José Manuel Rodrigues, leader of the CDS and Regional Secretary for Economy, is the guest on the podcast 'Rostos da Autonomia', an initiative by DIÁRIO with the support of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira.
Rodrigues began his career at Jornal da Madeira in 1978, after leading the CDS youth wing. He worked for various news outlets, including the Portuguese News Agency (ANOP) and Radio Madeira Station, before becoming a presenter for RTP-Madeira. He also served as the first regional director of the Journalists' Union in Madeira.
His political career started in 1995 when he accepted an invitation to head the CDS list in the national legislative elections. In 1996, he was first elected to the Madeiran parliament, where he remained a elected deputy from 1996 to 2025. He also served as a Member of Parliament in the Assembly of the Republic in 2009 and 2011, and as a councilor in the Funchal Municipal Chamber.
