“The north of Madeira is depopulated and the people who remain are essentially elderly”, said the head of the PAN list, in statements after a campaign action focused on the issue of demographic aging, which led him to make a tour through Porto Moniz. , Ribeira da Janela, Seixal, São Vicente, São Jorge, Santana, Faial and Porto da Cruz,
Giving an account of what he saw and heard, Joaquim José Sousa said that many of the elderly “are forced to continue working the land in order to earn a living because of their low pensions “.
In São Jorge, he says he visited a house, where the owners said that in the winter “they are cold”, but that “in the past it was worse”.
“In Seixal we spoke with a group of young people who told us that they would probably immigrate ‘Madeira is beautiful, but there is no future here’ and this is a big problem, in the last decade Madeira was the region of the country that has aged the most. If the Luso-descendants of Venezuela had returned, the misfortune would have been greater”, says the candidate.
Referring to data published by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, “which place Madeira as the region with the highest Poverty Risk Rate in the country”, the professor argues that “the PSD-M / CDS should change the motto of ‘Madeira First’ for ‘Madeira em ultima’, the great legacy of Miguel Albuquerque at the helm of the Region”.
“Madeira has about 83,000 poor Madeirans, and it has to take advantage of the PRR to change the Development Model based on concrete everywhere and on money that comes from abroad to a development model based on knowledge, on the sea, on agriculture biological quality. In investment that creates qualified jobs and in scientific and sustainable tourism”, he defends.
From the perspective of the PAN, “only in this way can the cycle of poverty, which pushes young people towards immigration or which prevents young people who remain from leaving their parents’ homes, having their own home, starting a family and having children”.
“The PSD or PS card is clearly not synonymous with merit, nor can it be anyone’s Curriculum Vitae. In these elections, only the PAN – the people’s party, represents hope for a dignified future for all Portuguese people”, he concludes.