"We will present, at the very beginning of the works at the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, a project in which we put to the Government the possibility of the Regional Government, whatever it may be, guaranteeing the payment of tuition fees to students at the University of Madeira, because not having the guardianship of the University of Madeira, it has the social responsibility to help the families of these students, many of whom have great difficulties", said Roberto Almada.

The head of the BE's list for the early elections of May 26 was speaking on the sidelines of a campaign action at the University of Madeira, in Funchal, where he approached university students and teachers, some of them acquaintances, and handed out leaflets with the "reasons to prefer the deputies of the Block" and pens with the party's symbol, in a caravan of eight people, with flags of various colors.

These gifts were accepted by the young students with some indifference, some receiving them without saying anything and even without removing their headphones, but also with sympathy from others: "Ah, it's the Left Bloc, I like this one".

On this fifth day of the electoral campaign, the BE considered "unacceptable" the circulation of a manifesto of support for the PSD in regional secretariats for the signature of employees, a situation that it will report to the National Electoral Commission, also denouncing the "illegal" communiqué of the Madeira Public Service Workers' Union, which says that, because there are elections and the Regional Government is under management, the national strike scheduled for Friday "cannot be applied to the Autonomous Region of Madeira".

Regarding the abolition of tuition fees, which for the academic year 2023-2024 have a maximum value of 697 euros in public higher education, Roberto Almada defended that, given the refusal of the Government of the Republic to move forward with this measure, "the Regional Government of Madeira must come forward", benefiting students with tax residency in the region, regardless of the university in the country they attend.

In this context, the BE candidate regretted the intervention of the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, on May 6, at the ceremony of the Day of the University of Madeira, in Funchal, in which he defended that the financing of Portuguese universities should be independent of political cycles, because they are increasingly unstable, and their development should involve partnerships with public and private entities.

"We find it strange that the PSD/Madeira, which is so quick to criticize the Government of the Republic, which is so quick to allegedly come to the defense of the region, has not said a single word about this statement by the minister, which undermines autonomy and our university", declared the BE candidate, also criticizing the silence of the PS and Chega.

Roberto Almada added that the BE in the Assembly of the Republic will question the minister about the possibility of increasing funding for the University of Madeira and the University of the Azores, because they are located in the outermost regions of the European Union, and in island regions, "where financial problems are naturally greater".

The Madeira regional elections are taking place with 14 candidates 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.

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 of parliamentary incidence with the social democrats) and the BE each obtained one mandate.

Read Also: Elections/Madeira. CDU appeals for a vote that will not be betrayed or passed on (Portuguese version)