1. The October 12 elections showed how important local government is for politics and politicians, as it provides the best channel for dialogue between elected officials and politicians when citizens need to resort to it, whether at the municipal or parish level, whenever necessary. In the current situation, there must be regular contact between citizens, institutions, and politicians, especially at the crossroads we are experiencing throughout the world.
  2. Since political participation is a right and a duty in a democracy, we need to create ties between elected officials and voters, and to do so, politicians who are dedicated to politics are fundamental and must spend part of their time being the heralds of the future, seeking moderation and balance in differences of thought and building bridges between local and regional authorities, because this is the only way that can allow us a future in which the peripheries that still exist today no longer exist. There are certainly different ways of thinking, but we must know how to find solutions, both in regional and local government, so that we can bring together the differences of each and give them responsibilities, supporting what has not been done and needs to be done.
  3. It is time to review what needs to be examined in the region’s electoral laws. What needs to be renewed must be renewed, listening to the opinions of citizens and giving them space to feel part of the future.
  4. The President of the Government gave his “State of the Region” speech in the Regional Legislative Assembly, taking the opportunity to include the local elections. It was a good initiative, but we cannot be fooled by important results, such as the number of young people without jobs, schooling, or training, which fell from 20.7% in 2020 to 11.5% in 2025. This is important, just as it is important that Azorean workers have seen an increase of €242 per month, from an average of €923 to €1,165 in December 2024.
  5. In terms of combating poverty, those dependent on Social Integration Income fell from 14,230 in 2020 to 5,809 in 2025. This is a reduction of more than 60%, which is significant.
  6. The number of new students in vocational schools grew by 22%. However, this growth falls short of the Azores’ needs. We need to open more vocational training courses covering various professions that have been filled by foreign workers who have been working in the construction industry. We need young people to strengthen vocational training courses, training electricians and other professions that are necessary to meet the needs of companies. New vocational training courses need to be reviewed to meet market needs.
  7. As for housing, in four years, the government has completed 199 housing solutions—including new homes, renovations, and allocated lots—and adds that investments of around €50 million are being made through the PRR.
  8. The housing sector has become a serious problem due to the cost of labor and, at the same time, due to buying and selling in the market, which has driven up housing prices to unaffordable levels. In this sector, which is also suffering from the growth of local accommodation, the government and municipalities must take action to avoid having to take in people who become homeless…
  9. Taking into account some scenarios that certainly need to be reviewed by the government, and as business leaders in the region have already reacted, it is unthinkable to reduce the working week to four days when, in certain services, continuous working hours have been working well, even in the “public administration.”
  10. The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is coming to the Azores to fulfill his promise to visit the islands he has yet to see, and we will wait for the meeting between the regional and national governments to see how the Republic and the autonomous regions are doing.

Américo Natalino Viveiros, director.

In Correio dos Açores

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers and writers in the Azores, providing the diaspora and those interested in the current state of the Azores with insight into the diverse opinions on some of the archipelago’s key issues.

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).