Residents of a hotel are evacuated by police officers and marines by inflatable boat along a flooded street after the Sado River overflowed following heavy rains in Alcácer do Sal, southern Portugal, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)
Cars are seen damaged after a building's roof collapsed on them during the passage of storm Kristin in Figueira da Foz, Portugal, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Figueira Na Hora/Jorge Lemos via AP)
A ferris wheel is seen collapsed on the ground after it toppled during the passage of storm Kristin in Figueira da Foz, Portugal, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026. (Figueira Na Hora/Jorge Lemos via AP)
MADRID (AP) — Portugal's interior minister has stepped down in response to growing criticism of her government's response to successive winter storms this season, in which at least seven people have died.
Maria Lúcia Amaral resigned after concluding that she “no longer possessed the personal and political conditions necessary to hold the position," President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s office said late Tuesday.
Portuguese Prime Minister LuÃs Montenegro will temporarily take over her role, the statement said.
An ongoing series of deadly winter storms have wreaked havoc on the European Union nation of 10.7 million people, triggering floods, landslides and power outages, and causing significant infrastructure damage across many parts of the country.
Amaral, a lawyer, was criticized for her government's slow response, particularly during Storm Kristin, which struck the country in late January, killing six people, according to media reports.
Another person died last week when Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal.
Amaral is the first minister to step down since the center-right government led by Montenegro came to power last May.
The Associated Press
Get the latest from ¹ú²úÓÕ»ó¸£Àû News in your inbox. Select the emails you're interested in below.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
