"We will do everything we can to fulfil the ambitions of the Azoreans," says José Manuel Bolieiro - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, whose new Government was inaugurated today, ensured that everything will be done to "fulfil the ambitions of the Azoreans," following an "unequivocal choice for continuity" and "plurality in dialogue."

"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," he said.

José Manuel Bolieiro spoke at the Regional Legislative Assembly in Horta at the swearing-in ceremony of the XIV Government of the Azores, following the regional elections held on February 4.

For the President of the Government, the new Government is the result of the "cohesion" of a "multi-party political project" open "to constant dialogue with those who have always been committed to a progressive non-socialist alternative form of governance."

"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," stressed José Manuel Bolieiro.

He continued: "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.

José Manuel Bolieiro ensured that the new Government of the Azores will "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," he continued.

As the President of the Government noted, the Azoreans have judged the governance of the last three years at the polls "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," he said, listing some of the measures implemented by the first PSD/CDS-PP/PPM Government, such as tax cuts, the "Azores Fare" or the New Elderly programme.

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. It will, once again, focus on education as the "great lever for human and social development in the Azores," without which the fight against poverty and exclusion will not be won.

Addressing the importance of sectors such as fisheries, agriculture and the business sector, José Manuel Bolieiro also mentioned professionals in fields such as health or education. In this regard, he stressed "how important political and governmental stability" as well as "social and labour stability" are when it comes to implementing disruptive measures.

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," he emphasised.

Regarding the national elections, scheduled for March 10, José Manuel Bolieiro declared that the XIV Government of the Azores "will adopt a stance of dialogue with the new National Government. Whatever it may be."

And he was adamant: "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."

José Manuel Bolieiro also demonstrated his confidence in the members of government standing by his side, offering words of praise and gratitude to those who have now left office.

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