ROW OVER MADONNA’S LISBON PARKING DEAL
Lisbon’s city council on Monday revealed details of a deal granting Madonna rights to park a fleet of cars in the packed Portuguese capital after being accused of special treatment for the US pop diva.
The weekly Expresso broke the story of a contract between the Material Girl singer and the city to rent a lot. The space, which can accommodate up to 15 vehicles, is next to the “palace” that she occupies on the banks of the Tagus river.
The news provoked indignation across the political spectrum in a capital that suffers a lack of parking and bad traffic jams.
The Left Bloc, a coalition partner in the Socialist-led Portuguese government, called for the parking problem to be dealt with “responsibly”, given the difficulties that city residents face. The main centrist opposition party, PSD, said that it wanted to know “the reason why the mayor granted such an exception”.
The other centrist party, CDS, attacked Lisbon’s mayor Fernando Medina and accused him of “using heritage assets for his advantage”. A CDS statement said, “The city of Lisbon does not belong to Fernando Medina.”
City hall decided on Monday to reveal the contents of the contract with Madonna, saying that it was drawn up “to avoid traffic snarl-ups along a narrow but very busy road”.
Signed in January, the deal gives Madonna access to the land for 720 euros (₹57,700) a month. It rules out access to the neighbouring “palace” building, which is under negotiation to become the new East Timor embassy.
Madonna’s contract will cease if East Timor takes the building for its embassy. The pop star set up in Lisbon last summer, following in the footsteps of Hollywood actors Monica Bellucci, Michael Fassbender, and John Malkovich, who are drawn to Portugal’s cool capital. AFP
POLITICAL PARTIES ARE OPPOSING THE DECISION TO GIVE MADONNA A LOT WITH 15 PARKING SPACES, CONSIDERING THE PARKING PROBLEMS FACED BY CITIZENS