Portugal announces plan to prolong austerity beyond bailout

The government of Portugal announced its medium-term budget strategy on the 30 April 2013.

Government spending was to be cut by €6bn – the equivalent of 3.6% of national output – over the next four years, extending tough austerity measures long after Portugal’s planned exit from a €78bn bailout programme in 2014.

The plan implied severe cuts in government spending on health, education and social security and was expected to meet resistance from opposition parties and trade unions.

ESO: Background information: Troika to assess Portugal’s austerity plans http://www.europeansources.info/record/troika-to-assess-portugals-austerity-plans/

ESO: Background Information: Portugal court rules against austerity http://www.europeansources.info/record/portugal-court-rules-against-austerity/

Diário Económico, 02.05.13: ‘Government increases the retirement age’ (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/3739611-government-increases-retirement-age

IMF: IMF and Portugal http://www.imf.org/external/country/prt/

Deutsche Welle, 25.05.13: Portugal's pensioners take to the barricades http://www.dw.de/portugals-pensioners-take-to-the-barricades/a-16836122

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