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.
Madeira PSD leader threatens to make regional MPs independent
Sunday, 19 April 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
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.
- 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
- PSD Madeira deputies may become independentCorreio da Manhã ·
- Miguel Albuquerque says that autonomous regions are a “great deal” for the Portuguese StatePúblico ·
- Albuquerque attacks PSD: "We do not walk on our knees"Observador ·
- Albuquerque warns that Madeira MPs may become independentRTP Notícias ·
