🇵🇹 Portugal news, in English, every morning. Free. Subscribe

Government

Banco Português de Fomento Maps Out a €30 Billion 2026-2028 Funding Bazooka and a Sovereign-Style 'Fundo de Fundos' to Fix Portugal's SME Trap — CEO Gonçalo Regalado Targets Hospitals, High-Speed Rail and AI Data Centres

Banco Português de Fomento Maps Out a €30 Billion 2026-2028 Funding Bazooka and a Sovereign-Style 'Fundo de Fundos' to Fix Portugal's SME Trap — CEO Gonçalo Regalado Targets Hospitals, High-Speed Rail and AI Data Centres

Banco Português de Fomento CEO Gonçalo Regalado has set out a €30 billion 2026-2028 funding plan and a sovereign-style 'fundo de fundos' to attack Portugal's SME-fragmentation problem. Targets: hospitals, high-speed rail, AI data centres. €6bn mobilised in 2025, 11x 2024.
The Portugal Brief
CGTP Calls a National General Strike for 3 June Against the Pacote Laboral — Tiago Oliveira Drops the Date at Lisbon's 1.º de Maio Rally as UGT Holds Off Until 7 May Concertação Social Meeting

CGTP Calls a National General Strike for 3 June Against the Pacote Laboral — Tiago Oliveira Drops the Date at Lisbon's 1.º de Maio Rally as UGT Holds Off Until 7 May Concertação Social Meeting

CGTP secretary-general Tiago Oliveira used the 1.º de Maio rally between Martim Moniz and Alameda D. Afonso Henriques to call a national general strike for Wednesday 3 June against the government's pacote laboral. UGT will not commit to action until after the 7 May Concertação Social meeting.
The Portugal Brief
March Budget Surplus Shrinks to €209 Million as €1.06 Billion in SNS Debt-Regularization Hits the Books — IRC Drops 25.4%, Investment Spending Climbs 53.6%, and the Headline Hides a Real Improvement

March Budget Surplus Shrinks to €209 Million as €1.06 Billion in SNS Debt-Regularization Hits the Books — IRC Drops 25.4%, Investment Spending Climbs 53.6%, and the Headline Hides a Real Improvement

Portugal's March surplus fell €1.4bn YoY to €209M as a €1.06bn SNS debt-regularization payment landed in the month. Strip the one-off and the shortfall narrows to €340M; IRC collections fell 25.4%, investment spending jumped 53.6%, social contributions climbed 7.4%.
The Portugal Brief