Since the 17th century. March was closed, the “gateway to Portugal”. The Spanish city of Badajoz is called like, in the on Wednesday, the heads of state and heads of government of the two neighboring countries opened the last land border of the Schengen area, which was closed due to Covid-19-nor again. Just as a string Quartet, sang in the Alcazaba of Badajoz, the former seat of the Moorish rulers, the national anthems, took them down short of their face masks. Together, king Felipe, the Portuguese state President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and the two heads of government, Pedro Sánchez, and António Costa, in the neighboring town of Elvas in Portugal, then drove.
Hans-Christian Rößler
Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb, with its headquarters in Madrid.
F. A. Z.
Spain its other borders had already on 21. June opened, the Transitions between the two neighbors were closed up to the ceremony. According to Portuguese data, the police arrested a total of 36 people who wanted to cross the border illegally; 6800 travelers were prevented from doing so. The closure in March, and strict controls should help to slow the spread of the Virus in Portugal, which was at the time in Spain is very virulent.
In both countries, the Infection, to take now and again. In Spain, several dozen smaller outbreaks reported in Portugal, particularly in the Metropolitan area of Lisbon is concerned. After the Portuguese government had initially responded in a more efficient and more successful than Spain, for example, pointed to the country recently to Sweden, at times, the second highest number of new infections based on 100,000 inhabitants in Europe. In 19 municipality of the Region’s districts around the capital, the government reintroduced restrictions on freedom of movement; the tourists frequented the centre has not been affected. A resurgence of the pandemic would be disastrous for both countries, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism. The socialist leaders to deal with the EU to a comprehensive aid package.
the British and the Germans are particularly important for you. In Portugal were last grown in the hopes that the summer leave season to save. To have the confidence of tourists to recover, reinforced many of the properties of the protection arrangements and have been awarded with the Label “Clean and safe”. In August, in Lisbon, in the remaining games and the final of the Champions League to be held. Uefa has so far safely, and keeps a Plan B is unnecessary. Prime Minister Costa is not tired of emphasizing, the fact that Portugal was a “safe country”.
