Portugal's general discussion (general events)

[CumbrianLefty]

Final economic numbers from 2023:

Could this help the PS a little in the election?

[Mike88]

Final economic numbers from 2023:

Could this help the PS a little in the election?

I don't think it will be a factor. The PS would like it to be, but to quote Luís Montenegro's controversial statement from 2014, when the country was exiting the troika bailout: "People's lives are not better, but the country's is much better."

[Mike88]

The main 4 credit agencies now have Portugal with an "A level", the first time in 13 years:

https://twitter.com/ECO_PT/status/1763673394115977693

S&P raises Portugal's rating. Sovereign debt rating returns to level A in the four main agencies

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) decided to raise, this Friday, the Portuguese debt rating from BBB+ to A-, with a positive outlook. Portugal is once again, after 13 years, at level A in all rating agencies.

The agency had already signaled this decision last September when it improved the outlook for sovereign debt from stable to positive – an outlook that maintains the new assessment, which opens the door to a further increase in the rating. Almost a week before early elections, S&P believes that the “next Government” will continue on the path of “financial discipline” and “concentrate on the execution of the funds” of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), it indicates, in a note , the press.

The “rapid” reduction in the public debt ratio and the “strong budgetary performance” are highlighted by the agency to justify raising one level on the rating scale. “We expect this trend to continue, albeit more slowly”, anticipates S&P, before adding that it foresees “moderate growth”, supported by “a strong performance in tourism, an increase in public investment and a recovery in private consumption”.

GDP should slow down from 2.3% in 2023 to 1.4% this year, estimates the agency, which also points to unemployment growing “slightly” to 6.7% this year. In macro numbers, S&P estimates an increase in public investment to 3.3% GDP in 2024 (compared to 2.8% last year).
(...)

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

The main 4 credit agencies now have Portugal with an "A level", the first time in 13 years:

https://twitter.com/ECO_PT/status/1763673394115977693

S&P raises Portugal's rating. Sovereign debt rating returns to level A in the four main agencies

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) decided to raise, this Friday, the Portuguese debt rating from BBB+ to A-, with a positive outlook. Portugal is once again, after 13 years, at level A in all rating agencies.

The agency had already signaled this decision last September when it improved the outlook for sovereign debt from stable to positive – an outlook that maintains the new assessment, which opens the door to a further increase in the rating. Almost a week before early elections, S&P believes that the “next Government” will continue on the path of “financial discipline” and “concentrate on the execution of the funds” of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), it indicates, in a note , the press.

The “rapid” reduction in the public debt ratio and the “strong budgetary performance” are highlighted by the agency to justify raising one level on the rating scale. “We expect this trend to continue, albeit more slowly”, anticipates S&P, before adding that it foresees “moderate growth”, supported by “a strong performance in tourism, an increase in public investment and a recovery in private consumption”.

GDP should slow down from 2.3% in 2023 to 1.4% this year, estimates the agency, which also points to unemployment growing “slightly” to 6.7% this year. In macro numbers, S&P estimates an increase in public investment to 3.3% GDP in 2024 (compared to 2.8% last year).
(...)

Does this help PS?

[Mike88]

Does this help PS?

I don't think it will be a factor. The PS would like it to be, but to quote Luís Montenegro's controversial statement from 2014, when the country was exiting the troika bailout: "People's lives are not better, but the country's is much better."

P.S.: If the Socialists are successful in winning the election, is much more because of the trainwreck AD campaign than any other external factors.

[Mike88]

First journalists general strike in 40 years. Several media outlets are closed today:

https://twitter.com/revistasabado/status/1768206787742715970

General strike by journalists with impact on several media outlets

More than two dozen media outlets are closed, on a day of a general strike by journalists.

The report is made by the Journalists' Union, which called for a strike against “precariousness, low wages, work overload, ethical conflicts, the degradation of the quality of work and the difficulty of reconciling professional and family life”.

“At midnight this Thursday, there was no news on Antena 1 or TSF”, indicates the union, noting that at that time “the starting shot was fired for the first general strike of journalists in more than 40 years” .

“There are already more than two dozen media outlets whose journalists have joined the strike and are on standstill on March 14th,” reads the union’s website.

There has been no news on the Lusa Agency line since midnight and several media outlets are reporting strong disturbances.

According to the union, the impact of the general strike began even earlier in the newsrooms, pointing out that “many managers, concerned about membership, brought forward newspaper closing days, made advance invitations to programs, swapped shifts to take care of 'probable' absences. strikers, or reinforced them to mitigate the impact of the strike”.

The union warns that “strikes in the media are not covered by the need for minimum services” and warns that “any measures or actions that aim to frustrate the exercise of the right to strike or its effects are illegal. They are unconstitutional.”
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[Mike88]

Landslide cuts one of the main roads between Porto and Lisbon. Its reopening is now a big doubt:

https://twitter.com/cnnportugal/status/1767885869044605413

“That is an incredible and unimaginable thing, with an incredible dimension.” IC2 cut in Águeda due to landslide

The crater that opened on Tuesday night is interrupting the three lanes of the IC2, in Serém, Águeda. This is forcing traffic detours, even short ones, on municipal roads.

In the early hours, on one of the alternative municipal roads, a heavy load of goods knocked down the wall of a house while maneuvering.

The municipality of Águeda is concerned about the safety of vehicles and that of residents of the towns that are crossed by the diversions. However, the place where the road collapsed leaves no room for safer routes.

The IC2, formerly EN1, remains interrupted in a section between Águeda and Albergaria-a-Velha.

In the coming days, more technical geological study work should advance in the place where the tar fell.

But the forecast suggests that works to restore the road could take several months, so there is no forecast for reopening.

[Mike88]

Government Environment Agency approves the construction of a mega solar plant in the Alentejo region to hold more than 2 million solar panels:

Public Prosecutor "blocks" construction of the mega solar plant near Sines harbour, saying that many steps in the project were overstepped:

https://twitter.com/ECO_PT/status/1771858663872893169

Largest solar plant in Europe blocked by Justice

The Public Prosecutor challenged the license granted by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) for the construction of the largest solar plant in Europe, in the municipality of Santiago do Cacém, in Alentejo, considering that it “overstepped” a wide range of territorial management instruments and legal regimes for the protection of natural resources”. Iberdrola guarantees that it “rigorously followed all processes” in the investment of around 800 million euros.

With an area of around 1,000 hectares, Iberdrola's solar plant, in partnership with Prosolia, will involve the felling of around 1.5 million trees, mainly eucalyptus, having obtained the APA license at the end of January 2023. But for the Central Department of State Litigation and Collective and Diffuse Interests of the MP, in the action it launched at the end of January at the Administrative and Fiscal Court of Beja, not all procedures were complied with, reports Público (content in Portuguese, conditional access).

The project — worth around 800 million euros in investment — had already been challenged by a residents' association, ProtegeAlentejo claiming that the environmental impact statement was approved despite negative opinions from several entities, such as the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, the National Energy and Geology Laboratory and even the director of the agency's environmental impact assessment department, says the diary.

According to the association, the energy that will be produced will also be used to supply Start Campus, a data center at the center of “Operation Influencer” that led to the dismissal of Prime Minister António Costa, but Iberdrola denies this, guaranteeing that it “strictly followed all defined processes for project development”.

Located in the municipality of Santiago de Cacém, near Sines, the infrastructure will have an installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts (MW) and should become operational in 2025, creating 2,500 jobs, “the majority performed by local workers”, according to information shared in January by promoting companies.

Regarding the protection of biodiversity, Iberdrola explained that the land could be used by local pastoralists as “pasture for raising sheep and beehives will be introduced, which will contribute to improving the stability of ecosystems and increasing crop yields in the surrounding agricultural land.” Furthermore, he also said, plantations will be made around the infrastructure to replace the approximately 1.5 million eucalyptus trees that will be felled with native trees.

Iberdrola's Fernando Pessoa solar park — the largest in Europe and the fifth largest in the world — is part of the 3,000 million euros in investments in wind and solar energy planned to be implemented in Portugal in the coming years.

Here we go again...

[Mike88]

Police raids houses and businesses of suspects of fraud involving EU funds worth 40 million euros:

https://twitter.com/Euractiv/status/1770324218871480377

Almost 80 search warrants were executed in the operation known as Maestro.

The Judiciary Police launched this operation in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto and in the regions of Aveiro and Guarda.

At issue may be, among others, crimes of tax fraud, money laundering and abuse of power. Crimes that will have harmed the European Union and the Portuguese State by around 40 million euros.

In a note sent to newsrooms, the Judiciary Police did not identify the suspects, but several media outlets named businessman Manuel Serrão and journalist Júlio Magalhães among the people targeted.

The investigation is being carried out by the National Unit for Combating Corruption in the Judiciary.

Regarding this case: Businessman Manuel Serrão suspect of living for 8 years in a Porto city luxury hotel at the expense of EU funds.

Businessman Manuel Serrão is suspected of having lived for eight years in the Sheraton hotel, in Porto, using European funds obtained illegally.

According to Operation Maestro files, to which CNN Portugal had access, Manuel Serrão made the hotel his permanent residence, with this stay costing a total of 372 thousand euros between 2015 and 2023.

According to the investigation, the businessman presented these expenses as being part of a project eligible for European support, amounts that were approved by Compete 2020.

In addition to Manuel Serrão, journalist Júlio Magalhães, former leader of Compete 2020 Nuno Mangas and a member of this entity, fashion designer Katty Xiomara is also suspected of involvement in the scheme set up to divert European funds.

Xiomara is suspected of presenting fictitious expenses later used by Associação Seletiva Moda, led by Manuel Serrão, to obtain European funds.
(...)

[Mike88]

2023 budget surplus reaches 1.2% of GDP, 3,2 billion euros, the best result in democracy and since 1973:

https://twitter.com/Lusa_noticias/status/1772218806355521585

Portugal with historic budget surplus of 1.2% in 2023

The National Statistics Institute (INE) released this Monday the largest budget surplus recorded in democratic Portugal: 3,193.5 million euros in 2023, which corresponded to 1.2% of GDP (-0.3% in 2022) .

"In accordance with European Union Regulations, INE sends to Eurostat, by the end of the current month, the first notification of 2024 regarding the Excessive Deficit Procedure (PDE). According to the provisional results obtained in this exercise, Public Administrations (AP) had a positive balance of 3,193.5 million euros in 2023, which corresponded to 1.2% of GDP (-0.3% in 2022). The AP's gross debt will have decreased to 99.1% of GDP in 2023 (112.4% in the previous year)”.

The 2023 surplus exceeds that of 2019 (0.1%), the year in which former Finance Minister Mário Centeno entered the country's economic history as the first ruler in Terreiro do Paço to achieve a positive budget balance since 1974.

In a statement, the Bank of Portugal confirms that "in 2023 the general government balance stood at 1.2% of GDP and public debt at 99.1% of GDP".
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Final 2023 numbers:

GDP growth: 2.3%
GDP: 265,5 billion euros
GDP per capita: 25,366 euros
Unemployment: 6.5%
Debt: 263,1 billion euros
Debt %: 99.1%
Budget Surplus: +1.2%
Inflation: 4.3%

[Mike88]

Bad weather in Portugal:

Tornado in the Tagus river in Lisbon city:
https://twitter.com/rolederua/status/1773367646886428805

Complicated landing at Madeira airport this week:

[Mike88]

Meanwhile in Portugal...

Goats "invade" a cemetery and start eating flowers on the graves and damaging a few graves:

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1775210836195176934

A herd of goats entered the Palhais cemetery, Barreiro, which was unsupervised, and caused damage to some graves. The presence of the animals provoked outrage.

A herd of goats entered the Barreiro Cemetery, which was unsupervised, and caused damage to some graves. The presence of the animals provoked outrage. The Palhais Municipal Cemetery was invaded by goats that entered through the space's gate, and the images were captured by one of the visitors, when he went to leave flowers at his father-in-law's grave.

“We found it to be a completely incredulous situation. We went in and didn’t see anyone responsible for the cemetery”, described Sérgio Pinto. For the couple, the situation went beyond the limits and cannot be ignored. “The goats were the first time we saw them, but it is true that there is never anyone responsible in the space”, added the couple.

The councilor of Barreiro City Hall states that the justification is related to a change of shifts. The municipality guarantees that the case has not been forgotten and that measures are being taken. Some of the possible consequences may include the seizure of animals and the payment of fines.

[Mike88]

Portuguese Catholic Church announces creation of fund to pay compensations to sexual abused victims:

https://twitter.com/TSFRadio/status/1778425838335398156

Portuguese Catholic Church will compensate victims of sexual abuse

The Portuguese Catholic Church will compensate victims of sexual abuse by members of the church. The decision was taken unanimously in the assembly
plenary session of the Epicospal Conference, which ended this Thursday in Fátima.

In the statement released this afternoon, the bishops announce that a fund will be created for these compensations. All dioceses will contribute jointly to this fund.
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In recent days, Rute Agulhas, coordinator of Grupo Vita, said that 20 victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Portugal have already expressed their desire to be financially compensated for the damages suffered.

This body, created by the Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP) following the work of the Independent Commission for the Study of Sexual Abuse of Children in the Catholic Church - which over the course of almost a year validated 512 testimonies of cases that occurred between 1950 and 2022, pointing out, by extrapolation, to a minimum number of 4,815 victims -, he added that he had "carried out a total of 56 consultations" and that "more consultations are scheduled for this month of April".

[Mike88]

Iranian paramilitary forces seize Portuguese flag container in the Strait of Hormuz:

https://twitter.com/politicoeurope/status/1779116450696831112

Iranian paramilitary forces seized a container ship near the Strait of Hormuz that the country’s state-run media said is “linked to Israel.”

A video shows commandos repelling down from a helicopter onto the MSC Aries, a Portugal-flagged ship carrying 25 crew members. In a Saturday statement, MSC confirmed Iranian authorities boarded the vessel and that “she has since been diverted from her itinerary towards Iran.”

The seizure by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps comes at a high point of tensions in the Middle East, as Iran has been expected to retaliate against Israel this weekend following Israel’s killing of Iranian paramilitary leaders in Syria. For days, senior Biden administration officials have been working with foreign counterparts to persuade Iran against a massive attack. The growing consensus was that Iran had calibrated its plans to hurt Israel but not drag other nations, including the United States, into a broader regional war.
(...)

[Mike88]

A more football thing, but it has a major impact in Portugal:

FCPorto elections this Saturday. Pinto da Costa's 42-year rule in danger?

https://twitter.com/dntwit/status/1784181857824989329

6901 voted until noon in the FC Porto elections. Voter turnout record will be broken

The elections for the governing bodies of FC Porto are taking place this Saturday, in an electoral event that can be followed AO MINUTO, on Maisfutebol.

There are three candidates for the presidency: Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa (List A), André Villas-Boas (List B) and Nuno Lobo (List C).

Between 09:00 and 20:00, at Estádio do Dragão, in Porto, members will vote for the continuity of the 33rd top leader in 'blue and white' history, who is the leader with the most titles and longevity in world football, or the first change in power since 1982.

Pinto da Costa, 86 years old, was elected separately several times, but will face opposition at the polls for the fourth time - and the second in a row with two opponents -, in the face of an unprecedented challenge to his sporting, financial or infrastructural management.

Businessman and professor Nuno Lobo (list C) is once again running to succeed the president of FC Porto (A), four years after being the third and last candidate with the most votes, while former coach André Villas-Boas (B ), who won four trophies for the 'blue and white' football team in the 2010/11 season, including the championship and Europa League, appears for the first time at the polls and establishes himself as the main face of the opposition.
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[Farmlands]

All of my friends and their parents who are members of the club are voting for Villas-Boas. It's funny, but here in Porto, I feel there's a lot more enthusiasm for this election than the upcoming European one.