José Manuel Bolieiro says that Autonomy of Responsibility requires "State responsibilities" for "success of achievements" - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, recalled today that the concept of Autonomy of Responsibility, which he defends, "does not rule out the State's responsibilities" in the search for the "success of achievements" in favour of the development of the Azores.

Speaking at this year's solemn session of Azores Day at the Regional Legislative Assembly in the city of Horta, José Manuel Bolieiro recalled the recent fire at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES) in Ponta Delgada at various moments during his speech.

"On the morning of May 4 in Ponta Delgada, the community was mobilised to celebrate the Santo Cristo dos Milagres festivities. Surprisingly, as nature often does, we were faced with a fire in a technical area of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, which caused the full disruption in that hospital and, therefore, a profound disturbance in the functioning of the Regional Health Service. The technical capacity, in terms of human resources and equipment, and the importance of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in the regional context, as an essential first-line hospital, confer on it an importance that transcends the island of São Miguel."

Afterwards, the President of the Government acknowledged the moment of anguish, but the fire was successfully extinguished by the competent and diligent action of our firefighters, who were mobilised from Ponta Delgada and all over the island of São Miguel. "

"The hospital emergency plan was promptly activated and the fire perimeter controlled. Urgent response measures were immediately taken, including the transfer of hospitalised patients to other health units on São Miguel Island, and the closure of the emergency department at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital. Thanks to the professional spirit, the will to succeed, the altruism and enormous sense of responsibility and solidarity of firefighters, the Civil Protection, the entire community of professionals working at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital and the health care provided by all the health services on all the islands, the Azoreans, and especially the people of São Miguel, felt the comfort of having essential health care," he continued, mentioning all the institutions that took in patients.

He continued: "I commend the management of the hospital crisis by the Board of Directors of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital. At this time of pain, anguish and vulnerability, we feel the comfort of the solidarity of many Private Social Solidarity Institutions, various organisations in the regional private and public business sector and many other institutions in Azorean society. The solidarity shown by the Portuguese Red Cross, the Armed Forces and the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira was - is - essential in providing the health care that we continue to provide to the Azoreans."

The President of the Government stated that he had then been contacted by the President of the Republic, "who, in fact, made himself available to visit the hospital," and emphasised "the attitude of the National Government to this catastrophe."

"The autonomy of the Regional Health Service does not rule out the State's responsibilities for the immediate provision of health care to the Azoreans. This is what we mean by Autonomy of Responsibility," he noted. 

José Manuel Bolieiro also recalled that "the National Government, and in particular the Prime Minister, has agreed to jointly contribute to the costs of the immediate and future operations at the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital," with 85% co-funding and the corresponding instalment for this year "on the estimated costs to be borne by the end of this year."

"We all have a great challenge ahead of us: resuming all the health care that the people of São Miguel, in particular, but all Azoreans, in general, need and that used to be provided by the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital, and doing it in a manner that the future already requires. I know we will overcome this challenge!", he added.

Autonomy of Responsibility, says José Manuel Bolieiro, "is about having power in what is specific to the Region, but also about sharing power in other dimensions in which the Azores are also part.

"After all, in a time of inspiration dedicated to the Holy Spirit veneration, sharing, solidarity and humanised politics are crucial. In times of difficulty, we all stand together. The consistency of our political autonomy in the Azores does not relieve the state of its obligations. On the contrary. Autonomous coherence determines our ability to make claims on behalf of our people, also to the State, so that it fulfils each of its obligations in the Azores too."

During the celebration of Azores Day in 2023, the President of the Government developed the concept of Autonomy of Responsibility with "specific cases."

"At the time, the Azorean and National governments were different. In the Azores, the XIII Regional Government was in office. Meanwhile, in the Republic, the XXIII National Government was in office. Today, both governments are different. (...) But that fact, as far as I am concerned, neither changes the crystal-clear identification of the best interests of the Azores, nor the responsibilities of the State in the Azores and towards the Azoreans. Our understanding of the Autonomy of Responsibility, as the paradigm of the relations between the State and the Autonomous Region of the Azores, does not waver with these changes," he declared.

In this respect, the State's obligations towards the Azoreans "do not begin and end with the annual transfers of funds from the State Budget to the Regional Budget" - they "are only fulfilled if the State guarantees that all citizens are treated equally, giving them the same opportunities, regardless of where they live."

"It is important to point out that the State is still failing to fulfil its obligations towards the Azores and the Azoreans, which is extremely detrimental to us.This time around, it is only fair not to criticise the omission given its short period in office, but to warn the new National Government," he stressed. 

The payments that the state made for the reconstruction of the Flores commercial port, destroyed by Hurricane Lorenzo, "have yet to be paid in full," noted José Manuel Bolieiro. 

He continued: "The processes concerning the compensation due as a result of public service obligations for passenger and cargo air transport, the mobility allowance and the replacement of fibre-optic submarine cables, both those connecting the islands to each other and those connecting us to the world, must be addressed in a timely manner and at a pace that does not disregard our rights, without exposing us to risks of isolation that would be unbearable. As an Atlantic University, our University, a lever for our development, must be a point of confluence for science from Europe and America, and a benchmark for research and knowledge in the fields of the green economy and the blue economy. The State must fulfil its obligations to the University of the Azores within a legal framework of regular, fair and sufficient funding."

The President of the Government also insisted on calling on the National Government "to provide equal conditions for internal competition, adopting the necessary measures to allow Azorean agricultural producers to benefit from the same aid granted to producers in Mainland Portugal, so as to offset the effects of the current crisis."

"Furthermore, in this area, I call on the National Government, in collaboration with the Regional Government, to study solutions for a reasonable reduction in the Social Security contributions of young farmers who carry out their activity in the Region, encouraging them to enter and remain in the sector, while recognising the particular situation of the Azorean agricultural sector in the national context. I would remind and urge the National Government to solve, without further unbearable delays, the solution for the Ponta Delgada correctional facility, and the dignity of its inmates and their families," he said.

José Manuel Bolieiro also recalled that this year's session in Horta closes "a cycle of decentralisation, decided at the right time, which has already taken the celebration of Azores Day to all the municipalities of the Region and to two important areas of the Azorean Diaspora: Fall River and Toronto."

"If the will of the Legislative Assembly coincides with that of the Government of the Azores, we will return, in the next cycle of celebrations, to the itinerancy of the celebrations throughout the territory of our Azorean identity. Today, in the city of Horta, an example of our cosmopolitanism and coexistence with the sea, one of our greatest assets, we are also marking the transition of cycles. For the new cycle, we must continue to recognise the merit of the achievement, but I hope that it also becomes a strong challenge to the political and civic participation of young people, as it is, above all, through their action that Autonomy will prosper," he stressed. 

Celebrating 50 years of democracy "is, for the Azorean people, celebrating the fulfilment of autonomic aspirations," even though "we still have a long way to go to reach the standard of development and progress of the European Union, which we belong."

"Nevertheless, the confidence stemming from good results and the consistency of assertive strategic public policies accelerates and consolidates development. This is why we evoke history in the name of the future. This is why we must celebrate what we have done in the name of what we want to do. The Azores is what we have done, but it can be what we want it to be,’ said the President of the Government.

Related press release: Speech delivered by the President of the Government