After all, there is not much difference in language and culture between the two sides, and Spain is in the process of rapid development, offering numerous job opportunities that many Portuguese cannot resist.
Once the railway is connected, it becomes much more convenient for Portuguese to travel to Spain. The direct distance from Lisbon to Madrid is just over 500 kilometers, and even factoring in the time required for border formalities, it definitely won't take 24 hours if taking the currently faster trains.
This will become quite challenging for the Portuguese Government. If they do not control this population outflow, Portugal's population will continue to decrease.
But if they impose controls, what reason should they use to prevent this population outflow? If public dissatisfaction arises, it may lead to Portuguese people becoming more resentful towards the government, which could bring about even bigger problems.
