The PS/Açores Regional Secretariat, following a meeting in Ponta Delgada, stated that the recent electoral outcomes signify a significant shift in the composition of the Assembly of the Republic. The statement emphasizes the need for the party as a whole to engage in thorough reflection on the underlying causes and to renew efforts to regain the trust of the majority of citizens.
According to the regional structure, the rise of the far right is described as a “complex phenomenon” that has been escalating in several European countries, signaling a “warning for the state of democracy and the values underpinning the democratic regime”.
The Regional Secretariat emphasizes the importance of “reinforcing the party’s commitment to a firm, responsible, and constructive opposition that, firstly, establishes an alternative project with concrete solutions for the issues affecting families and businesses, defends Azorean interests and fights against the radicalization of public debate in the nation and the Azores”.
In the legislative elections, the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition strengthened its position in the Azores electoral circle, increasing its mandates from two to three, while the PS lost one seat (previously holding two), and Chega maintained its elected representative in 2024.
In a constituency historically represented by five deputies, social democrats Paulo Moniz and Francisco Pimentel were re-elected, now accompanied in Parliament by Maria Nuna Menezes.
The PS/Açores managed to retain Francisco César, the regional party leader, although Sérgio Ávila departed from the Assembly of the Republic.
This was the first election since Francisco César took over the party leadership and also his initial defeat.
Chega/Açores, which, for the first time, elected a representative to the Assembly of the Republic in the 2024 legislative elections—previously breaking the social-democratic and socialist dominance only interrupted by the PRD in 1985—had Francisco Lima as the lead candidate, who will not assume the mandate. The party will be represented by Ana Martins, third on the list.
The PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition, which governs the Azores and only in this region contested with this formation (the PPM did not participate in the rest of the territory), achieved victories on almost all islands except Corvo, where the PS prevailed.
This marked the first time since 2011 that a PSD-led candidacy managed to secure three of the five mandates from the region.
