The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, welcomed the Portuguese government’s announcement suspending—until January 31—the requirement that applicants have no outstanding tax or Social Security debts in order to access the Social Mobility Subsidy. While acknowledging the decision as a “step back” that reflects “humility,” Bolieiro argued that the rule should be permanently revoked, not merely suspended.

“With the same assertiveness with which the Government of the Azores criticized this option (…) I now also, with the same assertiveness, praise the humility and retreat of the Government of the Republic,” Bolieiro said. He stressed that defending the Azores requires a fair mobility policy, pointing to the success of the ‘Azores Fare’ (Tarifa Açores) as a model of democratization that should inspire future solutions built “by example,” not merely “by words.”

Speaking in the Azorean parliament, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility, and Infrastructure, Berta Cabral, reiterated this position during the debate on a preliminary bill to nullify the contested criterion. She stated that the Social Mobility Subsidy “is not an ancillary benefit,” but rather a “structural instrument of territorial cohesion, equal opportunity, and full citizenship in the Autonomous Regions.” By conditioning access on a citizen’s contributory status, she argued, the State began treating mobility as a “conditional privilege—when it is, in fact, a structural right.”

“We cannot accept that access to a fair-priced airline ticket depends on a citizen’s contributory situation. That is not social justice. That is not territorial cohesion. That is not equality among Portuguese citizens,” Cabral emphasized.

The regional secretary maintained that the Azores Government’s legislative initiative is “clear, simple, and legally sound,” designed to ensure that the subsidy is paid to all eligible beneficiaries regardless of any debts to the State. She stressed that this is not a mere “technical disagreement,” but a “fundamental political issue,” criticizing the persistence of a “mainland-centered logic that ignores the reality of ultra-peripheral regions.” While acknowledging positive developments—such as faster reimbursements via an electronic platform and the reduction of the maximum out-of-pocket airfare to €119 per Azorean—Cabral reiterated strong opposition to the €600 cap on eligible ticket costs.

Given the complexity of the new process, the Regional Government also announced that it will make the services of the Integrated Citizen Support Network (RIAC) availableto assist passengers with registration and reimbursement applications on the new platform. According to a Government of the Republic statement dated January 14, the suspension of the contributory compliance requirement will allow the measure to be reassessed jointly with the regional governments. For now, payments for trips taken through the end of January will continue to be processed via CTT (Portuguese Postal Service).

In Diário da Lagoa-Clife Botelho, director.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.