The JPP party, through MP Paulo Alves, responded to statements made by Pedro Calado, former Vice-President of the Regional Government, regarding the destination of wealth generated in Madeira. In an interview with TSF-Madeira, Calado questioned where the economic growth was leading, given that Madeiran families continue to face difficulties in accessing housing and covering basic expenses.
Paulo Alves highlighted contradictions between Calado's current discourse and the policies he helped implement during his tenure in the PSD executive. The JPP recalled Calado's 2019 emphasis on economic growth and investment attraction, but Alves countered that some infrastructure requires maintenance and announced projects remain incomplete, criticizing the prioritization of investments like golf courses over the population's urgent needs.
The JPP MP questioned Calado's shift in discourse, suggesting that acknowledging families' difficulties might be a late realization. Alves noted that Madeira still has a poverty or social exclusion risk rate of 20.5%, affecting approximately 53,000 people, which he finds contradictory to announcements of salary increases and low unemployment rates.
