During the commemorative session of the 52nd anniversary of the 25th of April in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, Paulo Cafôfo used his speech to accuse the PSD/CDS majority of systematically blocking opposition proposals. The parliamentary leader of the Socialist Party argued that a mature Democracy cannot treat majority rule as a monopoly on truth and said a majority should govern rather than obstruct. He pointed to the PS’s 51 parliamentary initiatives in the current legislature, which he said account for 44% of all legislative activity produced by parties with parliamentary seats. Cafôfo added that many of those proposals are rejected not on merit, but simply because they come from the Socialist Party, citing the recent fuel tax and gas tax reduction measures debated this week. He also linked the political debate to Madeira’s social problems, listing overcrowded housing, poverty risk, Food Bank dependence, inadequate homes, housing waiting lists, and hospital stays caused by “discharge” issues. The socialist leader warned that Madeira has had the country’s highest inflation for 30 straight months, while the Regional Government’s tax revenue rose by 9.5% in the first months of the year. He ended by saying Autonomy must improve people’s lives and that Madeira does not need one, two, or three Salazars, but rather more Democracy and an Autonomy at the service of the people.
