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Portugal
Painful measures are being implemented to put the country back on track. In the economy, conflict between the need for austerity and the desire for growth will not be easily resolved. Hopes are high for a period of stability in government after four changes of administration in four years. - -
Content
Time for tough decisions
Painful measures are being implemented to put the country back on track.
Government: The longest political shadow
When the last vote was counted in January’s presidential election, Portugal seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Privatisation: Programme will boost revenues
Anyone looking for signs of renewed economic confidence in Portugal will have been pleased to notice the return of the phrase “popular capitalism” in newspaper columns and television debates.
Economy: Battle to lift families out of poverty
Sharp disparities mean the gap between rich and poor is bigger than in any other country in the European Union.
Research: Making a real impact on health studies
Clinical research into cancer and pure research into neuroscience are two of the aims of the Champalimaud Foundation.
Manufacturing: Shoe industry shuffles its resources
Over the past five years 13 foreign shoe companies, including big international groups such as Britain’s C&J Clark, have closed plants in Portugal, leaving more than 5,000 people out of work.
Energy: Struggling to find the formula
Building national champions is a difficult art. Against considerable odds, Portugal succeeded in reaching the final of the Euro 2004 football championship, which it hosted, only to be defeated by Greece, the rank outsiders of the tournament.
Technology: A few bright spots in a bleak landscape
In the Netherlands, the state railway company uses artificial intelligence (AI) to determine the best use of its employees and trains according to the complex variants of train timetables, driver availability, labour regulations and network conditions.
Tourism: Looking for a bigger share of Europe’s holidays
The government has identified strategic products for growth in the next ten years.
Investment: Eagerness contradicts doubters
Portugal, according to a number of international reports, should be fighting an uphill battle to attract inward investment.
