Il Portugal gets trapped in the economic downturn: in the fourth quarter, GDP contracted by 1,3% compared to the previous three months, according to the national statistics body, and by 2,4% compared to the same period a year earlier. In this way the set of 2011 closed with one economic downturn of 1,5% in terms of GDP.
Portugal is one of three countries – together with Greece and Ireland – to have ended up under the protection of aid from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. For weeks, hypotheses have been circulating on the fact that, like Athens, Lisbon too may need a new support program, as the 78 billion euro plan it obtained last spring risks not being enough.
