At the latest regional congress of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque argued that the party’s record of victories justified continuity in leadership. The congress then approved changes to the party’s internal statutes, removing the term limits that had been in place since January 2015. Those limits were introduced shortly after Albuquerque took over the party leadership, when the rule capped the position at twelve years, or about three terms. At the time, Albuquerque supported the reform to signal a break with the long rule of Alberto João Jardim and to show that power would rotate more often. The new decision now allows Albuquerque to remain party leader beyond the previous cap and seek re-election indefinitely. The change comes as PSD Madeira’s leadership is affected by investigations that emerged in 2024, with the regional president and the former mayor of Funchal designated as formal suspects in a case involving allegations of corruption and related offences. Albuquerque and Pedro Calado, who was detained in January 2024 and resigned from his mayoral post days later, are both under active investigation, while Albuquerque was not detained because of parliamentary immunity.
