“The secretary is an excellent politician, he is an educated person”. This was how Miguel Albuquerque, president of the Regional Government, responded to the controversy involving Eduardo Jesus, regional secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture, following statements made in parliament that were considered disrespectful by some sectors.
On the sidelines of the Corpus Christi mass, Albuquerque dismissed any possibility of resignation and praised the government official’s attitude: “He has all my political confidence, and his act is an act of great dignity”. The head of the Madeiran executive also stressed that the situation “has already been clarified by the secretary himself”, adding that he adopted a “correct, cordial and respectful position towards the House [of Democracy]”.
He therefore rejects what he says are dramatizations by the opposition. Albuquerque insists that this was a side episode in the parliamentary debate: “These are situations of asides in Parliament. I have been going to Parliament for many years and these are situations that I have seen many times”, he stated.
The leader of the executive valued the apology presented by Eduardo Jesus to the president of the Assembly: “He asked for it and rightly so”, he stressed.
When asked about the public petition demanding the resignation of the regional secretary, Miguel Albuquerque played it down: “I am the one who is responsible for the resignation of the Government, as head of the Government, and these situations on social media will not determine what constitutes a good government”, he clarified.
For Albuquerque, the essential thing now is to approve the Budget. “The situation is clear and we will move forward with what matters, which is the approval of the budget,” he concluded.