Stories from Lisbon · Portugal

Benfica head coach José Urinãu stated his immediate goal is to lead the team into the Champions League. He said he is not currently thinking about a move to Real Madrid, though he did not rule out the possibility in the future. This follows reports from Athletic citing sources regarding Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.

Portugal is being urged to transpose the 2023 Transparency Directive into national law. The directive requires reporting on salary gaps between men and women and oversight of wages for precarious workers or technology-based companies.

The Portuguese government is conducting an evaluation of the emergency communications system via a multi-ministerial team. The plan is scheduled to run until 2030. A commentator noted that while the State holds approximately 8.4 million euros, private entities hold less than 7.6 million euros. The speaker argued that private sector actions must align with the logic of the law regarding the execution of the plan. Critics argue that entities like Águas de Portugal and AICEP must operate with a profit motive. The Prime Minister has reportedly not clarified specific business opportunities arising from these market logics. Critics argue that the management of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) has involved missed deadlines and excluded projects. The Portuguese government is preparing to allocate 36 million euros to update the CIRESPE emergency communications system.

The Executive Director of the National Health Service (SNS) stated in Parliament that the government will not be able to provide family doctors to all citizens by 2027. Despite the rise in income, the effective taxation on these earnings decreased. The data was released following the publication of 2024 IRS statistics. Effective taxation on these rising incomes has decreased, according to RTP Antena 1. According to a recent report by the CDE, the tax burden on labor began to reduce during the first year of the ADE government. The broadcaster noted that the tax burden in Portugal was previously higher than in Spain. Since 2024, the difference in tax burden between the two nations has changed. The report suggests these economic shifts reflect the concrete income results of citizens' work. Initial requests are facing average wait times of 11 months.

A proposal has been presented to increase the lowest pensions to 520 euros due to an extraordinary structural surplus in social security. The source argued for improved pensions through state budget transfers.

Deputy André Ventura is defending a proposal for zero percent VAT on basic food items. A commentator described Ventura's proposal for zero VAT on food as being similar to socialist policies. He also supports reducing VAT on energy, electricity, and gas.

Portuguese citizens have seen food basket prices increase by 19 euros since the start of the year. The measure faces opposition from the AD, CHEGA, and Iniciativa Liberal parties, according to the report. The impact of living costs is noted as being particularly acute for pensioners with lower pensions. Political parties AD, CHEGA, and Iniciativa Liberal voted against measures regarding fuel costs, food production costs, and fishing. The source noted that the cost of living is felt acutely by all Portuguese people. The CHEGA party, AD, and Iniciativa Liberal reportedly voted against these specific measures during the State Budget discussion. The tax burden on labor in Portugal fell for the second consecutive year in 2025. This decline occurred while the general tax burden in OECD countries rose.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro contested claims that government support is failing to reach citizens. He stated that funds are available within the CCDRs but said that simplified processes must be evaluated with rigor.

Approximately 7,000 applications for housing recovery have been approved out of 35,000 total applications submitted. Additionally, over 7,700 of the 8,400 business credit line applications are currently in operation.

A moratorium providing support to companies in Portugal will be extended for an additional 12 months following its expiration at the end of this month. Jorge Valar, president of the community of municipalities in the Leiria region, described the government decision as fundamental. However, the measure may increase costs due to ongoing interest payments on loans that will now conclude one year later. Opposition parties criticized the plan, specifically citing a lack of clear targets and financing guarantees. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro faced criticism from the opposition during the session. The debate follows the presentation of the PTRR yesterday. The Portuguese government announced a 12-month extension of a temporary moratorium for companies affected by storms that occurred in January. Prime Minister Luisito Clube announced the measure in the Assembly of the Republic.