Speech by the President of the Government - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

Full text of the speech delivered today by the President of the Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, in Horta, at the beginning of the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores:

“This Sunday, we emerged from yet another moment in our democracy, shaped by the will of the People.

The people have decided. It has been decided. Long live Democracy and Local Government.

As President of the Government, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone involved in these elections. To those who assisted in the electoral process and to the thousands of citizens who made up the lists, representing a wide variety of parties, coalitions, and citizens' movements.

Political participation is a democratic right and duty. For this reason,  I congratulate all those who left their comfort zone to stand up and defend their causes.

To the Azoreans, who freely chose their candidates, we thank you for the orderly manner in which you participated. Thank you all in the name of democracy.

We must strengthen this connection between elected officials and voters. Local elections are a good example of this, with greater mobilisation and personalisation of voting, based on identification and proximity.

On October 12, the political project governing the Azores reached the highest number of municipalities and parish councils, thereby becoming the leader of AMRAA and the Regional Delegation of ANAFRE.

We have noted this fact as a responsibility to continue working. We will continue working, nonetheless, with everyone.

We separate the context of each electoral act, but we interpret the trend.

I do not dispute the numbers behind each of the results, which are plural, in diverse electoral acts, with different geographical contexts, and varying levels of legitimacy. 

As a Government, we do not participate in the debate about who won and who lost. That is up to the parties.

To those who, through their victory, have assumed the executive responsibility for parishes and municipalities, I congratulate them on the trust placed in them. I reassure them of the Government's institutional commitment to work diligently and impartially with everyone so that we can do our best for our people and for the development of the Azores as a whole in each municipality and parish.

We guarantee that the financial cooperation we have established will continue to be strengthened. We have paid the municipalities the variable income tax debt and will now pay the so-called tourist VAT debt. For parishes, we are maintaining the regional financial cooperation fund, which this year approved €7.8 million for parish projects.

I address you all with the confidence of someone who, remembering what our lives were like five years ago, now sees the Azores as a better place. Better than in 2020.

I humbly acknowledge that the journey has been demanding in a difficult context.

The results stem from the policies we have implemented and the committed and dynamic work of the Azoreans. We have made dialogue an instrument of transformation. Our goal in engaging in dialogue is not to delay, but to involve everyone in the decision-making process. The trust that the Azoreans have placed in us strengthens our belief that this is the path to follow.

In health, we have taken firm steps to address the greatest concerns of the Azoreans.

In 2024, 35% more medical procedures were performed than in 2019. We have promoted the careers of our health professionals with an investment of €30 million.

The general practitioner coverage rate rose from 86% in 2020 to 91% in 2024.

A total of 665 thousand medical consultations were carried out in Island Health Units, 86 thousand more than in 2019. Between 2019 and 2025, we went from 169 to 217 doctors and from 559 to 662 nurses in Island Health Units. Hospitals now have 24 more doctors than in 2019. There are never enough. However, there are more. We have more families with access to health care.

In education, we have reached a historic milestone. In 2025, Azorean students surpassed the national average in national exams, including core subjects such as Portuguese and Mathematics.

We have integrated more than 900 teachers into our schools since 2021, bringing stability to the profession and quality to teaching. And we have invested in the training of our young people.

The number of new students in vocational schools grew by 22%. So, more young people are learning, and more young people are ready for the future.

Employment was another priority. Between 2019 and 2024, the working population grew by 6,900 people. And the employed population grew by 9,100 workers.

In the second quarter of 2025, the number of employees stood at 121,500, the highest ever. The unemployment rate was 3.9%, the lowest since 2007.

The number of young people not in employment, education or training fell from 20.7% in 2020 to 11.5% in 2025. This raises hopes for the future.

Azorean workers now see this progress reflected in their income. The average gross monthly base salary rose from €923 in December 2019 to €1,165 in December 2024. That is an increase of €242, representing a 26% rise. There was a purchasing power increase of +11% in real terms.

We have fought poverty with hard work and results.

The number of people dependent on social integration benefits fell from 14,230 in 2020 to 5,809 in 2025, a reduction of more than 60%. We have invested in our children. In 2019, only 590 had free child care, but by 2025, there were 4,686. This is an increase of almost 700%.

We have supported the elderly with tangible measures.

The Regional Pension Supplement, which had been frozen for years, increased from €54 in 2020 to €125 in 2025, more than double. Since 2021, €140 million has been paid out under this measure. 

COMPAMID has almost doubled its ceiling, which now stands at €600, increasing from 7,025 beneficiaries in 2019 to 26,000 in 2025.

The "New Elderly" programme, an innovative measure, has so far covered 519 seniors in the Azores.

We have not forgotten students. Since 2021, we have awarded 1,800 higher education scholarships, representing an investment of almost five million Euros. We have also helped 3,888 young people to pay their tuition fees.

In terms of housing, in four years, we have completed 199 housing solutions – including new homes, renovations and allocated plots – and investments of around €50 million are being made under the RRP. As it is clear, this is much more than the 71 homes built between 2012 and 2020.

The Azorean economy is now stronger. 

Private consumption grew, economic activity remained stable, and we achieved record levels in terms of tourism and mobility. The “Azores Fare” was a success that benefited thousands of Azoreans.

In 2019, hospitality revenue amounted to €104.5 million. In 2024, it stood at €188.1 million, an increase of 80%. In 2019, 1.7 million people arrived. In 2024, we reached 2.3 million, an increase of 36%. Between 2019 and 2023, entrepreneurs created more stable companies, growing 9%.

In terms of taxes, corporate income tax revenue is revealing: in 2019, it amounted to €41.9 million. In 2023, it totalled €54.8 million, an increase of 31%.

Regarding agriculture, we have ended POSEI apportionments. Today, farmers receive 100% of the support to which they are entitled, representing an additional increase of €15 to €16 million per year.

The production of meat and dairy products has been growing. Meat production grew by 11% between 2019 and 2024. Agricultural production exported outside the Region amounted to more than €431 million in 2024.

In fisheries, there has been a sharp increase in the amount paid to fishers for their catch. We have gone from €33.9 million in 2019 to €39.8 million in 2024.

In 2019, exports abroad reached 115.4 million Euros. In 2024, we reached €160 million, an increase of 39%.

These results are real achievements that change lives. They shift paradigms.

The Azores are better off. They are better off in terms of health, education, support for the elderly and children, housing, employment, the economy, purchasing power, workers' income and the growth of businesses.

However, with each success achieved, the challenges become greater, as do people's expectations. We can only respond to all that has been done with the desire to do even more.

We must be as ambitious today as we were in 2020, whether in government, parliament, local government, society, or the economy.

We want the Azores to be a benchmark for quality of life, social justice, opportunities for young people, dignity for the elderly, and stability for families.

Others envy us abroad. Here, we underline our difficulties. I prefer to highlight our potential.

We are committed to working every day to ensure that the Azores achieve the levels of development that match our ambition and the greatness of our people.

I would like to conclude by once again congratulating the elected mayors and wishing them a successful term of office, so that together we can meet the challenge of progress in the Azores, for everyone and with everyone, leaving no one behind.