statistical database Pordata and the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos) shows that home construction remains far below levels recorded at the beginning of the century. The steady rise in costs has intensified affordability pressures for households across the country.

More than 27,000 foreign nationals received official orders to leave Portugal this year, but only around 800 complied with the voluntary departure notices (notificação para abandono voluntário). Government figures revealed that the overwhelming majority of recipients remained in the country after the departure period expired. The low compliance rate comes amid ongoing political debate over immigration enforcement and border inspection procedures.

Portuguese energy firm Galp posted net profits of nearly 1.5 billion euros for the first nine months of the year, averaging 5.4 million euros daily. Earnings were driven by crude production in Brazil reaching 131,000 barrels per day amid strong international oil prices. The financial results coincide with industry survey data showing that foreign investment into Portugal's renewable energy sector remains relatively steady despite broader European declines.

Porto has removed 300 shared electric scooters (trotinetes elétricas) from public streets since September as the municipality moves to replace part of the fleet with shared bicycles under an agreement with operators. The strategy differs from Lisbon, where city authorities approved a total suspension of shared e-scooters by the end of 2026. Scooter operator Bolt called for renewed negotiations with Lisbon officials, noting that local residents accounted for 78 percent of its trips in 2025.