The dates were approved in a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Regional Legislative Assembly, presided over by José Manuel Rodrigues, as stated in an official communication from the insular parliament.
On Thursday, the inauguration of the Legislative Assembly will commence at 3:00 PM with the election of the chairperson of the board, secretaries, and vice-secretaries.
The vice-presidents of the Madeiran parliament will be elected later on April 23, as the Social Democratic Party has a candidate who “is still a member of the Regional Government.”
The Standing Committee has also scheduled the inauguration of the permanent specialized committees for that day.
The parliamentary chamber will see a new seating arrangement, with PSD, CDS-PP, and Liberal Initiative deputies sitting on the right, while Chega, JPP, and PS will be seated on the left.
The PSD won the regional elections on March 23, securing 23 deputies, falling one short of an absolute majority, and has signed a parliamentary and governance agreement with CDS-PP, which earned one seat in the Legislative Assembly.
The agreement ensures a parliamentary majority in the region and includes the leader of the Christian Democrats in the archipelago, José Manuel Rodrigues, in the executive. The current president of the Regional Legislative Assembly is set to oversee the Economy portfolio.
The JPP elected 11 deputies, assuming the role of the opposition leader, while the PS secured eight seats, Chega three, and IL one.
Miguel Albuquerque, who has led the Madeiran executive since 2015, was once again appointed to form a government by Ireneu Barreto, the representative of the Republic for the region.
The social-democrat was named as a defendant in an investigation concerning corruption suspicions early in 2024. He resigned and was re-elected in May during snap elections, but his minority executive fell with the passing of a motion of no confidence in December.
These were the third legislative elections held in Madeira in about a year and a half. Fourteen lists contested in a single constituency, including CDU (PCP/PEV), PSD, Livre, JPP, Nova Direita, PAN, Força Madeira (PTP/MPT/RIR), PS, IL, PPM, BE, Chega, ADN, and CDS-PP.
The elections took place 10 months after the previous ones, following the approval of the motion of no confidence filed by Chega, which justified it with judicial investigations involving members of the Regional Government, including Miguel Albuquerque, and the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly by the President of the Republic.
