Portugal is a small country located in Southwestern Europe with a population of around 10 million people. The economy of Portugal is largely dependent on services, manufacturing and agriculture, with its GDP per capita estimated at US$20,400 in 2017. In terms of foreign relations, Portugal has strong ties to other countries in the region such as Spain and France as well as other countries around the world. It is also a member of the United Nations, European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In terms of politics, Portugal has a multi-party system which includes two major parties: Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Socialist Party (PS). The Parliament consists of 230 members who are elected by popular vote every four years. In 2017, PSD won majority in parliamentary elections under President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s leadership. See militarynous for Portugal military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Portugal. According to Countryaah.com, Portugal suffered several major forest fires during the year. In June, some 60 people died in a forest fire in the Pedrógão Grande in central parts of the country; most of the dead were caught by the flames as they sat in their cars on the road between Figueiro dos Vinhos and Castanheira de Pera. Prime Minister António Costa announced three days of country grief. Also in August and October, several fires raged, caused by extreme drought and heavy winds on the Iberian Peninsula. In October, at least 27 people died in fires in northern and central Portugal. The latter fires led to Interior Minister Constança Urbano de Sousa choosing to resign. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of Portugal.
Sweden wants to renegotiate a tax agreement with Portugal that allows Swedish pensioners residing in Portugal to take out occupational pensions without paying taxes. That is why the Ministry of Finance contacted the authorities in Portugal in March. During a meeting with the eurozone finance ministers in Tallinn later in the year, Portuguese finance minister Mário Centeno said that it could possibly change the taxation of income and pensions for foreign persons with so-called non-habitual residence (NHR) status by introducing a tax of 5- 10%. However, when the Portuguese budget for 2018 was presented in late November, there was no indication that there would be any changes in this taxation.
In May, Portugal won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time with the song “Amar pelos dois”, performed by Salvador Sobral. Next year, Lisbon will host the event.
In early January, former President Mário Soares, 92, died. He was prime minister in 1976–78 and president in 1986–96. Soares played a leading role in the democratization process after the 1974 revolution, when the dictator António Salazar’s regime was overthrown.
It is doing well for the country’s economy. So good that in June, the big bank Barclays claimed that Portugal had the strongest growth in ten years and that Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency in September raised the country’s credit rating to just above the “garbage level”. It was also thought that the country’s GDP will grow by an average of 2% by 2020. One contributing factor could be Finance Minister Mario Centeno, “EU Finance Minister Ronaldo”, who was also elected as the Eurogroup chairman in December.
October
New covid restrictions in Portugal
31 October
The Portuguese government announces a new closure of parts of society from 3 November in order to try to prevent new cases of covid-19. It is not as severe as the one that took place in the spring, but will still cover just over two thirds of the population and 121 of the country’s 308 municipalities. Those who cannot work from home can go to their workplaces. Parents are also allowed to accompany their children to and from school. All stores must close no later than 10 pm. On October 30, 4,656 new cases of covid-19 and 40 new deaths from the disease were reported. 275 people also receive intensive care for covid-19. In total, Portugal has had almost 147,000 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 2,590 people have died from the disease.
New support for the victims of the corona crisis in the budget proposal for 2021
October 12
Prime Minister António Costa says via Twitter that his government prioritises the fight against the pandemic, protects the population, supports the economy and keeps people in work in its budget proposal for 2021. This will be done, among other things, by raising unemployment benefits and introducing a new contribution for those hardest hit. of the crisis, with the aim that no one will fall below the poverty line of 501 euros a month. Doctors and nurses who work with covid patients in public care will receive a new risk supplement of 219 euros a month and 4,200 new care workers will be hired. At the same time, public investment will increase by 23 percent. Since the Socialist Party does not have its own majority in parliament, the government must win support from the Left Bloc and the animal rights party Pan in order for the budget to be adopted. According to the government’s forecast will comeGDP will fall by more than 8 percent in 2020, but it believes that the economy will start to grow again in 2021. According to the proposal, the budget deficit will be reduced to the equivalent of just over 4 percent of GDP, compared with just over 7 per cent in 2020.
The number of cases of covid-19 is increasing in Portugal
October 8
The number of new cases of covid-19 has picked up in Portugal, which did relatively well in the spring of 2020. At the beginning of October, 1,278 new cases were reported in one day, which is the second highest figure so far during the pandemic. Most of those who have become ill are between 20 and 59 years old. At the same time, ten new deaths are reported in Covid-19. In total, Portugal has had more than 85,000 cases of covid-19 and more than 2,000 people have died from the viral disease.