IL/Madeira will compete in 4 municipalities

The Liberal Initiative (IL) will compete in the next local elections in four municipalities in the Autonomous Region of Madeira and indicated this Sunday that it will present candidacies in Funchal, Santa Cruz, Machico and Câmara de Lobos.

According to the information released, IL indicates that it has chosen veterinarian and real estate consultant Sara Jardim to lead the candidacy in Funchal, the main municipality in Madeira.

In the neighboring municipality to the east, Santa Cruz, governed for 12 years by Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP), the candidate will be the Business Intelligence manager João Corte Fernandes, while in the neighboring municipality to the west, Câmara de Lobos, always held by the PSD, presents the businessman with activity in the agricultural and automotive sectors Humberto Faria.

As for the municipality of Machico, in the extreme east of the island of Madeira, in the hands of the PS, the IL reports that it has chosen the professor and public administration technician António Nóbrega.

In the same note, it mentions that for the Municipal Assemblies, the party will bet on the specialist in tourism promotion Rocie Bayntun (Funchal), the economist and university professor Nuno Fernandes (Santa Cruz), the manager with experience in banking and local politics Carolina Alves (Machico) and the visual artist Bárbara Gil (Câmara de Lobos).

The local government programme for Madeira, which IL will present, has the motto “Doing things differently. Doing things better. Doing things liberally”, with party leaders highlighting that it has “concrete proposals adapted to the reality of each municipality, with measures in the areas of housing, mobility, social policies, culture, the environment, support for economic activity and administrative modernisation”.

IL adds that it will present “a clear and objective program centered on people and oriented towards concrete results and improving the quality of life in municipalities”.

Regarding the main priorities, he lists affordable housing, tax relief “with minimum IMI and IMT, zero spill, IRS refunds to families and elimination of unjustified taxes”, as well as efficient mobility.

In terms of social policies, IL advocates “people-centered proposals”, including the home support program, strengthening local health care and responding to loneliness and aging.

In terms of culture, it aims to reinforce support for local creators and promote artistic and historical heritage, he says.

“With the presentation of this program, the Liberal Initiative reaffirms its commitment to a local government policy that serves people, where freedom, responsibility and efficiency are at the heart of every decision,” he emphasizes.

In the last local elections, on September 26, 2021, the PSD/CDS-PP coalition won in three of Madeira's 11 municipalities: Funchal, São Vicente and Porto Santo.

The PSD, alone, won in Câmara de Lobos and Calheta, while the CDS-PP won in Santana.

The PS won the majority in Porto Moniz, Machico and Ponta do Sol, while the JPP maintained the presidency in Santa Cruz.

In Ribeira Brava, the Ribeira Brava Primeiro movement won, with a list that received the support of social democrats and centrists.

Local elections are expected to take place between September and October.