Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced in the Assembly of the Republic the construction of a new university hospital in Ponta Delgada during the parliamentary debate on the Program of the XXV Constitutional Government. According to Antena 1-Açores, the health infrastructure will be part of a reinforcement of public services in the autonomous regions, promising to combine health care with academic and scientific components.
“We will continue to help the people of Madeira, the Azores, and Porto Santo to have a better quality of life, greater air mobility, greater maritime mobility, more dynamic higher education, scientific capacity, a hospital in Funchal, and also a hospital in Ponta Delgada, both renovated and with associated academic capacity. Therefore, my commitment is total, to continue working in this way, obviously with balance, based on predictability and loyalty, which is also the principle we want to embody in the new Regional Finance Law,” said the head of government.
The announcement came as an indirect response to criticism from Socialist MP Francisco César, who accused the Executive of failing to fulfill specific commitments to the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The leader of the PS/Azores lamented the absence of concrete measures in the Government’s program regarding the management of the Azores’ sea, the expansion of Horta Airport’s runway, the prison system in Ponta Delgada, and the improvement of state services in the region.
Francisco César demanded clear answers on promises made during the election campaign, such as bringing forward the retirement age for Azoreans and correcting the calculation of fishermen’s years of service for retirement purposes. He also requested clarification on the revision of the Autonomous Regions Finance Law and the vague proposal to establish “regional tax systems.”
The Prime Minister did not respond directly to the questions raised by the socialist deputy, leaving it to Deputy Paulo Moniz (AD/Azores) to defend the government.
During the debate, Paulo Moniz criticized the Socialist Party for, in his view, ignoring the election results expressed by the Azoreans, considering that this attitude should have led the regional leader of the PS, who is also a member of the Assembly of the Republic, to reflect on the message conveyed at the polls.
For the AD deputy, this stance by the PS is even more serious given the history of its governments, which, he said, included little or nothing about the Azores in their programs and, when they did, did not deliver on their promises. In contrast, he highlighted the approach of the current government, which he considers more committed and executive.
Paulo Moniz recalled that it was only recently, under the current Executive, that the public tender for non-liberalized air routes between the mainland and the islands of Santa Maria, Faial, and Pico was finally launched—a long-awaited process that had been repeatedly postponed.
He also stressed that the new Government Program includes a review of the Regional Finance Law, something he considers essential for the Azores, which, he said, would have already been implemented had it not been for the early elections.
The AD deputy also highlighted the introduction of Public Service Obligations for maritime transport of goods, passengers, and communications, which, in his view, corrects years of neglect by previous socialist governments regarding the principle of territorial continuity.
In addition, Paulo Moniz stated his intention to maintain a constructive and collaborative stance, promising to continue working, in coordination with other stakeholders, to resolve the structural problems of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and defend the interests of its inhabitants.
Despite the criticism, the Government Program provides, in two paragraphs dedicated to autonomy, for the revision of the Finance Law of the Autonomous Regions, the analysis of regional tax systems, and the assumption of responsibilities for maritime and air transport. An additional point was introduced by Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP), which ensured the inclusion of the creation of a ferry line between the autonomous regions and the mainland for the transportation of passengers and goods.
The vote on the Government Program takes place today, with attention focused on how the Executive will materialize the commitments made to the autonomous regions.

Filipe Torres is a journalist for Correio dos Açores

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.