2016 in Portugal

The following lists events during 2016 in Portugal.

← 2015 2014 2013 2016 in Portugal → 2017 2018 2019
Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	List of years in Portugal

Incumbents

• President:
  • Aníbal Cavaco Silva (until 9 March)
  • Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (from 9 March)
• Prime Minister: António Costa (Socialist)

Events

January to March

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won the 2016 presidential election

• 24 January – Presidential election: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is elected as President after securing 52.4% of the vote in the first round, a majority that removes the need for a second round. The turnout rises slightly from the last election to 49%.[1]
• 27 January – The National Health Institute confirms five positive cases of the Zika virus in Portugal. Described as "mild" with no need for hospitalisation, each case was imported from Brazil where an outbreak of the virus has been reported.[2]
• 10 February – MPs in the Assembly of the Republic vote to override the veto of outgoing President Anibal Cavaco Silva against allowing same-sex couples to adopt.[3]
• 9 March – Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is sworn in as the 20th President of Portugal.[4]

April to June

• 4 May – Infraestruturas de Portugal states it plans to press charges against a 24-year old man who dislodged and damaged a 126-year old statue of King Sebastian at Lisbon's Rossio railway station after climbing upon it to take a selfie photograph.[5]
• 5 May – Figures released by Eurostat show carbon dioxide emissions in Portugal rose by 8.6% in 2015, the second highest increase among European Union member states.[6]
• 7 May – The Marão Tunnel in the Vila Real District is officially opened by Prime Minister António Costa. Constructed at a cost of €137 million and delayed from its planned opening date of 2012, the tunnel is the longest of its kind on the Iberian peninsula.[7]
• 22 May – Great Britain's Kris Meeke wins the 2016 Rally de Portugal.[8]
• 24 May – Frederico Carvalhão, a spy for the Portugal's intelligence service, is arrested in Rome after being accused of sharing classified information about NATO and the European Union with a Russian intelligence officer.[9]
• 7 June – The longest case of womb survival in a brain dead mother in Portugal is recorded after a woman brain dead since 20 February gives birth to a boy in Lisbon's São José Hospital.[10]

July to September

5 August: Portuguese Olympians during the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

10 August: Smoke from Madeira's wildfires as seen from space

• 10 July – The Portuguese national football team defeat France by a score 1–0 in the final of UEFA Euro 2016 to win the country's first major international football competition.[11]
• 5–11 August – A series of wildfires break out across Madeira and the Portuguese mainland after a spell of temperatures above 35°C.[12] On 10 August the National Authority for Civil Protection announces that more than 4,000 emergency workers were attending 176 active fires across Portuguese territory, one of which was threatening the Madeiran capital of Funchal. The day also sees the confirmation of four deaths with three in Madeira and one on the mainland.[12] On 11 August The New York Times reports that approximately 150 homes in Funchal have been destroyed by fire, forcing the evacuation of at least 1,000 people to temporary shelter.[13]
• 5–21 August – Portugal competes in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro with 92 athletes contesting in 16 sports.[14] Telma Monteiro wins the country's sole medal with bronze in the women's 57-kg judo.[15]
• 7 August – Rui Vinhas wins the 2016 Volta a Portugal cycling race in a time of 40 hours, 56 minutes, and 57 seconds, becoming the first Portuguese victor of the event since 2011.[16]
• 9 August – The European Union forgoes fining the Portuguese government for failing to abide by national deficit limits in 2015, citing "exceptional circumstances".[17] The government is given until the end of the year to bring its deficit down from 4.4% of gross domestic product to 2.5%.[17]
• 23 August – The government and the European Commission agree in principle to a €2.7 billion injection of cash for the struggling Caixa Geral de Depositos bank, which reported a loss of more than €200 million in the first six months of the year.[18]
• 27 September – Prime Minister António Costa announces that a series of artworks by Spanish painter Joan Miró owned by the government will remain in the country, after plans to sell the collection in 2014 were shelved due to public criticism.[19]

October to December

• 14 October:
  • Former Prime Minister António Guterres is appointed the Secretary General of the United Nations. He will formally take office and succeed the incumbent Ban Ki-Moon on 1 January 2017.[20]
  • The government unveils a bill to introduce a sugar tax on carbonated beverages in 2017, with drinks exceeding 80g of sugar per litre levied at €16.46 per 100 litres. The move is predicted to raise €80m for the National Health Service.[21]
• 8 November – Twenty members of a Neo-Nazi group are arrested by police across the country on charges including attempted murder and theft carried out between 2013 and 2015.[22]

Sports

• The 2016 Summer Olympics had 92 Portuguese competitors in 16 sports.
• The Portugal national football team won the UEFA Euro 2016, its first major title.

Deaths

January to June

António de Almeida Santos

• 18 January – António de Almeida Santos, lawyer and politician (b. 1926).[23]
• 26 January – José Boavida, actor (b. 1964).[24]
• 23 February – Jaime Ornelas Camacho, politician, President of the Regional Government of Madeira (1976–1978) (b. 1921).[25]
• 24 February – Ernesto Oliveira, footballer (b. 1921).[26]
• 29 February – Ana Vieira, artist (b. 1940).[27]
• 2 March – Noémia Delgado, television and film director (b. 1933).[28]
• 11 March – Vasco Nunes, cinematographer (b. 1974).[29]
• 14 March – Nicolau Breyner, actor (b. 1940).[30]
• 31 March – Fernando Mendes, footballer (b. 1937).[31]
• 28 May – Vicente da Câmara, fado singer (b. 1928).[32]

July to December

João Lobo Antunes in 2014

• 2 July – Camilo de Oliveira, actor (b. 1924).[33]
• 25 July – Artur Correia, footballer (b. 1950).[34]
• 25 August – Maria Eugénia, actress (b. 1927).[35]
• 31 August – Anna Paula, actress (b. 1929)
• 3 October – Mário Wilson, footballer (b. 1929)
• 14 October – José Lello, politician (b. 1944)
• 27 October – João Lobo Antunes, neurosurgeon (b. 1944).[36]
• 27 October – Jaime Fernandes, radio broadcaster (b. 1947).[37]
• 11 November – Alfredo Bruto da Costa, politician (b. 1938).[38]
• 27 November – Carlos Santos, actor (b. 1937)
• 10 December – Alberto Seixas Santos, film director (b. 1936).[39]
• 11 December – Manuel Bola, actor (b. 1944).[40]
• 22 December – Luís de Azevedo Coutinho, politician (b. 1928)
• 25 December – José Silva Marques, politician (b. 1938).[41]

See also

• List of Portuguese films of 2016

References

1. Chadwick, Vince (24 January 2016). "Portugal elects Rebelo de Sousa as president". Politico. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
2. Khalip, Andrei (27 January 2016). Tom Heneghan (ed.). "Portugal has five mild cases of Zika virus, all after Brazil trips". Reuters. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
3. Khalip, Andrei (10 February 2016). Katharine Houreld (ed.). "Portugal parliament overturns veto against adoption by gay couples". Reuters. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
4. Gomes, Paulo Zacarias (9 March 2016). "Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa já é o novo Presidente da República". Jornal de Negócios (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 July 2020.
5. Cotovio, Vasco; Thompson, Chuck (12 May 2016). "Selfie snapper who destroyed historic statue may face criminal charges". CNN Travel. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
6. "Portugal's increase in CO2 emissions second biggest in EU". The Portugal News. Lusa News Agency. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
7. Silva, Samuel (6 May 2016). "Abre-se o túnel do Marão, quebra-se a "barreira psicológica"". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2 September 2020.
8. "Citroen's Kris Meeke clinches second WRC victory on Rally Portugal". Autosport. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
9. Badcock, James (24 May 2016). "Portuguese spy caught passing 'Nato secrets' to Russian handler in Rome". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
10. Sims, Alexandra (8 June 2016). "Baby born to mother brain dead for four months in Portugal". The Independent. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
11. Burt, Jason (11 July 2016). "Portugal 1 France 0, Euro 2016 final: Underdogs recover from Ronaldo injury as Eder wins it in extra-time". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
12. "Madeira wildfires: Three dead as flames reach Funchal". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
13. Minder, Raphael (11 August 2016). "Deadly Wildfires on Portuguese Island of Madeira Reach Its Largest City". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
14. Pimentel, Tiago (31 July 2016). "Quem são os atletas portugueses que vão estar no Rio 2016?". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
15. Vaza, Marco; Pimentel, Tiago (22 August 2016). "Faltaram as medalhas, sobraram os diplomas". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 August 2020.
16. "Portista Rui Vinhas é o vencedor da 78.ª edição da Volta". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Lusa News Agency. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
17. "EU waives budget deficit fines for Spain and Portugal". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
18. Khalip, Andrei; Bartunek, Robert-Jan (24 August 2016). Mark Potter; David Evans (eds.). "EU, Portugal agree on 5 billion euro recapitalization for ailing bank CGD". Reuters. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
19. "Portuguese government decides to keep 85 paintings by Joan Miró". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Agence France-Presse. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
20. "Portugal's António Guterres elected UN secretary-general". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
21. "Portugal to levy sugar tax on soft drinks in 2017". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Agence France-Presse. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
22. Khalip, Andrei (8 November 2016). Catherine Evans (ed.). "Portugal anti-terror police arrest 20 neo-Nazis over hate crimes". Reuters. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
23. Queiroz de Andrade, Diogo; Valente, Liliana (19 January 2016). "Morreu António Almeida Santos". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
24. Horta, Bruno; Pimentel, Ana (26 January 2016). "Morreu o ator José Boavida. Comunista, benfiquista e 'bon vivant'". Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
25. "Faleceu Ornelas Camacho". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 24 February 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
26. "Faleceu uma lenda..." Atlético Clube de Portugal (in Portuguese). 24 February 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
27. "Morreu a artista plástica Ana Vieira". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 29 February 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
28. Queirós, Luis Miguel (2 March 2016). "Morreu Noémia Delgado, a cineasta de Máscaras". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 September 2020.
29. "Vasco Nunes (1974-2016)". Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 12 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
30. "Morreu o ator Nicolau Breyner, o "Sr. Contente"". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 14 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
31. Vaza, Marco (31 March 2016). "Capitão habituado ao sacrifício e treinador com espírito de missão". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 September 2020.
32. Prado Coelho, Alexandra (28 May 2016). "Morreu o fadista Vicente da Câmara". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
33. "Camilo de Oliveira 1924 - 2016. "Gostava que se recordassem de mim"". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Lusa News Agency. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
34. "Former Portugal defender Artur Correia passes away". UEFA. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
35. Queirós, Luis Miguel (25 August 2016). "Morreu a "menina da rádio"". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 7 September 2020.
36. "Morreu João Lobo Antunes". Expresso (in Portuguese). Lusa News Agency. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
37. Neto, Dulce (29 November 2016). "Jaime Fernandes, o senhor da voz (1947-2016)". Sabado (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 October 2020.
38. Pereira, Ana Cristina; João Lopez, Maria (11 November 2016). "Morreu Bruto da Costa, o político para quem se devia dar aos pobres o peixe e a cana". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 1 December 2016.
39. Salema, Isabel (10 December 2016). "Morreu o realizador Alberto Seixas Santos, ideólogo do Cinema Novo". Publico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 October 2020.
40. "Morreu o ator Manuel Bola". Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 11 December 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
41. "Morreu José Silva Marques, ex-líder parlamentar do PSD". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Lusa News Agency. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2020.