"I know that outside Madeira many people do not expect that the novelty will come from here, but it is from here that the novelty can come and the vote for Livre is the one that can make that difference", he said, stressing that national politics are in "great turmoil".

Rui Tavares was speaking to journalists during a campaign action by Livre, whose candidacy is led by Marta Sofia, in the market of the parish of Santo da Serra, in the interior of the municipality of Santa Cruz.

"National politics are all in great turmoil and great confusion, as we know, there is no great governability", he said, adding: "It is necessary to give a sign of hope to people that a policy of progress and ecology can be carried out with more clarity, with more participation, because what the right has been giving us, whether at national or regional level, is confusion and ungovernability, it is quarrels and tantrums between PSD and Chega, and we on the left have to show that we have more responsibility."

The party intends to demonstrate that it has this responsibility by electing deputies to the regional parliament next Sunday.

"Madeira can give a great surprise to the rest of the country, it can help turn our politics around", said the leader, considering that people have become accustomed "to seeing in Livre a party that, in parliament, when it comes to making opposition, makes opposition in a frank, loyal, honest, respectful, but vigorous way".

Rui Tavares stressed the need for "governance on the left" in the autonomous region, in order "to end gardening and Albuquerquism", in a reference to the PSD leaders Alberto João Jardim, who governed between 1978 and 2015, and Miguel Albuquerque, head of the executive since 2015.

"Madeira needs it, because the vices are old and are being reinforced, because public tenders, large projects are made only to always win the same ones and not so much to turn to the local population", he said.

The spokesman warned, however, that governing in a different way is not about exchanging an absolute majority for an absolute majority, nor a single party for another single party, but "doing politics for the people and in a different way". And Livre assumes itself as "the guarantee of doing things differently".

Rui Tavares also said that this is a "party of convergence" and that it would be "very important for the country" for Madeira to give the "first sign" that it is possible to do politics in a different way, with a fight against the "collusion between economic power and political power".

In the archipelago's elections, there are 14 candidacies competing 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 the leader of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was constituted as a defendant in a process in which suspicions of corruption are being investigated.

In 2023, the PSD/CDS coalition won without an absolute majority and elected 23 deputies. The PS obtained 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 a mandate each.

Read Also: Rui Tavares hopes to elect and contribute to change in Madeira (Portuguese version)