Survival, our very own reality show

Their performances can be spectacular: they throw themselves from terrifying cliff-faces; jump from planes into the most desolate spots; brace themselves below glaciers and avalanches; walk barefoot through jungles full of poisonous fauna; traverse infernal deserts; when hungry, they eat stones, insects and lizards – and when overcome by thirst, they’ve been known to squeeze the entrails of snakes (or even worse), for succour! There was even one couple that slept among famished lions in the African savannah!

But the bravery of these television heroes seems diminished when once considers what more and more Portuguese people are faced with to guarantee their own survival in an increasingly hostile environment (read here: their own country).

In a recent edition of «Público», the daily paper brought readers true-life stories of various ordinary folk. People like Sandra Fonseca who cleans at the University of the Algarve and who, with her two children, had to move back into her parents’ home, just to make ends meet. Today, they live: six people in a 2-bedroom apartment in Faro. Or the case of Adriano Dimas who lives on just €550 a month, waiting tables at a restaurant.

These people’s determination and spirit of sacrifice is admirable and one that thousands of Portuguese now have no choice in following - throwing themselves from the cliff-face of an economy that hasn’t grown for the last 11 years.

In “i” newspaper, it’s written that 70% of Portuguese households are now “at risk” – and it explains why. According to data from the tax office, there are 3.3 million families (70% of the nation’s total) that declare average monthly incomes of €1200 or even less. Among these families, 2.7 million are surviving on monthly earnings of less than €800.

And as “i” points out, there are new challenges ahead for “Portuguese party-time”: a hike in interest rates (and with it, mortgage payment increases), the most expensive fuel in history, new road tolls, food price increases and the chance of even more “austerity measures” (more taxes).

The difference between our survival reality show, and the ones on TV is that while screen heroes always make it to the finishing line, our unsung contestants never make it anywhere…