The campaign for the regional elections of May 26 begins on Sunday and ends on the 24th, but the spaces allocated to advertising placed on the bridges of the streams that cross Funchal, the main city of Madeira, the roundabouts and the accesses are full of messages from the various competitors.

Chega, which elected four deputies in the last regional elections, on September 24, 2023, decided to place small posters on the lighting posts with the message "let's end corruption and positions in Portugal".

In other larger posters, the national and regional leaders of Chega, André Ventura and Miguel Castro, respectively, appear on the lower left and right ends, separated by the motto "Madeira really has to change".

As for the PSD, the majority party in the autonomous region for the last almost 50 years, which broke the coalition of the last regional elections with the CDS-PP and is now running alone, is betting on the photo of the Madeiran social-democratic leader and head of the list, Miguel Albuquerque.

In large posters with orange colours, Miguel Albuquerque sometimes appears alone and smiling, assuring "Always for Madeira".

In other photos, the Madeiran social-democratic leader, who is also the outgoing president of the Regional Government, is accompanied either by a pensioner or by young people, with messages such as "Two thousand elderly people supported with a regional supplement of 960 euros", "Nine thousand students with trips at 65 euros", or even in construction scenarios to recall the promise of "636 new houses in 2024".

In the propaganda of the PS candidacy, the Madeiran socialist leader is the main figure, with Paulo Cafôfo in huge posters with the appeal "Let's turn the page", on a blue background.

But, just like the social democrats, the socialists also diversify scenarios, such as the poster where Paulo Cafôfo appears hugging a pensioner with the message "increase the supplement to 150 euros".

"Free nurseries for all", "increase the island subsidy", "international tender for ferry connection", "lower VAT and IRS", are other promises inscribed on the socialist posters.

Juntos pelo Povo (JPP) also opted for large posters, but all the same and where the colour green predominates. With the image of the head of the list, Élvio Sousa, strategic places were chosen, such as roundabouts, to convey the motto: "This is the moment, forward, without fear".

The CDS-PP, which was PSD's partner in the last two legislatures and is now running for office alone again, also chose to always present itself with the same large poster. With a photo of the candidates flanking the head of the list and president of the Madeiran Christian Democrats, José Manuel Rodrigues, the motto chosen was "responsibility and renewal".

Green is also the predominant colour on the posters of different sizes of the PAN with the regional spokesperson, Mónica Freitas, smiling and highlighting the "force of nature".

In the photos in which she appears next to the other candidates of the party, the also regional deputy makes promises about the expansion of the "public housing offer at affordable prices", the "creation of a single professional and remuneratory statute for the profession of firefighter" and the promotion of "mechanisms for capturing rainwater for use in gardens and green spaces".

The Liberal Initiative (IL) bet on some large posters with the head of the list, Nuno Morna, highlighted, choosing as the main message "making a difference".

With smaller images, the CDU highlights the idea of a "necessary alternative" with a photo of the head of the list, Edgar Silva, alone or with the other candidates.

The Left Bloc (BE) also chose small posters with the photo of the first two names on the list, Roberto Almada and Dina Letra, with appeals to vote for "trustworthy people".

At least in the centre of Funchal, the propaganda of the other candidacies is not yet visible.

The 14 candidacies (13 single parties and a coalition of two parties) plan to spend 949,678 euros on the campaign, according to the budgets consulted by Lusa, with the PSD leading the expenses: 340 thousand euros.

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