“Regarding our results. We fell short of expectations, even though we increased the number of votes compared to the previous elections. We received over a hundred more votes. Our goal was to reach at least 1,000/1,500 votes. We didn’t go beyond 576, but we managed to increase the number of votes compared to the previous election. Last year we had 465, this year 576, so we continue to rise in voter intention,” stated Paulo Brito to the Lusa agency.
Although now somewhat disappointed, the candidate emphasized that the outcome demonstrates a positive evolution since he took charge of PPM/Madeira.
“In 2020, we didn’t exceed 95 votes, currently we are at 576. We’ve been climbing since I took over the party. We were a bit disappointed because in previous elections we practically had no budget. This time, with a budget of 10,000 euros, we engaged in door-to-door contact and were warmly received by people who approached us. They asked about our program and our measures,” he recounted.
The head of the list expressed gratitude to the Madeirans who entrusted their votes to PPM and congratulated the social-democrat Miguel Albuquerque—president of the executive since 2015—on his reelection victory.
“Regarding the victory of Miguel Albuquerque, the conclusions we could draw are that there were, as rumored, negotiations for a coalition with JPP and PS, but the Madeirans showed they do not want to be governed by socialism and concentrated their votes on the PSD,” he stated.
The regional coordinator of PPM in Madeira added that, despite the results, he will not give up because a “warrior does not abandon the war because of one battle.”
“In a month and a half, two months, we have the next [national] legislative elections, and we are here to present a candidacy,” he added.
PPM ran for the first time with its own list in a regional election in Madeira, aiming to “constitute a parliamentary group” and combat the “political chaos” in the region.
In 2015, the party ran in the regionals as part of the Citizen’s Platform project, together with the Democratic Party of the Atlantic (PDA, now defunct), which garnered 903 votes (0.71%) out of 127,539 voters but failed to elect any deputies.
PSD won the early regional legislative elections in Madeira on Sunday but missed an absolute majority by one deputy, according to provisional official data. JPP became the leading opposition party, overtaking PS.
According to information from the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration, the social-democrats obtained 43.43% of the votes (62,085 votes) and secured 23 seats in the Regional Legislative Assembly, which comprises a total of 47 deputies.
JPP achieved 21.05% of the votes (30,094 votes) and received 11 seats in the regional parliament, while PS acquired 15.64% (22,355) and eight seats in the Regional Legislative Assembly. Following are Chega, which elected three deputies, IL, and CDS-PP, which each gained one.
To achieve an absolute majority, PSD needs one more deputy, which can be secured by negotiating with CDS-PP, its previous government partner with whom it had signed a parliamentary agreement in the legislature now closing.
In the single electoral district of the archipelago, with 47 parliamentary seats, 14 lists competed: CDU (PCP/PEV), PSD, Livre, JPP, Nova Direita, PAN, Força Madeira (PTP/MPT/RIR), PS, IL, PPM, BE, Chega, ADN, and CDS-PP.
The early elections occurred 10 months after the previous ones following the approval of a motion of no confidence presented by Chega—justified by judicial investigations involving members of the Regional Government, including Albuquerque—and the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly by the President of the Republic.
