"European integration opened new doors. However, after billions of ecus and euros, either in investment incentives or in the so-called cohesion funds, in the support from the European Social Fund and the so-called income loss and outermost regions aid, we remain one of the poorest regions in this Europe of millions, with poverty indicators growing year after year, even after the so-called new paradigm", said regional deputy Nuno Barata.

The liberal spoke at the solemn session of the Day of the Azores, which this year takes place at the headquarters of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region, in the city of Horta, Faial Island.

According to the sole deputy of the IL, the region "has always had a structural delay that is too great and divergent from its European partners, and what are the Union's multiannual development plans, the financial perspectives and the strategic objectives do not constitute an agenda compatible with what the region still needs most".

The European funds, he said, were used "not with the intention of filling gaps, not to do what had to be done in terms of convergence, not with strategic objectives and in investments that were necessary, but rather to do what the funds allowed and do everything that gave votes".

In his speech, Nuno Barata also stressed the urgency of reversing the region's debt trajectory.

"It is necessary to introduce budget control mechanisms to ensure that the debt does not grow at the rate it has been growing, under penalty of the region having to resort to a third financial bailout, which will always result in a loss of its autonomy", he defended.

The deputy recalled that in 2021, at the same rostrum, he said that political and administrative autonomy "will be all the greater and deeper the greater and stronger" the region's financial autonomy.

"However, in order to operate these changes, it is not enough to deepen the regime, its competences and its institutions or the allowance embodied in a new law on the financing of the autonomous regions", he said.

In his opinion, "it is essential to operate different policies, more daring, more liberal, capable of boosting the production of tradable goods and, with that, the creation of more economy and, consequently, more employment and social well-being".

The celebrations that are taking place today in the city of Horta are a joint organisation of the Legislative Assembly and the Regional Government, following the institution of the Day of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, in 1980, to commemorate the Azorean identity and autonomy.

The date, a regional holiday, is celebrated on the Monday of the Holy Spirit.

At the solemn session, 31 Azorean honorary insignia will be awarded, which aim to distinguish citizens and entities that have distinguished themselves "for personal or institutional merits, acts, civic deeds or for services rendered to the region".

Two autonomous insignia of value, 10 autonomous insignia of recognition, two of professional merit, three of industrial, commercial and agricultural merit and 14 autonomous insignia of civic merit will be awarded.

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