"If I am elected, I can assure you that my commitment is not to support any PSD or right-wing government", she said in an interview with the Lusa agency, emphasizing that Livre, the party for which she is running as an unaffiliated candidate, will not support those who "collude" with the PSD and right-wing measures. Marta Sofia Vieira Silva, who is 40 years old (born on November 6, 1983) and is a culture professional, said, however, that she is available to analyze the government programs of the left-wing forces among the 14 candidacies for the early regional elections. "The goal is to elect a free voice to the regional parliament, a voice of protest, of denunciation, but also of proposals", she said, and then added: "People have lost hope, people are skeptical, and what I want is to give hope to these people." The candidate highlighted the party's proposals in three areas that she considers fundamental - housing, health, and ecology - emphasizing that the last 48 years of Regional Government led by the PSD "have hindered the economic and social development" of the archipelago and have caused the "pockets of poverty to perpetuate". "The pressure that families are under at the moment is unacceptable and this compromises a basic right, decent housing", she said. Marta Sofia, who was born in Funchal and currently lives in the municipality of Santa Cruz, in the eastern part of Madeira, believes that real estate speculation makes it difficult for citizens with low and medium incomes to access housing, which is why she advocates for "comprehensive public policies" that include investments in social housing and at controlled costs. Creating regulations to control real estate prices, limiting foreign investment in the sector, establishing quotas between 10% and 20% in new developments for social housing and at controlled costs are some of the measures that Livre defends, as well as increasing public support for renting and buying homes, especially for young people. "The housing crisis is a very serious problem that we have in our region. There must be a way to fight this and it is possible, if there is a will", she said. In terms of health, Marta Sofia believes that after 48 years of autonomous regime, the public service continues to fail, which is why she proposes more investment in human resources and in improving working conditions, emphasizing that this will contribute to attracting and retaining professionals in the region. "If you asked me what I would do with the budget surplus that we have, I would automatically say health and housing, without any hesitation", she said. Another sector that the candidacy highlights is that of ecology, articulated with tourism and sustainability, three areas that, she defended, should "be in harmony" in the autonomous region. "In order to promote sustainability in tourism, it is essential to adopt practices that minimize environmental, social, and cultural impacts and that include the protection of our Laurisilva forest, which is a UNESCO world heritage site", explained the head of the list, adding that "there is no plan B for the natural heritage after it is destroyed". Marta Sofia, who has already been a member of the PEV and the BE, also bets on the promotion of ecotourism and the creation of a regional plan for organic farming, which should stipulate a fixed income for farmers and a reduced Value Added Tax (VAT) (3%) for fully organic products and stimulate the creation of cooperatives. "This would help create conditions so that a goal of at least 30%, in 10 years, of the agricultural area dedicated to organic farming could be met", she explained. In the last regional elections, on September 24, 2023, in which 13 political forces ran, Livre obtained 858 votes (0.65%), out of a universe of 135,446 voters. The early elections on May 26 take place eight months after the most recent regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, dissolved the Madeiran parliament, following the political crisis triggered in January, when the leader of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was named a defendant in a process in which suspicions of corruption are being investigated. In the last two terms, Albuquerque's PSD (which has presided over the executive since 2015) failed to obtain an absolute majority, leading the social democrats to form a coalition with the CDS (2019) and, later, an agreement of parliamentary incidence with the PAN (2023). Read also: Madeira. Chega wants to strengthen representation and will not make agreements with anyone (Portuguese version)