Weekly Digest — July 05 to July 12, 2026

The week's most important Portugal stories, curated from our daily coverage.

This week in Portugal: the stories that mattered most, from politics and the economy to housing, health, and culture. If you missed anything, start here.

Portugal's Government Advances a Rental-Law Overhaul, Cutting the Eviction Threshold to Two Months and Unfreezing Old Rents

The Council of Ministers has approved a rewrite of Portugal's rental rules, cutting the rent-arrears eviction trigger from three months to two and beginning to unfreeze decades-old rents for higher-income, under-65 tenants. It is a bill heading to Parliament — and landlords and the left both dislike...

Portugal's Average Home Now Costs a Record €262,839 Even as Sales Slow and Foreign Buyers Retreat

The average Portuguese home sold for a record €262,839 in Q1 2026, INE data show, as the house-price index rose 17.8%. Yet sales fell 8.7% and non-resident purchases dropped 15.6% — prices driven by scarcity, not a buying frenzy. Greater Lisbon averaged €422,214.

The Government's 100-Point Labour Overhaul Heads to Parliament as the Minimum Wage Path Points to €970 in 2027

The government's 100-plus-change labour-code overhaul is before Parliament, with the Social Concertation due to meet on 15 July. The minimum wage is set to rise to €970 in 2027, though the minister has not ruled out going higher.

Portugal's Inflation Eased to 3.2% in June as Cheaper Fuel Offset Stubborn Food Prices

The INE confirmed consumer prices rose 3.2% over the year to June, down mainly because energy inflation slowed to 9.1% from 13.1%. Core inflation edged up to 2.5% and unprocessed food stayed high at 5.1%, keeping Portugal's harmonised rate 0.3 points above the euro area.

Portugal's New Ten-Year Treasury Certificate Pays Up to 3.35%, Reshaping the Choice for Cautious Savers

The government has launched Treasury Certificates Series 5, a ten-year state savings product with a rising gross rate that starts at 2.35% and reaches 3.35% in the final year, for an average of about 2.71%. The minimum subscription is €1,000, interest is paid annually, and savers can buy through Afo...

Portugal Scraps the Birth-Month Car-Tax Deadline, Shifting All Drivers to a Shared IUC Calendar From 2027

The Government has approved a change ending the quirk that ties your IUC car-tax deadline to the month your vehicle was registered, moving every driver onto a common April-anchored calendar. It changes when you pay, not how much — but mind the unusual October 2027 transition date.

Portugal Rises to the EU's Ninth-Most-Populous Country as Its Resident Count Passes 11.4 Million

Portugal has become the EU's ninth most populous state, with 11,424,031 residents on 1 January 2026, up 36,809 on the year. With deaths outnumbering births, the entire increase comes from net migration — a reliance now at the centre of the country's politics.

Brussels Tells Portugal to Shore Up Pension Sustainability and Fill Health-Staff Gaps in Its European Semester Verdict

EU finance ministers closed the 2026 European Semester by urging Portugal to guarantee the medium-term sustainability of its pension system — projected third-highest for pension spending by 2045 — fill health-workforce gaps and expand affordable housing.

Renewables Supplied 71% of Portugal's Electricity in a Record-Consumption First Half

Renewables supplied 71% of Portugal's electricity in the first half of 2026 — hydro 29%, wind 26%, solar 11% — even as consumption hit a record 27,200 GWh, REN data show. Solar output peaked at a record 3,800 MW on 29 June.

Portugal Summons EU Firefighting Aircraft as the Vouzela Blaze Burns Past 13,000 Hectares

Portugal triggered the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Friday as a fire near Vouzela, in the Viseu district, grew past 13,000 hectares. Spain sent a Canadair and its Military Emergencies Unit, Italy two amphibious planes, and more than 1,300 firefighters battled fronts across the centre and north.

Teachers Lodge a Criminal Complaint Over Portugal's Botched Digital Exam Grading as the PS Demands a Parliamentary Inquiry

Portugal's troubled switch to digital exam marking has moved from a technical headache into a full-blown political and legal fight. Fenprof (Federação Nacional dos Professores, the National Federation of Teachers), the country's largest teaching...

Jorge Jesus Takes Over Portugal's National Team on a Four-Year Deal, With Pepe as His Deputy

The Portuguese Football Federation has appointed Jorge Jesus, 71, as national coach on a four-year deal to 2030, succeeding Roberto Martínez after the World Cup exit to Spain. It is the first national-team role of Jesus's four-decade career; Pepe is set to assist.

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