"Our commitment is to build 1,500 houses by the end of the next term of office," said the also outgoing president of the Regional Government at a housing development in the parish of Caniço, in the municipality of Santa Cruz, a visit included in the electoral campaign.

The approximately 1,500 houses indicated include 613 affordable rent units that the PSD/CDS executive -- currently under management -- has under construction and another 200 that it already plans to build by the end of 2026.

"Then, our commitment is to build another 695 houses in the next term of office in the controlled cost modality, that is, through the concession of land by the [Regional] Government or public entities, with reduced VAT," he added.

The also social-democratic leader of Madeira added that in this case there is "the possibility, through this modality, of putting the houses on the market at prices 35% lower than the market value".

Miguel Albuquerque took advantage of the fact that he was in the municipality of Santa Cruz, governed for 11 years by Juntos Pelo Povo, to point out that this party, throughout this time, "has not built any houses" and "has not even had the capacity to apply for the Primeiro Direito, under the PRR [Recovery and Resilience Plan], which allowed the municipalities to build housing".

In Caniço, he indicated, the Regional Government is building 84 units.

Questioned about criticisms from several opposition parties about exaggerations in his announcements, the head of the list declared that his promises "are accounted for and are consistent", just as "they are all feasible" and "sustainable from a financial point of view".

The PS/Madeira, he added, would need "two budgets" to fulfill all the promises of its leader and head of the list for the elections of May 26, Paulo Cafôfo.

Albuquerque was also confronted with a song sung today at the Bloco de Esquerda lunch-rally. "If Albuquerque has no sense, you work more than necessary, vote for Roberto, vote for Roberto. It's to vote, it's to vote, to change this", sang the Bloquista entourage, in an adaptation of the song "O corpo é que paga", by António Variações at that meeting.

The candidate argued that, "unlike the Bloco de Esquerda, which defends totalitarian ideologies and authoritarian states", he is a social democrat who defends "freedom and pluralism".

"Unlike the communists who, where they reigned, had dictatorship and, above all, the non-existence of freedom. I am a defender of political freedom, unlike the communists", he concluded.

Fourteen candidacies compete for the 47 seats in the regional parliament: ADN, BE, PS, Livre, IL, RIR, CDU (PCP/PEV), Chega, CDS-PP, MPT, PSD, PAN, PTP and JPP.

The early elections take place eight months after the most recent regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic dissolved the Madeiran parliament, following the political crisis triggered in January, when Albuquerque was made a defendant in an alleged corruption case.

In 2023, the PSD/CDS coalition won without an absolute majority and elected 23 deputies. The PS won 11, the JPP five, the Chega four, while the CDU, the IL, the PAN (which signed an agreement on parliamentary incidence with the social democrats) and the BE obtained one mandate each.

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