Fighting depopulation in Portugal: Local and central government policies in times of crisis

Abstract

During one of the worst economic crisis Portugal has faced in the last decades, with a considerable debt to deal with, emigration, population loss, ageing and unemployment afflicted our economy and society, particularly in rural territories. The purpose of this article is to access the main local and central government policies to fight depopulation and territorial inequalities, as well as their attempts at sustainable development. What remains in the Portuguese inland regions and how is it being addressed by the few who still believe in life outside the cities? What is the role of local government in the sustainable development of the territory? All over the country, and particularly in rural areas, there is an urgent need to attract people and investment. What are the main issues addressed by the central government to deal with this problem? For this research a database was built with the political programs of the 308 mayors elected in 2013, which were subject to a thorough analysis, as well as the new socialist government recently approved National Programme for Territorial Cohesion, aimed at promoting a more balanced territorial planning. This article describes the demographic situation and compares the municipalities' economic strategies. The results are still to be observed, but these new local and central policies at least reflect a change of paradigm from the social-democrat coalition government (2011-2015) and introduce a discourse of hope for inland regions, even if the political time of each government (four years terms) is never enough to solve such complex issues.

The use of rural areas in Portugal: Historical perspective and the new trends

“…This new type of agriculture, forest management and mining practices are incompatible with what is advertised for the rural world. Both local and central government programs and political manifestos have a discourse based on territorial development and cohesion (Almeida, 2018). Regardless of the way heritage, culture and local resources are sold as commodities to promote tourism, job creation and attraction strategies, companies and industries remain the most important feature for keeping people in interior regions.…”

“…In 1960, 35.2 per cent of the population lived in these municipalities; according to the 2011 census, only 19.7 per cent now live in these areas. Due to this dramatic reduction in population, these municipalities have completely lost their demographic and economic vitality (Almeida, 2018). On the other hand, as Lisbon was losing 31.7 per cent of its population and Oporto 21.7, their suburban areas were growing considerably, as well as other industrial towns.…”

“…Since this exodus, agriculture has no longer been the main activity, and new forms of occupation in rural areas have arisen. From rural tourism to promotion of heritage, both material and natural, many public policies have been put in place in order to attract people, families and private companies to rural territories (Almeida, 2018), where demographics will certainly not recover to the levels of mid-twentieth century. Local government is a key player in providing services and possibilities for a better quality of life for the remaining few who still resist the attraction of urban life.…”

The Issues and Challenges of Local Government Units in the Era of Population Ageing

“…They indicated the factors which are essential for providing these services successfully. Almeida (2018) analysed the policy of the local and central authorities in the face of the demographic crisis and compared the economic strategies of different municipalities.…”

Yerel Yönetimlerin Çocuğa Yönelik Örgütlenmesi ve Politikaları: Seçilmiş Ülkeler Üzerinden Bir Değerlendirme

“…Bu noktada 2015 yılında bazı belediyelerin çocuklu aileler için mülkiyet vergilerinde azaltmaya gittiği, 2016 yılında bazı belediyelerin vergi iadesinde bulunduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Yine bazı belediyelerin yeni doğan bebekler için maddi destekte bulunduğu ve geliştirilen çeşitli çalışmalarla aile bireylerine iş imkânları sağlamaya çalışıldığı anlaşılmaktadır (Almeida, 2018 İstanbul'da yer alan ilçe belediyelerin çabaları öne çıkmaktadır (bkz. Aka ve Güngör, 2019;"Kent95", 2019;Erginli, 2018).…”