Madeira is heading to the polls today, amid corruption scandals involving the Madeiran political elite. In what is considered one of the most important elections in years, the island's future remains uncertain. Learn about the key players of todays election and discover who might be voted in power! Note that The election will replace all 47 members of the Madeira Assembly, and the newly elected members will then elect the President.
Miguel Albuquerque (PSD)
Miguel Albuquerque, born in 1961, is a prominent figure in Madeira politics. He was re-elected as president of the PSD Madeira in March 2024. The vote was over 54%, with 2,246 votes for Albuquerque and 1,854 for his opponent.
Political Career
Miguel Albuquerque is a lawyer with a long political career. He was mayor of Funchal from 1994 to 2013. Since 2015, he has been President of the Regional Government of Madeira. In January 2024, he resigned after a parliamentary deadlock related to suspicions of corruption. Many excruciating allegations have surfaced ever since, but he is clinging to power and holds double immunity from persecution as a politician.
Political Agenda
Albuquerque is leading a center-right government with his party, the PSD. His party has been in power ever since the beginning of democracy in Portugal in 1976.
Score In The 2023 Elections
Miguel Albuquerque’s PSD won 43.1% of the votes
Paulo Cafôfo (PS)
Paulo Cafôfo is leading the left-wing Partido Socialista (PS). He is arguably Albuquerque’s biggest opponent. Cafofo, a history teacher with a strong background in politics claims that the socialists are the only force capable of ensuring government alternation in the region.
Political Career
Paulo Cafôfo’s career started when he was invited to lead the Change Coalition in the 2013 local elections for Funchal City Council. This coalition included the Socialist Party (PS), the Left Bloc (BE) and other parties. He was re-elected in 2017 and then resigned in 2019 to run in the regional legislative elections, heading the Socialist list.
Political Agenda
Paulo Cafôfo’s PS Madeira promises to lower taxes and resolve the housing crisis in Madeira. He warns of the rise of right wing populist parties and speaks of the elections in pompous words:
(Today’s elections will be) the liberation of this Region, the liberation of this people, in a new time and in a true 25th of April.
We cannot be under the illusion that Chega will solve any problems or that the PSD will now solve the problems, after 48 years in power and after nine years of Miguel Albuquerque at the head of the Government
Score In The 2023 Elections
Paulo Cafôfo’s PS Madeira won 21.3% of the votes
Élvio Sousa (JPP)
51-year-old archaeologist Élvio Sousa returns to head the list of Juntos pelo Povo (JPP), the social-liberal regional party from Santa Cruz that surprised in the 2015 regional elections and now claims to be ready to lead the regional government.
Political Agenda
The JPP’s founding principles are Unity, Transparency and Resistance. They are a center-to-center-left party. Élvio Sousa has made himself a name for strongly condemning President Albuquerque, calling him a liar, and pointing out corruption and embezzlement in Madeira.
trust in the only party born and created by Madeirans and without centralist surrogates.
I ask all those who are undecided, those who are discontented in the PSD and PS to trust in our moderate program, of responsibility and governmental experience, which above all aims to change so that nothing continues as before
Score In The 2023 Elections
Élvio Sousa’s JPP won 11.0% pf the votes
Miguel Castro (Chega)
52-year-old Miguel Castro - a former PSD activist born in Porto Santo - once again leads Chega, a far-right populist & anti-establishment party created in 2019 by former sports commentator André Ventura, that made its debut in the 2023 Madeiran regional elections.
Political Agenda
Chega wants to fight corruption, wants more autonomy for the region, address poverty and fight immigration. On a national level, they also pleaded for chemical castration of rape offenders and are against gay marriage. They claim to defend cultural identity and the valorization of the family. In Madeira, they have explicitly stated that their primary focus is on fighting corruption. It will be interesting to see if, in the end, they might consider forming an alliance with the PSD to secure political influence.
We are who we are, we have our identity and we want to build our own path. Furthermore, we do not sell ourselves for nothing and are not available for any understanding. We value our flags and we will never betray our principles, nor our electorate, with unusual alliances that make no sense within the scope of our values, the most important of which is the fight against corruption
Score In The 2023 Elections
Miguel Castro’s Chega won 8.9% pf the votes
More Parties
There are many more parties worth a mention. If you want to follow-up, here’s a list.
José Manuel Rodrigues
CDS – People's Party (conservativism, right)
Nuno Morna
Liberal Initiative (liberalism, center-right)
Edgar Silva
Portuguese Communist Party (communism, far-left)
Mónica Freitas
PAN Madeira (environmentalism, center-left)
Roberto Almada
Left Bloc (democratic socialism, far-left)
Care for a share?
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