Filipe Sousa, a Member of Parliament for Juntos pelo Povo (JPP), expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of mention of the Autonomous Regions of Madeira and the Azores during the Prime Minister's State of the Nation debate speech.
Sousa considered the omission, which occurred during a thirty-minute address, a "deeply worrying" political signal that reveals a "centralist view of the country." The MP highlighted that crucial issues such as air mobility, regular maritime connections, the revision of the Regional Finance Law, and compensation for the costs of insularity were ignored.
"Portugal does not end at the mainland's coastline," Sousa stated, emphasizing that the islands "contribute to national development and deserve the same respect." The JPP will not accept Madeirans and Azoreans being treated as "second-class Portuguese" and vows to give voice to the regions whenever the government remains silent.
