Speech delivered 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 swearing-in ceremony of the XIV Regional Government of the Azores:

"Today, here, at the headquarters of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, in the city of Horta, Faial Island, the XIV Regional Government of the Azores took office.

Following the respective and due appointment, under Constitutional and Statutory terms, by His Excellency the Representative of the National Government for the Autonomous Region of the Azores, it is with the value of our Autonomous Democracy that this ceremony is instituted, which, more than symbolic, is above all significant.

This inauguration ceremony is being held, purposefully, at the Azorean Parliament, on its very own premises.

The constitutional development of our Political and Democratic Autonomy, the consolidations of our self-government bodies, through the prestigious practicality of their competences, both symbolic and ceremonial, as well as substantive, raise their recognition in the people they represent. The people we represent!

More than any other feeling, which may coexist with this one, I feel now, as always, my/our responsibility in personal and collective action, as well as pride in the behaviour that fulfils the most essential requirements of the attitude that honours this duty and this mission. Our duty. Our mission!

The mission of serving the people, Democracy and our Political and Administrative Autonomy shape the functioning of the Azores' self-government bodies and the involvement of our society, and its civic and business institutions.

On February 4, the Azoreans turned out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote. And with such a massive turnout, we happily saw a reduction in the always worrying levels of voter abstention in the Azores and, especially, in regional legislative elections.

The Azoreans have shown their clear electoral will in free elections to choose the members of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

As a democrat, politician and government official, I feel the satisfaction and pleasant duty to express here and now, in this ceremony, following the elections and consequent to their result, my recognition and gratitude for how the electoral act was carried out, in a civilised manner, well organised, and with a significant participation level, record-breaking among the many electoral acts that have taken place in our autonomous democracy. I also highlight a high sense of sovereign judgement on the accountability of the candidates, as well as the decisive choice as to the paths for the collective future.

Thank you very much! Our sincere appreciation!  

In fact, after an electoral campaign in which the differences between the different political projects for the governance of the Region were clearly emphasised, we believe that the Azorean voters have chosen continuity.

Yes, it is our understanding that the choice was unequivocally for continuity and also, as we acknowledge, for plurality in dialogue. The continuity of the paradigm shift in the governance of our islands, inaugurated by the XIII Regional Government of the Azores, and under my leadership.

On this occasion, both formally and emotionally, and with a profound sense of justice, I would like to acknowledge and thank every one of those who collaborated with me throughout the term of the previous Government.

In this greeting, I would like to commend Manuel São João and Pedro Faria e Castro.

They have all worked with the greatest diligence, loyalty and commitment to the task and mission of governing the Azores in a period that was as complex as it was demanding. 

Thank you very much to them, both as members of the Government and as the senior leaders chosen and appointed in the Autonomous Regional Administration and the boards of public sector companies.

From now on, and for this XIV Regional Government of the Azores, I want to acknowledge our personal and collective responsibility to the Azoreans and to you, present here at this inauguration ceremony, and to thank you, on my behalf and on behalf of all those who accompany me, for the trust that the Azoreans have firmly placed in us.

We will do everything we can to fulfil the ambitions of the Azoreans.

I reiterate our firm commitment to working towards a fairer and better prepared society in the Azores to face the challenges of the future; a society that is cohesive, stable and where equal opportunities prevail.

The XIV Government of the Azores is committed to doing the necessary work, contributing to the successful creation of conditions that will allow us to pursue consistent governance in the Region, with a reformist vision, thus giving continuity to the alternative path of non-socialist governance that we have begun and led since November 2020.

We are and will continue to fulfil the choice of the Azorean people!

We have presented ourselves to our fellow citizens with pride in the achievements of the governance we have led over the last three years, ensuring consistency, continuity and stability in the governance of the Azores, which are essential for the good results we want to continue delivering to the Azoreans.

Our Governance Agenda for the Decade, which has been the governance project we have led, and which the Azorean voters have favoured, confirms this path, as we intend it to!

The XIV Government of the Azores, and I say this with determination and confidence, is an expression of the cohesion of our multi-party political project, in the legislative sphere and its specific approach to parliamentary work, and is still open, under my leadership, to constant dialogue with those who have always been committed to a progressive non-socialist alternative form of governance.

A form of governance whose projection of development for the Azores and the Azoreans is focused on people and puts things at their service.

We will continue to serve people and not things.

Things serve people.

The economy and the sustainability of our common home are important as they are an instrument for our investment strategy as well as for the development of our Region and each of our islands.

Education and training matter as they are the best social lever we can offer to the people.

Health and social solidarity are about taking care of everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable and in need of social solidarity that is both compassionate and inclusive in terms of collective success.

Simultaneously, we will continue to govern in a way in which the State makes room for people and their entrepreneurial initiatives.

It makes room for families and their ability to create.

It makes room for companies and their determination to generate wealth and create employment.

It makes room for social solidarity institutions to strengthen their contribution to social cohesion.

The organisational structure of the XIV Government is the result of our understanding and of the wisdom of the governing experience we have acquired in the meantime so that we can implement this paradigm and these priorities more efficiently.

Priorities that have always existed and ambitions for a future that is more auspicious than all the autonomic legacy that has been achieved in the meantime, with the successes and failures that we all know and have experienced.

The XIV Government of the Azores will continue to prioritise private initiative as the driving force of the Azorean economy, the creative capacity of the Azoreans as the impetus for our social development and the natural solidarity of the Azoreans, which strengthens us as a people and, therefore, as a Region.

Since the end of 2020, we have led a path of governance that stands out for its reformist policies and the practice of dialogue with other political forces, local authorities and social partners.

But it is because this has been the case that the majority has felt an active part of our collective development. With time and consistency, we want to move from the majority that participated to a full majority that will be involved in our collective progress and that of forthcoming generations.

And this is how we govern today in developed and thriving societies.

The XIV Government of the Azores will, as this was the clear message we received from the Azorean people exactly one month ago, continue with the reforms that the future we want demands.

We have taken on reformist and disruptive options, which we will maintain and further develop.

We will continue to consistently implement public policies that have shown results, generating more territorial cohesion and increasing our sense of belonging not just to a specific island, but also to the Azores. They are becoming better known, not just through television, but also through travelling, which is easier today than it was in the past.

This is how we will continue to generate more wealth, more jobs and more social cohesion.

This is how, barely emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, which left its mark on us, we faced the adverse situation that was imposed on us by the return of war to Europe and, now, to the Middle East.

There have been sharp rises in the cost of energy, the cost of raw materials, the cost of food and the cost of housing, which have weighed heavily and are still weighing heavily on the lives of the Azoreans.

I would like to assure the Azoreans right now, and on behalf of this Government that has just taken office, that I am committed to this political project.

I am! We are people and a political project that is true to our word. We assume our responsibility with honour and commitment. People know me. I am as I have always been. I have not changed, nor will I change. Power for the sake of power does not serve me.

After this inauguration, as President of the XIV Government of the Azores, you can continue to trust in the continuity of my humble way of being.

You have judged my/our governance over the last three years with approval. Our innovative and disruptive policies have produced good results. They must continue and become more consistent if they give us stability and permanence. For that, everyone will take their responsibility. Our responsibility for stability.

The tax cuts we have promoted will be maintained. With lower taxes, there is more income for families and companies. Families have more resources available and companies have more resources to invest.

We will continue to make the Region's public debt sustainable and transparent, showing what was previously unseen, as well as managing it with the degree of rigour that, while not preventing the investment we need and the good use of the funds we have access to, does not jeopardise the right of future generations to decide on their lives and their future, reducing its weight in our wealth, within our GDP.

These are the political and doctrinal beliefs of a non-socialist path of governance that has shown good results for the Azoreans. These are options to endure!

The "Azores Fare," which we created, will continue. It has shortened the distances between islands, brought people closer and boosted the tourism sector, especially in smaller towns. It was a decision that paid off. It is an option that will endure!

The XIV Government of the Azores will pursue innovative reforms in the social area, implementing measures that will help improve the quality of life of the most deprived and vulnerable, and also relieve the budget of the Azorean middle class.

The XIV Government of the Azores is committed to education as a major lever for human and social development in the Azores, without which we will not win the fight against poverty and exclusion. Reducing early drop-out from education and training and increasing educational success are goals to be pursued.

We will continue to promote free access to educational facilities for our young people to effectively prevent school failure.

We will continue to move towards free access to daycare for all Azorean children.

We will continue with the New Elderly programme, taking it to other islands.

We will continue with the Birth+ programme, extending it to other municipalities, supporting young parents and, thus, encouraging an increase in the birth rate.

We remain committed to quality and community-based health care.

The XIV Government of the Azores will do everything within its power to ensure that the labour stability of health workers is safeguarded and that their careers are further enhanced.

The XIV Government of the Azores will continue the work of the XIII Government so that the right to housing becomes a reality in our Region.

The fight against poverty and social exclusion is achieved by doing what promotes the inclusion of people and families and not just by announcing its fight.

We know that changing behaviour and lifestyles is difficult. But we are persistent. We will therefore continue to invest in housing, education, training and employment. We will continue to make a determined commitment to policies that encourage a reduction in precarious work and higher pay for labour.

This is how we fight poverty. This is how we create strong families, which are the backbone of a socially cohesive and supportive society. That is where we will continue our work.

For us, entrepreneurs and companies are the ones who best promote the generation of wealth and job creation.

We want the Azorean economy to continue to grow and to be better prepared to fulfil the ambitions of the Azoreans in today's world.

The new paradigm we have brought to the governance of the Azores has helped to revitalise and strengthen the private business fabric, providing it with the opportunity to be stronger and more competitive. And it will continue to do so!

I would like to point out that investment will only grow, even with a good incentive system, if there is political stability that creates an economic environment conducive to confidence on the part of private agents.

This is the only way to attract the investment, also from external sources, that is necessary for the economic transformation that the Azores need and that Azoreans aspire to.

We value productivity in agriculture and fisheries. We will take action to defend the income of those who work in these sectors. This will ensure social stability and confidence in these two essential sectors of our economy.

The XIV Government of the Azores will pursue the necessary policies to consolidate the Azores as a leading tourist destination in terms of sustainability.

We know how important political and governmental stability as well as social and labour stability are for business, investors, wealth generation and job creation, the continuity of health services and the smooth running of schools. We have a well-defined course.

And we are consistent in that course.

We make dialogue not just a way of governing, but a method of overcoming the challenges faced by Azorean society and planning for the future consistently and effectively. A method that delivers positive results as it involves everyone who wants to make their contribution.

Next Sunday, the Portuguese people will choose a new government for their Country. The Azores are their own territorial constituency. And no one should mistake the regional legislative elections for national legislative elections.

The XIV Government of the Azores will adopt a stance of dialogue with the new National Government. Whatever it may be.

But whatever it may be, we will not give up on enforcing the fulfilment of the responsibilities of the State and the loyal fulfilment of the commitments already made to the Azores.

Likewise, we will not forgo decisive participation in the management of the sea and space, areas in which the interests of the Region and the State do not override or clash, and which must be respected in the interests of all.

We are implementing a decade-long project. We are continuing the new paradigm of governance in the Azores. With a position of openness, dialogue and inclusion of all those who want to move the Azores forward. A policy based on stability will give priority to long-term cures over short-term solutions. This is what we have done. And this is what we will continue to do.

We are committed to responsibility. We are focused on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. We promote stability so that we can continue to give shape to a successful regional strategy and public policies.

We are offering people and families, entrepreneurs and companies, and private and public sector workers a hopeful future.

The commitment to the future and stability, of which we will continue to be a benchmark, are pillars of hope that we will continue to defend.

Success is built on stability and acceptance of plurality, bringing together all those who are willing to participate with a positive attitude.

Building takes time and consistency.

I stand firm in this purpose of governance.

I am counting on this XIV Regional Government, which I lead, to fulfil and excel in our goal of achieving progress and, therefore, contributing to the development of the Azores.

Times are difficult, but stimulating. An encouraging and responsible challenge.

For that, I trust:

the Vice-President, Artur Lima,

the Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Duarte Freitas,

the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estevão,

the Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Sport, Sofia Ribeiro,

the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi,

the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura,

the Regional Secretary for the Sea and Fisheries, Mário Rui Pinho,

the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, Berta Cabral,

the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro,

the Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel, 

Thank you very much for accepting the task that each of us has taken on, the mission that we are going to fulfil.

Together we are firm in our determination to promote the solutions that will allow Azoreans to continue, in stability and with confidence, on this course that has brought us results that improve the Azores and the lives of the Azoreans!

I trust in our determination, serenity and dedication.

I trust in the Azores and in the people we serve.

My people, our people.

Long live the Azores!"