The President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (ALRAA), Luís Garcia, considered that “training, retaining and attracting our young people is probably the biggest challenge we have, “stressing that “without people, everything else is compromised.”
“Good opportunities don’t only exist in large urban centers,” said the President of the Assembly at the solemn session commemorating the 510th anniversary of the municipality of Nordeste, held in Praça da República, stressing that “there is potential here to promote local economic development, support the creation of new companies and encourage innovation in traditional and emerging sectors.”
During this commemoration, the President of the Azorean Parliament stressed that “we are aware that counting on you means responding to your needs and aspirations,” particularly regarding the importance of ensuring a more developed municipality with fair and dignified employment opportunities.
“Let’s counter the idea that it’s not possible here! Yes, it is possible! Here, in Nordeste and in all the rural municipalities of the Azores,” said the Speaker of the Assembly.
During his speech, the President left a special message for the young people of Nordeste: “Sit down, talk, share your ideas and contributions with the local development agents” and added, “I call on each and every one of you to be an active part of this movement.”
At the formal session, President Luís Garcia also highlighted the Legislative Assembly’s recent approval of the proposal for a legal framework for technical and financial cooperation between the Government of the Azores and the region’s parish councils. He called this “a very significant step towards the territorial and social cohesion that should guide our development.”
In this regard, the President of the Assembly highlighted “the importance of closer ties and coordination between the regional and local authorities,” cooperation which he believes is where “many of the solutions lie for a large part of the challenges in terms of continuous and sustainable development.”
“The consolidation of the autonomous edifice that we progressively want to build must increasingly rely on local power as a determining pillar for the success of the purposes of Autonomy itself,” said President Luís Garcia.
The revision of the Local Finance Law was also highlighted by the President of the Azorean Parliament, who argued that it should “respect our specificities” and therefore called for “local power and autonomous self-government bodies to reflect critically on what their future should be”.
The solemn session commemorating the 510th anniversary of the municipality of Nordeste, where tributes were paid to various local personalities and institutions, was followed by the inauguration of the Rehabilitation of the Garden Surrounding the Sete Arcos Bridge, with the unveiling of the Monument to the Combatants from Nordeste who died in the Overseas War, as well as the sharing of soups of the Holy Spirit with the community.
The President of the Legislative Assembly visited the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Nordeste, a century-old institution that “provides remarkable social support, not just for the elderly, but also for children, young people at risk, people with disabilities and the homeless.”
This visit came as part of the President of the Legislative Assembly’s trip to São Miguel, in line with his intention to bring the Azorean Parliament closer to all the islands and establish direct contact with their citizens and institutions.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.