“We are truly going to proceed with all financial audits in all municipalities where we can and where we have a majority to do so,” stated André Ventura, emphasizing that this is not a pursuit against any party but a guarantee that “the people’s money was well spent.”
André Ventura participated today in the inauguration of the new executive of the São Vicente City Council, located in the north of Madeira Island, now led by José Carlos Gonçalves, who won the elections as an independent supported by Chega.
In the municipal elections on October 12, São Vicente became the first city council won by Chega, garnering 49.23% of the votes compared to 38.93% from the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, which had been leading the municipality since 2021, marking the entrance of the far-right party into local government in the autonomous region.
The new executive now consists of three elected members from Chega and two from the PSD/CDS-PP coalition.
“It’s very symbolic, and it is with great joy that we embrace this; that’s why I wanted to be present here today. It’s a sign of Chega’s growth and responsibility,” declared André Ventura.
The Chega leader arrived slightly late to the ceremony, held near the town hall building, as Madeira’s national anthem was playing, and spoke to journalists while the outgoing president of the Municipal Assembly was delivering a speech.
“We have a significant mission: to govern with proximity, to govern without corruption, to govern with zero tolerance towards corruption,” he proclaimed, adding that he expects the same from the new mayor of the municipality.
Ventura highlighted that the audit of the City Council’s accounts is set to move forward as it is considered a “good practice” of the party “to undertake audits to detect if people’s money has been squandered, misused, as it happens in most councils and parishes.”
He further noted that the new mayor of São Vicente, having previously been part of PS and also a candidate for IL in other elections, signifies only that the party is experiencing “organic growth.”
In his inauguration speech, witnessed by hundreds of people, José Carlos Gonçalves remarked that São Vicente “made history” on October 12 when the citizens “chose a new team to manage the municipality and a new direction for development.”
“I feel immense pride to be part of the history of this municipality for the next four years, a municipality that was my cradle and my home, a place that has always been great in its aspirations and history of overcoming challenges,” he expressed, adding: “We know what we want; we want a more developed, fairer municipality with opportunities for everyone.”
The event was attended by the regional secretary for Inclusion, Paula Margarido, representing the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), who expressed the madeirense executive’s readiness to cooperate with the municipality.
“On behalf of the Regional Government, I reaffirm a clear commitment: to dialogue, cooperate, and work side by side with the São Vicente municipality in everything that promotes, better quality of life, investment, employment, and social protection,” she affirmed.
In the municipal elections of October 12, Chega emerged victorious in the three parishes of the municipality—São Vicente, Ponta Delegada, and Boaventura, which were previously governed by the PSD/CDS-PP coalition—and holds an absolute majority in the Municipal Assembly, with eight deputies, alongside six representatives from PSD/CDS-PP and one from PS.
In São Vicente, 5,950 voters were registered, with 3,463 casting their votes (58.20%). Of these, 1,705 voted for Chega and 1,348 for the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, according to data from the Ministry of Internal Administration.
