Portugal

Now that Portuguese citizens have voted it’s time to take a look at where the players have landed and towards what might lie ahead.

Portugal heads to the polls in a week. For years an outpost for successful progressive government in the European Union, Portugal’s Socialist-led government lost its majority in late 2021. What can we expect from the snap elections? What role will Portugal’s green political forces play in shaping the country’s future?

Until 2019, Portugal seemed unaffected by the right-wing populism on the rise elsewhere in Europe.

What does the future of the EU look like from Southern and Eastern Europe?

The recent spate of wildfires in Portugal and elsewhere raises serious questions about the adequacy of European fire governance.

Can Austria and Portugal provide clues as to which conditions are needed for progressive forces to flourish?

In Portugal, emigration worsens the problems caused by austerity. A recent study documents its dramatic consequences on the demography of the country. As a result of the current trend, the Portuguese population, currently estimated at 10.4 million people, could decrease to 7 million by 2061.

Contrary to what some neoliberals may claim, successive Portugese Governments have followed sound fiscal policy in order to bring their country into line with Eurozone requirements. However, the austerity being imposed on Portugal by the EU runs the risk of undoing decades of progress, and isolating Portugal from the European economy.