EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The short-term outlook has improved and program implementation remains on track, notwithstanding another adverse Constitutional Court ruling. Stronger domestic demand is supporting a pick-up in activity and lower unemployment. A broad-based recovery in sentiment has led to a...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The near-term outlook continues to improve and program implementation remains on track. Activity and employment have turned out better than expected, supported by reduced economic uncertainty and benign market conditions in the region. The authorities have scaled up their...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The recovery is addressing flow imbalances from past current account and fiscal deficits, but stock vulnerabilities from public, private, and external debt remain high. The unemployment rate has retreated from its crisis peak, growth has resumed, and the current account is...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Discussions for the combined eighth and ninth reviews were delayed by a political crisis and marked by new adverse Constitutional Court rulings. Reflecting in part austerity and reform fatigue, tensions within the ruling coalition led to two prominent cabinet members tendering...

Portugal's program implementation is on track despite difficult economic conditions and significant legal challenges. The markedly weaker economic outlook provides a strong case for recalibrating the program’s fiscal targets. This strong adjustment effort needs to be consolidated by sustained...

Mounting funding pressures has tipped Portugal into an acute economic crisis in 2011. The roots of the crisis could be traced to Portugal’s failure to adapt to the rigors of monetary union. With economic institutions, policies, and incentives ill-adapted to the opportunities, Portugal’s...

Portugal’s economy is in deep recession, and the crisis has opened up a large output gap, with severe consequences for employment and government revenue. While the focus is on the medium- and long-term, this analysis also offers insights on how deep the output gap is. It also highlights ways...

The staff report for the Fifth Review Under the Extended Arrangement and Request for Waivers of Applicability and Nonobservance of End-September Performance Criteria, prepared by a staff team of the IMF, following discussions that ended on September 11, 2012, with the officials of Portugal on...