Brussels, 09/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - The austerity measures introduced by the Portuguese government as part of the €78 billion financial aid plan agreed in May 2011 are hugely affecting in an adverse manner the rights of the most vulnerable members of society, such as the elderly, children and Roma, warned the new Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, Nils Muiznieks of Latvia, on Thursday 9 May.
After a three-day official visit to Portugal, Muiznieks saw that nearly 20% of children and the elderly were on the verge of slipping into poverty. A Council of Europe press release explains that unemployment hit 14% of the working population in 2011, and 34% among young people. The commissioner said that a greater number of children were leaving school to find work and help pay their families' bills. Muiznieks is concerned about a possible increase in child labour, despite the fact that earlier measures had been able to quash this scourge. He expressed greater concern about the fate of the elderly. Retirement pensions have been frozen, but hospital and public transport charges have gone up. The commissioner welcomed the emergency welfare measures decreed by the government to alleviate the negative social impact of the austerity measures.
Muiznieks urged the government to rapidly introduce its national Roma strategy because a large number of the Roma in Portugal suffer from institutionalised discrimination, segregation and terrible living conditions. During his visit, the Council of Europe commissioner welcomed the fact that the government has decided not to cut funding for the country's ombudsman responsible for monitoring respect of fundamental rights. (SP./transl.fl)