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A red and silver CP suburban train marked S1 Sintra at a station platform on a Lisbon suburban line in Portugal

Montenegro Vows to Bring the €20 Green Rail Pass to Lisbon and Porto Suburban Trains, Possibly From September

At the Festa do Pontal, PM Luís Montenegro said the €20-a-month Green Rail Pass will be widened to cover suburban trains inside the Lisbon and Porto areas, 'probably in September.' It was a rally pledge, not a decree, and it overlaps with the Navegante and Andante passes.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

Two linesmen in safety harnesses work high on REN overhead high-voltage transmission cables against a cloudy blue sky in Portugal

The Portuguese State Reclaims a Stake in the Power Grid, Taking 13.7% of REN From the Owner of Zara

Parpública has agreed to buy 13.7% of REN, the national grid operator, from Amancio Ortega's Pontegadea, putting the Portuguese State back into the power grid it left more than a decade ago. The price was undisclosed and the deal awaits Court of Auditors approval.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

The Paco das Escolas courtyard of the University of Coimbra, with its baroque clock tower flying the Portuguese flag and the white Rectory building under a blue sky

After a Feared Collapse, University Applications Rebound to a Record 60,391 — More Candidates Than Public Places

Three weeks after an exam-marking meltdown left university applications looking like they might crash, the first phase closed with a record 60,391 candidates — the strongest demand since 1996 and more applicants than the 56,790 public seats on offer.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

The flag of Portugal and the flag of the European Union standing on wooden poles beside an open doorway in an office

Portugal Has Spent Barely a Fifth of Its €23 Billion in EU Development Funds, With July Almost a Standstill

New figures put Portugal 2030 execution at just 20.8% at the end of July, with barely €210 million spent in the whole month. As the EU's n+3 'guillotine' deadline nears, the country has approved billions it has not yet managed to pay out.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

A stock exchange candlestick chart on a laptop screen showing mixed green and red candles against a dark trading-desk background with bokeh city lights

Markets, Business & Tech Briefing: PSI Ends Flat, Galp Rebounds, Chinese BPG Deal Collapses

📋 In This Edition * Market Wrap: Lisbon Closes Friday Flat as Galp Cancels Out the Wind Names * The Movers: Galp Rebounds With Oil, EDP Renováveis the Weak Spot * Business & Tech Focus: A Chinese Bank Deal Falls Through, and Sines Prepares Its Big Terminal Tender * Bonds and the Euro * The Week

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

The Ponte de Sao Goncalo stone bridge over the Tamega river in Amarante, Portugal, at dusk, with the illuminated Sao Goncalo church and its dome behind

The Government Waives Farmland Protection for a €3.2 Million Rural Hotel in Amarante, Citing Public Interest

The Ministry of the Economy has declared a four-star rural hotel in Amarante to be in the public interest, unlocking almost 1.5 hectares of protected National Agricultural Reserve land — the latest in a pattern of farmland waivers for tourism projects.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

A tall mobile-telecommunications antenna mast rising above suburban houses in northern Portugal under a clear blue sky

Digi's Portuguese Business Reaches 960,000 Active Services and €37 Million in Half-Year Revenue

Less than two years after launching, the low-cost operator Digi reported about €37 million in first-half revenue in Portugal and some 960,000 active services, up more than a fifth in a year — a genuine fourth network reshaping how much residents pay for mobile and internet.

The Portugal Brief 14 Aug 2026

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