Porto, Portugal
Latest news and stories from Maia.
Eight cities in Portugal have been named among the 250 happiest in the world according to the 2026 Happy City Index. The report evaluates urban well-being based on factors such as air quality, safety, social cohesion, and mobility efficiency rather than just economic wealth.
A court in Matosinhos has handed a three-year and six-month suspended prison sentence to a care home owner in Maia for the mistreatment of two elderly residents. The defendant is also required to pay 2,000 euros in compensation to each victim and is prohibited from working in the care sector.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced that the government is reforming the operations of the Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas). The changes aim to reduce the fear of decision-making among mayors and public officials. The president of the Chega party has indicated that they will meet with the government to discuss the proposal to end the prior visa (visto prévio).
Luís Filipe Montenegro Cardoso de Morais Esteves (born February 16, 1973, in Porto) is a Portuguese lawyer and center‑right politician who has served as Prime Minister of Portugal since April 2, 2024. A long‑time member of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), he is the leading figure of the post‑Troika generation of Portuguese conservatives. Montenegro was elected to the Assembly of the Republic in 2002 for the Aveiro district and remained an MP for 16 years, becoming PSD parliamentary leader from 2011 to 2017 during the bailout and austerity period under Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho. He was a prominent defender of strict austerity measures, arguing in 2014 that “the life of the people is no better, but the life of the country is a lot better,” a phrase that has followed his public image since. After an unsuccessful leadership bid against Rui Rio in 2020, Montenegro won the PSD leadership in 2022. He then forged the centre‑right Democratic Alliance (PSD–CDS‑PP and allies), which won a plurality of seats in the 2024 legislative election. Refusing to partner with the far‑right Chega, which he has called “often xenophobic, racist, populist and excessively demagogic,” he formed a minority government as head of the XXIV Constitutional Government on April 2, 2024. His first government fell in March 2025 after a no‑confidence vote linked to a conflict‑of‑interest affair, but fresh elections saw the Democratic Alliance increase its seat share, allowing Montenegro to return as prime minister leading the XXV Constitutional Government. His importance to Portugal lies in attempting to re‑center the traditional centre‑right after the crisis years, defending liberal‑conservative economics and EU alignment while drawing a sharp line against formal cooperation with the radical right, thus shaping how Portuguese democracy manages its new multi‑party era.
The Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas) is Portugal’s independent public audit body that inspects and approves the accounts of state entities, public companies and other bodies that use public funds. Its rejection of an organisation’s accounts signals serious financial irregularities and can lead to recoveries, fines or political fallout, so taxpayers and public-sector contractors should pay attention.
Chega leader André Ventura stated this Saturday that he is open to reaching a consensus with the government on labour law reform, provided certain conditions are met. Ventura urged the executive to stop playing the victim, while the Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP) criticized Chega for imposing conditions on the process.
André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.
His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.
Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
Correio da Manhã reports that elderly women were slapped at an unlicensed care home in Maia, prompting police attention and public concern. The facility is described as operating without proper licensing; social services or criminal investigators may become involved as the case progresses. Relatives and those seeking private care should verify licences and report suspected abuse to local authorities.
Update: Owner faces trial for elderly mistreatment
Correio da Manhã now reports the owner of the illegal Maia care home has been brought before the courts on charges of mistreating residents. The case moves from investigation to prosecution and may lead to criminal hearings; families of residents and prospective private‑care clients should monitor legal outcomes but do not need new immediate action beyond verifying licences.
