Lisbon - What Makes Portugal's Capital City So Attractive? | DW Documentary

Lisbon, Portugal’s "White City", is an old multifaceted city in Europe. Lisbon has experienced many periods of prosperity and has survived many crises.

But what makes Lisbon so attractive today – especially among young people? A film crew met a range of mainly young people in Lisbon, and asked them about their relationship to the Portuguese capital city. Lisbon’s history has been significantly shaped by its harbor, which made it a central hub of trade in Europe and the starting point for voyages of discovery and conquest in the late Middle Ages. Vasco da Gama embarked on his last trip to India from Lisbon, and enjoyed a hero’s welcome on his return in 1499. From Bairro Alto and the National Museum of Ancient Art to the Tower of Belém and countless palaces, churches and hotels, Lisbon has a lot to offer tourists. But what makes the Portuguese capital such an attractive destination for young people in the present day? The friendly and carefree nature of the Portuguese people, says one blogger, who quit his job in a bank in order to photograph his city for an image campaign. The incomparable light of Lisbon, says a city historian committed to the conservation of Portugal’s colorful glazed wall tiles: azulejos. The sense of melancholy, adds a singer, who is just as enthusiastic about modern electronic as she is about the traditional fado, which she herself performs on stage. Culinary specialties made from locally fished seafood are the secret, says an acclaimed chef and craftsman. And for an avid surfer, the city’s appeal lies in the impressive waves along the coastline.

Lisbon - What Makes Portugal's Capital City So Attractive? | DW Documentary

First Food Aid: Starving Portuguese Turn to Charity

As austerity continues to wreak havoc for families in Portugal, people are turning to volunteer charities to provide them with food parcels. Charities are now essential in the lives of increasingly deprived sectors of the population.

Portugal Government in Vote Crisis
Mar 23 - Portugal's PM is threatening to resign if austerity measures are rejected in Wednesday's vote, potentially forcing the country's hand to seek an international bailout. Ciara Sutton reports

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Portugal Braces for Government Collapse
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: LISBON, Portugal—Portugal's government could collapse Wednesday after opposition parties withdrew their support for another round of austerity policies aimed at averting a financial bailout.

The expected defeat of the minority government's latest spending plans in a parliamentary vote will likely force its resignation and could stall national and European efforts to deal with the continent's protracted debt crisis.

The vote comes on the eve of a two-day European Union summit where policy makers are hoping to take new steps to restore investor faith in the fiscal soundness of the 17-nation euro zone, including Portugal.

Last year, both Greece and Ireland had to accept massive rescue packages after markets lost faith in their governments' efforts to deal with their debt burdens.

The political tension fueled a rise in Portugal's borrowing rates, just as it is trying to cut spending. The yield on the country's 10-year bond, for example, was up to 7.57%Tuesday—just shy of its euro-era record level. The interest rate has been above 7% for several weeks despite the government's earlier austerity measures that, its political rivals say, failed to quell investor fears.

As in Greece, the austerity policies—including tax hikes and pay cuts—have prompted an outcry from trade unions and numerous demonstrations and strikes. Train engineers walked off the job during the morning commute Wednesday, causing widespread travel disruption.

By most measures, Portugal is one of the euro zone's smallest and feeblest economies but its financial collapse would likely trigger a fresh bout of nerves over other debt-heavy—and bigger—euro countries such as Spain, Belgium and Italy.

"Portugal seems very likely to become the third … eurozone country to need a bailout," Emilie Gay, European economist at Capital Economics, said. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Brown, the Man Who Refuses to Give the People a Referendum on the EU Treaty, Tells Us What He Thinks, Tells Us What He Thinks, Tells Us What He Thinks…
BBC: EU leaders are beginning talks in Lisbon to try to agree on a landmark treaty to reform the 27-member bloc.

The treaty is designed to replace the European Constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

It includes plans for an EU foreign policy supremo, a longer-term president and fewer national veto rights. EU leaders hold key treaty talks (more)

WATCH BBC VIDEO:
Brown defends EU treaty reform

BBC:
A close look at the Reform Treaty By Stephen Mulvey

Mark Alexander