Albuquerque regains confidence

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

The front page of the printed edition of DIÁRIO this Monday, March 24, highlights the victory of Miguel Albuquerque’s PSD in yesterday’s Early Legislative Elections.

We reveal that the PSD obtained 13 thousand more votes compared to the 2024 Regional Elections, coming within a hair’s breadth of an absolute majority, with 23 deputies elected to the regional Parliament.

It should be noted that Miguel Albuquerque’s party won in 10 of the 11 municipalities in Madeira and in 51 of the 54 parishes. The JPP, which is considering a ‘contraption’ with the entire opposition to govern, relegated the PS to third place, which is left without more than 6,600 votes. In turn, Chega lost voters and one deputy and PAN is out of the Assembly. The CDS only holds José Manuel Rodrigues.

 

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Tobi Hughes

10 Responses

  1. This is very scary and depressing. There is something strange going on in the minds of those who voted for this oligarch. The continuing explosion of tourism and Real Estate to foreign investors does nothing positive for both Madeiran people and the ecology / environment. This is a time bomb fueled by greed and stupidity.

    Reply

  2. Sadly this is nothing unique to Madeira. The English managed to do exactly the same in 2016, 2017 and 2019, preferring austerity and isolation than elect a real alternative. And what they have ended up with after last years general election proves how much any chance of real change has now been lost for a generation. The loss of support for Chega on Madeira is probably the only good thing to come out of this election because the last thing Madeira or Portugal needs is a return to the days of Salazar! Unfortunately what this will mean for Madeirans is the continuing growth in wealth inequality, the inability for young families to ever find a home of their own (unless they inherited it) and the continuing uncontrolled expansion of the speculative “luxury” housing market for rich foreigners.

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  3. It seems the voters of Madeira have almost made a majority this time. What ever our opinion it’s their vote. Perhaps local knowledge suggests better the Devil you know.

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  4. There are many different factors which affect these regional elections. Not all of them common to state elections. I am not going into the structural factors which make PSD the winner all these years, just highlight it is a misconception that this only occurs in Madeira. The regional governments in Baviera and Bremen in Germany have always had the same party in rule since WW2. I wouldnt say Germany is today a failed democracy.

    All this political crisis started with a criminal investigation that had zero (0) evolution since Feb 2024. The Funchal mayor was detained for 22 days in mainland and at the end the judge basically told to the prosecutors there was zero (0) of those crimes. He even said, there was zero (0) evidence of ANY crime with the data that had been provided. This is where we are +1 year later.

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  5. Beside of their faults and supposed corruption no one can deny around were that the PSD did and still continues doing a lot to improve the population with housing and building for the people that need with lower rental and possibility of them buying later one , heath centres , improving the roads and also better access roads to the farmers , and schools with funding many schools programs and social programs for young and old . As far the CHEGA cant continue requesting none stop elections until they have the result they want and in this elections the Madeira people show that they want stability .

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    1. Thank you for your perspective, Isabel. I find it strange that people somehow want to blame Miguel for all of the problems but not recognize that the vast majority of people have better conditions today than they did many years ago. My grandparents left Madeira over 100 years ago because of the poverty they suffered here in Madeira and I wish I could show them their homes today. Just six years ago my avó’s house was accessed only by a trail but today there is a small road and a driveway at the house that was once hers (now owned by my third cousin). If people would try to improve things with as much effort as they take in making accusations and placing blame things would be even better.

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      1. Harvey, I have had the same answer from Madeiran friends of mine, husband and wife, who both left Madeira in the 60s, separately, to migrate to the UK because of the lack of opportunity to improve their life in Madeira. They like many of the middle aged and older residents remember those days and never want to go back. When ex-pats and visitors bemoan tourism has spoilt Madeira they have no thoughts what that tourism has done for the living standards of Madeirans and who wouldn’t dream of living in those conditions their selves.

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  6. 🤡🌍
    Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
    🤡🌍

    Reply

    1. Shane
      Not insanity there isn’t any government in the world without any faults and Maderia PSD despite being in power for many years brought to the island a lot development economic and improved the lives of so many many people . And despite of some corruption or not at least you can see they do their government programs they do the things . If people did did born their like I did did see the chances over the years and the improvements in therms of economic development and social it is complete different in so many levels .

      Reply

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