The President of the Azores government, Jose Manuel Bolheiro, insisted on Tuesday on the creation of a regional finance law common to the autonomous regions, despite reservations expressed by Mota Amaral and Alberto Joao Jardim.
Speaking to journalists in Ponta Delgada, José Manuel Bolheiro stressed that the new Regional Finance Law should “guarantee predictability and regularity” and ensure “understanding of the differences” between the Azores and Madeira.
“All this can be provided for in one law, just as it can be provided for in a separate law. I am also deeply convinced that the united autonomous regions have a better voice and greater success before the centralists of the republic,” the head of state said. regional leader after the General Assembly of the Insular Commission of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CRPM).
The President of the Azores Executive was questioned about statements made by the former presidents of the Azores and Madeira governments, Mota Amaral and Alberto João Jardim, who on Monday expressed doubts about the creation of a regional finance law common to the archipelagos. , defended by regional leaders.
This Tuesday, José Manuel Bolheiro confirmed the commitment of the regional governments of the Azores and Madeira to present a common law and added that the work of preparing the proposal will be resumed under the coordination of Eduardo Paz Ferreira.
Stressing that the electoral context determines the work, the President of the Azores Government expressed his intention to prepare a proposal by the end of the year.
However, Jose Manuel Bolheiro warned of differences between the Azores and Madeira.
“Aid to the development of the Azores cannot have the same recognition and scale as aid to Madeira, since the restrictions on the Azores and their development are more severe,” he said.
At a conference held in Ponta Delgada on Monday, Mota Amaral and Alberto João Jardim warned of the risks of adopting a general regional finance law for the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.
“You need to have the strength to speak out harshly in Lisbon, but be careful: the specifics of each territory are another matter. I know that the Prime Minister [dos Açores] agreed with the President of the Government of Madeira on a general law on regional finance. I always have a lot of doubts,” said Alberto João Jardim, who led Madeira from 1978 to 2015.
Mota Amaral, who headed the government of the Azores between 1976 and 1995, emphasized the “identity” of each archipelago.
“Alberto João Jardim said that perhaps the best thing would be to adopt two regional finance laws. In fact, I remember that I synthesized this concept. Autonomous regions are autonomous in relation to the mainland territory of the Republic and autonomous from each other. . This is extremely important so that their own identity is respected and that each person follows his own path,” said the former President of the Assembly of the Republic.
In September 2022, the leaders of the regional governments of the Azores and Madeira, Social Democrats José Manuel Boleiro and Miguel Albuquerque, announced that they would present a joint proposal to revise the Regional Finance Law.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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