Paulo Estêvão recalls recent progress in media, space and local government in the Azores - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, recalled today in Horta, during the parliamentary debate on the 2025 Plan and Budget proposals, the recent progress made in the media, space and local government.

Regarding the media, he pointed out that, in the case of the private sector, ‘’what is at stake, specifically in the Azores, is the survival of a considerable number" of companies. 

"This is not a question of the lesser or greater prosperity, or lack thereof, of the private media. It is a more basic and primordial question. What is at stake is the survival or death of many Azorean publications and radio stations. This is it. It is no less than that," he pointed out. 

In this context, the Regional Secretary emphasised that the 2025 Plan and Budget proposals point to an investment of two million Euros in support for private companies and 220 thousand Euros to finance specific public news and television service obligations.

He continued: "The support programme is divided into four axes: the incentive system for private media, institutional advertising, subscriptions to newspapers for schools and charities, and the training of journalists. On top of all this, it is necessary to add the full implementation of the Media Action Plan in the Azores, which the current National Government will implement throughout the country."

With all these support measures, Paulo Estêvão defended that the Azorean media "now has a window of opportunity to modernise and resize its management projects."

"It is essential that it does so. Its success will be a triumph, firstly for the media itself but also for all those who strive daily for a society of informed citizens who stand together in solidarity," he continued.

As for Communities, "the project is to embrace all Azoreans and their descendants."

"The Azores are vast beyond the narrow confines of our islands. We are a people spread across the four corners of the world. Since the beginning of the settlement of the Azores - now celebrating 600 years - we have accompanied the Portuguese ships in the expansion and discovery period," he emphasised at the Regional Legislative Assembly.

In his speech, the Regional Secretary defended that the Azorean economy "is growing significantly." According to him, it is just as important to "maintain the vitality of traditional sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, alongside an area as thriving as tourism," as it is to "invest in new technological areas and vectors in which the Azores have competitive advantages, such as the sea and space."

Regarding the latter, Paulo Estêvão pointed out that "the implementation of the Azorean Strategy for Space will continue."

He went further: "The return of CanSat National, the second edition of CanSat Junior Azores, the activities organised as part of Europe Day and World Space Week have brought the sector to the nine islands of the Azores. The aim is to attract younger generations to Science and Technology."

In 2025, the Azores will organise the fourth edition of the European Symposium of Regions, ‘another centrality that has been achieved.’ Meanwhile, companies and technical and scientific entities linked to the area of space have been attracted, with the aim of creating "qualified jobs."

"In 2024, three companies from the space sector joined the Incuba+, Terinov and Nonagon incubators. In addition, one company opened an office and another relocated to Santa Maria Island. By the end of the year, I can assure you that we will have more companies linked to the space sector opening their doors," stated the government official.  

Paulo Estêvão also highlighted Local Government in the Azores, recalling the “unprecedented effort” of this Government to “strengthen solidarity as well as technical and financial partnerships."

‘’2024 will be marked by the entry into force of the New Technical and Financial Cooperation Scheme between the Autonomous Regional Administration, Parishes and Parish Associations. I can announce that the 104 parishes and the municipality of Corvo have submitted 248 applications in different investment areas under the New Legal Cooperation Scheme," he stressed.

He continued: "About 9.6 million Euros of investment have been proposed, and so far five million Euros of eligible investment have been validated (the application deadline only ended on November 4). Everything is being analysed according to the deadlines set out in the Legal Document."