Afternoon Update: Labour Protests Tomorrow, FDI Falls, Planet Parade Tonight

Saturday, February 28, 2026 -- Your afternoon digest of the day's developments across Portugal.

Unions gear up for tomorrow's mass protests. The CGTP expects "many thousands" of workers in Porto and Lisbon on March 1, rallying against the government's Trabalho XXI labour code reform. Strike notices have been filed across the retail sector. A critical Social Concertation Council session follows on March 3.

Foreign direct investment fell 35 per cent in 2025. Bank of Portugal data released Friday shows FDI dropped to 8.51 billion euros from 13.07 billion the previous year. Corporate restructuring operations and a cooling property market contributed to the decline, though 2024's figures were unusually high.

Government prioritises fallen tree removal before fire season. Deputy PM Castro Almeida confirmed that clearing storm-damaged timber from forests is the top pre-summer priority. Draft legislation would also deploy prisoners to scrubland cleanup work, drawing mixed reactions from civil society.

Six planets visible tonight in rare alignment. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune line up across the evening sky, peaking tonight. Four are visible to the naked eye from Portugal after sunset. Best viewing from 6:45 PM in areas away from light pollution.

Only 52 of 278 municipal fire prevention plans approved. With the fire season approaching, the slow pace of local emergency planning is raising alarm. The national municipalities association has called on the central government for additional funding to support road repairs and forest clearing in storm-affected regions.

CGD granted roughly 1,000 storm moratoriums. Caixa Geral de Depositos has issued approximately 1,000 loan moratoriums to clients affected by last year's storms, including around 600 on home loans. CEO Paulo Macedo also flagged a concern: half of all homes in Portugal carry no insurance whatsoever.

Metrobus first day draws curious riders. Porto's new Metrobus rapid transit line completed its first hours of public service today, with free rides offered throughout the trial period. Early reports suggest smooth operations, though the real test will come on Monday's morning commute.