The Council of Europe has suggested rather more transparency should be displayed by Portugal’s MPs, judges and prosecutors.
The judicial authorities are urged to step up the prevention of corruption regulations that govern various professional groups in a report from the anti-corruption body of the Council of Europe - GRECO - on Portugal’s corruption prevention measures.
The number of private bankruptcies fell 3.8% last year, far from the peak recorded at the height of the crisis, but the fall reflects the growing number of insolvencies that are being replaced by debt settlement plans.
After years of depressing rises in Portugal’s personal insolvency figures, there were still 12,000 families that declared bankruptcy in 2015, the use of payment plans mediated by the courts continues to grow, rising nearly 40% in 2015.
The Minister of Internal Affairs today pointed out that Portugal may only have received 30 refugees so far, but is considering 90 further applications and has offered to host a "very large number" but to no avail.
Constance Urbano de Sousa was speaking at the parliamentary committee for European Affairs about the flow of refugees into the European Union and said that Portugal this week was to receive ten refugees from Greece "but the Greek authorities said they will not be coming as they have disappeared.”
Portugal's new cheapo bank account scheme has attracted 11,000 accounts holders since it started last year, a third of which were downgrades from existing account holders avoiding fees for account services.
The scheme aimed to force banks to encourage customers to join a Banking Lite system with no overdrafts or credit but with a cash card, direct debit and ATM facilities.
A 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti was sold for €32.1 million in Paris, with the former owner Alessandro Proto hinting in a press release that the adequately remunerated footballers Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were 'involved in the bidding.'
It seems that Argentina's Messi may have achieved a solid win over Portugal’s Ronaldo with the purchase of the most iconic Ferrari in the world, certainly the most expensive.
Catarina Martins, the leader of Portugal’s Left Bloc political party has called for the resignation of the entire Parvalorem board and a full external audit of the incestuous company that is meant to be looking after the taxpayers’ interests in State-owned businesses.
Martins demanded a full investigation into the activities of the board at the end of a meeting with Parvalorem’s workers council.
France is one step closer to being able to revoke French citizenship from people convicted of terrorism.
The controversial change to the constitution received the backing of the lower house of parliament on Wednesday by 317 to 199.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has underscored the discord between his government and the Brussels behemoth by comparing the EU to the orchestra on the Titanic.
Renzi has been at odds with EU officials on several issues, including budget rules under the Stability Pact. He has argued for some slack to revive his country’s economy by cutting taxes and spending to encourage growth.
