Why is Portugal's government in crisis?

euronews.com:

When Carla Alves took office as Secretary of State for Agriculture on Wednesday, little did she know that, a mere 25 hours later, she would be out of a job. 

Alves is the latest minister to resign -- the fourth casualty of António Costa's current Portuguese government in just one week.

It triggered yet another reshuffle, amid what is already considered the biggest confidence crisis shaking Costa's leadership.

At a time when Portugal's government is increasingly under scrutiny, that several bank accounts involving her husband Américo Pereira, a former mayor, had been seized quickly came to light. 

The resignation did not take long. 

Alves' exit might have passed unnoticed if it had not been the latest in a long line of resignations, which have led opposition politicians to table a motion of no confidence in the government.

A crisis at TAP Air Portugal was the time bomb that set off the latest wave of exits.  

The airline, which was taken over by the state in 2021, paid compensation of around half a million euros to Alexandra Reis, future Secretary of State for the Treasury, when she left the company. 

She shortly afterwards became the CEO of NAV, the public company that manages Portuguese air traffic.

Even though it was within the law, the huge compensation paid to Reis by a state-owned company struggling with its finances shocked everyone. 

At the request of another minister, Reis resigned from her government position after only 26 days.

This triggered a spate of more resignations. The case turned the spotlight on TAP and the minister in charge of the airline, Pedro Nuno Santos, who himself would soon quit. 

But first the scandal led to the departure of the Secretary of State for Infrastructures, Hugo Mendes, followed by the owner