Madeira Government’s programme approved

This Thursday, the Madeiran Parliament approved the programme of the XV Regional Government with 22 votes for the PSD, CDS-PP and PAN, 21 against the PS, JPP and the deputy from Chega, and four abstentions from Chega and IL.

The viability of the document presented by the Social Democratic executive after the regional elections on 26 May was threatened, as Chega initially spoke out against the document, as did the PS and the JPP. Together, the three parties would have 24 MPs, an absolute majority.

Chega’s deputy Magna Costa voted against the proposal after the party’s regional leader Miguel Castro said there was no freedom to vote.

This is the first legislative body in the history of Madeiran democracy in which the PSD does not have an absolute majority, either alone or together with other forces. The party, which has 19 elected representatives, has a parliamentary agreement with the CDS, which allows it to support two more deputies.

In the final session of the debate, MP and PS/Madeira leader Paulo Cafofo justified the vote against, saying that what was at stake was not the Program, but a vote of confidence in the leader Miguel Albuquerque, who, according to him, “proves every day that he is not capable of governing.”

“He is exhausted, distrusted, simply preoccupied with political minutiae and holding on to power at any cost to avoid facing justice,” he said, stressing that the island’s population remains “without answers” to a number of problems.

Paulo Cafofo said that the PS, the largest opposition party in Madeira, which was not involved in the negotiations to prepare the second proposal of the government programme, “will always be on the side of the solution”, but clarified that “the solution does not involve extending a hand to those who have long ago turned their backs on the people of Madeira and Porto Santens”.

“For this reason, we do not participate in speeches, much less in negotiations, to cover up the lies and engage in political games that have disgraced and defiled the people of Madeira and Porto Santo,” he said, before confirming: “In view of this, it is clear that there are no conditions for the PS to vote for a vote of confidence.”

As for the leader of the PNP, Elvio Sousa, whose bench consists of nine deputies, he expressed the opinion that the proposal “was nothing more than mere words in a chronological commitment,” comparing it to “a book of stickers stuck together with flour, glue and water that can be peeled off and glued back together” at the discretion of the leader.

Stating that he “does not trust the word” of the regional government and that it was not kept in previous programs, the deputy said that the proposal being discussed today was a “poorly made copy” and therefore Albuquerque could not ask the party to be “guarantor and accomplice” when he was absent from the negotiations.

On Chega’s side, Miguel Castro made it clear that the vote of the four-member parliamentary college would depend on Miguel Albuquerque “publicly admitting and suggesting” that he would resign from all public office if the prosecutor’s office were to indict him. In the process, he is investigating allegations of corruption in the archipelago, of which he has been accused.

This was one of the conditions set by the party for the second proposal of the government program to become viable. “Your answer will determine the vote for Chegu,” he warned.

Later, in his final statement, Miguel Albuquerque said that the prosecutor would determine his future in terms of the judicial investigation and that he had never abandoned his duties.

Miguel Castro, however, believed that the government led by Albuquerque since 2015 was “worn out and exhausted” and that the atmosphere in the Legislative Assembly “has never been as tense” as it is now.

Regarding the CDS-PP, Sara Madalena stated that whoever did not approve the Programme wanted to “prolong the political crisis” in Madeira, appealing to “a sense of responsibility and prioritisation of regional interests” in order to end the “prolonged uncertainty” because “Madeirans are tired” of this situation.

The IL’s sole deputy, Nuno Morna, justified the abstention as “the best strategy to prevent the government from becoming a victim,” stressing, however, that it should also be “understood as a clear no” to the Albuquerque leadership, which accused it of “authoritarian tics.”

Nuno Morna stressed that IL’s abstention represents, on the other hand, a “firm yes” to stability in the region, but considered that the new version of the Program is an “ode to omission”, consisting of “vague promises and excessive optimism”, despite considering several proposals from other parties.

The only PAN MP, Mónica Freitas, stressed that the party is “second in terms of the number of measures included in the programme”, given that “an expression of confidence in a government whose president is the defendant”, but elected by the people of Madeira, is at stake.

In his view, making the document viable is a vote of confidence, but “it also requires that this government fulfill its commitments and that, budget by budget, it has the opportunity to engage in dialogue and get the most out of each side for the benefit of the population.”

Mónica Freitas stressed that “the PAN vote is not a vote for the PSD or for this government, it is a vote that allows us to move forward with the 86 PAN measures.”

On behalf of the PSD, the party that supports the regional minority government of Miguel Albuquerque, deputy Jaime Felipe Ramos highlighted the “decisive moment in the life” of the archipelago, stressing the need to “respect the will of the people and know how to dialogue, give in and move forward,” as well as “restore normality and the power to govern.”

“This is a moment of truth, not personal or party interests,” he said.

Jaime Felipe Ramos therefore praised Chega, IL, PAN and CDS-PP for negotiating the new program and accused the PS and JPP of creating a “coalition of deniers” by refusing to participate in the meetings.

“This is and will be the most democratic and pluralistic programme of government ever debated in this House,” he said.