Portugal

Economics

Politics

Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced that a snap parliamentary election will take place on March 10 following the recent resignation of Prime Minister Antonio Costa amid an ongoing corruption investigation, Reuters reported on Nov. 9.

Portugal: Snap Elections Set for March 10, 2024, Following Prime Minister's Resignation

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned after police raided his residence, as well as the country's ministries of environment and infrastructure, AP reported on Nov. 7.

Portugal: Prime Minister Resigns Amid Corruption Investigation

Australia

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Germany

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Italy

Free trade talks between the European Union and Australia hit a roadblock as the two sides' trade representatives failed to resolve a dispute over quotas for access to Australian farm products such as lamb, sugar, dairy and especially beer into the EU market, the Financial Times reported July 11.

EU, Australia: Trade Talks Hit Another Roadblock Over Meat Quotas

Lithuania

Latvia

Czech Republic

Greece

Estonia

Poland

Slovakia

Slovenia

Hungary

The European Parliament voted in favor of the EU Nature Restoration Law, the European Commission's proposal to restore degraded land and biodiversity within the bloc, with supporters of the law narrowly defeating an attempt by conservative groups to sink it, Euractiv reported on July 12.

EU: European Parliament Backs EU Nature Restoration Law by Narrow Margin

European Union (EU) member states clashed over how to reform the bloc’s fiscal framework, known as the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Luxembourg, Reuters reported on June 16.

EU: Member States Divided Over Bloc's Fiscal and Debt Rules Reform

The Fate of the Eurozone

Portugal’s governing Socialist Party obtained 41.7% of the vote in the Jan. 31 general election, ahead of the conservative Social Democratic Party with 27.8% and the right-wing Chega with 7.2%, Publico reported Jan. 31.

Portugal: Prime Minister Costa Reelected With Absolute Majority

European Disintegration

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced the dissolution of the country’s parliament and a snap general election scheduled for Jan. 30, BBC reported Nov. 4.

Portugal: Parliament Dissolved, Snap General Election Scheduled for Jan. 30

Portugal’s parliament rejected the government’s budget bill for 2022 after left-wing parties broke ranks and sided against the ruling Socialist Party, Euronews reported Oct. 28.

Portugal: Government Loses Budget Vote in Parliament, Early Elections Possible

Assessments

United States

United Kingdom

People visit the 1627 Pilgrim Village at "Plimoth Plantation," where role-players portray pilgrims seven years after the arrival of the Mayflower, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

On Thanksgiving, the United States celebrates the Plymouth Colony. However, few know that New England's colonization was a response to major geopolitical pressures -- particularly England's struggle against the Spanish both on the Continent and in the New World.

Thanksgiving and Puritan Geopolitics in the Americas

Europe

A Portuguese flag flies in front of the parliament in Lisbon on Nov. 7, 2023, after Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced he would resign as head of state in the wake of a corruption scandal involving energy contracts.

A government scandal involving lithium and hydrogen contracts may delay projects key to strengthening the EU's strategic autonomy in the raw materials and renewable energy sectors.

In Portugal, a Political Crisis Unfolds at the Heart of the EU's Energy Transition

Snapshots

Malta

Finland

Cyprus

Rail cars loaded with steel sit at the ThyssenKrupp Schwelgern steel plant on May 30, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. 

The European Union and the United States will increase efforts to deconflict their trade and climate policies ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential and EU parliamentary elections, but lingering disagreements will not allow for a complete respite of Trump-era tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.

EU-U.S. Steel and Aluminum Negotiations Make Limited Headway

Uganda

Brazil

South Korea

U.S. and South Korean flags are waved March 10, 2015, in Seoul, South Korea.

Social Issues

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: South Korea's President Meets Biden, Lula Pushes Spain on EU Trade

Japan

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Economist Pierre Olivier Gourinchas speaks during a media interview at the IMF headquarters in Washington D.C. on July 26, 2022, after the institution downgraded its outlook for the global economy this year and next. 

As the effects of post-COVID reopenings wane, rising interest rates and slower economic growth may prove particularly problematic for highly indebted countries like Italy.

After a Brief Reprieve, Debt Levels in Many Advanced Economies Are Set to Rise

The headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) is pictured in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 21, 2022. 

The bank’s laser focus on fighting inflation will come at the cost of economic growth, which will force the 19 countries in the currency area to step up fiscal consolidation efforts.

The ECB Tries To Keep the Eurozone From Entering Another Debt Crisis. Will It Succeed?

People visit the 1627 Pilgrim Village at "Plimoth Plantation," where role-players portray pilgrims seven years after the arrival of the Mayflower, in November 2005. 

North America Unrivaled

People protest against the reintroduction of COVID-19 lockdown measures in Rome, Italy, on Oct. 31, 2020. 

COVID-19

EU: Regional Blocs

Unemployment levels will continue to increase in Southern Europe in the coming months, opening the door to more anti-government protests.

The EU Revises Down Its Growth Projections for the South 

By jeopardizing one of the EU’s bond-buying programs, the decision risks increasing borrowing costs at a time of skyrocketing debt due to the COVID-19 crisis.

A German Court Ruling Could Trigger a Financial Crisis in Europe

A man wearing a protective mask in Locri, Italy. 

France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal will experience deep recessions long after the immediate health crisis, which could give rise to another wave destabilizing nationalist movements.

Southern Europe’s COVID-19 Crisis Is Just Beginning

High debt, labor market issues and rising global uncertainty risk cooling the economic expansion experienced in recent years by Portugal, which is led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa's Socialist Party.

After years of uninterrupted growth, Lisbon's high debt levels and an influx of trade uncertainty risk bringing Europe's economic slowdown closer to Portugal's shores.

Can Portugal Remain the Eurozone's Anomaly?

Venezuela

Russia

Venezuela's Unraveling

The relocation of the oil company's European office to Moscow and redirected exports won't solve the government's long-term problem of declining oil production.

Venezuela: In an Effort to Buy Maduro Time, PDVSA Moves an Office out of U.S. Reach

Portugal is a country in southwestern Europe that is surrounded by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south. Portugal also controls the Atlantic archipelagos of Azores and Madeira.    Mountain ranges run through northern Portugal, while hills and plains mark the center and the south. Because of its long coast and many islands, Portugal possesses the third largest exclusive economic zone in the European Union. Some of the longest rivers on the Iberian Peninsula, including the Douro and the Tagus, also enter the ocean in Portugal after flowing from east to west. These rivers have traditionally contributed to the prosperity of some of Portugal’s main cities, including Lisbon (the capital) and Porto (the second largest city).     Portugal’s position on the Atlantic has made the country a nation of sailors and explorers. It became a global empire starting in the late 15th century, establishing colonies and trading posts in places as diverse as South America, Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. While Portugal eventually lost control of all its colonies, it retains close economic and cultural ties with many of them, including Brazil and Angola. The country's rivalry with neighboring Spain, another colonial power, has ultimately fostered close ties between Lisbon and London.    Portugal entered a period of political turbulence and economic decline in the early 19th century. The country languished under a military dictatorship during a significant portion of the 20th century, only transitioning to democracy in 1974. The country subsequently joined the European Economic Community, the Schengen area and the eurozone. The financial crisis of the late 2000s hit the Portuguese economy hard, forcing Lisbon to request a rescue program from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.    The country's main geopolitical challenge is to reconcile its competing interests as a former colonial empire, Atlantic nation and member of the European Union to secure economic prosperity and political stability for its approximately 10 million inhabitants.

SITUATION REPORTS

Portugal: Snap Elections Set for March 10, 2024, Following Prime Minister's Resignation

Portugal: Prime Minister Resigns Amid Corruption Investigation

EU, Australia: Trade Talks Hit Another Roadblock Over Meat Quotas

EU: European Parliament Backs EU Nature Restoration Law by Narrow Margin

EU: Member States Divided Over Bloc's Fiscal and Debt Rules Reform

Portugal: Prime Minister Costa Reelected With Absolute Majority

Portugal: Parliament Dissolved, Snap General Election Scheduled for Jan. 30

Portugal: Government Loses Budget Vote in Parliament, Early Elections Possible

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