Madeira's regional government president, Miguel Albuquerque, spoke at the 30th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions (RUP), which brought together leaders of the nine regions to discuss shared priorities and challenges.
As the European Union faces economic, political and military threats and a shifting international order, Albuquerque argued that global pressures must not push cohesion, citizens' concerns and regional specificities into the background. He said the next 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework should provide adequate funding and not fall below current levels.
He pointed to agriculture, fisheries, dependence on tourism and on air and sea transport as persistent challenges, welcomed the Commission's new strategy for the regions, and insisted it must be backed by concrete action, including systematic use of Article 349 of the TFEU. He also took over the rotating presidency of the conference.