Portugal’s Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, said today that he was confident that the situation in country’s judicial system “gradually will normalise” and that he has no reason at all to sack his Justice Minister, Paula Teixeira da Cruz (pictured).
The PM saw no reason to replace the minister whom the government has charged with undertaking the extraordinary reform that many governments have not had the courage to do.
The purchase of property in the Algarve by foreigners is increasing, thanks largely to the government’s notably benign tax treatment of inbound foreigners whom it treats better than Portuguese nationals.
The British remain the best customers for Algarve property, followed by French, Chinese, German, Belgian and Swedish buyers many of whom are swayed by the generous tax breaks offered to retirees.
The Italian economy, the third largest of the eurozone, is now 9% smaller than it was when the financial crisis struck in 2007.
In the intervening years, it has spun backwards three times into recession. The most recent was announced very recently; the previous one endured on for two years.
Two years after a fire destroyed Portimão Retail Park, the stationery and office supplies company Staples is opening a store in Parchal, Lagoa.
Staples’ choice of location in a different municipality is a blow to Portimão council which is in need of all the rates income it can get its hands on as it struggles with over €130 million of debt.
A Portimão resident has been declared missing presumed dead after his Cessna 152 light aeroplane crashed this morning off Sagres.
The experienced Portuguese pilot, a man of 74, set off from the Aero Club of Portimão and the sound of the Cesna engine last was heard by the crew of a fishing boat in dense sea fog.
The President of the European Federation of Food Banks, Isabel Jonet, has warned of the existence of "professional poverty" in Portugal with people making begging a way of life and called for enhanced cooperation between social support institutions to combat this scourge, or it will be transmitted from generation to generation.
Isabel Jonet went one step further in her headline-grabbing comments as she criticises the unemployed who spend their time clinging to Facebook, saying that social networks are the biggest enemies of those who have no work.
Loulé council has become even more voter friendly by announcing that the much despised Largo de S. Francisco will be “given back to the people,” and it is not even an election year.
The current structure of a pathway over some water was installed about ten years ago and the council admits that “it did not work" and is now is to be changed to something more in keeping with the historic nature of the city centre.
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that that Portugal yet again has managed not to comply with legislation, this time on the opening up to competition of the groundhandling services at Lisbon, Faro and Oporto airports.
The judgment reads that "the Portuguese Republic, by not taking the necessary steps to organise a process of selection for operators authorised to provide groundhandling services for baggage, ramp handling, cargo and mail at these airports has not complied with its obligations under this Article" and a stiff fine will be issued in due course.
