The privatization of essential services was seen as a threat to the welfare state and the rights of the poor.
While the bailout program officially ended in 2014, the sentiment remains relevant. Today, the phrase is often repurposed to protest: Portugal NГЈo EstГЎ Г Venda
Critics felt that unelected foreign bodies were dictating Portuguese law. The privatization of essential services was seen as
Artists used the phrase to evoke the spirit of the 1974 Carnation Revolution, suggesting that the freedom gained then was being sold away now. Artists used the phrase to evoke the spirit
Programs that grant residency to wealthy foreign investors.
In 2011, Portugal faced a severe debt crisis. To avoid bankruptcy, the government signed a 78 billion euro bailout agreement with the "Troika" (the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF). The conditions were strict: involving tax hikes and wage cuts.
It headlined some of the largest demonstrations in modern Portuguese history, such as the Que se lixe a troika (Screw the Troika) marches.