Portugal Holding Firm in Last Spot: Despite the campaign promises made nearly two years ago by Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso, this South European country remains firmly in last spot in the European Union (EU) line-up.
In his March 2002 political campaign, Durao Barroso said he would put Portugal in the group of the most advanced EU countries within a decade. But the bloc's year-end economic, social and human development indicators show that no progress has been made in that direction.
