The Liberal Initiative’s (IL) candidacy for Madeira’s legislative elections today criticized the Regional Government’s SIMplifica platform as “complicating the lives of Madeirans” and proposed measures to reduce bureaucracy in the services available to citizens.
“Prohibiting government or state departments from demanding documents and information from citizens that they already have in their possession” is one of IL’s proposals, revealed Alícia Teixeira, number three on the Liberals’ list for the early elections on May 26, as part of a campaign in the center of Funchal.
Holding a ‘dossier’ full of papers, with the title “Complifica” written on the cover, Alícia Teixeira explained that this represents the “catrefada of documents that are asked for without any nexus” from the citizens of the region, noting that the IL has already presented four proposals in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, “which have not yet gone to plenary precisely because of bureaucracy”.
In front of the curious gazes of the foreign tourists, the IL caravan, with around a dozen supporters and activists, began its campaign action near the Mercado dos Lavradores, making a name for itself with blue flags and T-shirts with the party symbol printed on them, handing out leaflets illustrated with comics calling for votes, pens and cloth bags.
The IL list leader, Nuno Morna, was there to contact the population, especially those sitting on the terraces. He received voices of protest and demands for a change in Madeira’s regional government, as well as words of support for his candidacy: “I hope you’re lucky”.
“But you know that luck needs your help,” replied the candidate.
IL also drew laughter from those who saw his face reflected in the mirror that the party has been using to ask: “Do you know who is the only person capable of changing Madeira?”.
“There is a fear that the Liberal Initiative is not in favor of the poor, on the contrary, we know that any of us at some point in our lives will need social support and what we want is for people to need as little social support as possible, so we are in favor of everyone,” said Alícia Teixeira.
As for the need to reduce bureaucracy, the number three on the Liberals’ list pointed out that, on average, when people go to apply for housing or social security support, they are asked for “between 12 and 17 different documents”, criticizing the fact that they are asked for data that the services already have on citizens.
As to whether the request for this data is intended to prevent irregularities, the IL candidate said: “When we have a government [PSD/CDS-PP] that doesn’t accept a transparency portal, that doesn’t accept everything properly, but then asks people for a whole bunch of documents, we’re left wondering who is being fraudulent here, whether it’s the government or whether it’s bad faith on the part of the government towards people.”
Madeira’s legislative elections are taking place with 14 candidates vying for the 47 seats in the regional parliament, in a single constituency: ADN, BE, PS, Livre, IL, RIR, CDU (PCP/PEV), Chega, CDS-PP, MPT, PSD, PAN, PTP and JPP.
The early elections take place eight months after the most recent regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic dissolved the Madeiran parliament, following the political crisis triggered in January, when the leader of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was made an accused in a case investigating suspected corruption.
In September 2023, the PSD/CDS coalition won without an absolute majority and elected 23 deputies. The PS got 11, the JPP five and Chega four, while the CDU, IL, PAN (which signed a parliamentary incidence agreement with the Social Democrats) and BE got one mandate each.