Latest news and stories about social commentary in Portugal for expats and residents.
Against disinformation and the culture of hate, honouring April requires recovering patience and the freedom to think without constraints. A column by Bruno Santos
At 82, Helô Pinheiro redefines the bikini and exposes how society still insists on limiting the value of female bodies to youth. Opinion by Andrea Zamorano
The last few years have been marked by putting everything into boxes. People no longer do things; instead, they are things.
The author reflects on the recent proliferation of educational events in Portugal that adopt English terminology like 'summits' and 'keynote speakers' to appear more prestigious. The text criticizes the superficiality of these gatherings, noting that they often prioritize buzzwords like 'innovation' and 'transformation' over substantive debate, and highlights how some events are heavily scripted to ensure they align with a specific, controlled narrative.
There is a risk of the “end of humanity and the birth of a new civilization in which most of us will be slaves,” warned the Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Mortágua did the math, realised she needed to go earn money, and that the most practical way to achieve this would be to become the owner of a commercial establishment. Obviously, she turned right-wing.
Extremism presents itself as lucidity. As courage. As unfiltered truth. As the last stand against decadence, betrayal, manipulation, the system, the elites, and the others. Opinion by Joana Sá Lima.
When this is the case, the Nation is doomed, for while understanding Kant's morality requires reading or attending mass, applying Machiavelli only requires having social media and existing in today's immediate world.
Due to a flippant comment, the topic of rape is in the spotlight.
It is not so much the error that is at stake, but how it is handled. The issue is not cancellation, but knowing how to ask for forgiveness.
From Sophie Gilbert's book to the protagonists of the “manosphere”; from the 90s with women against women to the grotesque presented as normal — a critical essay by Ana Bárbara Pedrosa.
From cheap criticism to apathy, democracy demands more than clicks and soundbites. Silence is a political choice and omission hands the future over to interests that are not our own. A column by Ricardo Laja.
Sometimes, politics is too important to be taken seriously.
The Patriarch of Lisbon, Rui Valério, responded to criticisms directed at Pope Leo XIV by Donald Trump and other members of the US administration, stressing that the Church is not a political institution and has no political ends. Valério defended the Pope's firmness as stemming from the Holy Spirit and Christian identity, while lamenting the comments made by Vice President J.D. Vance. He further remarked that there is only one Saviour, Jesus Christ, in response to AI-generated imagery linking Donald Trump to Christ.
Many people on the left said that Pacheco presented better arguments, but that he should not have gotten involved in that. This means only one thing: he disappointed. Opinion by João Miguel Tavares
The clinical psychologist stated on 'Noite das Estrelas' that she censures the television presenter's attitude for confusing a sexual act with rape.
Young people think, but they feel it is safer not to speak up. And as long as this happens, we will be killing critical thinking at birth. A column by Luzia Arantes.
Luana do Bem discusses the growing ‘madness’ regarding restroom signage in the new episode of Irritações!
This post-Easter Monday held a particular significance for me, marking the eve of my 50th birthday. Reflecting on this milestone, I observe a structural problem in Portugal and other democracies: the habit of indefinite tenure in positions of power. Whether in politics, business, or institutions, many individuals insist on remaining long after their cycles have ended, treating public service roles as personal property. This culture blocks new generations, stifles innovation, and normalizes the idea that leaving is a loss, rather than an act of responsibility. While experience and continuity are valuable, a healthy democracy requires the recognition that every tenure must have an end. True maturity lies in knowing when to step aside, ensuring that the country can continue to evolve by making space for new voices.
What message are Portugal, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium—the largest agents of the trafficking of enslaved Africans—sending by abstaining from declaring this the greatest crime against humanity? Opinion by Maria Giulia Pinheiro.
During his Easter Sunday homily at the Lisbon Cathedral, Patriarch Rui Valério urged the faithful to seek inner renewal, arguing that society is suffering from a deep materialism that ignores the spiritual dimension. He called for a move beyond mere technical fixes to address the existential emptiness and indifference of the modern world. The service also marked the signing of a new Pastoral Letter, “Arise, Church of Lisbon, and shine in Christ,” which outlines a mission to refocus on Jesus Christ amidst contemporary social and spiritual crises.
“If tomorrow we return to the routine of the festivities, without any unease or shock in the face of the world's suffering, something has escaped us this Easter,” warned Américo Aguiar in his Easter Vigil homily.
In an interview with Observador, Miguel Almeida takes stock of his term as provincial of the Jesuits in Portugal and expresses concern over the radical discourse of those who sell certainties both inside and outside the Church.
While the IOC prevented biological men from hitting women, here we entertained ourselves with a pseudo-betrayal on 'Secret Story' and the media bubble thinks it is wrong for José Luís Carneiro to push for the release of political prisoners.
The presenter used the controversy to reflect on our society.
Researchers Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita examined 16th-century convents and realised that the struggles of the nuns share similarities with the lives of women in the age of social media.
A country that gets emotional over television narratives, but remains indifferent to its own fragilities, becomes a spectator of its own stagnation.
People actually have something else, which is attention-seeking syndrome, adds Inês Rogeiro, a guest on the show 'Irritações'.
Between prices that aren't about diesel, millions of likes that change nothing, and politicians in stand-up mode, Portugal is waking up... only to hit snooze. A serious portrait, but not really.
Stop telling women that they don't look their age as stated on their ID cards. A column by Inês Meneses.
