President vetoes housing package as Lisbon rents soar // Heat waves in Portugal to double or worse
Portuguese news in English on Tuesday, August 29, 2023
President vetoes housing package as Lisbon rents soar
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has vetoed the government’s proposed package to combat the housing crisis, Público reports. In a blow to the Socialist Party’s (PS) efforts, Marcelo said the changes were neither “sufficiently credible as far as their execution in the short term” nor sufficiently dynamic. In particular, he criticised the two most controversial measures in the bill, which has now been sent back to the parliament. Marcelo described the forced rental of unoccupied homes as “merely symbolic” with a “political cost beyond its appreciable social benefit”. In relation to the Alojamento Local crackdown, he pointed to the reform’s “complexity”, saying it was “doubtful” the measures would have any effect quickly.
The move was a boon to critics of the measures, both property owners and those pushing for greater rights to housing, Público reports. Landlords and AL operators are preparing to take the measures to courts in Portugal and Brussels, while housing availability activists want to bring the subject back into the media spotlight with more protests and a petition demanding rent control, minimum-five-year contracts and increased wages. PS has insisted it won’t make any changes to the diploma but also has the option to take it back to parliamentary discussion groups or start over from scratch. The moves come as the pace of property sales keeps slowing, even as prices continue to rise, albeit at a slower rate than recent surge, Público reports. Data from Savills shows Lisbon recorded one of Europe’s fastest rent increases in the six months to June, partly on the back of fears over the new measures, the Financial Times reports, in English.
Heat waves in Portugal to double or worse
The number of heat waves in Portugal will at least double by the end of the century, as well as lasting longer, CNN Portugal reports. In a study in the journal Weather and Climate Extremes (full text here, in English). Three Portuguese researchers found in the worst-case scenario, the country could be facing 10 to 12 heatwaves a year, lasting 10-11 days. That’s up from the previous norm of one-to-two per year, a figure the scientists say will at least double even under the best-case scenario of carbon emission reductions. Already one vineyard in the Douro Valley, has started harvesting grapes at 3am to combat the extreme temperatures, Público reports. The region famously experiences “nine months of winter and three months of hell”, but the grape growers at Seara d'Ordens — in the Vila Real district that hit 45 degrees recently — say with increasing heat waves, the night-time picking makes “more and more sense”.
In related news, Six young Portuguese suing 32 European countries over climate change inaction are a month away from European Court of Human Rights, Reuters reports, in English. As it stands, 48% of the country is in severe or extreme drought, compared to 100% at the same point last year, Público reports.
Spain’s Renfe puts pressure on CP with train invasion plan
Spanish train operator Renfe may be planning an expansion into Portugal that includes services between Lisbon, Porto and Madrid, Público reports. Spanish newspaper La Información recently published a detailed plan by the company to make inroads in Portugal from 2024 as soon the new high-speed connection between Évora and Elvas in the Alentejo is completed. It would see Renfe operate Lisbon–Porto Trains by 2027 and eventually link Porto to Madrid via Galicia and even direct services between the Iberian capitals. The company said it was a theoretical plan considering various scenarios but the Spaniards are reportedly spending €15 million to adapt their equipment to Portuguese conditions and even making moves to teach drivers Portuguese. The move would put pressure on Portuguese operator CP, which is straining under €2.1 billion in debt that complicates attempts to even buy trains to take advantage of future high-speed lines. You can read more in English at Euronews. Despite CP’s problems, a new Greenpeace study ranks the Lisbon–Porto link as the fourth best in Europe, based on number of trains, average speed, trustworthiness and price, Público reports.
In brief
Average-velocity speed cameras coming to Portugal next month. Twelve cameras measuring cars average speed over a prolonged distance are among 37 new cameras to be switched on in September. (Jornal de Notícias)
A sixth of babies in Portugal born to foreign mums. The figures from last year helped to counteract falling birth rates among native citizens. (Público)
Economy slowed during Pope's World Youth Day visit to Portugal. Bank of Portugal figures show a slight slowdown as business owners complain of fewer hotel stays, restaurant meals and retail purchases, although supermarkets and some central businesses anecdotally reported an uptick. (Diário de Notícias)
In Ukrainian, Marcelo embraces the 'courageous and indomitable' people of Ukraine. On the second day of a visit to the war-torn country last week, the Portuguese president surprised with a speech in his hosts’ language.
Public prosecutors declare man who sent bullet to president can't be prosecuted. They instead called for the man who sent Marcelo a letter demanding a €1 million bank transfer to be interned in a psychiatric establishment. (Observador)
On a lighter note
You could call it a case of high treeson (sorry). Earlier this month, police noticed a palm tree had been stolen from the main avenue in Cascais. Fortunately, the Palmeira in question had a GPS tag stuck on it, leading them right to its new location, at the home of a National Guard officer in nearby Aldeia do Juzo. The GNR member told police he’d found the tree in the rubbish, but they’ve opened an inquiry into the matter. Councillor Piteira Lopes said the council recently spent €350,000 redeveloping part of Avenida 25 de Abril, including €70,000 on green spaces. Shortly after, they noticed many trees and sprinklers had been stolen. When they replaced the trees, they decided to install the GPS trackers on some of them.