General Daily Briefing — Wednesday, 12 August 2026
Good morning. Here is your Wednesday briefing for 12 August 2026 — six stories shaping Portugal today, from a deadlocked rector election at one of Lisbon's leading universities to a heatwave pushing the interior back into maximum fire danger, plus two new practical guides: one on the holiday and Christmas pay every worker is owed, and another on the tax breaks for young home buyers.
Paid Holiday and the 13th and 14th Months in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide
Portuguese workers are paid fourteen months for twelve months' work — a holiday subsidy (subsídio de férias) and a Christmas subsidy (subsídio de Natal) on top of salary. Our new guide explains annual-leave entitlements, how the two subsidies are calculated and paid, and what happens when you join or leave mid-year.
The IMT and Stamp Duty Exemption for Young Home Buyers (Under 35) in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide
Buyers under 35 can escape IMT transfer tax and stamp duty on a first home worth up to €330,539, with partial relief to €660,982. Our new guide sets out who qualifies, how the full and partial bands work, and how to claim the exemption at the deed.
- One of Portugal's leading universities, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, still has no confirmed rector, as its board of trustees prepares to reject a twice-held election amid roughly ten lawsuits and a criminal complaint.
- Complaints about uncollected rubbish rose 10.5% over the past year on Portal da Queixa, and Lisbon alone accounts for 17.73% of them.
- Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to spend a week on Madeira from 13 August, filling a five-star Funchal hotel as the PSP mounts a major security operation.
- A returning heatwave has pushed around seventy interior councils back to maximum fire danger, with highs of 42°C forecast for Évora.
- British satellite maker Open Cosmos has opened a Porto office and is hiring 50 people, part of a €50 million three-year plan that includes three Portuguese satellites.
- Millennium bcp, now worth about €16 billion, says institutional investors are ready to step in if its Chinese shareholder Fosun sells its stake.
Ten Lawsuits and a Blocked Confirmation Leave the Universidade Nova de Lisboa Without a Rector
Nearly a year after its general council first chose Paulo Pereira as rector, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa — home to the Nova School of Business and Economics — still has no confirmed leader. Its Conselho de Curadores (Board of Trustees) is preparing to refuse to ratify the twice-held election on four grounds, while a criminal complaint sits with Lisbon prosecutors and roughly ten lawsuits work through the courts. If neither side blinks, the deadlock could ultimately land on the government's desk.
Complaints Over Uncollected Rubbish Climbed 10.5% This Summer, and Lisbon Tops the List
Grievances about urban waste logged on Portal da Queixa rose 10.5% over the past year, to 220 by the end of July, with Lisbon generating the largest single share at 17.73%. Residents describe overflowing containers, missed collections and, in the summer heat, pests and bad smells — a seasonal squeeze that peaks in July and August, when the population and the volume of rubbish both swell.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Books a Week in Ronaldo's Madeira
Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, is due to spend around a week on Madeira from 13 August, drawn by a wish to see the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays for the Saudi club Al Nassr. A royal Boeing 787 has already touched down at Funchal's airport, the prince will stay at a five-star hotel with a large entourage spread across the island, and the PSP is mounting an intense security operation.
A Fresh Heatwave Pushes About Seventy Interior Councils to Maximum Fire Danger
After a brief respite, a returning heatwave has placed around seventy interior councils across the north and centre at the maximum wildfire-danger rating, with almost all of the rest of the mainland rated very high or high. Forecast highs reached 42°C in Évora, and the fire risk was serious enough to cancel some outdoor eclipse-viewing events in the affected uplands. Officials are urging strict caution: no burning, no machinery that throws sparks, no discarded cigarettes.
British Satellite Firm Open Cosmos Sets Up in Porto and Recruits 50 for Its Portugal Push
Open Cosmos, a British satellite manufacturer operating in Portugal since 2022, has opened an office at Porto's Hipercentro da Areosa and is recruiting fifty people across Porto and Coimbra, from satellite designers to assembly-and-test engineers. Having bought the Portuguese firm Connected last year, it is preparing a clean room in Coimbra and plans to launch three Portuguese satellites and invest €50 million in the country over three years.
Millennium bcp Signals Institutional Buyers Are Waiting Should Fosun Sell Its Stake
Speaking after its latest results, Millennium bcp's leadership said "some institutional investors" would be ready to step in should Fosun, its long-standing Chinese reference shareholder, decide to sell. Now valued at around €16 billion and the subject of raised price targets, the bank fielded questions about whether the state's new sovereign wealth fund or the insurer Ageas might take a position — but declined to name names. Fosun has hired advisers to test the market while insisting it will stay absent an attractive offer.
