Marcelo criticised for ‘sexist’ cleavage comment // Portuguese youth in ‘David v Goliath’ climate court battle
Portuguese news in English on Monday, September 18, 2023.
Portuguese youth in ‘David v Goliath’ climate court battle
In a “truly David versus Goliath” battle, six young Portuguese are set to face off in a courtroom against the legal teams of 32 European nations, in a battle over climate change, Público reports. On September 27, they’ll front the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg to argue a case years in the making, the first of its kind accepted by the judicial body. When they submitted the case in 2000, they claimed the governments’ failure to do enough to fight climate change was impacting on three human rights: the right to life, right to respect for private and family life, and the prohibition of discrimination. The court itself raised the prospect of a potential violation of the right to be free from inhuman or degrading treatment. Gearóid Ó Cuinn, director of Global Legal Action Network, which is running the case, described it as a “real case of David versus Goliath, without precedent in either scale or consequence”.
In large part, the governments have sought to devalue the experiences of the plaintiffs — four of whom live in Leiria, which was badly affected by 2017’s huge fires — as alleged victims of the effects of climate change, Público reports. Portugal described the claims as “mere suppositions or empty hypotheses” and the UK argued there was no proof the “alleged impacts” were “caused by climate change as opposed to the normal effects of living in the south of Europe”. Plaintiff André dos Santos Oliveira, 15, said the approach was sad. “We’re trying to give the governments a second chance and our own government uses these counter-arguments, it’s a bit condescending,” he said.
Marcelo criticised for ‘sexist’ cleavage comment
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is facing criticism from across the political spectrum for a comment he made on an official visit to Canada about a woman’s cleavage, Público reports. Introduced to a mother and daughter in Montreal’s Little Portugal, Marcelo said “the daughter is more beautiful than the mother. But she’ll catch a cold. Did you see her cleavage?” Politicians from the Socialist Party (PS), Chega, Livre and People Animals Nature (PAN) criticised the president for sexism and asked him to apologise. The chief of state said his comments “weren’t sexist at all”, adding that it had started to rain and was cold, and that he warned “several older women, others younger”. The comments came just a week after Marcelo caused controversy by asking “can the chair handle it” when a heavier woman sat down.
Cheaper fish and vegetables but more expensive meat and fruit
The prices of several products covered by the government’s “IVA Zero (Zero VAT)” measure rose immediately after it was introduced, Público reports. However, several months after the attempt to combat the inflation crisis, many of the items have dropped in price and, in general, the included foods are cheaper than at the start of the year. Chicken and pork remained more expensive in August, as well as fruits, but fish and many vegetables dropped in price. Even still, and taking into account how hard it can be to measure cause and effect in a scenario like this, the 5.5% general price drop is below what would be expected from the cut in IVA, down from 6% or 23%, depending on the product, to zero. Meanwhile, surging tourist accommodation prices — up 10% in August alone — are putting pressure on inflation, Público reports. The inflation rate was 3.7% in August, up from 3.1% in July. In the nine previous months, the rate had dropped, meaning prices were still but not by as much as in the previous month.
In brief
PS to start talks on recreational cannabis legalisation. A working group is set to be created but is only expected to present its proposal next year. (Público)
Teen suspected of killing sister accused of giving false information to throw police off trail. The 16-year-old, suspected of stabbing his 19-year-old sister to death and burying her behind their house, was said to have told their dad about her travelling to Lisbon to see a hypothetical boyfriend, a lead police pursued when she disappeared. (Público)
EU chief pledges migrant action plan in Italy's Lampedusa. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “Irregular migration is a European challenge and it needs a European response, we are in this together” on a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, where 7000 migrants landed this week. (Reuters, in English)
European Central Bank hikes key interest rate to record high even as recession threat grows. Worries are growing that higher borrowing costs could help push the economy into recession. (Associated Press, in English)
Teachers and school workers kick off week of strikes. The STOP union wants years of service time that was frozen for teachers to be recognised, culminating in a protest on Friday in Lisbon. It’s unclear exactly what impacts the strikes will have on schools. (Lusa)
On a lighter note
Snacks are great. Really, you can’t beat a quick, delicious little top-up as you’re working around running errands or just exploring the city. Portugal might not be the go-to destination for tacos, kebabs and some other well-known street foods. But from hot sandwiches like bifanas and pregos, to petiscos of snails and prawns and an overwhelming range of eggy treats, Lisbon is not short of snacks. With all that in mind, please enjoy my partner (and sub-editor) Daniela Sunde-Brown’s big guide to Lisbon street food and snacks.