Iniciativa Liberal and independent deputy Carlos Furtado (who had been elected by Chega but who left) they removed the rug to the right-wing coalition that supports the regional government of the Azores, and which also includes PSD, CDS, PPM and Chega.
The president of the regional government has already asserted himself as guarantor of stabilitybut the departures of Nuno Barata and Carlos Furtado from the agreement leave the executive in a minority position in the regional assembly: there are now 27 deputies supporting the government in a total of 57 seats – in addition to Iniciativa Liberal and the independent Carlos Furtado, they are also present in the Azorean Parliament MPs from the PS, Bloco de Esquerda and PAN).
“We will continue to comply with the government’s program. It was the basis for guaranteeing the stability and affirmation of this governance alternative and the alternation that took place. This is my commitment”, José Manuel Bolieiro told CNN.
For now, the continuity of the Azorean government seems to be guaranteed, even without a party agreement.
Accusations within the coalition
Chega, now with a deputy, still maintains support, but has already reiterated that it will be necessary to present a motion of confidence to attest to governmental stability. “Chega will suggest to the Azorean government that it present a motion of confidence to parliament so that there are no doubts about parliamentary support for the executive”, announced André Ventura.
A proposal that had a quick response from the government: “There is no reason, on the part of the government, which is a benchmark of stability, to be a factor of instability”, José Manuel Bolieiro replied to journalists, when asked about André Ventura’s statements.
The president of the Liberal Initiative hinted that the party does not intend early elections. Rui Rocha, who accused the PSD of not complying with the agreement and justified the exit from the coalition after an “accumulation of situations”, admits to “making good proposals viable”, namely the budget, thus leaving the Social Democrats dependent on the understanding of the liberals, since a deputy’s vote makes a difference. At the moment the government has the support of 27 of the 57 deputies. If Nuno Barata decides to vote alongside the coalition, the government has the proposals approved.
“The accumulation of situations of non-compliance with what is the fundamental basis of this agreement, leads the Liberal Initiative to understand that it is time to formalize the termination of this agreement. Who is not complying and who did not comply with the agreement was the PSD”, accused Rui Rocha, explaining that “this does not mean that there is necessarily a lack of political solution” in the Azores, ensuring that the liberals will evaluate each of the legislative proposals that presented, as well as the budget.
Part of the problem also arises from party disputes, namely between the smaller partners who support the government. On the one hand, CDS and PPM, which are part of the executive, and on the other, Iniciativa Liberal, Chega and Carlos Furtado, which only have parliamentary incidence agreements. This difference was evident in the words of the leader of the monarchists, who accused Nuno Barata of “being the scorpion from the beginning” of the legislature.
Paulo Estêvão accused the liberal of having made “bombastic statements”, in addition to indicating him as a “source of permanent instability”. “The number he made here was what everyone expected, it was a matter of time”, pointed out the PPM/Azores deputy.
The CDS was in line with the same trend, stating that “what is happening in the Azores is an example that the Portuguese should retain”. “The CDS contributed to political change in the Azores and is a source of stability. What is clear today is that the Liberal Initiative and Chega are politically immature and often unstable parties.”
Nuno Melo recalled that the CDS-PP has already “been part of many government solutions in coalition with the PSD, guaranteeing the governance and viability of this solution for the country”, unlike Iniciativa Liberal e Chega which, “at the first opportunity” , decided to “bring instability” and “open the doors to the return of the PS” in the Azores.
PS speaks of “death certificate
PS/Azores deputy Vasco Cordeiro stated that the tearing up of the parliamentary advocacy agreement was “a death certificate” to the regional government, which was already “politically dead”. “The Liberal Initiative ended the parliamentary advocacy agreement. In light of recent events, this government was already politically dead. What the deputy from the Liberal Initiative did was pass the death certificate to this government”, said the deputy, who led the Azorean executive until 2020.
“This government was, is, and judging by what is known of some organizational solutions of the last Government Council, with the creation of mission structures to oversee the new regional secretary of Health, will continue to be the source of political instability in the region “, he said.
The leader of the parliamentary group of socialists in the Assembly of the Republic saw as “good news” the possibility that “this event ends up leading to the departure of Chega from Azorean governance”.
“It would always be good news if the extreme right did not support any government in Portugall“, concluded Eurico Brilhante Dias.
On a possible censure motion against the regional government, the PS left decisions for Friday, when the regional secretariat meets. The Bloco de Esquerda, another of the parties with the capacity to call this vote, tells CNN Portugal that the censure motion is one of the scenarios on the table. “The Bloco de Esquerda does not abdicate any instrument it has”, said deputy António Lima.
It should also be noted that any eventual dissolution of the regional parliament would always have to go through the President of the Republic, who could only take such a decision after hearing the Council of State, as well as the different parties with parliamentary seats, which should even happen with the national directorates, not just regional ones.
For now, and with apparent stability for now, it is not in question that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will dissolve the regional assembly.
