Latest news and stories about public policy in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas has formally requested that the government immediately cancel the Volta packaging deposit system. The program, which refunds 10 cents for returned single-use containers, has been criticized by the mayor as an environmental policy that has devolved into an unprecedented social drama for the city's residents.
A new think tank called the Instituto Progresso has launched with the goal of developing and testing public policies through pilot experiments. The organization aims to bridge the gap between the centre and the left, counting 170 subscribers from parties including the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS), the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), and the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE).
Health cards are private membership or discount schemes sold by companies that offer access to consultations, tests or reduced fees at private clinics; they are not the public health service. The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has proposed regulation to increase transparency and protect consumers from misleading marketing or unexpected charges.
The Social Democratic Party ('Partido Social Democrata' or 'PSD') is a liberal-conservative political party in Portugal that is the leading partner of the The Democratic Alliance (AD) which is the country's ruling party, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
The Social Democratic Party, despite its name, occupies the centre-right of Portugal's political spectrum. Luís Montenegro, who became Prime Minister in April 2024, leads Portugal's current minority government. The PSD has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. Montenegro, a former party leader from 1996-1999, was elected with the highest approval rating among party leaders at 10.7 points out of 20.
The Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition that includes the smaller CDS – People's Party, a Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner. Together, they govern without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation.
The Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas or TdC) has labeled the Lisboa 65+ health plan as redundant and inefficient. The report found that the program, launched in 2022, failed to add value beyond existing services, with a significant portion of its budget spent on administrative costs rather than patient care.
The TdC (Tribunal de Contas) is the Court of Auditors, an independent body responsible for overseeing public spending and ensuring the legality of state financial management. It performs prior audits on high-value public contracts to prevent misuse of funds before they are finalized.
The government maintains its decision to auction properties despite criticism that these buildings could have been repurposed to address the public housing crisis.
Eight vacant government properties in Lisbon, recently sold or slated for auction, represent a missed opportunity to create approximately 450 public housing units.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered at the Portuguese Parliament to protest for better access to housing.
A few months before the 50th anniversary of the first democratic local elections, 16 mayors from across the country met at the third edition of the Local Summit, which took place this Wednesday at the Belém Cultural Centre (CCB) in Lisbon. From housing to local financing, including adaptation to climate change and the need for planning...
More of a say in mental health decisions and access to housing, education, and employment were some of the demands of the protesters who marched today to the Assembly of the Republic in Lisbon.
One day, more than 15 mayors, and a motivated room eager to hear about local power. This was the 3rd Local Summit, an ECO initiative that took place this Wednesday at the Belém Cultural Centre. See the best images from an intense day.
The Board of Trustees is one of the most relevant bodies of the Nova University of Lisbon
An analysis of immigration trends and the associated public policy framework within Portugal.
The Lisbon Municipal Assembly approved recommendations from PAN and PEV regarding contaminated soils and biodiversity, with the PSD voting against the main proposals.
The event takes place in Lisbon between 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM and features former Health Minister Adalberto Campos Fernandes, who was appointed by Seguro to coordinate the Strategic Pact for Health.
Lawyer Manuel Nobre Correia analyses the Public Prosecutor's indictment in the case of the twins who were treated at Santa Maria Hospital.
Henrique Machado, Society editor at CNN Portugal, analyses the Public Prosecutor's indictment in the case of the twins who were treated at Santa Maria Hospital.
The first plenary session took place this Thursday, with the inauguration of the deputies from the six committees that make up the parliament and the election of João Paulo Magalhães as the president of the initiative. This is a project by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, the Nova University of Lisbon, and Microsoft, with which Expresso is associated as a media partner.
Litter scattered on the streets sparked a conflict between the Government and Lisbon City Council. In other countries, the system also required time, corrections, and social adaptation.
Following criticism from Moedas regarding Volta, the director of APED, Lobo Xavier, speaks of high adoption rates. Jacinto, secretary-general of AHRESP, says the system is not suitable for the restaurant industry.
Waste chaos leads the Mayor of Lisbon to call for the end of the system. The Minister says it is a European obligation.
During a press conference from the capital, the mayor stated he had presented the French example to the Government, where he claimed the system has been suspended.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas has called on the government to immediately scrap Portugal’s Volta bottle and can deposit-return scheme, claiming it has created serious social and urban hygiene problems in The post Lisbon mayor calls for end of Volta recycling scheme appeared first on Portugal Resident.
The Prime Minister stated that extremes must not stifle democracies. Meanwhile, the President affirmed that healthcare is a right for everyone and not a privilege for a few.
A recycling and reuse policy “is necessary”, states the Social Democrat Carlos Moedas. But “it should be neither a tax nor a social drama”.
Carlos Moedas asked the Government this Tuesday to cancel the Volta packaging deposit system “immediately”, claiming that the 10-cent refund per bottle or can is turning into “a tax for those who pay” and an urban hygiene problem in cities.
Secretary of State for Justice, Gonçalo da Cunha Pires, said that Wing E will be the first to close. About 250 inmates will be moved to three different prisons.
Why vote on motions in Parliament when you can put on a show on television? Rui Rocha swapped the plenary for the studios because, after all, serious political debate in Portugal now takes place during primetime.
The deputies have been elected. They still needed to meet and equip themselves with the initial tools to understand how recommendations are transformed into decisions. This was the objective of the Training Day for the Health Parliament Portugal, a project by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, NOVA University Lisbon, and Microsoft, with Expresso as the media partner.
The most populous region in the country, with over 3 million inhabitants, offers 21 vocational places across all public university and polytechnic higher education.
