José Manuel Bolieiro highlights strength of democracy and commitment to cooperation after Sunday's local elections - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, highlighted today, at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the importance of the recent local elections as "another moment" in Portuguese and Azorean democracy made "by the will of the People."

"The People have decided. It has been decided. Long live Democracy and Local Government," the President said, thanking everyone who participated in the electoral process, from those who stood as candidates to those who ensured the elections ran smoothly.

The head of the Azorean Government emphasised the importance of civic participation, stating that "democracy is built with the involvement of everyone." He also praised the Azoreans for the orderly and responsible manner in which they exercised their right to vote.

Mentioning the results, he highlighted that the political project governing the Azores achieved “the highest number of municipalities and parish councils, thereby becoming the leader of AMRAA and the Regional Delegation of ANAFRE." Even so, he stressed that this “is a responsibility to continue working with everyone and for everyone.”

José Manuel Bolieiro made it clear that the Regional Government "does not debate about who won and who lost," stressing that this analysis is up to the parties. He also reiterated his 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."

The President of the Regional Government also highlighted the results achieved in various areas of governance: in health, he pointed out that " 35% more medical procedures were performed than in 2019," and the general practitioner coverage rate rose to 91%.

In education, he highlighted the historic milestone of 2025, the year when "Azorean students surpassed the national average in national exams." In employment, he noted that the unemployment rate reached 3.9%, "the lowest since 2007," and the average income of workers has grown by 26% since 2019.

The President of the Government also highlighted social progress, namely the reduction of more than 60% in the number of those dependent on social integration benefits and the increase in the Regional Pension Supplement, which "has more than doubled since 2020."

"The Azores are better off. They are better off in terms of health, education, support for the elderly and children, housing, employment, the economy and household income," he said.

José Manuel Bolieiro concluded by calling for continued collective effort and confidence in the future, emphasising that “our commitment must be to work every day to make the Azores a benchmark for quality of life, social justice and opportunities for young people.”

The head of the Azorean Government congratulated the elected mayors, reiterating his commitment to “work together to meet the challenge of progress in the Azores, for everyone and with everyone, leaving no one behind.

Related press release: Speech by the President of the Government