The use of forms of power that have been experimented with for centuries in the Azores and with alleged success, such as the Brotherhoods of the Holy Spirit, which have existed on the islands for half a millennium, was the first topic explored in the cycle of debates and conferences that the IHIT – Historical Institute of Terceira Island decided to organize to mark the 50th anniversary of the Political-Administrative Autonomy of the Azores, which will take place in 2026.
The general theme of the cycle is “Rethinking the Autonomy of the Future,” and the title chosen for the first conference-debate, which took place on Tuesday evening at Angra do Heroísmo Town Hall, was “Democracy: From the People to the Politician.”
The first speech, which raised the issue of the Holy Spirit brotherhoods as sources of power, was given by Antonieta Costa, who has a degree in Social Psychology and Landscape Anthropology and has written a vast body of work on the Holy Spirit and the brotherhoods. The theme of the presentation was’ New Directions in Social Articulation.”

Antonieta Costa observes the brotherhoods of the Holy Spirit’s processes of “delegating power to the common man.” He associates the possibility of organizing a political system based on these forms of power with the “human need to bring order to chaos,” which she believes is linked to democracy.
For the speaker, it is necessary to find solutions for Autonomy that can overcome alleged mistrust. In the case of the Azores, this mistrust is a result of negative experiences with successive autonomous processes, which have promoted a disconnection between the people and their representatives. The solution, she argues, may lie in the brotherhoods of the Holy Spirit.
Antonieta Costa reproaches MPs for not having a debate with the people before attending parliamentary sessions, thus denying what she considers an ideal of democracy: valuing the power of ordinary people.
How to transform the systems of power within the brotherhoods into forms of political power to govern the region is a topic, she said, that is still being studied. The second speaker, Arnaldo Ourique, noted, however, that among the problems to be solved in a possible transition from the brotherhood system to political power are procedural democracy and adversarialism.

DISEASE & CURE
A specialist in Regional Law and with a doctoral thesis on autonomies already submitted and awaiting defense, Arnaldo Ourique is also one of the most prolific essayists on the phenomenon of Autonomy.
In a speech on “Azorean Democracy: From the People to the Politician?”, Arnaldo Ourique was blunt in stating that “the political structure of the Azores is sick.” He proposed three measures to address the problem. The first is to create spaces in society where people can meet and reflect outside the purview of political parties. The second is to reflect on the functions of the island councils, because these bodies, he said, currently serve little purpose and “don’t cover the whole of society”, as well as not practicing “proactive democracy”. Finally, he defends the application of national rights in the Azores based on the following principle: Autonomy must enhance the fundamental right, if possible, and if not, it must compensate the people of the Azores.
For the essayist, there are no checks and balances in the Azores, which seems unconstitutional. He made it clear that there is no political oversight, but only contentious oversight, through the Representative of the Republic, which he believes is not effective.
For Arnaldo Ourique, part of the problem could be solved by electing a President of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, who would represent the people and their interests, acting in a system of checks and balances. He added that he considered it unacceptable for the system to function today with only a parliament and an executive, all of which fall under the same obedience, essentially exercised by the President of the Regional Government. The president would carry out political oversight, he said, also interpreting the will of the people.

CENTER OF POWER
Speaking at the beginning of the session, the president of the IHIT – Historical Institute of Terceira Island considered it urgent to debate “many questions about its continuity” on the 50th anniversary of Autonomy, even highlighting “the urgent need to reflect on its revision, updating, in accordance with the new realities resulting from the local, regional, national and international situation and, above all, to meet the legitimate expectations of economic and social development of all those who live on these nine islands”.
According to Olívio Rocha, “under the institutional umbrella of autonomy, situations of unequal development remain for those who live on S. Miguel (the New Terreiro do Paço?), Terceira and Faial, compared to those who live on the other islands”.
“How can these inequalities be corrected? How to distribute power and its economic, social and cultural benefits? How can their legitimate aspirations be met?” – are questions that the IHIT president believes should be debated.
Olívio Rocha revealed that this year and in 2026 IHIT intends to address topics such as: International Relations and their Dividends; The Media and its political and social importance; History, as a lesson for the future of autonomy, and Constitutional Autonomy – The constitutional, political and economic value of the system of regional government. The program ends in April 2026 with a tribute to Álvaro Monjardino.

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço, director, and Armando Mendes (PhD), editor-in-chief.

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.