The opinion was voted on by seven out of the eight parties with parliamentary seats in the Azores, as the representation from IL “was consulted but did not express an opinion or issue an opinion”.
The parliamentary groups of PSD and CDS-PP and the parliamentary representation of PPM gave a favorable opinion, while the parliamentary groups of PS and Chega abstained. The parliamentary representations of BE and PAN issued unfavorable opinions.
“The Permanent Specialized Commission of Economy agreed, by majority, to give a favorable opinion to the present initiative, with votes in favor from PSD, CDS-PP, and PPM, with abstentions from PS and Chega, and against votes from BE and PAN”, according to the opinion on the State Budget law for 2026, accessed by the Lusa agency.
In the voting declaration accompanying the commission’s report, PSD states that the proposal “strictly complies with what the Autonomous Regions Finance Law dictates, by providing financial transfers to the Azores that amount to 341.1 million euros, which translates into an increase of 21.9 million compared to 2025”.
“In addition to this amount, there is an extraordinary transfer of 150 million euros, which aims to address additional and occasional financing needs for the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) in the Autonomous Region of the Azores,” it states.
PSD issued a favorable opinion “without, however, refraining from claiming a fair revision of the Autonomous Regions Finance Law”.
Meanwhile, CDS-PP mentions that the proposal “reveals a positive evolution regarding financial relations between the State and the Autonomous Region of the Azores, ensuring an overall reinforcement of transfers, which exceed 490 million euros”.
“Particularly noteworthy is the extraordinary transfer of 150 million euros to address financing needs related to the PRR implementation in the region. However, it is important to emphasize that this transfer, although welcome, should not become the norm,” it adds.
CDS-PP’s favorable vote “values the achieved financial reinforcement while simultaneously reaffirming the commitment to revising the Regional Finance Law, so that the future brings more stability, autonomy, and predictability”.
BE justifies its vote against because the proposal “completely omits fundamental investments for the region and, once again, does not promote any change to the current Autonomous Regions Finance Law”.
“The transfer of 150 million euros to the Region […], intended for the implementation of the PRR investments, constitutes a ‘soft bailout’ with a little credible justification, whose conditions are not explicit and without guarantees that this reinforcement of transfers will be sustained over time, meaning that it will continue in the following years,” it reads.
The party highlights “the absence of any update of the State’s co-participation in the obligations of inter-island air transport public service, frozen for several years”.
According to the OE proposal for 2026, the Azores will receive 341.1 million euros under the Autonomous Regions Finance Law, 21.9 million more than in 2025.
The Azores will receive 220,082,045 euros under article 48 of the Autonomous Regions Finance Law (budget transfers) and 121,045,125 euros under article 49 (cohesion fund for ultraperipheral regions).
“Exceptionally and exclusively during the validity of the present law”, an additional 150 million euros will be transferred to the region, “to meet additional and punctual financing needs of the PRR in the Autonomous Region of the Azores,” the document reads.
The proposal also authorizes the region to incur founded debt “for debt consolidation and regularization of overdue payments” up to a limit of 75 million euros.
The final global vote is scheduled for November 27, following the specialty debate process.
