This Tuesday, the Azores Parliament begins debating the proposals for the regional plan and budget for 2024 without the threat of leadership in a document presented by the leader of the PSD/SDS-PP/PPM coalition, but the direction of the PS vote is still “open”. “.
This year, unlike what happened in 2023 when it voted against, PS/Açores, the largest opposition party, has not yet decided how it will vote on the region’s 2024 plan and budget and the question is “open” before voting day. in the regional parliament.
Carlos Silva, a regional deputy and member of the secretariat of the Azores PS, recently said that the party is aware of what happened on May 4, when a fire broke out at the Divino Espirito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada, rendering it inoperable.
The socialist said the party is “ready for dialogue and open to participating in the decision” and that until the day of the vote on the plan and budget, the issue will be “open.”
Socialist MP José Toste subsequently said that health “is a key issue when deciding and considering the direction of the PS vote.”
Chega, who abstained in the previous vote, has already admitted that he voted in favor after “several meetings and [de] several conversations with the regional government.”
“Obviously, it is clear that if the situation continues to develop positively, we are ready to approve this budget,” Chega leader and regional lawmaker José Pacheco told Lusa.
BE has already announced that it will vote against the documents, maintaining the direction of the November 2023 vote.
“It is obvious that, given the same budget that was presented in November, nothing has changed in the proposal, our position will not change either,” said the party leader and the only member of the regional parliament, António Lima.
IL/Açores has not yet commented on the region’s 2024 plan and budget, with sole MP Nuno Barata reserving his position for “his day and place.”
PAN also did not make public the decision of its regional deputy Pedro Neves.
The budget proposal, setting out the coalition executive’s strategic directions for this year, includes a sum of €2,045.5 million, similar to that presented in October 2023 (2,036.7 million).
This is the second time that the regional coalition government, led by Social Democrat Jose Manuel Bolheiro, has presented a proposal for an Investment Plan for this year, after the previous one was rejected by the Legislative Assembly in November, with the PS voting against it. , BE and IL, as well as the abstention of Chegi and PAN, which prompted the President of the Republic to call early elections.
The executive, resulting from early legislative elections on February 4, governs the region without an absolute majority in the Azores parliament and therefore needs the support of some parties with seats in parliament to approve its proposals.
In the February vote, the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM elected 26 deputies, three short of an absolute majority. Jose Manuel Boleiro, leader of the right-wing coalition that has held power in the archipelago since 2020, said he would rule with a relative majority for four years.
The PS is the second power in the archipelago with 23 mandates, followed by Chega with five mandates. BE, IL and PAN each elected one regional MP, adding to the 57 elected.
In March, the government program was approved by the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores with votes in favor of the parties making up the executive, with abstentions from Chegi, PAN and IL and against PS and BE.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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