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Madeira, Portugal

Latest news and stories from Funchal.

Municipalities in Madeira

Calheta(1)Câmara de Lobos(5)Funchal(243)Machico(10)Ponta do Sol(4)Porto Moniz(1)Porto Santo(21)Santa Cruz(7)Santana(1)São Vicente(6)
Calheta(1)Câmara de Lobos(5)Funchal(243)Machico(10)Ponta do Sol(4)Porto Moniz(1)Porto Santo(21)Santa Cruz(7)Santana(1)São Vicente(6)







  • Calheta(1)
  • Câmara de Lobos(5)
  • Funchal(243)
  • Machico(10)
  • Ponta do Sol(4)
  • Porto Moniz(1)
  • Porto Santo(21)
  • Santa Cruz(7)
  • Santana(1)
  • São Vicente(6)
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Madeira PSD leader threatens to make regional MPs independent

📍 Funchal🏛️ Government#government-policy+2 more

Miguel Albuquerque, president of the PSD/Madeira, warned that deputies elected by the autonomous region to the Assembly of the Republic may become independent if regional demands are not met. Albuquerque criticized the national PSD leadership and stated that the region's current relationship with the central government is unfavorable. He specifically cited changes to the social mobility subsidy (subsídio social de mobilidade) as a primary point of contention.

Miguel Albuquerque is the President of the Regional Government of Madeira and a member of the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD). He has led the regional government since 2015, overseeing the autonomous region's political and administrative affairs.

AD (Aliança Democrática)
  • Leader: Luís Montenegro (Prime Minister)
  • Ideology: Liberal conservatism, pro-Europeanism
  • Coalition: Social Democratic Party (PSD) + CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP)

The Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática, AD) is a center-right coalition primarily composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 89 seats and the CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP) with 2 seats. Together, they form the current minority government under Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

The PSD, despite its name, occupies the center-right of Portugal's political spectrum and has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. The CDS-PP is a smaller Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner.

The AD coalition governs without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation. The coalition has imposed a cordon sanitaire against Chega, refusing formal cooperation with the far-right despite its parliamentary strength, which means it must negotiate with the PS or smaller parties to advance its legislative agenda.

4 sources →19 Apr
Madeira PSD leader threatens to make regional MPs independent

PSD-Madeira amends statutes to extend leadership tenure

📍 Funchal🏛️ Government#psd+1 more

The Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) in Madeira has amended its statutes to remove the 12-year term limit for party leaders. This change allows Miguel Albuquerque to continue leading the party and the regional government. Meanwhile, tensions remain between the regional and national leadership, with Miguel Albuquerque warning that the national PSD leadership may not be welcome at the upcoming Chão da Lagoa event.

AD (Aliança Democrática)
  • Leader: Luís Montenegro (Prime Minister)
  • Ideology: Liberal conservatism, pro-Europeanism
  • Coalition: Social Democratic Party (PSD) + CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP)

The Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democrática, AD) is a center-right coalition primarily composed of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with 89 seats and the CDS–People's Party (CDS-PP) with 2 seats. Together, they form the current minority government under Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.

The PSD, despite its name, occupies the center-right of Portugal's political spectrum and has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. The CDS-PP is a smaller Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner.

The AD coalition governs without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation. The coalition has imposed a cordon sanitaire against Chega, refusing formal cooperation with the far-right despite its parliamentary strength, which means it must negotiate with the PS or smaller parties to advance its legislative agenda.

Miguel Albuquerque is the President of the Regional Government of Madeira and a member of the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD). He has led the regional government since 2015, overseeing the autonomous region's political and administrative affairs.

3 sources →18 Apr
PSD-Madeira amends statutes to extend leadership tenure

Mainland under yellow warning due to rain, Madeira on orange alert for waves and wind

📍 Funchal🚇 Infrastructure🧭 Travel#severe-weather+1 more

The operator of the maritime route between Madeira and Porto Santo has cancelled the Lobo Marinho ship's trips scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday between the two islands.

1 source →7 Apr
Mainland under yellow warning due to rain, Madeira on orange alert for waves and wind

TAP resumes flights to Caracas after security pause

📍 Funchal🧭 Travel🚇 Infrastructure#aviation+3 more

TAP Air Portugal has resumed direct flights to Caracas, Venezuela, following a six-month suspension due to a United States-issued security alert. The resumption marks the airline's 50th anniversary of operating the route, which officials describe as vital for the Portuguese diaspora. TAP plans to increase service in July with a new weekly direct flight to Funchal.

What is TAP?

TAP Air Portugal is Portugal’s flag-carrier airline, founded on 14 March 1945 as Transportes Aéreos Portugueses. It began operations in 1946 with Lisbon–Madrid and quickly opened the long “Linha Aérea Imperial” to Angola and Mozambique, symbolically linking mainland Portugal to its overseas territories. TAP entered the jet age in the 1960s, became Europe’s first all‑jet airline in 1967, and rebranded as TAP Air Portugal in 1979. Nationalised after the 1974 Carnation Revolution, it went through cycles of partial privatisation and renationalisation, remaining a strategic state‑controlled company due to its role in connectivity, tourism, exports, and the Portuguese diaspora, especially to Brazil, Africa, and North America. Today TAP operates an all‑Airbus fleet from its Lisbon hub, marketing itself as a bridge between Europe, Africa, and the Americas and as a key economic and symbolic asset for Portugal.

4 sources →4 Apr
TAP resumes flights to Caracas after security pause

Strong winds disrupt flights at Madeira International Airport

📍 Funchal🧭 Travel🌱 Environment#severe-weather+2 more

High winds have caused significant disruptions at Madeira International Airport (Aeroporto Internacional da Madeira), with at least ten flights diverted and seven arrivals canceled. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) has placed the island under a yellow warning (aviso amarelo) for gusts reaching up to 110 km/h in mountainous areas. Several aircraft were forced to divert to the neighboring island of Porto Santo to wait for improved conditions.

What is IPMA?

IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera) is Portugal's national authority for weather, ocean, and climate monitoring. It produces weather forecasts, issues severe weather warnings, monitors seismic activity, and provides marine and atmospheric data.

IPMA uses a four-level color-coded warning system: green (no risk), yellow (potential risk), orange (moderate-to-high risk), and red (extreme risk). These warnings cover conditions such as heavy rain, strong winds, extreme heat, cold snaps, rough seas, and snow.

Residents should monitor IPMA forecasts during storm season (typically October–March) and heatwaves (July–August). IPMA bulletins are used by civil protection authorities, transport operators, and local councils to make decisions about road closures, school suspensions, and evacuation orders.

Website: ipma.pt

Aviso amarelo (yellow warning) is the second level in Portugal's weather-alert system issued by the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) to signal potentially dangerous conditions like heavy snow or rough seas. When districts are under aviso amarelo, expect travel disruption and take precautions—drivers, boaters and coastal residents in the affected areas should be especially alert.

3 sources →29 Mar
Strong winds disrupt flights at Madeira International Airport

Funchal approves new regulations for short-term holiday rentals

📍 Funchal🏠 Property🏛️ Government#property-market+2 more

The Funchal City Council (Câmara Municipal do Funchal) has approved new regulations for short-term rentals (Alojamento Local or AL) to prioritize permanent housing for residents. New license applications remain suspended until July while the city implements these rules to manage the impact of the 3,600 existing units. Property owners and those seeking housing in the Madeiran capital should be aware of these tightening restrictions.

Local accommodation (alojamento local) means short-term tourist rentals—private apartments, houses or rooms rented for days or weeks—that must be registered and licensed with municipal authorities. Municipalities can suspend or cancel licences (Lisbon cancelled about 6,700 licences in early 2026), so travellers and hosts should check a listing's registration and local rules before booking or offering stays.

1 source →19 Mar
Funchal approves new regulations for short-term holiday rentals

Miguel Albuquerque re-elected as PSD Madeira leader unopposed

📍 Funchal🏛️ Government⚖️ Legal#regional-politics+2 more

Miguel Albuquerque has been re-elected as the leader of the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) in Madeira, receiving 98% of the votes in an uncontested election. Despite being a formal suspect (arguido) in an ongoing legal investigation, Miguel Albuquerque will continue to lead both the regional party and the Regional Government (Governo Regional). Madeira residents should note that he has led the party since 2014.

4 sources →18 Mar
Miguel Albuquerque re-elected as PSD Madeira leader unopposed

Madeira pauses TVDE licences for four more months

📍 Funchal🏛️ Government#tvde-licenses+2 more

The Madeira regional government decided to extend the suspension on issuing TVDE operator licences and endorsements for another four months, following a weekly council meeting led by Miguel Albuquerque. The pause affects those seeking to start or expand app‑based private hire services on the island and keeps the current operators' status quo in place. Drivers and companies planning to operate in Madeira should monitor the regional government's decisions for changes to licensing timelines.

TVDE refers to app‑based private‑hire ride services; the acronym stands for Transporte em Veículos Descaracterizados a partir de Plataforma Eletrónica and covers drivers working for platforms like Uber and Bolt. Drivers are using temporary app shutdowns as a protest over what they say is inadequate regulation and working conditions, so commuters who rely on ride‑hailing during peak hours should expect possible service disruptions next week.

1 source →5 Mar
Madeira pauses TVDE licences for four more months

Madeira airport operations return to normal

📍 Funchal🧭 Travel#flight-cancellations+3 more

Operations at Madeira International Airport were reported as returning to normal after two days of disruptions that cancelled more than 70 flights. ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal reported that all scheduled arrivals between 08:00 and 10:00 landed and only one departure was cancelled, though it kept alerts for weather forecasts. Travellers should still check their airline status and expect last‑minute schedule changes while conditions stabilise. Those flying to or from Madeira should reconfirm flights with carriers and monitor ANA notices.

ANA (ANA Aeroportos de Portugal) is the company that manages Portugal's main airports, including Lisbon Humberto Delgado, Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro, Faro, and airports in the Azores and Madeira. Since 2013, ANA has been owned by the French group Vinci Airports following privatization.

ANA is responsible for airport operations, terminal management, and infrastructure investment across its network. The company has been at the center of Portugal's long-running debate over a new Lisbon airport, with plans for a new facility to relieve capacity constraints at the current airport, which is located in the city center.

Passenger traffic at Portuguese airports has grown significantly, with Lisbon consistently ranking among Europe's fastest-growing airports. ANA's investment decisions and concession terms directly affect flight capacity, passenger experience, and connectivity for residents and tourists.

1 source →28 Feb
Madeira airport operations return to normal

Madeira spends €4.2m on 27 social homes in Funchal

📍 Funchal🏠 Property🏛️ Government#social-housing+3 more

Correio da Manhã reports the Madeira regional government is investing €4.2 million to build 27 social‑housing units (fogos) in Funchal. The project targets local affordable‑housing needs and will affect waiting lists and allocations once completed. Those seeking social housing in Madeira should monitor regional housing portals and municipal notices for application details.

Social housing (habitação social) is housing provided or subsidised by public authorities so low-income households can access affordable rent or ownership. The Madeira government is investing €4.2 million to build 27 social-housing units in Funchal, a local project that increases affordable supply and can reduce waiting lists; those seeking housing should be aware that eligibility normally requires legal residency and income below set thresholds.

1 source →19 Feb
Madeira spends €4.2m on 27 social homes in Funchal

Mainland under yellow warning due to rain, Madeira on orange alert for waves and wind

CNN Portugal6:48 AM, 7 Apr 2026

Funchal City Council approves proposed regulations for short-term rentals

Observador11:50 PM, 19 Mar 2026

Child in coma for three days after ingesting drug-laced gummies

cmjornal.pt17h ago

Chega/Madeira accused of hate by Islamic centre

observador.pt7:01 PM, 30 Apr 2026

Islamic Centre of Madeira files complaint against Chega leaders for hate speech

expresso.pt5:22 PM, 30 Apr 2026

Madeira Islamic Centre files complaints with the Public Prosecutor's Office against Chega officials

cmjornal.pt4:04 PM, 30 Apr 2026

Montenegro dashes hopes for a new Regional Finance Law in 2027

eco.sapo.pt6:38 PM, 29 Apr 2026

Madeiran researchers participate in the Portugal Global Nation Forum

dnoticias.pt6:19 PM, 29 Apr 2026

Four crew members rescued from a drifting vessel in the sea off Madeira

cmjornal.pt1:01 PM, 28 Apr 2026

Madeira government believes second firefighting helicopter will begin operations this year

cmjornal.pt11:08 AM, 28 Apr 2026