The Funchal Municipal Assembly approved on Tuesday, by majority, the sixth amendment to the 2026 budget. The proposal received 29 votes in favour, five against from Chega and seven abstentions from JPP.
The debate was marked by opposition criticism of cuts to several budget lines, including garden maintenance, urban hygiene, animal welfare and social transport for the elderly. The execution of the Habitar programme, which had an initial 500,000 euro allocation this year, was postponed to 2027.
Mayor Jorge Carvalho said a ministerial order published on 13 October required the housing support regulation to be revised, making it unlikely the programme will be operational this year. He guaranteed two million euros for Habitar in 2027 and a 3.8 million euro envelope for the parish councils.
