Speech by the President of the Government - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

Full text of the speech delivered today by the President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, in Ponta Delgada at the opening ceremony of the Eco Açores conference:

“Allow me to begin, as befits the occasion, on a note of gratitude.

I would like to thank the ECO newspaper for inviting me to take part in this conference, a significant initiative taking place today in the Azores, which the Government of the Azores supports with a sense of responsibility and appreciation of its importance.

A conference that confirms the Azores as a forum for reflection and debate on the major issues of current economic affairs in the country and around the world.

And allow me also to express my appreciation. Appreciation for the stance taken by the ECO newspaper, as a media outlet that is demanding, rigorous and committed to the integrity of information.

In these volatile times, when information plays a decisive role, it is important to highlight the value of initiatives such as this one, which promote knowledge, stimulate debate and, thus, contribute to a more informed and engaged citizenship.

The debate will focus on issues of paramount importance:

Regional economic development. Sustainability. Tourism. Mobility. These are not abstract concepts.

They encompass underlying assumptions and strategies that influence decision-making.

They give rise to assertive public policies that shape our collective future.

This confirms the timeliness and importance of this initiative, which brings together a wide range of perspectives.

Our times, perhaps, have but one certainty associated with them.

The certainty that uncertainties prevail in our present day.

A time marked by conflicts, geopolitical instability and economic pressure on a global scale.

The Azores have not been, are not, and will not be immune to this protracted reality.

We all feel these impacts.

We all face this challenge.

Responding to this challenge more effectively requires:

 - Political stability;

- Governmental stability;

- Consistent strategy.

This will be the way to overcome challenges.

I believe in these principles and feel confident in this steadfast course.

We must remain resilient in the face of daily fluctuations, so that we can place our trust in what is fundamental.

The Azores had to change, and they are changing.

Changing structurally.

Promoting structural transformations to keep pace with the global transitions that the economies of the future are already bringing into our daily lives.

Climate transition.

Energy transition.

Digital transition.

Transition towards economic competitiveness and growth.

Transition towards Security and Defence.

All this calls for more and better strategic investment. We have stepped up our investment. We have invested in skills development. We are trying to give the private sector more scope. The most ambitious transformation is, undoubtedly, turning the Azores from a region defined by its needs into a region of opportunities.

Needs will continue to exist and will continue to require various forms of support, from the State and the European Union. Nevertheless, opportunities can and have been multiplying and proving their worth – for us, for the country, for the European Union, for NATO and for the transatlantic relations.

In the blue economy, where the sea is a source of knowledge, innovation and wealth, we have a huge opportunity, and we are harnessing it.

In the green economy, sustainability, as well as being a defining value, is, and must be, a competitive asset, as we have excellent practices that are already recognised today.

Not only are we a low-carbon economy, but we are also a vast territory and a real carbon sink. Here, we can build an economic base for carbon credits.

In the space economy, the Azores are establishing themselves as a central Atlantic hub for scientific and technological development.

The Azores play a major role in these new economies. With them, we can overcome our limited land area and small population.

Our strategic position in the Atlantic ensures our centrality, which counterbalances our inevitable socio-economic remoteness and our geographical fragmentation.

It is in this context that, with the involvement of the country, the European Union, NATO and global private initiatives, we will be able to leverage the Azores as a region of opportunities within the European and Atlantic context.

The transformations we have already undertaken in various fields are beginning to yield results.

The Azores have grown at a rate above the national average, even if only marginally so for now, but with a converging trend.

Public investment has increased by around 50% compared to 2019.

GDP growth has accelerated.

Between 2019 and 2025, it increased by €1.634 billion. Around 36.6%.

We have more jobs.

There are 12,700 more Azoreans in employment than in 2019.

And lower unemployment.

2,700 fewer unemployed people.

With a rate below the national average.

Tourism has established itself as one of the driving forces of the economy, accounting for about 17% of regional GDP, 16% of employment and 20% of Gross Value Added.

This transformation is also evident in traditional sectors.

In agriculture, production reached €445 million in 2025, the highest figure of the last decade.

Investment in the sector exceeded €76 million.

There is more income.

More stability.

More predictability.

And there is a generational renewal.

Since 2021, 181 new farmers have entered the sector.

Social mobility is gradually working.

In education:

In contrast to previous years, Azorean students achieved an average score higher than the national average in eight subjects in the 2025 national exams.

This demonstrates the convergence that the Autonomous Region of the Azores is achieving with the results of the rest of the country, a goal set out in the Azores 2030 Education Strategy.

The notorious early dropout rate from education and training has been falling in the Azores. Since 2020, the early dropout rate from education and training has fallen by 5.2 percentage points.

Strengthening and stabilising the teaching staff were strategic choices for educational success.

Since 2020, we have had 900 more teachers in schools, even with a decrease of about 4,500 students in those same schools.

In healthcare: we have 581 more healthcare professionals than in 2019.

More doctors.

More nurses.

GP coverage has reached 92% of the population.

In housing. We are already investing in more than 760 housing solutions.

In transport. The "Azores Fare" scheme we have introduced has played a key role in consolidating the Region’s identity, despite being an archipelago. 

Since its creation, it has facilitated over 1.5 million inter-island journeys. Compared to 2019, inter-island connections have increased by up to 40%.

The "Azores Fare" has created a truly internal market. It has brought the islands closer. It has bolstered territorial cohesion. It has reinforced the concept of territorial continuity.

And it has deepened the concept of Autonomy.

With these public policies, underpinned by our Political Autonomy, which do not undermine the unity of the State; on the contrary, they only enhance it, as they deal differently with what is different.

We had a lot of ground to make up, and we are gradually making up for it, but we also have a long way to go, and we are moving forward.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This year, we are marking 50 years of political autonomy, enshrined in our Republic’s constitution.

Five decades of institutional development.

Political affirmation.

Development.

Autonomy was an achievement.

But above all, it is a responsibility.

The quality of autonomy is measured by the quality of its practice.

The Azores cannot look to the future with fear.

They must look to it with confidence.

And with a strategic vision.

Our history has taught us resilience.

Our geography has taught us to be cosmopolitan.

Our political autonomy has taught us the responsibility to pursue strategic education with creative and fruitful boldness, so that we may seize the opportunity for ourselves, for the country and for the European Union.

We have grounds for ambition in institutional innovation and skilled human capital, retaining and attracting talent for the future, and in fostering a collective awareness of our geopolitical, geo-economic and geostrategic value.

If we are overcoming the challenges that were and remain the difficulties of the past, we will also be able to build the capacity necessary for our collective ambition of convergent progress, alongside the country and the European Union, within the context of these new economies.

Building a future with more opportunities.

A better quality of life.

Allow me to conclude with a simple idea.

The Azores will not merely be a remote region in need of assistance.

The Azores will be a key region full of opportunities.

A region that matters within the country and for the country, and one that matters within the European Union and for Europe.

A region that elevates the ocean to a strategic asset in the Atlantic, linking three continents and a significant global economy.