葡萄牙緊縮升級 削減公共假期

葡萄牙的經濟緊縮政策進一步升級，政府於近日宣佈，自2013年起的五年內，公衆將暫停享受4個公共假期。政府希望此舉可以提高競爭力、刺激經濟活動。此前，葡萄牙政府已經採取公共部門減薪和增稅等措施削減預算赤字、應對經濟危機。被削減的四個公共假期分別爲11月1日的萬聖節，基督聖體節（在復活節之後，與之相隔60天），10月5日葡萄牙共和國成立紀念日，以及12月1日葡萄牙脫離西班牙統治的獨立紀念日。在選擇要削減的宗教節日時，葡萄牙政府還特意徵詢了梵蒂岡天主教教廷的意見。

Portugal has taken austerity measures to a new level with the decision to scrap four of its 14 public holidays.

Two religious festivals and two other public holidays will be suspended for five years from 2013.

The decision over which Catholic festivals to cut was negotiated with the Vatican.

Portugal has already cut public sector wages and raised taxes to reduce its budget deficit and deal with its economic crisis.

The country agreed a 78bn euro bailout deal with the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund last year and recently passed the latest review of its spending cuts.

It is hoped the suspension of the public holidays will improve competitiveness and boost economic activity.

The four days affected are All Saints Day on 1 November; Corpus Christi, which falls 60 days after Easter; 5 October, which commemorates the formation of the Portuguese Republic in 1910; and 1 December, which marks Portuguese independence from Spanish rule in 1640.