The political instability in Madeira began in January 2024 when the PSD/CDS-PP coalition government, which had been sworn in October 2023 with parliamentary support from PAN, collapsed following a judicial investigation into corruption suspicions.
The crisis resulted in two snap elections, a minority Social Democratic government, and the approval of a no-confidence motion presented by Chega. By March 23, the PSD had elected 23 deputies, falling one seat short of an absolute majority.
The Social Democrats subsequently signed a parliamentary and governmental agreement with CDS-PP, which secured one seat in the Legislative Assembly.
The swearing-in of the 16th Madeira Regional Government, a PSD/CDS-PP coalition, on April 15, 2025, and the approval of the executive program for 2025-2029 on May 8, followed by the Budget and Plan for the current year on June 20, marked the end of the political turmoil plaguing the archipelago for over a year.
However, the progression of ongoing legal proceedings might affect this stability, given that the head of the executive, Miguel Albuquerque, was declared a suspect.
In January 2024, the Social Democrat resigned from his post but maintained leadership of the PSD regional structure and ran as the head of the list in the May 26 early elections, winning with a relative majority—19 deputies out of the 47 in the regional parliament.
The Social Democrats formed a minority government with parliamentary support from two CDS-PP deputies. Without an absolute majority, the executive fell on December 17, 2024, following the unprecedented approval of a no-confidence motion in the autonomous regime’s history.
Chega justified its initiative with various judicial investigations involving the head of the executive and four regional secretaries, all declared suspects. Meanwhile, the inquiry involving Eduardo Jesus, the then Economy, Tourism, and Culture Secretary, was dismissed.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa again dissolved the Legislative Assembly within ten months and called early regional elections for March 23 of this year.
The Madeirans thus headed to the third election in about a year and a half, with the Social Democrats winning again with 23 deputies, facilitating the formation of a new government.
The PSD secured 43.43% with 62,085 votes, 12,981 more than in May 2024—a record high for Albuquerque since he assumed regional party leadership in 2014.
Chega was the hardest hit, losing 38% of last year’s votes, totaling 7,821 votes—4,741 less—and losing one of its four deputies.
Meanwhile, Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP) surpassed the Socialist Party (PS) to become the second political force, with 11 seats in the regional assembly, two more than in the previous term, achieving 15.64% of the votes, totaling 30,094—an increase of 7,135.
In contrast, the PS dropped to third place, with eight elected deputies (three less), receiving 22,355 votes—6,626 fewer than on May 26, 2024.
The CDS-PP also saw a decline, electing only one deputy (losing one), with 4,288 votes (3.00%), yet played a decisive role in forming the government, while IL maintained its parliamentary representation with one deputy.
The PSD has won all regional legislative elections in Madeira since 1976 (15 in total), obtaining an absolute majority until 2015, a situation that changed in 2019 when the party secured 21 deputies and formed a coalition government with CDS-PP (three deputies).
The Regional Government has had only three elected presidents since the April 25th revolution, starting with Jaime Ornelas Camacho (1976-1978), replaced mid-term by Alberto João Jardim, who led the region until 2015.
Albuquerque has contested and won five regional legislatures, two of which were early, securing an absolute majority only the first time, in 2015, subsequently establishing agreements with CDS-PP (in 2019, 2023, and 2025) and with PAN (in 2023).
