Early elections in Madeira? Albuquerque guarantees that there is “parliamentary stability”

The resigning president of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque (PSD), reiterated, this Wednesday, that there is no justification for early elections in the region, considering that there is a “framework of parliamentary stability” that allows the continuation of the executive.

“In the current framework, we convey our position to the President of the Republic. The first is to say that at this moment there is a framework of parliamentary stability in Madeira and that allows the continuation of the Government”, stated Miguel Albuquerque, highlighting that the regional elections took place in September 2023 and that “this confidence was ratified in the national legislative elections” on March 10.

The leader of the PSD/CDS executive, currently in management, spoke to journalists after an audience with the President of the Republic.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received, this Wednesday, at the Palácio de Belém, in Lisbon, the parties represented in the Madeiran parliament regarding the political crisis in the archipelago, triggered by the dismissal of Albuquerque, who was made a defendant in January as part of a process in which they are suspected corruption in the region was investigated.

The PSD was precisely the last to be heard, after the PS.

Asked about the revelation by the PS/Madeira leader, Paulo Cafôfo, that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa intends to dissolve the Madeiran parliament and call early regional elections for May 26, Miguel Albuquerque stressed that at this moment it is just a “hypothesis ” and that this decision will only be taken after hearing the State Council, at the end of the afternoon.

“Whatever the decision, our opinion, and what we conveyed to the President of the Republic, is that this current majority was ratified in the last six months”, he argued.

Furthermore, Miguel Albuquerque recalled that the leader of PAN/Madeira, a party that signed a parliamentary understanding with the Social Democrats, in order to guarantee the PSD/CDS-PP regional executive an absolute majority, had already committed to making the Program of Government and the Regional Budget, if there are no early elections.

However, the PSD/Madeira leader assured that the party “is not afraid of facing new elections”, if that is Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s decision.

“We are a party that has never had difficulty in listening to and, above all, being ratified in the vote of our population. Therefore, the two hypotheses are in equation”, he pointed out.

Asked about his status as a defendant, Miguel Albuquerque argued that this status should be “a benefit for those who are being investigated” and that whoever is in that position “does not have to resign from political positions”.

“You don’t have to resign from political positions. You have to have, like any citizen in a European State of Law, access to the process and clarify. This idea, especially now that anonymous complaints from other parties are used to bring politicians down, is not compatible with the democratic regime”, he highlighted.

After the regional legislatures of September 24, 2023, in which the PSD/CDS coalition failed due to an absolute majority in the Legislative Assembly, the Social Democrats signed an agreement with the PAN’s only deputy. However, when the court case in which Albuquerque was accused became known, the party withdrew political confidence in him.

Once the meetings with the nine parties – PSD, CDS-PP, PS, JPP, Chega, CDU, IL, PAN and BE – have concluded, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will meet at 18:00 the Council of State, the political body consultation with the head of state.

If the President chooses not to dissolve the regional parliament, the representative of the Republic, Ireneu Barreto, will appoint, as announced in February, “the president and other members of a new Regional Government”.