The President of the Government of the Azores said this Friday that he believed that the “common sense” of the Liberal Initiative (IL) and the independent deputy “will prevail” in relation to political stability in the region, after the end of the agreement that supported the executive .
“I believe that common sense will prevail and all those who have institutional responsibilities, not for personal protagonism, but for the recognition of the common and public interest, naturally contribute, above all, a good influence for stability”, he said.
José Manuel Bolieiro, who was speaking on the sidelines of a visit to a medical center in Ponta Delgada, responded to journalists after being questioned about the position of the representative of the Republic for the Azores, who warned the IL deputy and the independent Carlos Furtado to importance of “political stability”.
The President of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) also highlighted the need to “minimize the negative impacts” of the inflationary crises and the war in Ukraine. “If we take care of real crises and avoid artificial ones, that’s a public good we’ve already achieved,” he declared.
On whether the representative of the Republic should have had a public position after the IL and the independent deputy broke the agreement that guaranteed majority support to the regional executive, the official considered that the “first responsible” for “triggering a crisis due to instability” are the political parties.
“The first person responsible is always the one who can trigger a crisis due to instability and that is in the domain of the political parties. Those are the ones who should be the first to consider their role in democracy and in the governing political stability”, he highlighted.
Bolieiro noted that parties can promote stability by not presenting a motion of censure to the Regional Government. “The parliament of the Azores can promote stability, not creating, from the outset through instruments that are foreseen and that are democratic, for example, a motion of censure. Therefore, they are all co-responsible”, he stressed.
In a letter dated 10 March, sent by the representative of the Republic to IL, Pedro Catarino reveals that he took “due note of the decision taken” by liberal deputy Nuno Barata to “denounce the parliamentary incidence agreement” with the PSD.
Pedro Catarino also says he is “convinced that the IL will continue to take these values into account in its participation in the work of the Legislative Assembly”, referring to political stability.
Contacted by the Lusa agency, the independent deputy, Carlos Furtado, confirmed that the representative of the Republic in the missive he addressed also warned of the “values of political stability” and the “regular functioning of the organs of regional power”.
On March 8, the IL’s only deputy in the Azorean parliament, Nuno Barata, broke the parliamentary advocacy agreement to support the Government of the Azores, headed by the social democrat José Manuel Bolieiro, and later the independent Carlos Furtado, formerly of Chega, also broke with that agreement.
The two deputies have already admitted negotiating “point to point” with the Government of the Azores to maintain governmental stability in the region.
The three parties that make up the Regional Government (PSD, CDS-PP and PPM) have 26 deputies in the legislative assembly and now only have the parliamentary support of the deputy from Chega, José Pacheco, thus adding 27 seats out of a total of 57, so no longer have an absolute majority.