Editorial

There are a number of questions hanging in the air about what governments intend to do in 2026, questions that go beyond the measures that have been dragging on for years. There has been no shortage of announcements, but what has been lacking is the resourcefulness of the various Regional Secretariats as well as the Municipal Councils, which need to have up-to-date Municipal Land Use Plans (PMOT) because they are the land management tool that defines the development strategy of the various councils, as well as the rules for land use that cover both urban and private areas.

We are in a situation that requires urgent decisions, because the labor shortage is a major problem that acts as a lever on various projects and costs that will continue to grow every day, both in the public and private sectors, which bear the greatest burden. After all, it has to resort to banks to carry out its projects.

Recently, there has been a trend towards the use of “lectures,” which are spreading to various spaces. Although they are important for knowledge, they will also affect companies and other public institutions by attracting many people, which will, in turn, affect the economy as a whole.

The Azores need to adapt to what is going to happen, diversify our resources, which range from the sea to the land, and invest in the tertiary sector, preparing young people to embrace industry and use the resources we have, which have served as a “cushion,” as has been the case with the sea, which is coveted by many.

We have repeatedly brought to the fore the problems that have accumulated with the lack of housing and labor for new construction, which means that the market that drives construction has preferred to give priority to large developments that are important but do not respond to the middle class and young people who are looking for a home to start a family.

In addressing this issue, we have repeatedly lamented the lack of a housing policy on the part of the European Union for the Azores, and for the various countries that certainly have the same problem as Portugal and the Azores, noting that the PRR funds allocated to housing were insufficient for the needs, and therefore calling for specific European Union policies.

Families and young people do not have the financial capacity to access decent housing that would allow them to expand their families, which is also a need that can only be met with adequate housing. The PRR funds are running out, so it is essential to know how to apply what is still available.

In the Azores, in society in general, starting with the cost of living and the lack of labor, which, in itself, takes advantage of the needs of othersknown to exist, subsequently leading to unbearable costs for those who need care and those who want to invest.

It is therefore urgent to turn to vocational schools to train new students capable of responding to the needs of various economic and social sectors. The Azores have focused their policy on the sea, which is an important sector, but not the only one, and therefore it is necessary

The Government of the Republic is committed to reforming the State, and the Azores must move forward with their own reform to celebrate half a century of autonomy and guarantee the future of the Azores. We cannot get caught up in words; we must act, seeking out those who are willing and determined to be part of this new path the Azores need to build to assert themselves as the gateway to Europe and the exit to America. For this, we need the best!

Américo Natalino Viveiros is the director of the newspaper Correio dos Açores

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from leading thinkers and writers in the Azores, providing the diaspora and those interested in the current state of the Azores with a sense of the significant perspectives on some of the archipelago’s 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).