Latest: Portugal and the European Union
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro was speaking in Brussels this week when he emphasised that Portugal has a “very strong commitment” to the European Union, both in domestic and foreign policy, especially regarding Ukraine and the Middle East.
Portugal’s minister of foreign affairs personally told the Iranian ambassador to Lisbon that his country fully condemned Iran’s 13 April drone and missile attack on Israel, which some observers think was a failure and others consider a deliberately confusing plan.
The conflict in the Middle East was high on the agenda of Prime Minister Montenegro in the Spanish capital, Madrid, during his first official visit abroad. Good Iberian neighbourliness was, of course, paramount.
Portugal joined the European Union in 1986 and has ever since been at the centre of EU decisions with all other members while contributing to EU policies.
Despite this close cooperation, more than half of Portugal’s population is reportedly unaware of the EU parliamentary elections on 9 June. That’s more than double the average in most other EU countries, according to Eurobarometer. The latest opinion poll suggests that more than 70% of EU citizens are likely to vote on 9 June.
Studies show that more than anything, EU voters want to increase the EU fight against poverty and social exclusion, as well as supporting public health institutions , economic advancements and the creation of new jobs.
Defence and security are also high on the minds of voters, particularly because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. While the war is also a serious issue in Portugal, it is even more so, of course, for voters in Denmark, Finland and Lithuania.
Portugal’s new minority centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) government expects the country’s economy to grow by 1.5% this year. While not being able to depend on support from the second strongest centre-left Socialist Party, the AD fully expects to be constantly embattled by the far-right Chega party. Portugal’s latest snap election gave the AD 80 seats in parliament, the Socialists 78 and Chega 50. Angry debate and differences are thus inevitable.
Well before the EU elections, Portugal as a democratic republic will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1974 ‘Carnation Revolution’ on 25th April, which ended a long period of dictatorship and colonial wars. The celebrations will include conferences, parades and other performance, many especially for young adults and children.
Written by Len Port
Potential new surfing world record on a 28.57 metre monster wave
German Big Wave Surfer Sebastian Steudtner has surfed possibly the biggest wave ever this season, measured at 28.57m (93.73ft), in Nazaré, Portugal. (video in article)
The current world record, also held by Steudtner, is 26.21m (86.4ft), which was achieved at Nazaré in 2020.
Since then, Steudtner developed a new surfboard technology with his partners to significantly optimize his surfboard over the past three years. Using the latest simulation methods and wind tunnel validations, the water and air resistances were successfully reduced. As a result, with the new board, Steudtner can now reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, compared to the previous 80 km/h, which now enabled Steudtner to ride the potential next record wave.
During this huge swell, a drone prototype was used for quick and precise wave measurement for the first time.
Safety of Algarve fishermen is at risk
Algarve fishermen are increasingly concerned for their safety, due to dredging promised for 2023 not having begun yet, worsening safety conditions substantially, especially in the Tavira and Fuseta bars.
The Lusa news agency spoke to representatives of several fishermen's associations along the Algarve coast yesterday and everyone expressed their concern, complaining about the lack of dredging at the entrance to the ports which, in some cases, forces local fishermen to have to wait for the high tide.
“Dredging has not yet started, and along the coast the security conditions are worsening, with the most serious cases being the situation in the Tavira and Fuseta bars,” the president of the Algarve Fisheries Producers Organization told Lusa.
In August 2023, the Government approved a budget of 6.9 million euros for the dredging and maintenance of ports in the Algarve, to be carried out between 2023 and 2026, authorizing the General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services ( DGRM ) to incur this expense.
The director of Olhão Pesca, which groups together owners of 184 vessels, expressed concern about “navigability and safety problems”, recalling that, until around 30 years ago, the former Port and Maritime Transport Institute had a dredger working permanently throughout the year, desilting the Algarve's navigation channels.
“Maintenance was constant and that is over. We should return to the methods of the past and the administration that manages the bars should have the capacity to dredge whenever they want”, he said, considering that the 6.9 million euros approved by the Government “are not even enough to dredge two bars”.
The resolution approved by the Council of Ministers last August indicates the fishing and recreational boating ports in the region that should deserve attention: Baleeira (Vila do Bispo), Lagos, Alvor (Portimão), the fishing port, shipyards and the Ferragudo (Lagoa), Albufeira, Vilamoura and Quarteira (Loulé), Faro - with the exception of the commercial port area and access channel -, Olhão, Fuseta (Olhão), Tavira and the Santa Luzia and Cabanas (Tavira) channels.
Sónia Olim, from the Fuseta Fishing Shipowners Association agrees that “there must be a dredger working continuously”.
“There is no point in having occasional dredging, because after a few years we have the same problem again”, said the person in charge, adding that “when the tide is low, boats cannot enter or leave the Fuseta bar and they remain dry in the canal” in which they shelter.
The Association of Fishing Shipowners of Fuseta, a fishing village in the municipality of Olhão, has around 90 artisanal fishing shipowners with vessels between 6and 14 metres in length.
The Ria Formosa lagoon system, which extends between the municipalities of Loulé and Vila Real de Santo, in the eastern (eastern) Algarve, with sand in permanent movement, poses particular problems.
In the west the coasts are more rocky, but the extensive Meia Praia, right next to Lagos, is responsible for the silting of the city's shore.
“Climate change and the increase in the southeast wind coming from North Africa, after four or five months the sand at Meia Praia is once again causing problems at the bar, preventing many boats from unloading at the fish market at any time” , reported Fábio Mateus, from the Barlavento Fishing Shipowners Cooperative.
This shipowner assured that dredging “does not solve the problem” and that, in this case, it would be better to “extend the length of the entrances to Lagos”.
The Council of Ministers established that funds of approximately 60 thousand euros were allocated for 2023, 2 million euros for 2024, 2.5 million for 2025 and 2.3 million for 2026.
According to the Government, carrying out maintenance dredging to ensure navigability in fishing and recreational boating ports is “of the utmost importance” to guarantee access conditions to these ports and the safety of vessels and crew.
Albufeira: Young woman "under the influence of drugs and alcohol" accused of killing another
The young woman accused of having stabbed another woman who ended up dying in April 2023, in Albufeira, claimed in court that she did not remember doing it, because she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
In the first session of the trial, which took place yesterday at the Portimão Court, Mariana Carrilho, aged 22, told the panel of judges that she “admitted to the crime” because her boyfriend at the time told her that she had caused the death of Núria Gomes, who was 19 years old at the time.
Mariana Carrilho is accused by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) of a crime of qualified homicide. Her boyfriend at the time, José Miguel Oliveira - aged 21, is accused for the crimes of insulting qualified physical integrity and personal favouritism.
According to the indictment, the young couple participated in the clashes that took place outside a nightclub in Albufeira, on April 16, 2023, which led to the young woman's death.
The defendant explained to the court that disagreements with the victim arose inside the nightclub, and upon leaving, the couple got into a physical confrontation with the victim.
Mariana Carrilho said that the knife had been given to her by her then boyfriend “who was always armed”, so that it would not be detected upon entering the club.
The defendant explained that she took the knife inside the establishment under her armpit and then put it in her handbag, putting it back under her armpit to leave, “to defend herself against the threats that were made to her inside the club and to scare the victim”.
“Outside, I was slapped by Núria and I picked up the knife to defend myself, but without any intention of killing and only later did my boyfriend, who got between the two, tell me that I had stabbed her”, said Carrilho.
Mariana Carrilho claimed that she does not “remember very well” what happened, because she had consumed cocaine and several whiskeys.
However, she added, she remembers seeing her boyfriend with blood on his shoulder, and he said that it was her who stabbed “my boyfriend José and Núria, who I didn’t know”.
The defendants explained to the court that they then left the place on foot, with José Miguel “trying to get rid of the knife". Both were detained shortly afterwards by the GNR.
José Miguel said that in the midst of the confusion he was attacked, but that he does not remember “the sequence of events”. The defendant claimed to have lost consciousness, but when he recovered he saw that he was “injured in the shoulder and the knife was on the floor, which he then picked up”.
He also said that “at the moment Núria fell, I had the knife my his hand and everyone at the scene said that I was the one who stabbed her”.
Sagres: Young German woman falls to her death
A 26 year old German woman died yesterday afternoon, after falling 40 metres from a cliff on Rebolinhos beach, in Sagres.
According to the captain of the Port of Lagos, Hugo da Guia, the alert given around 1:30 pm, when the womans body was found by a member of the public.
Given the difficulty in accessing the cove by land, a boat was sent from the Sagres Lifeguard Station to provide assistance. The crew found confirmed the woman showed no signs of life, but the body was rescued and taken to Porto da Baleeira, in Sagres, where the doctor from the National Institute of Medical Emergency ( INEM) confirmed the death.
Information collected by the authorities "indicate that it was an accidental fall from a height of around 40 metres".
The womans body was transported to the forensic medicine office at Portimão Hospital, where it will undergo an autopsy.
Albufeira: Suspect arrested for a 2019 murder
A man was arrested by the Judicial Police at the weekend, on strong suspicions of a murder that occurred in Albufeira, in October 2019.
According to the police, the 2019 murder of a 61 year old owner of a traditional pastry store was carried out inside the company's premises. The owner was alone in the store when he was violently attacked, tied and gagged. His body was found by employees the next day.
The motive for the offense was said to be large amounts of money that the victim kept at the company, and his adjacent home.
The 40 year old suspect was remanded in custody after judicial interrogation.
The PJ highlights that it was as a result of investigative work by the Southern Directorate of the PJ, with the help of expertise carried out by the PJ's Scientific Police Laboratory, which made it possible to identify the suspect, determining the issuance of arrest warrants by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) in Albufeira.
