The voters of the Madeira Autonomous Region were summoned for the 15th time to elect members of the regional parliament, choosing 47 representatives from 14 candidates in the fourth early election in the region’s autonomous history.
The legislative elections occurred 10 months after the last regional elections, which were also held early on May 26, 2024. The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, dissolved the Madeiran parliament following the approval of a motion of no confidence by Chega against the minority PSD Regional Government.
Chega justified the motion with the ongoing judicial investigations involving the head of the executive, Miguel Albuquerque, and four regional secretaries, all declared defendants. However, the investigation involving one of them, Eduardo Jesus, Secretary of Economy, Tourism, and Culture, was closed.
Miguel Albuquerque’s party emerged strengthened from the early regional elections. Marcelo interpreted the victory as an “absolute majority” and believes that the Madeiran’s choice guarantees “stability”. On the mainland, Montenegro expressed satisfaction with the “extraordinary victory,” while Pedro Nuno distanced himself from the “defeat of PS Madeira.” Stay updated with the election results and all reactions.
Madeira thus proceeded to a third vote within approximately a year and a half, as in March 2024, the President of the Republic had also dissolved the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, elected in September 2023, due to the political crisis triggered when the then coalition government leader, PSD/CDS-PP, was declared a defendant in a corruption-related case.
PSD, led by Miguel Albuquerque, won the 2024 early elections with a relative majority (19 deputies out of 47) and formed a minority government, which was toppled in December of that year with the approval of Chega’s motion of no confidence.
On Sunday, the Social Democrats won again, and Albuquerque celebrated the “biggest vote ever” since taking over the party’s leadership, with 23 deputies, one seat short of an absolute majority. They achieved 43.43%, with 62,085 votes, 12,981 more than in May 2024, and four more elected representatives.
Chega, which prompted these early elections with the motion of no confidence, faced the most significant loss in terms of votes. The party lost 38% of last year’s votes, securing 7,821 votes, 4,741 fewer than before, and lost one of the four deputies it had elected, although during this legislature one of their deputies became independent.
The Sunday elections saw 12 individual parties and two coalitions run, including CDU (PCP/PEV), PSD, Livre, JPP, Nova Direita, PAN, the coalition Força Madeira (PTP/MPT/RIR), PS, IL, PPM, BE, Chega, ADN, and CDS-PP.
Nova Direita and the coalition Força Madeira debuted in Madeiran elections, although PTP, MPT, and RIR, the parties constituting the coalition, had presented their own lists in 2024.
JPP surpassed PS in the voting and affirmed itself as the second political force, with 11 seats in the regional assembly, two more than in the current term, securing 15.64% of the votes, totaling 30,094 votes, 7,135 more than in the previous election.
In contrast, PS dropped to third, with eight elected representatives (three fewer), receiving 22,355 votes, 6,626 fewer than 10 months ago.
CDS-PP, which had governed alongside PSD and had a parliamentary agreement with the Social Democrats in this legislature, holds one deputy (lost one), with 4,288 votes (3.00%) and could be decisive in forming an absolute majority, which requires 24 mandates.
Iniciativa Liberal maintained one elected representative, with 2.17% of the vote.
The forthcoming regional parliament will thus have six political forces, one fewer than the current legislature, as PAN lost its representation.
In Madeira, the Social Democrats secured an absolute majority in elections from 1976 to 2015, totaling 11 elections, a situation that changed in 2019 when the party elected 21 deputies from the 47 in the regional parliament and formed a coalition government with CDS-PP (three deputies).
In that electoral event, which saw 16 lists competing, PS achieved its best-ever result by electing 19 deputies. JPP secured three mandates, and PCP one.
In September 2023, PSD and CDS-PP ran together but were one deputy short of an absolute majority, with 20 Social Democrats and three Christian Democrats, leading to a parliamentary agreement between PSD and the sole PAN deputy, enabling the third consecutive executive led by Albuquerque.
In that election, representatives were elected from nine political forces, among 13 competitors: PSD (20), PS (11), JPP (five), Chega (four), CDS-PP (three), PCP (one), IL (one), PAN (one), and BE (one).
Chega and IL made their parliamentary debut, while PAN and BE marked a return to legislative activity.
In the early elections of May 26, 2024, PSD (with Albuquerque already a defendant) elected 19 deputies, PS 11, JPP nine, Chega four (but one deputy became independent), CDS-PP two, IL one, and PAN one.
The Autonomous Region of Madeira has had only three presidents of the Regional Government elected following the April 25, 1974, revolution. The first was Jaime Ornelas Camacho (1976-1978), who was replaced mid-term by Alberto João Jardim, who formed a new executive.
The first legislature (1976-1980) thus had two governments.
Jardim presided over nine regional governments, and under his leadership, PSD achieved an absolute majority in the 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2011 legislative elections.
The 2007 elections were the first early ones (the legislature was due to end in 2008) because Jardim resigned in protest against the Regional Finance Law, simultaneously ensuring his candidacy, winning again with an absolute majority, a scenario repeated in 2011.
In January 2015, Alberto João Jardim resigned again as President of the Regional Government, following the election of the new leader of PSD/Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, in the second round of internal elections held in December 2014. Albuquerque has led the executive since 2015.
The composition of the Madeiran parliament has undergone several changes since 1976, while maintaining constant representation by PSD, PS, and CDS-PP.
Over 14 legislatures, parliamentary representation included UDP, APU (PCP/MDP/PEV coalition), Partido da Solidariedade Nacional, BE, MPT, Nova Democracia, PAN, PTP, PCP, JPP, IL, and Chega.
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