Portugal’s Treasury chief forced to quit over previous job severance

Portugal’s newly-appointed head of Treasury has stepped down, the finance ministry said, her resignation following a public backlash over a hefty severance pay she had received from state-owned airline TAP that was bailed out with taxpayer money.
Coming amid a cost-of-living crisis affecting millions in Portugal and Europe, the case of Alexandra Reis has embarrassed the Socialist government of Prime Minister Antonio Costa since the Correio da Manha newspaper reported about the 500,000-euro ($531,450) compensation earlier this month.
Opposition parties have sharply criticised the government’s lax hiring practices and demanded that Reis be sacked and return the money paid by TAP over ceasing her functions as a board member on mutual agreement last February.
Reis, who only took over the Treasury department on Dec. 2, argued she had demanded what she was legally entitled to, as the government and the airline later confirmed.