Latest news and stories about cost of living in government in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
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The Casa para Viver platform is petitioning the President of Portugal to declare the housing crisis a national emergency, advocating for rent controls and eviction protections ahead of nationwide protests.
Leader of Chega, Ventura, has called on the Government to return the additional VAT revenue generated from the recent rise in fuel prices, emphasizing the need to differentiate between individuals and businesses. He criticized the Government's response to the fuel price crisis, particularly the insufficient discount on road diesel, and plans to push for an urgent debate in the Assembly of the Republic.
Chega plans to propose the reinstatement of zero VAT on essential goods, a measure they aim to limit until the end of the year. Additionally, the party is advocating for further government action to reduce fuel taxes.
After Lisbon and Porto urban lines were opened to the possibility of sub‑concession, the mayor of Cascais has proposed that Cascais — together with Oeiras and Lisbon — take over management of the Cascais suburban line and make train journeys within the municipality free for residents, workers and students. The proposal reframes the sub‑concession debate as an opportunity for local control but raises practical questions about funding the revenue shortfall, coordinating services across municipalities, the legal and contractual steps required, and the potential impacts on ridership, local traffic and equity.
CGTP Secretary-General Tiago Oliveira has called on all workers to join a general strike on June 3rd to protest against the government's labour package, which he describes as a major setback for workers' rights. During the May Day rally in Lisbon, Oliveira demanded a 15% wage increase to combat the rising cost of living, the end of flexible working hours, and the implementation of a 35-hour work week for all. The demonstration saw thousands of participants, including representatives from various sectors and political leaders, marching to voice their opposition to the government's policies.
New forms of struggle are expected to be presented, with a potential general strike on the table. Trade union centres expect thousands of people on the streets. Also, the meeting of the PS Political Commission.
Free transport on Carris, rent exemptions, and free school meals are some of the measures. Moedas disagrees and calls for a national or European Union response.
Avenida da Liberdade remained completely full nearly three hours after the start of the parade in Lisbon, amidst protests against the cost of living, the proliferation of conflicts, and populist threats.
The President of the Republic calls for the fulfilment of April, especially in the fight against inequalities. Furthermore, Iran guarantees that there will be no negotiations with the US for now, this weekend in Islamabad.
The secretary-general of the PCP argued, during a session with students in Lisbon, that labour and housing reforms are worsening precariousness for young people and called for mobilisation against the executive.
At issue is the Government's decision to reduce the extraordinary ISP discount on diesel by 1.5 cents.
Luís Montenegro is expected to be confronted by opposition parties regarding the state of negotiations currently reviewing labour law. A social dialogue meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro returns to parliament this Wednesday for a fortnightly debate where the opposition is expected to raise issues including labour law reform, the international economic climate, inflation, and the government's relationship with journalists. The debate will cover topics such as the PS party's concerns over a government contract with NewsWhip, which they fear may be used to monitor journalists, as well as ongoing disputes regarding the cost of living and the government's progress on labour legislation, which is nearing a final decision despite resistance from some social partners.
The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, received the Secretary-General of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, at the Belém Palace.
Paulo Raimundo commented on the progress of negotiations within the social concertation regarding the revision of the labour law.
The union representing workers at Lisbon's municipal cultural company rejects the 56-euro increase imposed unilaterally and demands 15% or a minimum of 150 euros.
Workers are protesting for “decent wages, respect for the Company Agreement, and the appreciation of public culture.”
In this news bulletin, a live interview with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Also, reactions to the ceasefire between the USA and Iran. Highlights also include the housing crisis in Lisbon.
PS leader José Luís Carneiro has gone on the attack today, accusing the government of “making money at the expense of citizens’ sacrifices”. On a ‘walkabout’ in Benfica market (where The post PS leader accuses government of ‘making money at expense of citizens’ sacrifices’ appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The Secretary-General of the Socialist Party does not comment on the agreement reached with the PSD regarding the lists for the external bodies of the Assembly of the Republic. However, the socialist leader accuses the Government of profiting at the expense of the sacrifices made by the Portuguese people.
PS Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro has accused the Government of profiting from the public's sacrifices, claiming the state stands to gain an extra 500 million euros in VAT revenue if inflation exceeds forecasts by 1.5 percentage points. During a visit to the Benfica Market in Lisbon, Carneiro criticised the government's current measures to combat the rising cost of living as insufficient, reiterating the Socialist Party's call for a zero-VAT rate on essential goods and tax relief on fuel and energy.
The PS Secretary-General argues that the State will collect an additional 500 million euros if inflation remains 1.5 percentage points above the forecast.
The cost of debt is already rising due to the new war. This is the headline of this Monday's edition, April 5th, of Diário de Notícias. For Portugal, the rise in interest rates is sensitive because, despite the downward trend in the debt-to-GDP ratio, the country continues to have high levels of indebtedness that must be paid with budget surpluses and/or refinanced with new debt. The Government's latest forecast points to an increase of 600 million in debt charges by 2026. Also highlighted is survival on credit: more and more families have no other way to buy basic goods. Download the DN at the link below: The photographic highlight goes to the Vatican. In his first Easter as Pope, Leão XIV calls for hope against the “violence of war”. Other highlights: To Trump's threat of “hell”, Iran warns that the “region will burn”. Marcelo's life after Belém includes books and schools, while politics remains behind closed doors. Marta Temido: “I do not recognize the Prime Minister's sectoral knowledge to speak of chaos in Health left by the PS”. Lisbon: One infraction every two days for the sale of alcoholic beverages for street consumption. I League: Nice and Ajax haunt Francesco Farioli and FC Porto in the final stretch of the championship. Artemis II: The day man reaches the dark side of the Moon. Luís Portela: “My interest in the spiritual began when I was young, but, looking at things from a scientific point of view”.
PSD, CDS-PP, and IL voted down the PS proposal to create an extraordinary energy compensation programme, citing measures already in effect by the Government.
The Lisbon City Council rejected this Wednesday, with votes against from the PSD/CDS-PP/IL administration, the PS proposal to create a municipal programme to mitigate the effects of rising fuel costs, providing support to institutions and families. In a private meeting of the municipal executive, the PSD/CDS-PP/IL team, led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas...
Lisbon City Council, led by Carlos Moedas, has rejected a Socialist Party (PS) proposal to create a municipal programme aimed at mitigating the impact of rising fuel costs on families and institutions. The governing coalition (PSD/CDS-PP/IL) argued the proposal was redundant, citing existing national government support measures and current municipal social emergency funds. Additionally, the council rejected a separate PS proposal to evaluate the potential acquisition of specific buildings for public housing, with the administration stating it is already prioritising large-scale housing investments and the development of its existing property portfolio.
The PSD/CDS-PP/IL administration stated that the municipal executive is attentive and stands in solidarity with those most affected by the issue of rising fuel costs, but that the socialists' proposal is redundant, given that the Government presented measures very recently.
The proposal received votes in favour from the entire opposition, namely PS, Livre, BE, PCP, and Chega.
“There is a growing gap between housing markets and people's reality.” These are the conclusions of the two European Parliament working groups that visited Portugal to assess the situation regarding affordable housing and the recovery and resilience mechanism.
