"Contact with people has always been very positive, they have welcomed us very well, they recognize the work that has been done over these months in the Legislative Assembly [since September 2023], they understand the importance that PAN has had over these six months and, therefore, we are confident that we will be able to maintain parliamentary representation, which is our goal," she said.

Mónica Freitas was speaking to journalists during a campaign initiative at the entrance to the University of Madeira, in Funchal, where the People Animals Nature candidacy defended the need to "strengthen the quality of education", with a "commitment to training".

The head of the list, who is the sole PAN deputy and signed an agreement for parliamentary action with the social democrats, making the PSD/CDS-PP Regional Government viable, stated that "there is a set of mechanisms that are lacking in education".

"PAN once again reinforces the importance of improving the quality of education and a commitment to training in more areas, because [...] a survey was recently conducted with students and we realized that it is not a question of economic problems that often leads to demotivation and dropping out of degrees," she said, before explaining: "In fact, there is another problem that has to do with the need for a better range of training courses, [...] internships to have direct contact with companies and the job market".

The PAN candidacy also advocates more support for the construction of university residences and warns that it is not only students from outside the region who require them, but also young people from Porto Santo and rural areas of Madeira with little public transport.

The Madeira legislative elections are taking place with 14 candidacies competing for the 47 seats in the regional parliament, in a single electoral constituency: ADN, BE, PS, Livre, IL, RIR, CDU (PCP/PEV), Chega, CDS-PP, MPT, PSD, PAN, PTP and JPP.

The early elections are taking 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 the leader of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was made an official defendant in a process in which suspicions of corruption are being investigated.

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

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