The meeting of the Council of State convened by the President of the Republic due to the governmental crisis in the Azores and the possible dissolution of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores lasted less than an hour.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa convened the political body for presidential consultations after hearing the parties represented in the Azores parliament on November 30, following the 2024 regional budget.
“It is what I expected,” said the president of the Azores regional government, José Manuel Bolieiro, as he left the Palace of Belém, after the meeting of the State Council, pointing to the holding of early elections, which should be announced by Marcelo Rebelo. de Sousa in the next few hours, but according to SIC Notícias it should be on February 4.
On November 30, the president of the Azores’ executive body, the PSD, and the other two parties of the governing coalition, CDS-PP and PPM, argued that early regional elections should be held, given the prospect of a new lead if a second elections would take place. were presented: a regional budget proposal for 2024.
Pursuant to paragraph j) of Article 133 of the Constitution, the President of the Republic is responsible for “dissolving the Legislative Assemblies of the Autonomous Regions, after consulting the Council of State and the parties represented therein”.
This was the 33rd meeting of the Political Consultative Body of the President of the Republic, held during the mandate of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
According to a source from the Presidency of the Republic, State Councilors António Lobo Xavier and António Damásio did not participate in this meeting at the Palácio de Belém in Lisbon.
The Council of State is chaired by the Head of State and inherently has as members the holders of the positions of President of the Assembly of the Republic, Prime Minister, President of the Constitutional Court, Ombudsman, Presidents of regional governments and former Presidents of the Republic.
Under the terms of the Constitution, this consultative body also includes five citizens appointed by the Head of State – António Lobo Xavier, Luís Marques Mendes, Leonor Beleza, António Damásio and Lídia Jorge – and five elected by the General Assembly of the Republic. are currently Carlos César, Manuel Alegre, António Sampaio da Nóvoa, Francisco Pinto Balsemão and Miguel Cadilhe.
The budget proposal for the Azores was widely rejected on November 23, with votes against from PS, BE and IL and abstentions from Chega and PAN, after receiving only positive votes from the three parties that make up the regional government, PSD, CDS -PP. and PPM, and independent deputy Carlos Furtado, former Chega.
Article 15 of Law 79/98, the Budget Framework Law for the Autonomous Region of the Azores, provides that, if the Regional Legislative Assembly does not approve the budget proposal for the region, “the Regional Government shall submit it to the Regional Legislative Assembly in consultation”. new budget proposal for the relevant economic year within 90 days from the date of rejection”.
The president of the Azores regional government began by announcing that the executive planned to present a new budget proposal, but later stated that this would be useless and argued that “a voice must be given to the people” to to establish a board. solution “with stability”.
The executive led by José Manuel Bolieiro no longer has parliamentary majority support since one of the two deputies elected by Chega became independent and the Liberal Initiative deputy broke with the respective parliamentary influence agreement in March this year.
The PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition government maintains a parliamentary advocacy agreement with Chega’s now sole deputy in the Azores parliament.
In the regional elections on October 25, 2020, the PS lost the absolute majority it held twenty years ago in the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores, despite remaining the party with the most votes, electing 25 out of 57 deputies. BE elected 2 deputies, PAN 1, while the CDU did not get anyone elected.
On the right, the PSD elected 21 deputies, the CDS-PP 3, Chega 2 – one of which has since become independent – the PPM also 2 and the Liberal Initiative one, forming a majority that has since disintegrated.
Source: DN
