The proposed Plan and Budget for the Azores region for the coming year will begin to be debated and voted upon in plenary starting Monday, in the Azorean parliament in the city of Horta, on Faial Island.
In a press release, António Lima, the sole BE (Bloco de Esquerda) deputy in the Azorean parliament, argues that “approving this Budget is to turn a blind eye to the problems of the people and the economy,” claiming that “spending Brussels’ money appears to be the only strategy” of the Regional Government of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition, which “hides behind the PRR [Recovery and Resilience Plan] to cut, delay, and privatize.”
Describing the Azorean government’s budget proposal as “irremediable,” whose only solution would be to “tear it up and start over,” the BE deputy adds that they will present “proposals aimed at solving immediate and concrete problems, as well as presenting a different path” for the region.
The Bloco will introduce dozens of proposals focused on “raising incomes, improving the lives of workers, providing more health, better education, more housing, tax justice, and combating inequalities,” the note reads.
Among the measures is the implementation of “concrete actions” from the Poverty Combat Plan (PRISC), which BE claims has been “shelved” by the government, along with raising the regional minimum wage.
In housing, the Bloco proposes creating a Public Housing Stock and suspending the authorization of new Local Accommodations in municipalities where local accommodations exceed 5% of the total number of homes.
In education, the Bloco suggests hiring 350 operational assistants for schools and returning to the use of paper textbooks.
In health, Deputy António Lima, who is also the regional leader of BE, noted that “only this year, the Health and Social Security Department has already spent 434 million on current expenses, and it is expected to reach 578 million by December.”
“However, for 2026, the Budget only allocates 498 million for this Department. An at least 80 million shortfall,” warned the BE/Azores parliamentarian, criticizing “the postponement of the construction of the new hospital in Ponta Delgada, as well as the health centers in Lajes do Pico and Ribeira Grande,” on São Miguel Island.
According to BE, the Regional Government presents a document with “huge cuts for those most in need in housing, school social action,” while the Bloco advocates for the opposite approach, increasing revenues to balance the Budget and meet people’s needs.
The Bloco proposes increasing revenue by reducing “tax breaks” on profits above 1.5 million euros and on the highest incomes to “ensure more tax justice.”
António Lima reiterated the need to revise the Regional Finance Law, regretting that a proposal which guaranteed an additional 150 million euros for the region was “rejected last week” in the Assembly of the Republic.
“They cannot ask us not to present proposals that increase expenditure simply because they reject our proposals that increase revenue,” said the BE/Azores deputy.
For António Lima, “this coalition majority—PSD, CDS, and PPM, which also includes Chega—is exhausted,” and the Region’s Budget presented “only has one solution: tear it up and start over.”
The Azorean parliament consists of 57 deputies, 23 from the PSD, another 23 from the PS, five from Chega, two from the CDS-PP, one from the IL, one from the PAN, one from the BE, and one from the PPM.
