The presidents of the parliaments of Azores and Madeira, Luís García (PSD) and José Manuel Rodrigues (CDS-PP), respectively, demand an urgent review of the Finance Law of the Autonomous Communities, considering that the current legislation is “unfair and outdated.”
The position of both was expressed this Sunday, in a joint statement, after a meeting they held on Saturday in Lisbon, where they reaffirmed “the urgency of a constitutional review that reinforces the power of regional autonomies and the cohesion policy of the European Union ”. .
Defending that it is urgent to review the Finance Law of the Autonomous Regions, the presidents of the parliaments of Azores and Madeira described the current legislation as “unfair and outdated” and affirmed that the State must assume “the costs of sovereignty in the archipelagos and the costs derived from insularity, as stipulated in the Constitution.”
In this sense, the presidents of the Legislative Assemblies of the Azores and Madeira demand a constitutional review “that deepens and broadens the powers of the autonomies, that is, their competencies”, and defend the maintenance of the subsidiarity of the European Union.
In a statement, José Manuel Rodrigues (CDS-PP), who is also president of the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), and Luís García (PSD), who is a member of its CALRE Permanent Committee, express their concern by the announced a reform of the cohesion policy of the European Union “that could call into question the principle of active subsidiarity.”
“Centralizing operational programs, decisions and management of community funds in the States and European institutions is an unacceptable setback in the decentralization process and in the powers of the regions,” they say.
The presidents of the parliaments of Azores and Madeira also affirm that “the regions have been the basis of European construction and any change must aim to strengthen them and not weaken them.”
“The Legislative Assemblies will continue on the path of strengthening institutional and political relations between the Azores and Madeira and united in defending the expansion of their powers and competencies within the framework of the Constitution and in defending the rights of the Azores. and Madeirans within the Portuguese nation. “, reinforce Luís García (PSD) and José Manuel Rodrigues (CDS-PP).
On October 27, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro (PSD) promised a new Regional Finance Law that guarantees “fairness and predictability”, arguing that the executives of the Azores and Madeira do not have to wait for the condescension of the Republic.
“This is our path. It is the path towards financial sustainability that we want to be reflected in a new Regional Finance Law, which today we are already working with governments, that provides justice and predictability,” revealed Luís Montenegro, at the closing of the 26th. Congress PSD/ Azores, in Ponta Delgada.
Montenegro defended that transfers to the autonomous regions should be based on “predictable rules, regardless of the political force” leading the Government of the Republic.
In this context, the Prime Minister announced the holding of a summit between the governments of the Republic, the Azores and Madeira, scheduled for November 12 and 13, on the Azorean island of São Miguel, but which was postponed until “the opportune date for the three governments” due to the motion of censure presented by Chega to the Madeira executive.
Source: Observadora
