Portugal’s government on the verge of collapse
I know 2010 can be hard to recall at this point, but remember when it was the financial crisis that was taking out governments left and right? That’s actually still happening: Debt-stressed Portugal’s Parliament has refused to endorse more austerity measures aimed at avoiding a bailout – a move that is likely to trigger the ...
I know 2010 can be hard to recall at this point, but remember when it was the financial crisis that was taking out governments left and right? That's actually still happening:
I know 2010 can be hard to recall at this point, but remember when it was the financial crisis that was taking out governments left and right? That’s actually still happening:
Debt-stressed Portugal’s Parliament has refused to endorse more austerity measures aimed at avoiding a bailout – a move that is likely to trigger the minority government’s resignation.
All opposition parties rejected the government’s latest proposal for spending cuts and tax hikes in a vote Wednesday.
Prime Minister Jose Socrates previously said he would no longer be able to run the country if the plan was defeated.
The two big trends here are actually not unrelated. The Libyan crisis has, once again, opened up a political rift in the EU at a moment when coordinated action is needed on economic policy. Add to that an apparent "major" cyberattack on the eve of this week’s EU summit, and this really hasn’t been Brussels’ finest month.
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
More from Foreign Policy

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.