How Portugal voted as far right surged in EU elections // Government wants to add ‘solidarity visa’ to ‘golden visa’
Portuguese news in English on Tuesday, June 10, 2024.
How Portugal voted as far right surged in EU elections
The weekend’s European elections ended with a far-right surge in much of the continent, particularly Germany and France. But the trend didn’t repeat in Portugal, where voters more or less reinforced the status quo, Público reports. The centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition, which formed government after the March 10 general elections, and the centre-left Socialist Party (PS) were neck and neck in EU voting, PS ended up with eight members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to AD’s seven and the far-right Chega was unable to repeat its dramatic leap in support from the national vote. In fact, Initiative Liberal, which sits somewhere between AD and Chega, was the big surprise packet, equalling Chega with two MEPs elected. On the progressive side, the Left Bloc (BE) and Democratic Unitary Coalition (CDU) both clung on to just one seat, half their previous representations.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said he would “do everything” to support former PM António Costa in a potential bid for the European Council presidency, Público reports.
The Associated Press has a broader but still fairly succinct look at the elections, including the snap general election they triggered in France, in English.
Government wants to add ‘solidarity visa’ to ‘golden visa’
The government wants to revamp its gutted “golden visa” program as a “solidarity visa” aimed at helping vulnerable migrants and boosting affordable housing supply, Público reports. The new pathway to residency would apply for those spending at least €250,000 on infrastructure or integration projects for immigrants or a yet-to-be-specified amount on accessible housing. The existing golden visa program no longer allows real estate investment, which was criticised for jacking up house prices, but there are other investment options. "We have not changed the existing scheme, but we have created these two types of solidarity visa," Cabinet Affairs Minister António Leitão Amaro told Reuters, in English. The proposal would still need approval from the parliament.
The proposal comes as the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) deals with a massive backlog, which involves 400,000 processes, according to Público. The Supreme Administrative Tribunal has now ruled the agency must decide residency requests that are made under the category of protecting human rights and freedoms within 90 days. An expert explained the process was the most extreme and difficult to prove option to force the agency to act in the case of those in vulnerable situations. Under the judgment, individual workers would face fines for not complying. The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) proposed AIMA hire 10,000 temporary workers for six months to blow through the backlog, Lusa reports.
Hospital raided in twins treatment case
Police investigating the treatment provided to two Brazilian-Portuguese twins treated with one of the world’s most expensive drugs have searched the Ministry of Health and Lisbon’s Santa Maria Hospital, Público reports. Public prosecutors said they didn’t have any evidence President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had committed a crime linked to the treatment with Zolgensma, a spinal muscular atrophy drug then worth millions. Marcelo previously said he didn’t act when his son Nuno Rebelo de Sousa contacted him about helping. The hospital’s former clinical director and then-secretary of state for health António Lacerda Sales, have been named as formal suspects in the investigation. Lacerda Sales has denied having made an appointment for the twins or any type of contact with the hospital. Prosecutors said they were investigating potential crimes including malfeasance in public office, abuse of power and qualified fraud. You can read more about the case in my newsletters here and here or from Reuters, in English.
In brief
Portugal's far-right leader faces criticism over exchange with migrant worker. Chega is facing accusations it manipulated video of a Bangladeshi migrant confronting leader André Ventura. (Reuters, in English)
Portugal to violate new EU spending rules in first year. Measures recently approved by the government and opposition push the country beyond Stability and Growth Pact spending limits, calculated based on GDP and debt. (Diário de Notícias)
President calls for cohesion and integration of foreigners in Portugal Day address. While still appealing to national pride, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa directed his speech on Monday to Portuguese “nationals and foreigners”. (Público)
Health minister hospitalised after highway car accident. Ana Paula Martins was not seriously injured when a car she was in with at least one other staffer and her driver left the highway on the way back to Lisbon from a ceremony in Coimbra Last week. (Público)
European Central Bank cuts interest rates for first time in five years. After the quarter-point cut to 3.75 per cent, the ECB warned future reductions would depend on price pressures easing further. (Financial Times, in English)
On a lighter note
It’s the sardiniest week of the year. Lisbon’s Santos Populares celebrations are in full swing and Wednesday night will be the biggest party of all. If you’re not familiar with the fun and chaos of June 12 (and the rest of June too, to be honest), be sure to check out my partner (and sub-editor) Daniela Sunde-Brown’s guide to all things Santos. If you need more specific information about which neighbourhoods will have celebrations on which dates and where and when certain pimba musicians will be performing, you can check out Diário de Notícias or Time Out and hit Translate.
The date of today’s entry is off by one