The leader of the Socialist Party in the Azores, Francisco César, called this Sunday for the creation of a “Project of Common Interest” between Portugal’s national government and the Azorean Regional Government—one centered squarely on people, with a focus on education, workforce skills, and innovation as the region’s long-term strategic response to structural challenges.

César made the case during the closing session of the second edition of the Academia Novo Futuro, a joint initiative of the Socialist Party and its youth wing, held this weekend in Praia da Vitória on Terceira Island.

Speaking in remarks released to the press, the Socialist leader argued that this mechanism—already предусмотрено in Portugal’s Regional Finance Law—should be used to align funding, expertise, and political commitment across different levels of government, as well as civil society. The goal, he said, is to build a cohesive investment strategy in the Azores’ human capital.

“Madeira chose to invest in a major public works project as its Project of Common Interest,” César said. “Our Project of Common Interest is people.”

Housing emerged as one of his central concerns. César pointed to a sharp rise in costs in recent years, noting that home prices in the Azores have increased by roughly 70% since 2019, while rents have climbed 37.4%. To address the crisis, he called for a combination of expanded construction, better use of available funds, streamlined administrative processes, and incentives to increase the supply of rental housing.

He also criticized what he described as the underutilization of existing financial resources—particularly funds from Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). “There hasn’t been this level of financial support available for housing in over two decades,” he said, urging the Regional Government to accelerate implementation.

César further addressed ongoing concerns surrounding the Social Mobility Subsidy, reaffirming the Socialist Party’s commitment to fixing issues stemming from the current model. According to him, recent changes introduced by the national government have created difficulties for residents, businesses, and travel agencies alike.

“You only need to talk to people to understand the system isn’t working,” he said, adding that the party is working toward a simpler and fairer solution for Azorean residents, with the backing of Socialist Party Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro.

In Correio dos Açores, Natalino Viveiros — 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.