New Leadership Emerges in Madeira: The XVI Regional Government Takes Office

XVI Regional Government Takes Office

The XVI Regional Government officially took office today at the Assembly of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira at 4 PM on Tuesday, April 15. The session was attended by the Representative of the Republic for the Region, Ireneu Cabral Barreto.

Key Figures in the New Government

Elected during the early elections on March 23, the government is once again led by Miguel Albuquerque, who retains only two secretaries from the previous legislature.

• Jorge Carvalho continues as Secretary for Education, Science, and Technology, serving as the government’s second-in-command.
• Eduardo Jesus now oversees Environment, in addition to Tourism and Culture.

New Appointments

The new faces in the cabinet include:

• José Manuel Rodrigues, leader of the CDS and former president of the Regional Legislative Assembly, who will head the Ministry of Economy.
• Micaela Freitas, who succeeds Pedro Ramos as Secretary for Health and Civil Protection. Initially considered for the Inclusion portfolio, she now takes on one of the most challenging secretariats.
• Paula Margarido will lead the Inclusion, Work, and Youth portfolio, succeeding Ana Sousa.
• For Finance, Duarte Freitas, president of the Institute for Business Development, takes over from Rogério Gouveia.
• Nuno Maciel is now responsible for Agriculture and Fisheries, previously overseen by Rafaela Fernandes.
• Finally, Pedro Rodrigues, Director of Regional Social Equipment and Conservation, replaces Pedro Fino in Equipment and Infrastructure.

Political Landscape

The PSD party won the recent regional elections with the election of 23 deputies, falling just short of an absolute majority. They have signed a parliamentary and governmental agreement with CDS-PP, which holds a seat in the Legislative Assembly. This agreement ensures an absolute majority in the regional parliament, which also includes representation from JPP with 11 deputies, PS with 8, Chega with 3, and IL with 1.

Other Events Scheduled for Today in Madeira

• 10 AM: An award ceremony for the Order of Engineers will take place at the Order of Engineers Headquarters in Funchal, awarding monetary prizes to top students in engineering.
• 10 AM: The president of the Legislative Assembly, Rubina Leal, will pay respects to the bishop of Funchal, Nuno Brás, at the Episcopal Palace.
• 11:30 AM: A meeting of the Conference of Representatives of the Parties at the Legislative Assembly.
• 3 PM to 5 PM: The Hotel Union will conduct a "wake" near the Legislative Assembly to demand salary increases for workers in the hotel sector.