The French language in Portugal is doing very well indeed

Nº91 SEPTEMBER 2025

What do ex-footballer Eric Cantona, designers Christian Louboutin and Philippe Starck and actress Isabelle Adjani have in common? Like around 50,000 other French citizens, they have chosen to live in Portugal. But apart from this new closeness, do the Portuguese still have something in common with the French language and culture?

This portrait takes a trip through Lisbon to measure the presence and the prestige of the French language in Portugal. From places like Alliance Française, Lycée Charles Lepierre and public schools to Institut Français du Portugal and the French Embassy. And from very Portuguese French people to very French-speaking national families. Is French losing its influence? The answer might surprise you.