Good morning and welcome to PORTUGAL DECODED, where the countdown to the Euro2024 is on. Does Portugal stand a chance to win it? Of course it does!
TALK OF THE TOWN
POLITICS
Chega’s leader remark in Parliament that Turks are lazy sparked an intense debate over free speech. Later this week, female and black MPs accused their Chega’s counterparts of insulting them and mooing while they speak (More).
The ruling AD and the Socialists are again locked in a tight electoral race. A new poll for the European elections also suggested that the Portuguese broadly support António Costa's candidacy to European Council President (More).
SOCIETY
Following a 20-year dispute, the Government has finally reached a deal with seven teachers’ unions over the recovery of “frozen” years of service. However, the two most significant unions didn’t sign the agreement (More).
Over 2,100 patients in Portugal are inappropriately hospitalised due to long-term care bottlenecks, new data revealed. Lisbon and the North are the worst affected regions, accounting for 83% of all inappropriate hospitalisations (More).
ECONOMICS
The Lisbon Labour Court has annulled the first ruling to recognize an employment contract between a courier and Uber because the court mistakenly notified Glovo instead (More).
Lisbon was the third city in the world with the most congresses in 2023, according to the International Congress and Convention Association. Portugal ranks 9th among countries, with 303 congresses organised in 2023 (More).
CULTURE AND SPORTS
Portugal residents will be entitled to 52 free visits - one a week - to 38 public museums, monuments and palaces each year. The list includes Guimarães Castle, Porto’s Soares dos Reis National Museum, and Belém Tower (More).
Singer-songwriter Benjamim published a new song on social media inspired by the attack on a man by supporters of the far-right Ergue-te party during a campaign event in Lisbon (More).
IN FOCUS
Three-time winners Germany will stage the UEFA European Championship 2024, running from June 14 to July 14. Portugal will face Czechia, Türkiye and Georgia in Group F, and this week, manager Roberto Martinez unveiled his 26-man squad.
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TIPS OF THE WEEK
Lisbon
ARCOlisboa 2024
The country's largest contemporary art fair takes place on May 23-26 at the Cordoaria Nacional. This year’s edition, presenting 82 galleries from 14 countries, will be divided between the general programme and two curated sections: 1) OPENING Lisboa, “with the aim of attracting new content to the fair”; 2) “As Formas do Oceano” (The Shapes of the Ocean), “which will feature projects focusing on relations between Africa, the African diaspora and other latitudes.” General admission tickets cost 20€ online and are available here with discounts for 65+ and people with a disability. On Saturday, from 3 p.m. onwards, admission is free for under 25s.
Open Convents 2024
The Open Convents festival is back and is opening the doors of Lisbon's convents and monasteries for free or expert-led visits. This year edition has the theme “Pause and Silence” and the program’s highlights includes a discussion, at the Brotéria cultural center, on May 23, between the writer Ana Margarida Carvalho, the assistant conductor Inês Tavares Lopes, from the Gulbenkian Choir, the priest João Norton and the sister Anatália. It will be followed by the screening of the film “The Great Silence” by Philip Gröning, at the Convent of São Pedro de Alcântara, about monastic life in the monastery of Grande Chartreuse, mother house of the Carthusian Order at 20h30. Full program and ticket information here (in portuguese only).
Porto
City, House, Body - Maps and Language
Architect Ana Aragão and writer Gonçalo M. Tavares have teamed up to create this exhibition, which opens on May 25 at the Casa da Arquitectura Gallery. Known for her drawings that explore the themes of urban imagery and architecture on paper, Ana Aragão has a long exhibition career and was named by Luerzer's Archive as one of the “200 Best Illustrators Worldwide” (2014). Gonçalo M. Tavares is the author of a vast work that is being translated in around sixty countries. His language, breaking with Portuguese lyrical traditions and his subversion of literary genres make him one of the most innovative European writers today.
Elsewhere
António, Untitled
António Soares is a fashion illustrator, who has established himself internationally as a footwear illustrator. The exhibition “António, untitled” at the Shoe Museum in São João da Madeira, the capital of the Portuguese shoe industry, brings together more than two dozen illustrations he created using footwear from national and international designers. His illustrations, which have been presented by major international press such as The New Yorker, Marie Claire and Vogue, are finally brought together in an author exhibition.
Soil to Soul - Alandroal
On May 25-26, Alandroal Castle in the Alentejo will be filled with music, good food and talks about the importance of regenerative agriculture and soil health for the quality of the food we produce and eat: it's the Soil to Soul Alandroal - Somos o que Comemos festival, which is returning for its second edition in Portugal. In this year’s edition, 14 of the municipality's restaurants will be taking part in the event, presenting seasonal dishes in their catering spaces. Access is free.
FINAL CHANCE!
On June 10, Portugal celebrates its National Day. To celebrate the occasion, PORTUGAL DECODED invites young writers, aged 12 to 18 years old, to tells us what they think makes Portugal special? The winning essay will be featured on this newsletter and our website, and its author will receive a fantastic, handcrafted wood balance board by designers Abaeté. Follow this link for full guidelines and rules.
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