At the end of the PSD/Madeira regional council meeting held today in Funchal, the vice-president of the board, Paulo Fontes, reported that Albuquerque conveyed his personal decision to the members, emphasizing that it is not intended to influence the party.
“Transparency in these situations is always welcome and must exist, and the president was clear and transparent […]. It is not PSD/Madeira supporting the presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes, but rather the president individually, and then each member will decide independently how to vote,” noted the social democrat.
Concerning the meeting’s conclusions, Paulo Fontes highlighted that the regional council discussed the October 12 municipal elections, noting that PSD succeeded in winning six municipalities and continues to hold the presidency of the Madeira municipalities association.
The council also recognized and supported all efforts made by the president of PSD/Madeira and the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, in terms of his meetings with the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the President of the Azores Government, as well as engagements in the European Union regarding the ultraperiphery status and issues related to the Common Agricultural Policy and POSEI [support for agriculture in the outermost regions].
Another focus of the meeting was the “steadfast defense of Madeira,” evident in the stance of the PSD/Madeira deputies elected to the Assembly of the Republic, who presented over a dozen proposals to amend the 2026 State Budget, aiming to ensure it is a better, fairer budget capable of addressing key issues for the region.
Paulo Fontes outlined several measures, including an extraordinary transfer of 75 million euros for reducing regional debt, assurance of the extension of the Free Trade Zone until 2033, 50% financing for the Madeira Central and University Hospital, as well as coverage of all inflation-related costs, full VAT refund for IPSS on their investments within the Recovery and Resilience Plan, among other measures.
