Before the pandemic, the Portuguese economy grew at a faster pace than the eurozone and the country ranked 28 on the list of wealthiest nations, despite its low rates in advanced education (50% of the population has only primary education; the highest percentage in Europe!) and average income (807 euro/month). When the Chinese president Xi […]
‘As long as there is Covid , there will be no normal life’ (António Costa) Portugal’s State of Emergency has changed into a State of Calamity as from the beginning of May and with approximately 100 deaths per million inhabitants. This implicates that ‘the future depends on the efforts of every single citizen to make […]
‘We can say anything, language has no limits’ – Georg Steiner. Saudade is a unique word in Portuguese that has no direct translation in English. It means something like a melancholic or nostalgic desire for a person, place or event far away, either in space or time.Esperto is another example. On the ball, brainy, smart, […]
‘Bury the dead and feed the survivors’ (Marques de Pombal, 1755) Le Figaro: ‘The Portuguese mystery’ Int Busin Times: ‘Portugal stands tall in the midst of the chaos’ The Guardian: ‘Swift action kept Portugal’s coronavirus crisis in […]
We have to stop moving because this virus can’t move on its own. All migrants, including asylum seekers with pending applications at immigration (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras), will be treated as permanent residents until at least July 1, granting them full access to the National Health Service, welfare benefits, bank accounts, work, and rental […]
When the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed the 1,000 mark – with six reported deaths – the Portuguese Government announced the State of Emergency on March 19. Non-essential business and schools closed. People urged to leave their houses only for food, medicines and walking the dog. Remote working from home became the rule. Restaurants […]
For decades a suitable location for a second runway has been studied to take the pressure off Lisbon’s congested inner-city airport. Ota, Alcochete, Alverca and Beja have been considered over the years and subsequently rejected. The Socialist Government of Antonio Costa is convinced that upgrading Montijo Air Force Base 6 on the south bank of […]
Since March 2015, Jews living abroad have the right to obtain the Portuguese nationality if they can prove to be descendants from the Sephardic Jews – Marranos – who were persecuted and banned from Portugal more than 500 years ago. At that time an estimated 200.000 were imposed to escape the Iberian peninsula and fled […]
We need the indifferent, the conformed and the sceptics We need those who recycle excuses and nothing else We even need those who do not harm (Lisbon City Council) Lisbon is Europe’s Green Capital 2020. A recognition of the work the city has been done over the past years towards a greener and more people-friendly […]
In Portugal – where palliative care is no priority – a first training course of end-of-life doulas has started last September. The program covers topics like active listening, symptoms of chronic ailments, nutrition and hydration, post-mortem care and legacy work. An end-of-life doula is a professional, who guides the dying and opens up the conversation […]