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Terracotta rooftops of Lisbon's Alfama district at golden hour with the Sao Vicente de Fora monastery on the skyline

Domestic Travellers Power Portugal to 3.3 Million Hotel Guests in May as the British Market Cools

Portugal hosted 3.3 million guests in May (+3.9%) and eight million overnight stays, INE data show, with accommodation revenue up 5.8% to €755.7 million. The twist: resident travellers (+7.6%) drove the growth while the UK, still the top foreign market, slipped 1.1%.

The Portugal Brief 02 Jul 2026

A glass jar of euro coins spilling onto a plain white surface

Portugal Races to Save €880 Million in Competition Fines From Expiring on a Deadline Loophole

The Competition Authority says about €880 million in fines across banking, energy, telecoms, retail and transport could expire between now and March 2027 on a prescription technicality. The €225 million banking cartel case already collapsed this way, and Parliament is scrambling to close the loophol

The Portugal Brief 02 Jul 2026

The neoclassical facade of Portugal's parliament, the Palacio de Sao Bento in Lisbon, flying the Portuguese flag

Portugal's Lobbying Law Arrives July 27 With a Public Transparency Register and Two-Year Bans for the Unregistered

On 27 July 2026 Portugal's Lei da Representacao de Interesses takes effect, creating the RTRI — a public lobbying register run by Parliament. Anyone seeking to influence public policy must sign up within 60 days or risk a two-year ban on institutional contacts. But the platform is not live yet.

The Portugal Brief 02 Jul 2026

A Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter jet with tiger-themed Esquadra 301 Jaguares tail livery parked on a wet apron

Portugal's Defence Industry Courts American Money After Clearing NATO's 2% Spending Bar

Having hit NATO's 2% of GDP target for the first time in 2025, Portugal is pitching its 380-plus defence firms to American investors. The sector's revenue has grown 20% in a decade, 40% of output is exported, and Lisbon wants rising military budgets to flow into domestic industry.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

Rows of solar photovoltaic panels on a green hillside at a solar farm in the Alentejo, southern Portugal

Why Portugal Has Some of Europe's Cheapest Electricity: Renewables Cover 78.5% of the Grid as Wholesale Prices Hover Near €42

Portuguese wholesale electricity averaged about €41.9/MWh in early 2026 — while most of Europe sat above €90. Renewables supplied 78.5% of the grid, third-highest in Europe behind Norway and Denmark, with solar output up 25%. Cheap power, though household bills lag the spot market.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

The illuminated neoclassical facade of a Bank of Portugal building lit up at night

Portugal Brings Crypto Under the EU's MiCA Rulebook From July 1, Splitting Supervision Between the Bank of Portugal and the CMVM

From 1 July, Portugal finally applies the EU's MiCA regulation to crypto. The Bank of Portugal handles authorisation and prudential oversight while the CMVM polices conduct, with fines reaching €5 million. A grandfathering window has closed, leaving only a handful of licensed operators.

The Portugal Brief 01 Jul 2026

Porto Reaches the Final Five for the 2028 European Green Capital, Singled Out for Its Water and Climate Record

Porto Reaches the Final Five for the 2028 European Green Capital, Singled Out for Its Water and Climate Record

The European Commission has shortlisted Porto among five finalists for European Green Capital 2028, praising its water management and climate-change adaptation. It joins Aalborg, Bielsko-Biala, Kosice and Zaragoza, a year after Guimaraes took the 2026 title.

The Portugal Brief 30 Jun 2026

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