“We launched today the seed of a candidacy that can surely make a difference on the national map,” stated Filipe Sousa in comments to reporters at the Palace of Justice in Funchal after submitting the list for the upcoming legislative elections.
The candidate is one of the founders of the JPP party, together with his brother Élvio Sousa, and he has previously led the party, although he is not currently part of the national governing bodies.
“Our way of doing things could make a difference in the Republic. We have this hope, as we came very close last year, and we hope that in these elections the people of Madeira recognize the work we have been doing in different forums here on the island and can place their trust in us. We hope, once and for all, to achieve representation in the Republic,” he said.
Filipe Sousa has served as the Mayor of Santa Cruz since 2013 and is currently fulfilling his final term. In the last legislative elections on March 10, Filipe Sousa also led the Madeira constituency list.
The JPP, which has never elected deputies to the Assembly of the Republic, is committed to presenting proposals that advocate for the interests of the Madeiran people, in areas where the main parties have been unsuccessful.
Filipe Sousa highlighted issues such as air and land mobility, the revision of the Regional Finance Law, and the “effective recognition” of the International Business Centre as examples.
“And since we do not have a command center in Lisbon, we are genuine, we are Madeirans, and above all, we want to bring this seed that is ours, regional, to the Republic,” he emphasized.
The JPP became an official party in 2015, originating from a citizens’ movement in the municipality of Santa Cruz. In these legislative elections, it is contesting 10 electoral districts: Coimbra, Braga, Faro, Setúbal, Porto, Lisbon, Madeira, Azores, Europe, and Beyond Europe.
In the legislative elections on March 10, the party received 19,145 votes (0.31%).
In Madeira, the JPP rose to the position of the main opposition party in the regional parliament after surpassing the PS in the regional elections on March 23 by electing 11 deputies, surpassing the socialists by three seats.
According to the calendar released by the National Election Commission (CNE), candidacies for the upcoming legislative elections on May 18 must be submitted by the 41st day prior to the election date, specifically by today, to the presiding judge of the comarca court located in the capital of the electoral district.
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