Prime minister to scrap NHR tax status // Thousands march to demand right to housing // Youth face off in climate battle
Portuguese news in English on Tuesday, October 2, 2023.
Prime minister to scrap NHR tax status
Prime minister António Costa has announced the non-habitual resident (NHR) tax will end from next year, CNN Portugal reports. In an interview with TVI, he said maintaining the scheme no longer made sense. The benefits apply to foreign residents for their first 10 years in the country, who benefit from a 20% tax rate, and for returned Portuguese who've been living outside of the country for more than five years. Costa said the scheme made sense when it was introduced in 2009 but maintaining it would prolong an unjust fiscal measure, which also adds to inflation in the housing market. The prime minister said those who already have NHR tax status will be able to keep it but new arrivals won't be eligible.
Thousands march to demand right to housing
Thousands of people have marched through city streets, particularly in Lisbon and Porto, demanding their right to housing be fulfilled, Diário de Notícias reports. Activists joined the protests, organised by a group representing more than 100 associations and collectives mostly linked to housing and climate change, in at least 22 cities across the country on Saturday. They were predominantly peaceful but on Avenida Almirante Reis in Lisbon, three protesters cracked the window of a real estate agency. All the parties to the left of the governing Socialist Party (PS) were present. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa chose the day to pass the government’s More Housing package, which has been criticised as insufficient to combat the crisis and which he previously vetoed. He said the protests were “important, for a good cause”.
Migrants living in tents as housing crisis bites
One protester, who moved from Brazil to Portugal six months ago to train as a chef, has been forced to live in a tent, Reuters reports, in English. When she lost her job as a cleaner, Marcia Leandro lost her €230/month bunk bed in a shared room and found a €160 tent was her only affordable option. "I'm just living here to save money ... I'm here so I can achieve my dream," she said, describing apartment prices as “absurd”. Portugal’s average wage is about €1200 a month and rents have jumped 65% since 2015. Rents hit a new record in the second quarter of this year, with the value of new contracts for family homes up 11% annually to €7.27/m2, Público reports.
‘Very sad’ moment as Portuguese youths face off in climate battle
Six young Portuguese activists have had their day in court to argue the failures of 32 European governments to act on climate change are infringing their rights, Público reports. Cláudia, Martim, Mariana, Catarina, Sofia and André got together in 2017 after the deadly fires in Pedrógão Grande and Mação. The last six years were “full of challenges”, Cláudia said outside the European Court of Human Rights after they faced off against teams of suit-clad lawyers on Wednesday. They already knew what the governments would argue — lack of jurisdiction, failure to prosecute their arguments in local courts first and a lack of “victim status”. But even still the 24-year-old said it was “very sad” to hear the case made in person. Her younger sister, Mariana, was the youngest claimant at just 11 years old, The Guardian reports in English. You can also read more in English from the Associated Press.
A day earlier, protesters hit Portugal’s environment minister with green paint as he was about to begin an interview, CNN Portugal reports. Two young protesters, who yelled “without a future there’s no peace” and “this is the last winter with gas”, were arrested. Their group, Student Climate Strike, criticised, “CNN Portugal Summit” as a greenwashing attempt by sponsors Galp and EDP, both of which generate energy using fossil fuels.
In brief
Government says Lisbon strategy to be decisive in TAP sale. Finance Minister Fernando Medina insists price will be just one factor in choosing a buyer, stressing the importance of a strategy to grow the airline and maintain the capital as a transport hub. (Público)
Doctors refuse extra hours, impacting emergency wards at six hospitals. Guarda, Chaves, Barcelos, Tomar, Santarém and Caldas da Rainha have had to temporarily shut various services due to a lack of staff, and other hospitals fear similar problems. (Público)
Some health centres have very low flu vaccine stocks. The national GP association said supply was only expected to stabilise from the middle of the month.
Governing Socialist Party (PS) passes tobacco restrictions alone. All opposition parties were against the changes, as well as some MPs from PS. They’ve been criticised for “prohibitionism” and bundling restrictions on flavoured tobaccos in with sales restrictions. (Público)
On a lighter note
The best pastel de nata in Lisbon has been crowned after what I’m sure was a hard day at work for all the judges. This year, the winner is Confeitaria Glória, in Amadora, Público reports. Padaria da Né in Damaia, which won in 2021, landed in second and O Pãozinho das Marias picked up the bronze. The winning owner, João Castanheira, admitted he had thought about the possibility of winning the prize for his new project, which only opened in June. He said it was recognition of the work they’d been doing.
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