Friday, 30 October 2026

Private institutions dominated the latest national school rankings based on data from the Ministry of Education (Ministério da Educação), with the top public school dropping to 38th place from 33rd last year. Results on national exams (exames nacionais) for the 9th grade showed higher marks concentrated in major coastal cities, while failing grades increased among public school students. A study by the Católica Porto business school and newspaper Público concluded that private schools generally do not inflate internal continuous assessment marks, challenging a long-held perception.

Minister of Economy Manuel Castro Almeida announced a new credit line allowing municipalities (municípios) to develop land for home construction. Speaking on Thursday, Almeida acknowledged that Portugal's housing shortage is severe and will take time to resolve, but stated the executive has room to introduce further measures to accelerate construction. The initiative aims to help local councils prepare urban infrastructure on public plots to expand the country's housing supply.

The National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estatística or INE) is scheduled to release its flash estimate for third-quarter gross domestic product (Produto Interno Bruto or PIB) and national inflation on Friday. The data follows second-quarter economic growth of 2.6 percent year-on-year and 0.9 percent compared to the prior quarter. Economists will examine the figures to evaluate the Portuguese economy's performance amid wider European interest rate conditions.

Borrowers with variable-rate mortgages scheduled for review in November will see another increase in their monthly payments, even as Euribor benchmark growth begins to slow. Financial specialists point out that homeowners can often renegotiate contract terms, including bank profit margins (spread) or linked insurance products, to reduce monthly costs without moving lenders. The adjustment comes as higher borrowing costs continue to squeeze household budgets across Portugal.

Foreign property buyers in Lisbon paid 47 percent more on average for homes than domestic buyers, according to recent real estate transaction data. Median home prices across the capital rose 18.4 percent year-on-year despite a decrease in overall sales volumes. Greater Lisbon remains the most expensive real estate market in Portugal, reaching an average of €4,030 per square metre.

Parties completed meetings with President António José Seguro at Belém Palace (Palácio de Belém), expressing initial willingness to seek common ground on the housing crisis, though political rifts persist. Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) vice president Leonor Beleza confirmed the party's readiness to negotiate tenancy rules, while Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) leader José Luís Carneiro demanded government humility and Chega leader André Ventura expressed doubt about lasting consensus.

Seguro initiated the round of cross-party consultations and convened the Council of State (Conselho de Estado) following street demonstrations in Lisbon over the country's housing shortage.

Christine Lagarde announced she will step down as President of the European Central Bank (Banco Central Europeu or BCE) on 7 February, months before her term was scheduled to conclude in October. Lagarde explained her early departure by expressing a desire to speak freely on international political matters beyond monetary policy. She confirmed she will lead the bank through its December and February policy meetings without reservations.

Two earthquakes measuring 4.5 and 3.8 magnitude struck São Miguel island in the Azores within five minutes on Thursday morning. The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) reported 75 tremors since 20 October originating near the Hirondelle Basin, four of which were felt by residents. IPMA noted that the area periodically experiences seismic swarms and continues to monitor regional fault activity.

Around 9,000 civil servants will be permitted to re-enrol in the civil service pension fund (Caixa Geral de Aposentações or CGA) after the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) struck down 2024 restrictions as unconstitutional. The CGA confirmed it will automatically review applications previously rejected under the invalidated rule for staff registered before 2005. The government stated it will comply with the ruling, which transfers eligible workers back from the general social security system.

Low-income households will be eligible for state subsidies covering up to 80 percent of an electric car's purchase price under the 2027 state budget. Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho announced the scheme, which forms part of a €50 million incentive package expected to support approximately 20,000 vehicles. The initiative introduces income-based tiers alongside standard purchase vouchers for cleaner transport.

The Council of Ministers has approved a decree-law regulating the Nationality Law (Lei da Nacionalidade), establishing stricter criteria for granting Portuguese citizenship. The cabinet also appointed César Teixeira as the new president of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA). The measures conclude regulatory requirements for the revised immigration and nationality legal framework.

The government has approved a reduction in personal income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento de Pessoas Singulares or IRS) rates up to the sixth bracket for 2026. Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro announced the decree-law following parliamentary authorisation, noting the lower rates will apply retroactively to January 2026. The relief is designed to reduce withholding and annual tax obligations for middle-income households.

Officers from the Public Security Police (Polícia de Segurança Pública or PSP) and the National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR) are marching in Lisbon today to demand salary increases and career restructuring. Organised by major police unions ASPP/PSP and APG/GNR, the protest heads to the official residence of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. Union leaders stated that months of discussions with the government have produced no formal wage proposals.

The interest rate on Portuguese savings certificates (Certificados de Aforro) will remain at 2.5 percent in November for the third consecutive month. The return matches the legal ceiling established for the sovereign retail debt instrument, which remains a favoured savings product for Portuguese households. However, roughly thirty retail bank term deposits now offer higher rates than the state-backed alternative.