With ‘right to housing protestors’ calling for ‘participation’ in a new protest scheduled for Lisbon on Saturday, president of the government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, has said the equivalent of ‘enough already!’
Constructive dialogue is a more effective way to address the crisis than demonstrations, which he claims the extreme left (Communist Party and Bloco de Esquerda) are exploiting.
“It is always the Communist Party, which has faded from the scene, and the Bloco lot who organise (the demonstrations), just to make their presence felt,” he said, suggesting that the extreme left’s objective is “to replace parliament with the streets”.
Albuquerque, also leader of the PSD’s regional branch, spoke at the opening of a private housing block in Câmara de Lobos, a municipality bordering Funchal to the west.
“Any demonstration is legitimate. However, the communists’ approach to this situation is obvious, and everyone can see it,” he said – referring specifically to the protests taking place on the mainland.
The head of the Madeiran government considers housing to be a legitimate cause, and emphasises that the solution lies in greater public investment – highlighting the projects currently underway in the region, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) to the tune of €175 million, as well as the various rental and home-buying support schemes created by the Regional Government.
“The crisis is resolved through constructive action rather than through camps, littering gardens, insulting the police, and defacing public spaces,” he said.
As for Madeira, the luxury property market continues to have “a strong presence”, with a “wide-ranging impact” on the regional economy, particularly within the construction industry.
“Today we have the capacity to develop high-end, high-quality property here, thanks to our workers and our companies, because most of the work is carried out by technicians, workers and companies from Madeira,” he said, adding: “This has a fundamental impact on the growth of our economy, the growth of businesses and wages.”
Source: LUSA
Natasha Donn
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.