Portugal's economy and employment growth are reportedly the strongest in Europe, a claim made by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during a parliamentary session on 8 September 2026. This statement came amid a debate concerning a no-confidence motion introduced by the far-right Chega party, which arose after Montenegro declined to dismiss Interior Minister Luís Neves over past misconduct allegations.
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Despite facing political challenges, including three elections in three years, Montenegro stated that Portugal had the best economic performance and the highest employment growth rate in the EU.
To validate these claims, Euronews' fact-checking team, The Cube, analyzed the latest Eurostat data on GDP growth among EU member states. They reported that the EU's overall GDP increased by 0.7% in the second quarter of 2026, with Ireland leading with a significant rise of 10.2%, primarily due to surges in the technology and pharmaceutical sectors. However, economists consider this figure less reliable due to its dependence on global firms. Slovenia and Lithuania followed with GDP increases of 1.8% and 1.7%, respectively, while Portugal ranked seventh along with Cyprus, with a GDP growth of 0.8%. Thus, while Portugal performs well compared to other member states, it is not the top performer.
In terms of employment, Eurostat data indicated a 0.1% increase in employment across both the Eurozone and the EU during the same period, with approximately 221.4 million people employed in the EU. In this context, Montenegro's assertion holds true: Portugal achieved a 1% rise in employment, making it the top performer among member states. The Czech Republic and Malta followed closely, each with a 0.9% increase, while Finland and Greece experienced declines in employment.