ADN Madeira has criticized JPP for continuing to present new proposals for the maritime link between Madeira and the mainland, without explaining the fate of the agreement announced by Élvio Sousa for February 2025. The party accuses JPP of having successively altered its discourse on the ferry, moving from a commercial solution without financial compensation to seeking operators, new routes, public funding, and European support.
"Before a new promise, there is a need to account for the previous one," argues ADN Madeira, considering territorial continuity too important to be a stage for "successive political reinventions." The party acknowledges the legitimacy of seeking support from the Republic or the European Union, given Madeira's status as an Outermost Region, but deems it unacceptable to present each new solution "as if the previous one had never existed."
ADN recalls that in 2024, JPP stated it had found solutions and concluded the connection would be profitable after contacts with Armas Trasmediterránea. In February 2025, Élvio Sousa assured that the partnership for passengers and goods was closed, but ADN claims the partner and conditions were not disclosed. A year later, the discourse reportedly changed again, with JPP advocating for a commercial negotiation with the Canary Islands without financial compensation, and more recently, admitting public funding and seeking operational alternatives.
"If the model has changed, it should be clearly stated. If the agreement has expired, the reason should be explained. If it remains valid, its conditions should be shown," demands the party, adding that if the agreement never had the consistency conveyed to voters, that should also be assumed. For ADN Madeira, the issue goes beyond the ferry process itself and concerns the political credibility of those who presented certain solutions to voters. The party rejects the idea that "the past is gone," arguing that electoral promises are part of accountability.
