Later life and public policies in time of crisis: Portugal, 2008–13

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of public policies implemented in Portugal between 2008 and 2013 affecting the older segments of the population, specifically those aged 50 years and over. Research on this period is relevant because it was a time of economic and financial crisis and concomitant changes in government policy. By making a content analysis of the laws published on the website of the Diario da Republica (Portuguese State Gazette) three periods could be distinguished: January 2008 to May 2010, which was dominated by an emancipatory logic reflecting respect for social rights; June 2010 to September 2012; and then October 2012 to December 2013, in which a logic of austerity prevailed, especially in the last period, with negative consequences for the quality of life of senior citizens.