"When the light of social democracy fades on the continent, the beacon of social democracy continues to illuminate the good paths in favor of 'the public thing' and in the service of the people", said the Madeiran leader in the closing session of the 19th Regional Congress of the PSD/Madeira, which took place this weekend, in Funchal, under the theme "Progress and Autonomy".

Miguel Albuquerque began his speech by addressing a "big hug of friendship and solidarity to Pedro Calado", who resigned from the position of mayor after being detained, in January, within the scope of a judicial investigation related to evidence of corruption.

The former mayor and two civil construction businessmen were released 21 days later by decision of the criminal investigating judge, who considered that there was no evidence of the crimes.

Albuquerque, who is running again for the presidency of the Regional Government in the early regional legislative elections of May 26, said that there is "a set of problems that need to be solved, for the good of Madeira and the whole nation" with the Government of the Republic, which remain "due to inaction, ill will or simple negligence".

Addressing the vice-president of the PSD and minister of Housing and Infrastructures, Miguel Pinto Luz, the Madeiran leader stated that "he has a notebook of charges that is no joke" and "has a portfolio overwhelmed with functions and, above all, difficulties", considering that there are conditions for the governments of the Republic and the region, as well as the party structures, to be able to work "together, in concert".

Miguel Albuquerque listed, among the pending problems, the debt to Madeira for expenses with the health subsystems of the security forces and the "absolute neglect to which services are subject" in the region.

He also mentioned the "national anecdote" that is the concession of the airline between the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo" and the dragging of the tender for the equipment to improve the operation at the Madeira International Airport.

The Madeiran leader criticized that the Portuguese State, within the framework of Civil Protection, is not bearing the cost of the helicopter to fight fires in Madeira, a resource that is guaranteed by the Regional Budget and represents an annual expense of 2.5ME, adding the case of the ferry for sea connections "has not yet left the shipyard".

"We have to focus on the fundamental objectives", he argued, adding that they are "issues that only require political will to be solved and others require understanding to overcome acute 'partisanship'" and should be "above party struggles.

Miguel Albuquerque pointed out that the party's goal is to "maintain a [regional] government in favor of the region's integral development".

"The great challenge is to win the elections [of May 26]" and guarantee a stable government framework, he reinforced in the closing speech that lasted more than 45 minutes.

In this congress, the party's internal bodies were elected, with João Cunha e Silva being reappointed as president of the Congress Board, Rui Abreu as president of the Jurisdictional Council and Guilherme Silva as head of the Regional Council

In the closing session, the parliamentary leader of the PSD/Azores, João Bruto da Costa, also spoke, who conveyed a "message of confidence and hope" from the president of the PSD and of the Azorean Regional Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, and defended the need to "fight the old people of Restelo" of Lisbon's centralism and the "revenge against the autonomies".

Read Also: PSD 'Vice' praises Miguel Albuquerque's "enormous resilience and courage" (Portuguese version)