Portugal’s Costa survives parliament vote, but not unscathed

Background
2017 was a particularly bad year for forest fires in a number of Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain.

In Portugal, in particular, the human cost had been high with 110 deaths and others injured in two serious wild fire tragedies in July and October 2017.

There was criticism of the way the government had tackled the fires. Portugal's Interior Minister Constanca Urbano de Sousa resigned on the 18 October 2017 due to the political pressure over the handling of the issue in the country.A vote of censure against the government was held in Portugal on the 24 October 2017 against its handling of the wildfires that had raged across parts of Portugal in the summer of 2017. The government of Prime Minister António Costa survived the vote of no confidence by 122 to 105 votes.

Reuters, 24.10.17: Portugal government survives no confidence vote over fires http://www.reuters.com/article/us-portugal-government-fire/portugal-government-survives-no-confidence-vote-over-fires-idUSKBN1CT2PC?il%3D0

The Guardian, 19.10.17: Portugal: interior minister resigns after wildfires kill 100 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/19/portugal-interior-minister-resigns-wild-fires-dead

The Portugal News, 19.10.17: Portugal reels from wildfires http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/portugal-reels-from-wildfires/43537

The Portugal News, 21.10.17: Brussels considers Portugal fire expenses 'exceptional' http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/brussels-considers-portugal-fire-expenses-exceptional/43567

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