Lisbon's mayor just called for the EU border system to be suspended. The airport is in chaos.

Good morning, Lisbon. It's Friday, 22 May. Twenty-three degrees, sunny. Queima das Fitas starts tonight in Coimbra. The WeekenDance Festival opens at Time Out Market. And Lisbon's mayor just said what everyone at the airport has been thinking.

🌬️ AIR QUALITY: 20 (Good).

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LISBON'S MAYOR JUST CALLED FOR THE EU BORDER SYSTEM TO BE SUSPENDED. THE AIRPORT IS IN CHAOS.

On Monday, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas publicly called for the suspension of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) at Portuguese airports. Speaking at the 631st anniversary celebration of the Lisbon Fire Brigade, the former European Commissioner did not mince words: the system is "creating chaos in terms of entry" into the country and giving "a terrible image" of Portugal, with "people waiting in line for hours and hours."

"I think it is necessary, at this time, to suspend the electronic system because it is not working," he said.

Moedas added that he was still at the European Commission when the EES process began, and "at the time, it was already known that there would be problems." Coming from a former Commissioner, that is not a casual observation. It is someone who helped design the framework publicly admitting it was launched before it was ready.

The EES became fully operational on 10 April. Within 24 hours, Lisbon, Porto, and Faro halted biometric collection after queues became unmanageable. The system was reinstated, paused again, and has been running inconsistently since. Humberto Delgado Airport logged 188 flight delays in a single day on 20 April. Non-EU passengers have reported border processing waits of up to seven hours during peak arrivals. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has separately called for the system's suspension. The European Commission has left implementation to individual member states.

Moedas is the most senior Portuguese official to make the call publicly. The government has not responded directly, though Interior Minister Luís Neves has acknowledged the operational difficulties and announced additional manual processing booths for the summer. New booths are expected at Humberto Delgado by late May, with extra e-gates and PSP staff from July.

For anyone flying in or out of Lisbon this summer, the practical advice has not changed: arrive earlier than you think you need to. Non-EU passengers should budget an extra 45 to 60 minutes on arrival. The system is not going away, but the infrastructure to support it is not yet in place, and the mayor of the city that hosts the country's busiest airport has now said so publicly.

Bottom line: The EES is causing chaos. The mayor says suspend it. The government says fix it. The airport says wait. If you are flying this summer, plan accordingly.

⚡ QUICK HITS

Cabin crew are joining the June 3 general strike. Book around it now. SNPVAC, the national cabin crew union, voted this week to join the CGTP's general strike. TAP, Ryanair, and easyJet operations will all face disruptions. December's general strike shut down two-thirds of TAP flights. With cabin crew formally joining this time, expect worse. If you have flights on or around June 3, use TAP's free date change window (bookings through June 15) or rebook now. The strike is 12 days away.

The government is studying extending Lisbon Metro hours. A detailed technical study will begin this month to assess the feasibility of running the Metro later. For anyone who has been stranded at Cais do Sodré after 1am, this is the story you have been waiting for. No timeline for a decision yet, but the fact that a formal study is happening is progress.

11% of rental properties in Portugal are booked in less than a day. If you are looking for a flat in Lisbon, you have hours, not days. The figure comes from a property market analysis published this week. In central Lisbon, the pace is likely faster. If you see a listing you like, call immediately. The days of browsing and deciding are over.

🍽️ SPOT OF THE DAY

SOLAR DOS PRESUNTOS (RESTAURADORES)

You have walked past this restaurant. Everyone who lives in Lisbon has. Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, the pedestrianised street running up from Restauradores toward the Elevador do Lavra, is lined with seafood restaurants competing for attention. Most of them are fine. Solar dos Presuntos, at number 150, is the one that has been here since 1974 and the one where the walls tell you everything.

Evaristo and Graça came to Lisbon from Monção, in the far north of the Minho, before the revolution. Evaristo found work in restaurants. The couple eventually took over a small shop at number 150 that sold presunto (dry-cured ham) and served wine by the glass. They started cooking. The food was good. Word spread. What began with 14 seats and 6 employees is now a restaurant with nearly 300 seats, 140 staff, and an average of 900 covers a day. Their son Pedro runs it now, and the family's approach has not changed: robust, traditional Portuguese cooking, generous portions, and a wine list that a leading Portuguese wine magazine has ranked among the four best in the country.

The walls are the first thing you notice. Signed photographs, caricatures, football shirts, framed newspaper cuttings. Politicians, fado singers, footballers, actors, chefs. Mark Wiens ate here. The national team eats here. Half of parliament eats here. The wall is not decoration. It is a guest book that spans 50 years of Lisbon life.

The menu is traditional Portuguese without apology. A plate of presunto is placed on every table when you sit down (note: this is not free, so tell your server if you do not want it, though you will want it, because the ham is from the family's region and it is exceptional). The açorda de lavagante (lobster in a bread and garlic broth) is the signature dish and one of the best versions in the city. The polvo à lagareiro (baked octopus with crushed potatoes and olive oil) gets called out by every food critic who walks in. The seafood platter, the roast kid, the grilled fish of the day, and the arroz de marisco are all consistently excellent. Mains run around €35. A full dinner with wine will cost €40 to €60 per person.

The service is old-school in the best sense. Formal without being stiff. The waiters know the menu by heart, recommend with confidence, and move through the dining room with the kind of quiet efficiency that comes from decades in the same room.

→ See why reservations are essential, especially Friday, Saturday evenings ←

Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 150, Restauradores. Monday to Saturday, lunch 12:30pm to 3:30pm, dinner 6:30pm to 11pm. Closed Sundays and holidays. Metro: Restauradores (Green Line). Phone: +351 21 342 4253. solardospresuntos.com. Reservations essential, especially Friday and Saturday evenings.

Insider tip: Go for lunch on a weekday. The room is calmer, the kitchen is less pressed, and you get the same food at the same quality without the Friday night wait. Order the presunto to start (it comes from Monção, where the founders grew up), then the açorda de lavagante. Ask the sommelier to pair a Minho white. That is the meal this restaurant was built for.

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See you tomorrow morning.