Latest news and stories about lisbon in Portugal for expats and residents.
The Lisbon Metro (Metropolitano de Lisboa) will suspend service on the Green Line between Rossio and Cais do Sodré from May 2 to May 5. The closure is required for construction work related to the new circular line project, with normal operations expected to resume on May 6.
A 24-hour strike by Lisbon Metro workers scheduled for this Tuesday has been cancelled. Unions confirmed that an agreement was reached with the company board, securing commitments for staff reinforcement and new rules for shift swaps between workers.
After an RTP investigation found that several properties were being used as clandestine housing rented to migrants, Mafalda Guerra — appointed in December 2025 as a board member (vogal) of the Social Services of the Lisbon City Council (Serviços Sociais da Câmara de Lisboa) — was exonerated. The report says rents were reportedly paid through an associate; Guerra told RTP some properties were leased to third parties who managed them. The dismissal follows public scrutiny of informal housing arrangements and will draw attention from anyone using or dealing with municipal social services in Lisbon.
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.
Mafalda Guerra was appointed in December 2025 as a board member (vogal) of the Social Services of Lisbon City Council (Serviços Sociais da Câmara de Lisboa) and was dismissed on Friday following an RTP investigation by the programme A Prova dos Factos. The case matters locally because it affects oversight of municipal social services and public confidence in political appointments.
The Lisbon Chamber rejected a motion from the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) demanding measures to lower housing prices; ten councillors voted against it, including members of PSD, CDS‑PP, IL, Chega and an independent. The vote signals limited appetite on the council for the specific measures proposed by the Left Bloc and leaves housing policy changes uncertain. Renters and those seeking housing in Lisbon should track future council proposals and debate outcomes.
The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda, BE) is a Portuguese left-wing party founded in 1999 as a coalition of far-left movements (UDP, PSR, and Política XXI). It positioned itself as a modern, progressive alternative to the traditional left, attracting younger urban voters with campaigns on social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, drug policy reform, housing, and labor protections.
The party's peak influence came during the 2015–2019 Geringonça ("contraption") government, when it supported António Costa's PS minority administration alongside the PCP. This arrangement reversed austerity measures and presided over economic recovery, giving BE significant policy leverage.
Since then, the party has suffered a sharp electoral decline — from 19 seats in 2015 to just 1 seat in the May 2025 election, its worst result in history. Leader Mariana Mortágua resigned in October 2025 after failing to reverse the slide. The party is currently undergoing a leadership contest and internal debate about its future direction, squeezed between the PS on one side and Livre on the other.
Long queues have returned to Lisbon Airport's departures area, extending as far as the Duty Free section, marking a resurgence of congestion issues.
A section of a newspaper or publication featuring letters sent by readers to the editor.
Carlos Moedas' four-and-a-half-year tenure as Mayor of Lisbon is criticised for a lack of strategic vision and execution, marked by worsening housing crises, budget cuts, infrastructure failures, and allegations of political mismanagement.
The right to strike must be balanced against the public's right to freedom of movement, ensuring that labour disputes do not completely paralyze urban infrastructure.
Residents in Lisbon's Baixa-Chiado district are demanding urgent CCTV installation following a reported rise in local insecurity and criminal activity.
Lisbon Metro workers have initiated a two-day strike, with no minimum services mandated by the Arbitration Court, resulting in a complete shutdown of the network.
The article critiques Carlos Moedas for his political maneuvers, particularly his secretive agreement with the far-right party Chega, which contradicts his public image as a reformist. It highlights the lack of transparency in his dealings and the implications for his governance in Lisbon, emphasizing that he can no longer blame external factors for inaction. The piece calls for Moedas to focus on effective governance rather than personal political ambitions, as he now holds a majority that was not directly granted by the electorate.
The Lisbon Metro has announced preventive measures in response to forecasted bad weather, which may lead to delays in the opening of the Blue and Green lines on Saturday. These measures include the installation of protective barriers at critical access points and the temporary closure of access to six stations.
The arrival of Depression Marta is expected to bring heavy rain to Lisbon and Setúbal, with the most concerning period being between morning and early afternoon. Areas already facing complications may experience the worst impacts as this is the third depression to hit the region in a short span of time.
CNN Portugal spent time inside CODU, INEM’s medical call centre in Lisbon and found a centre under sustained pressure where high call volumes demand rapid, accurate triage and careful deployment of ambulances and other rescue resources. The report examines how operators prioritise calls, the protocols guiding decision-making, and the operational strain of matching limited resources to urgent needs.
PSD MP Miguel Guimarães welcomed the announcement to purchase 245 ambulances, saying it will allow INEM to increase its response capacity across multiple locations, notably Greater Lisbon and Setúbal. Analytically, the investment should improve coverage and potentially reduce response times in high-demand areas, but its effectiveness will depend on deployment strategy, crew availability and integration with existing emergency services. Close monitoring of allocation and operational metrics will be required to ensure the intended gains in emergency healthcare delivery are realised.
Lisbon's municipal authority has proposed banning alcohol consumption in public streets from 11pm, with proposed fines of up to €3,000 that could also be applied to establishments. Framed as a measure to reduce nuisance and improve public safety, the proposal raises questions about enforceability, proportionality and the potential economic impact on nightlife and hospitality. Separately, Le Monde reports Emmanuel Macron accusing Donald Trump of 'breaking with international rules', underscoring a parallel debate about norms and accountability on the international stage.
Benfica members approved the “Benfica District” project at an extraordinary General Assembly, with 59.24% voting in favour. The development — a campaign pledge of re-elected president Rui Costa — aims to transform the area around the Estádio da Luz, increase stadium capacity and will have material implications for the club's revenue streams, the local property market and urban infrastructure planning.
A man has been remanded in custody after a 9-year-old boy died and a 14-year-old was injured when a shotgun allegedly discharged accidentally in the Bela Vista neighbourhood. Authorities say the weapon belonged to a family member; investigators remain on the scene and the case is being examined for possible criminal negligence and safety lapses, prompting questions about firearm storage and emergency response protocols.
The PSP (Public Security Police) have identified around 30 people after shots were fired with prohibited weapons in Lisbon. A targeted operation — involving Rapid Intervention Teams and Traffic Division units — ran from 22:00 Friday to 02:00 Saturday; no incidents were recorded and no arrests were made. Enquiries and investigations remain ongoing as police follow up on those linked to the discharges.
At 18:00, the Chega party lodged a formal complaint reporting incidents of shots fired using prohibited weapons in Lisbon.
An IPMA yellow warning is in force this Friday for eight districts — Guarda, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Leiria, Lisbon, Setúbal, Beja and Faro — calling for increased public caution due to adverse conditions that could affect travel, outdoor activities and local services. At the same time eight presidential candidates will convene in Lisbon for a radio debate, an event whose logistics and audience turnout may be influenced by the weather alert; organisers and the public are advised to monitor forecasts and prioritise safety while ensuring the debate proceeds with contingency plans for any disruptions. The overlap of a national weather warning and a key campaign event underscores the practical intersection of public safety and electoral logistics.
Four gynaecology and obstetrics emergency departments have been closed. In Amadora‑Sintra only the gynaecology emergency department is shut; meanwhile the general emergency at Hospital Fernando Fonseca (Amadora‑Sintra) reported a three‑hour wait for patients classed as very urgent as of 20:00, according to the SNS Portal. Santa Maria recorded a two‑and‑a‑half‑hour wait for very urgent cases, and Hospital de Loures topped the waiting‑time list with around three‑hour waits for urgent patients.
The German group FRS, which entered the Portuguese market in 2021, expects to reach 2.25 million euros in revenue by 2026, driven by a strategic shift towards the MICE tourism sector. With two vessels now operating in Lisbon, the company is focusing on corporate events to combat seasonality and attract international business clients. Despite positive growth projections, the group remains cautious regarding geopolitical instability and its potential impact on global tourism demand.
Residents of the Lisbon parish that saw the highest appreciation in 2025 say they are happy with their choice. They pay the price for the quality of life in the neighbourhood. Real estate agencies assure that the trend is expected to continue.
Lisbon City Council awarded a 75,000 euro direct contract to the company organising a concert with a luxury picnic costing 300 euros per family this Sunday at Eduardo VII Park. The company owner was part of Moedas' technical team on election night during the local elections.
The PSP identified 7 boys and one girl for the assaults on an Iraqi man in Lisbon. Three are formal suspects.
See here what is at stake, and what irritated José de Pina.
Virtuoso guitarist José Manuel Neto is recording a new album and will present it in an absolute premiere at the CCB, in Lisbon, this Saturday at 7 pm.
He sang in a punk band, robbed a bank in France, opened a record store in Lisbon, and wrote a book: the saga of Gilles Bertin as told by those who knew him.
A group of students from Colégio Moderno assaulted an Iraqi refugee in Lisbon.
Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Luís Campos Ferreira, is the new president of the executive committee of the Casa da América Latina, a non-profit association supported by the Lisbon City Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies, and companies, which promotes cultural, economic, and institutional cooperation with countries in that region. He succeeds Alberto Laplaine Guimarães, who was removed from his position as secretary-general of the Lisbon City Council after being arrested as part of Operation Lúmen, which is investigating a corruption scheme involving the awarding of Christmas lighting contracts. Luís Campos Ferreira, a former PSD deputy for five terms and head of the Parliament Channel, was elected at the general assembly held this Thursday. He will combine his presidency of the Casa da América Latina with his duties as secretary-general of the UCCLA - Union of Capital Cities of Portuguese Language. The Casa da América Latina continues to have Carlos Moedas as its non-executive president, representing the Lisbon City Council, while Nuno Piteira Lopes, mayor of Cascais, remains at the head of the General Assembly Board. António Valle, director-general of the Lisbon Tourism Association, remains head of the Supervisory Board, and Ambassador António Almeida Lima will continue as vice-president of the executive committee. Created in 1998, the Casa da América Latina is a private, non-profit association that divides its activities between promoting economic and commercial relations between Portugal and Latin American countries, disseminating Latin American art and culture, and focusing on tropical medicine. Cultural policies of Portugal and Brazil at the Casa da América Latina.
