Friday Briefing: Immigrant exodus raises economic concerns
Good morning and welcome to PORTUGAL DECODED. A growing immigrant exodus is testing Portugal’s labour market just as Brussels and the OECD warn over economic risks. Here's the lowdown.
TALK OF THE TOWN
POLITICS
On Wednesday, Portugal was elected at the first round as a non-permanent UN’s Security Council member for the fourth time. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called it a historic recognition of the country’s international importance (More).
Chega wants Parliament to confirm the nationality loss decree recently rejected by the Constitutional Court again. But cross-party opposition means Chega is unlikely to secure the required majority to confirm the decree (More).
SOCIETY
Six protesters were detained near Parliament after clashes at the end of Wednesday’s general strike against the Government’s labour reform. Schools, flights, healthcare and public services faced major disruption (More).
The family of one of the 16 people killed in the Glória funicular crash has filed a €1.05 million compensation claim against Lisbon’s municipal transport operator, its insurer and the company responsible for maintaining the historic lift (More).
ECONOMICS
Lisbon is Europe’s least affordable capital for single residents and families, according to a new study comparing 37 capitals. The premium property segment in and around the capital remains resilient despite global fluctuations (More).
The Government said it was optimistic that airport borders would avoid serious disruption this summer, after reinforcing human, technical and physical resources to apply the European Union Entry and Exit System (EES) (More).
CULTURE AND SPORTS
A new mural in the Lisbon parish of Benfica honours António Lobo Antunes, the Portuguese literary giant who died in March this year. Meanwhile, his publishers announced that a posthumous poetry collection will be published on June 9 (More).
Lisbon born investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller won seven Emmy Awards for a documentary series exploring drug, arms, organ and human trafficking, financial fraud and armed militias across several continents (More).