Austerity and His Holiness

At a time when Portugal is preparing to welcome the Pope for a four-day visit, the Portuguese press examines details of austerity measures currently under consideration by the country's temporal powers: "the government plans to raise VAT and levy an additional tax on 13th month salaries to swell state coffers with an additional three billion euros per year," headlinesPúblico. The measures will be designed to reduce the public spending deficit to 7.3% of GDP (as opposed to the 8.3% forecast) this year, notes the daily, which reminds its readers that a tax on 13th month salaries was one of the conditions of the country's International Monetary Fund monitored stabilisation programme in 1983. The economic crisis is also expected to figure large in Benedict XVI's homilies to the Portuguese faithful, reportsPúblico, as are human rights issues, and the question of same sex marriage which is also on the political agenda in Lisbon.