Environment: Government policy news in Leiria, Portugal

Leiria: More than 200,000 homes affected, says Mission Structure

More than 200,000 homes were directly affected by the severe weather that hit the country at the beginning of the year, said Paulo Fernandes, coordinator of the Mission Structure for the Recovery of the Central Region, today.

Government wants to accelerate renewables in 7% of the territory: environmentalists and municipalities warn of sacrifice to nature and populations

The public consultation for the Sectoral Program for Acceleration Zones for the Deployment of Renewable Energy (PSZAER) ends this Wednesday, and criticisms are mounting. Although they support the energy transition, Quercus, Rewilding Portugal, the Northeast Alive Platform, and the Intermunicipal Community of the Leiria Region accuse the Government of moving forward with a model that lacks transparency and is insufficiently prepared to safeguard biodiversity, agricultural land, and land-use planning. They are calling for a halt.

Leiria region opposes proposal for renewable energy acceleration zones

With the public consultation period coming to an end, many municipalities have spoken out against this programme, which provides for 'accelerated' licensing of renewable projects across 7% of the national territory.

Storms. Government rejects delays and guarantees support

Castro Almeida argued in parliament that the post-storm recovery 'has never been faster'. He warned of fraud in applications and admitted to delays in Leiria and Marinha Grande.

Portugal asks EU, Spain and Morocco for support as wildfire risk rises

Reuters3 Jul

Government declares alert status due to heat and bans various agricultural activities

Luís Neves also warned of a “very significant worsening of atmospheric conditions”.

Wildfires: Minister says Armed Forces are prepared

Two C-130 aircraft will enter service in 2027 and two Canadair planes will arrive in 2029 and 2030. Nuno Melo announced the news in Figueiró dos Vinhos, where he was awarded the Medal of Honour.

Minister of Defence says the Armed Forces are prepared for fire prevention and firefighting

The government official stated that the Armed Forces “are doing everything to ensure they remain prepared to act within the limits of their capabilities and up to the limit of those capabilities.”

Livre accuses Government of lack of 'sense of urgency'

Livre's parliamentary sessions in Leiria highlight delays in post-storm forest clearing and criticism of the central region recovery agency, which remains without direction.

Livre accuses Government of lacking a 'sense of urgency' in disaster response

Parliamentary sessions are taking place in the Leiria district to assess on the ground the impact of the 'train of storms' about four months after the severe weather.

Livre accuses Government and Montenegro of “lack of responsibility” in crisis management and insists on the “urgency” of recovery after storms

Livre's parliamentary sessions began this Monday in Marinha Grande, where the party visited the Leiria pine forest and an association left in “limbo” without a response from the central government.

"It doesn't all have to be a quick fix". Livre accuses the Government of "failing" and calls for a "culture of prevention"

The Leiria district, one of the most affected by the “train” of storms that swept across the country at the beginning of the year, hosts the start of the Livre parliamentary sessions this Monday. The party will visit the area and meet with business owners, associations, and Paulo Fernandes, the leader of the Mission Structure for supporting the recovery of areas affected by storm Kristin. On Tuesday, they head to Lisbon to hold a conference on reconstruction and disaster prevention.

Wildfires: Armed Forces will not have to wait for requests to act

A new operations centre at Air Base No. 5 in Monte Real will be on permanent alert, using aircraft to detect wildfire risk situations, Nuno Melo stated.

PCP wants to accelerate response to storms

Paulo Raimundo announced the proposals during the parliamentary sessions in Marinha Grande, linking the lack of administrative regions to the slow response to severe weather.

PCP leader "furious" with delays in support for areas affected by storms: "They make me lose my temper"

On the day he joined the PCP parliamentary sessions in Leiria, the communist secretary-general, Paulo Raimundo, did not hesitate to point the finger at the Government for “failures” in responding to the populations and institutions affected by the severe storms that hit the centre of the country at the end of January.

Paulo Raimundo says he is "furious" with the Government for announcing support that does not reach the areas affected by the storm

The PCP leader argued that, given the scale of the damage, the country needs a “robust intervention”, investment, and a different attitude from the Executive.

Pedrógão Grande: Victims' association calls for more prevention

Nine years after the fires that killed 66 people, the victims' association warns of trees still left fallen and appeals to the Government to give 'great importance' to prevention.

PCP criticises Government delay in supporting populations affected by bad weather

The PCP will summon the Mission Structure for the Reconstruction of the Central Region of the country to Parliament. The State's response to the storms that hit the country at the beginning of the year is the central theme of the PCP's Parliamentary Days, which began yesterday.

PCP criticises Government's lack of response to fire risk in the Leiria Pine Forest

MP Paula Santos argues that “means and resources should have been mobilised to effectively reach these areas to try and remove as much biomass as possible”.

PCP begins parliamentary sessions in Leiria and Coimbra

The PCP begins three-day parliamentary sessions in the districts of Leiria and Coimbra, focused on the response to the storms that hit the country at the beginning of the year.

Former Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral admits: fires and storms were "events that escaped me"

Former Minister of Internal Administration Maria Lúcia Amaral justified her resignation by admitting she no longer had the “personal and political conditions” to continue in the role. Speaking on the RTP Antena 1 podcast 'Ponto de Interrogação' on Tuesday, June 9, the former official addressed the topic publicly for the first time since resigning on February 10, just eight months into her tenure. Her departure occurred during the response to damage caused by a series of storms early in the year, particularly the low-pressure system Kristin, which devastated the centre of the country. Amaral acknowledged that both the storms and the 2025 summer wildfires were occurrences she could not manage, citing their contingency, unpredictability, and scale. She explained that she lacked the necessary technical knowledge and on-the-ground authority to react with the required speed, concluding that it was better to resign than to continue without the necessary leadership capacity. Meanwhile, local mayors have criticised the government over delays in reconstruction support, and the Jerónimo Martins Foundation has pledged 20 million euros for recovery efforts in Leiria, Marinha Grande, and Ourém.

Thousands affected by bad weather unlikely to receive planned support by the end of the month

The goal of reviewing over 14,000 applications for bad weather support by June 30th, as set by local authorities, the CCDR-Centro, and the Government, is unlikely to be met. The most affected municipality, Leiria, with nearly 11,000 applications, still has more than half of the planned support pending.

Bad weather. PSD presents proposals regarding the Leiria forest

The PSD wants to strengthen public safety, reduce fire risk, and improve forest accessibility in Leiria. The PS accused the party of failing to include Government measures in the proposals.

Leiria races against the clock to clear the forest before summer

The State has pushed the responsibility of reaching agreements with landowners for forest clearing onto the municipalities. In Leiria, where the ownership of 60% of the land is unknown, the local authority is in a race against time.

"It is an effort for everyone". Montenegro calls for national cooperation in rural fire prevention

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called on Thursday, May 28, for the cooperation of all of society in preventing rural fires, advocating for a joint effort between the State, local authorities, landowners, and citizens to reduce risks during the upcoming critical period. Montenegro visited the Integrated Prevention and Operations Command (CIPO) in Leiria to discuss the government's strategy, which includes a 40-million-euro investment from the Environmental Fund for prevention. He emphasized that while the government is deploying its largest-ever firefighting force—with the 'Charlie' phase beginning next Monday involving over 13,000 personnel—public collaboration remains essential to mitigate risks.

Post-storms. Seguro wants the Government to think long-term

The Prime Minister and the President of the Republic crossed paths in Leiria. Montenegro defended what the Government has already achieved, while Seguro took on the role of overseer and presented a list of demands for the future.

Storms. Montenegro admits delays in support for families

The President of the Republic says that what went wrong during the storms shows harshly that it is essential to prevent and learn lessons.

Prime Minister calls for national cooperation in rural fire prevention

Luís Montenegro visited the Integrated Command for Prevention and Operations (CIPO), based in Leiria, this afternoon.