Social security should create opportunities conducive to "social progress," defended José Manuel Bolieiro - Communication

Presidência do Governo Regional

The President of the Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, participated in the opening session of the 2nd Social Security Conference, promoted by Almedina, in Lisbon, an initiative that was also attended by the Secretary of State for Social Security, Filipa Lima

The head of the Azorean Government highlighted the experience of the Azores as an example of social policies geared towards personal autonomy and social mobility, defending that Social Security should be regarded as a form of "social progress," capable of creating opportunities and helping citizens to build a meaningful life path.

“The welfare State is not limited to public spending, nor is it measured solely by the amount of social benefits paid to citizens. It is measured by its ability to create real opportunities and ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.

José Manuel Bolieiro emphasised that social policy should protect those most in need, but also promote autonomy and value the contribution of each citizen to the community.

"A social policy system should promote citizens' autonomy, value their contribution to the common good and give them the confidence that, in case of need, they will have the necessary support," he pointed out.

During his speech, the President of the Government highlighted the social and territorial specificities of the Azores, noting that the archipelago's unique reality poses its own challenges to the implementation of public policies.

The Region has around 250,000 inhabitants spread over nine islands and is highly dispersed territorially, with the distance between the westernmost and easternmost points of the archipelago almost three times greater than the distance between the coast of Mainland Portugal and the border with Spain.

In this context, the Azores have a network of 253 private social solidarity institutions, including charities and similar entities, which provide community-based social services to the entire population.

For the government official, although this ratio may seem high when compared to Mainland Portugal, it reflects the need to ensure adequate social responses to an archipelago and scattered territory.

José Manuel Bolieiro also presented some of the results achieved in recent years in the Region, highlighting consistent improvements in various social indicators. Among these results, he highlighted the significant reduction in the number of Social Integration Income beneficiaries, currently about one-third of what it was previously, as well as historic levels in terms of employment and working population in the Azores.

The President of the Government pointed out that these results reflect a strategy that seeks to coordinate social protection, employment, education and health, creating conditions for families to make a living from their work. 

“In the Azores, we have sought to reinforce the concept of citizen accountability and coordination of social protection, employment, education and health, as we know that Social Security alone cannot solve all structural problems,” he said.

The head of the Azorean Government also stressed that the costs and challenges of social policies in the Outermost Regions cannot be assessed using the same criteria applied to Mainland Portugal, defending the importance of autonomy in adapting responses to local realities.

"Political autonomy is not isolation. It is integration. It allows policies to be adapted and complements the responses of the national system without breaking with the fundamental principles of the welfare State," he stressed.

The 2nd Social Security Conference brought together experts, policymakers and academics to reflect on the challenges and future of the social protection system in Portugal.

The coordination of the Conference was undertaken by José Vieira da Silva, Fernando Ribeiro Mendes, Pedro Mota Soares, Jorge Campino, Miguel Teixeira Coelho, Leonardo Marques dos Santos and Nuno Amaro.