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Tens of thousands march in Lisbon over housing and living costs
Reuters • • world
Key Points:
- Tens of thousands protested in Lisbon against soaring living costs and a worsening housing crisis, organized by Portugal's largest union CGTP, highlighting growing public discontent with the centre-right government.
- Protesters cite wages that fail to keep pace with rapidly increasing housing costs and inflation, with Portugal's inflation hitting 3.6% in September driven by rising food and fuel prices.
- Housing affordability is a critical issue, with house prices more than doubling since 2017 and rents for new leases nearly doubling, particularly impacting major cities like Lisbon.
- Personal stories from protesters illustrate the struggle, such as a PhD student facing steep rent increases and a teacher worried about mortgage adjustments amid rising living expenses.
- The government, represented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Carlos Abreu Amorim, stated it will not yield to street protests and is implementing measures to address these issues.
