The IL/Açoresmember of the Azorean Parliament, Nuno Barata, said that the new social mobility subsidy model harmed the Azoreans and regretted that the coalition parties and Chega rejected the hearing of the Minister of Infrastructure. “The Azoreans are already losing out and suffering greatly from this new social mobility allowance model,” said Nuno Barata in his political statement to the Azorean regional parliament in Horta, on the island of Faial. Nuno Barata recalled that the subsidy was set up to mitigate the costs of air travel between the Portuguese mainland and the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira and that the Minister for Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, who was heard by the Economy Committee, guaranteed that no Azorean would suffer as a result of the changes introduced.

“But for months now, many Azoreans have been highly disadvantaged, not only because they are paying more for air tickets between the Azores and the mainland, with the maximum ceiling of 600 euros, but also because there are more and more doubts about the interpretations of the ordinance that regulates the social mobility allowance,” he said.

According to Nuno Barata, the government “lied to the members” of the regional parliament and, “therefore, lied to the Azoreans.” He also recalled that the PSD, CDS-PP, and Chega rejected an IL request to call the minister, CTT, the General Inspectorate of Finance, and travel and tourism agents to the Economy Committee, admitting that they “don’t want to see” the matter clarified.

For the single IL member of the Azorean Parliament, the change to the mobility allowance “revealed the negligence of the centralists in Lisbon who, despite being of the same political persuasion, ignored the Autonomous Region, its people, its legitimate representatives, and its self-government bodies.”

In the debate, José Pacheco (Chega) explained that his party had rejected the Minister for Infrastructure’s hearing because he had previously “lied to the Azoreans” and there was no point in listening to “new lies.”

Socialist Luís Leal also said that the minister “blatantly lied to the Azoreans” and that archipelago residents currently pay “over 600 euros” for the round trip between the Azores and the mainland.

Deputy António Lima (BE) said that the regional government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) is “incapable of talking to the minister who interprets the law, to interpret it differently.”

“It is, in fact, a sad scenario that we are witnessing in air mobility in the Azores,” he said.

For the PSD, Joaquim Machado said that IL’s political declaration presents “a series of generalities” and “doesn’t make anything concrete.”

The Social Democrat also challenged the PS to present an invoice “that has actually been paid for more than 600 euros” instead of simulations, to which the Socialist João Vasco Costa replied that he would bring documents with higher values to the assembly table.

Joaquim Machado said the party intended to present the bill today to “solve the problem of immigrants” not covered by the subsidy.

Paulo Margato (PPM) said that the regional executive “was vehemently opposed to this measure and has notified the Government of the Republic” regarding the maximum fare (600 euros).

Pedro Pinto (CDS-PP) said the issue was “very serious” and recalled that his party was the first to speak out publicly against the travel ceiling.

The Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, recalled that the mobility allowance was introduced by a PSD government and that the current situation is “unfortunately due to a series of abusive practices”.

All the opinions sent by the Regional Government to the Republic “were in the sense of not agreeing with the maximum ceiling,” she said, indicating that the issue of immigrants, which “is in the decree-law” in force, will also be changed: “That’s what we’re talking about at the moment, changing the decree-law.”

From Açoriano Oriental, Paula Gouveia, director (based on a story from LUSA news service)

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.