Portugal

Informe 2014

Development cooperation strategy and more social protection is needed

Since joining the Euro in 1999, Portugal has had the lowest growth in the Eurozone. Between 2001 and 2007 Portugal experienced only 1.1% average annual growth. The government deficit was -6.5% of GDP in 2005 and it was -3.1% in 2007. When the global financial crisis occurred, a drop in tax revenues and the money allocation to support commercial banks, led to further increases in the government deficit and in general gross debt. At 108.1% in 2011, Portugal had the third highest general government gross debt to GDP ratio in Europe (EU27), behind only Greece and Italy (Eurostat, 2012a). As debt continued to grow investors were unwilling to lend and in May 2011 Portugal was the third country to seek a ‘bailout’ from the EU-ECB-IMF troika. The austerity measures accorded between the Portuguese Government and troika, are responsible for major setbacks. Many basic economic and social rights that were guaranteed are now being either questioned or neglected. In this scenario, the development cooperation public policy that contributed significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) also suffered a major negative shift.

noticias

Desde que se unió al euro en 1999, Portugal ha tenido el crecimiento más bajo de la zona euro. En 2011 tuvo la tercera mayor deuda pública bruta como porcentaje del PIB (108,1%) en Europa (UE-27), sólo por detrás de Grecia e Italia. y en mayo de ese año fue el tercer país en buscar un "rescate". Las medidas de austeridad acordadas entre el gobierno portugués y la Troika -Comisión Europea (CE), Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) y Banco Central Europeo (BCE)- son responsables de importantes retrocesos. Muchos derechos económicos y sociales básicos que estaban garantizados están siendo cuestionados, o sea descuidados. En este escenario, la política de cooperación al desarrollo que ha contribuido de manera significativa al logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) también sufrió un cambio negativo.