The Liberal Initiative broke the agreement it had with the PSD in the Azores. Apart from IL’s regional deputy, Nuno Barata, who has now “liberated” himself, and Chega’s, who had gained independence months ago, the right, which supports the government led by Social Democrat José Manuel Bolieiro, now has regional Parliament 27 deputies – 57 in total. In other words, the opposition is now in the majority, with 30 deputies (25 from the PS, two from the BE, one from the PAN, Chega’s dissident and the only deputy from IL, which has now broken according to the PSD).
However, according to Lisbon party president Rui Rocha, the Liberal Initiative “does not conclude any form of agreement with the PS, nor solutions involving the PS”. From now on, he added, the party will pass proposals in the Regional Legislative Assembly depending on whether it agrees or not.
“There is no reason on the part of the government, which is a measure of stability, to be a factor of instability.”
“What follows from this decision of the IL is that from now on the Regional Government of the Azores will have to conduct responsible political management and present the solutions it deems necessary, but it will have to take into account that the IL, with a sense of responsibility, will approve those who aim to transform the society of the Azores into a modern society, with economic vitality, with social vitality,” said Rui Rocha.
Now there is only one question: will the government hold up? For now, Bolieiro has ruled out the possibility — defended by Chega leader André Ventura — of introducing a vote of confidence in the Regional Legislative Assembly. “There is no reason on the part of the government, which is a measure of stability, to be a factor of instability,” said the president of the regional government. “I was not the cause of any problem that caused instability,” he stressed. Bolieiro guaranteed that he “will always be a benchmark of stability at the service of the Azores”. “The responsibility is everyone’s and the final judgment belongs to the people,” he concluded.
In the PS, the time does not seem right for the time being to file a motion of censure. Socialists don’t want to look like power.
Nevertheless, in the words of the regional leader of the socialists, the break of the IL means a “death certificate” for the regional government. “The IL terminated the parliamentary advocacy agreement. In light of recent events, this government was already politically dead. What the IL deputy did was to pass the death certificate to this government,” said Vasco Cordeiro.
“As of today, after all the efforts we have made to implement this agreement to the end, we are obliged to tell the Azores that IL will communicate to the representative of the Republic that it is freeing itself from the parliamentary interference. signed it with PSD.”
Nuno Barata motivated the decision with the “strength that PSD partners in the governing coalition do every day so that nothing changes and the PSD’s inability to promote needed stability among its coalition partners.”
“As of today, after all the efforts we have made to implement this agreement to the end, we are obliged to tell the Azores that IL will communicate to the representative of the Republic that it is freeing itself from the parliamentary interference. signed it with the PSD,” he said in the Azores parliament.
Afterwards, Independent Deputy Carlos Furtado, formerly of Chega, also announced in plenary that he was withdrawing from the parliamentary advocacy deal he had with the governing coalition. “There are violations and lack of institutional respect. Ever since I left the party [Chega] that there are violations. I was treated like a little family member. I will let the representative of the Republic know that I will no longer keep the deal.” The right-wing thing that has formed in the Azores is hanging by a thread.
Source: DN
