“In my opinion, this case relates more to financial emergency and urgency than to an imperative for autonomy,” stated Vasco Cordeiro, who led the Regional Government between 2012 and 2020.
The socialist was speaking to the media during a debate organized by the Association of Seniors of São Miguel, held in Ponta Delgada, regarding the revision of the Regional Finance Law for Autonomous Regions.
Vasco Cordeiro, who attended the session in a “personal capacity,” emphasized the “impact” this law could have on “the very exercise of autonomy,” arguing that the Regional Government’s (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) demands for revision are due to the state of regional public finances.
The Socialist Party deputy in the Regional Assembly noted that “nothing prevents” a “single law” for the Azores and Madeira, yet he warned about the “distinct realities” between the two archipelagos.
“The realities are diverse, and attempting to merge these into a single solution may be detrimental to the Azores,” he cautioned.
Vasco Cordeiro expressed disagreement with the idea of the Regional Finance Law including specific funds for Health and Education, describing it as a “bad path” for regional autonomy, with “concrete influence on people’s lives.”
“What I fear is that, once we ask the Republic’s Government to pay for Education and Health expenses, they would, in the next moment, want to judge the merit of the decisions made on these matters,” he emphasized.
The event was also expected to feature the presence of former Azores Government President Mota Amaral (PSD), who ultimately missed the initiative due to health reasons.
The revision of the Regional Finance Law has been a demand of the Regional Government led by José Manuel Bolieiro, advocating for changes for the 2026 State Budget.
On August 1, the President of the Republic remarked that “this is the time” for national and regional executives to discuss the revision of the Regional Finance Law before “another crisis” overshadows the matter.
A revision proposal for the law was commissioned by the governments of the Azores and Madeira from lawyer and university professor Eduardo Paz Ferreira.
On July 17, during the State of the Nation debate, the Prime Minister stated that the government is open to more intense dialogue on the revision of the Regional Finance Law.
Mota Amaral, in a regional press article published on July 22, urged for the urgent revision of the Finance Law, considering that this issue must become “the cry of a people.”
