The EU Commission told Portugal that its draft budget for 2020 was at risk of breaking EU fiscal rules because of insufficient progress in reducing its structural deficit.

Even though the country’s debt is falling, it is not enough and its budget is expected to be in deficit in 2019 and in 2020.

Seven other countries were also found to be at risk of breaking EU rules, after an assessment of the budgets of eurozone members.

The situation is, however, particularly disgraceful for Portugal...