Portugal
Why Portugal?
Portugal is one of the more comparatively affordable countries in Europe to live in, is consistently ranked among the safer countries in the world, and is known for having a high quality of life. They are also one of the most advanced when it comes to LGBTQ+ legal protections. Portugal features a diverse and relatively temperate climate, and is known for their delicious, fresh food (especially great for seafood lovers!), vibrant culture and rich history, and beautiful landscapes and architecture. It's reasonably easy to get by as an English speaker in the cities while you learn the language as most people under the age of around 50 speak at least some English. Cities like Porto and Lisbon have especially robust public transportation infrastructure, making it easy to live car-free, and the country is well-connected via a modern network of trains and buses, and of course, air transportation. Portugal has a world-class national healthcare system (the SNS) that legal residents can enroll in, as well as a relatively affordable private insurance system for those who choose to opt into it. The Portuguese economy has been experiencing steady growth since 2014, especially in certain sectors like tourism, services, and tech.
Why not Portugal?
As an American immigrant who absolutely loves living in Portugal, this is more difficult for me to write, but I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into when deciding to come here, and I feel I pretty much got what I wanted out of the move. But the things that I sought out and appreciate about the country, like a slower pace of life, might not be everyone's idea of "the good life." And there are some things that even I have to admit have been challenging to adapt to, but were by no means deal-breakers *cough* bureaucracy *cough*
So, here are some of the things I am aware others have found less desirable:
- Bureaucracy
- Slow-paced culture
- Lack of a "customer service culture"
- Low wages
- Rising housing costs
- Housing quality
- Learning the Portuguese language
- Making Portuguese friends
American immigrants are notorious here for having unrealistic expectations and demands that are simply baffling to the Portuguese people. (I have some really funny stories on this front!) My recommendation is to keep an open mind about what really is important in life and whenever you are confronting something challenging, like the bureaucracy, try to remain calm. "Calma, calma!" is a phrase that has been said to me so many times when I'm on the brink of having a meltdown, and I have definitely chilled out over time. No doubt my own nervous system thanks me!
What is the Political landscape like?
Finally, to address the "elephant in the room" since many are keenly interested in understanding the political landscape of any country they are considering emigrating to—as with many other countries across Europe and around the world, it's true that Portugal has been experiencing an uptick in Far Right political gains, which is worth paying attention to. However, I remain realistically hopeful that Portugal is still one of the best places one can live in 2025 on Planet Earth.
The Far Right party that has gained a foothold in parliament, Chega, is still very much a minority party that the established parties have generally refused to form coalitions with or to give any semblance of respectability to. It is my opinion, after living in Portugal for the last two years as a neurodivergent person who heavily counts politics among my "special interests," that the memory of brutal oppression under Salazar's fascist dictatorship remains very fresh in the minds of people still living today, and the socioeconomic scars left by the Estado Novo regime remain visible reminders nearly 51 years after the Carnation Revolution that ended the dictatorship.
My personal observations include that whenever there are demonstrations from the Far Right here, they have been dwarfed by the size and energy of counter-demonstrations. The Portuguese people say "25th of April, always! Fascism, never again!" and they mean it. Having been raised in a country where merely entertaining the idea that anything outside of the capitalist system was inherently so evil we shouldn't even dare consider learning about it, I remain consistently delighted to live in a country now where having an official Communist party that throws a large and well-attended annual festival is a totally normal thing. It will never not make me crack a smile to pass a sign, flag, or street art with the hammer and sickle symbol. Some young Portuguese people I have spoken with even tell me the Communist Party isn't progressive enough for them! Personally, I think the Portuguese people are very well-suited to weather the coming storms.
For more information about the Carnation Revolution that ended 42 years of dictatorship on April 24, 1974 and the shifting political landscape today, I recommend this long read in Al Jazeera.
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