The document was approved by majority, with 23 votes in favor from PSD, five from Chega, two from CDS-PP, and one from PPM, one vote against from BE, and 23 abstentions from PS, one abstention from the IL deputy, and another from the PAN parliamentarian.

The vote on the document in general terms took place in the plenary of the Legislative Assembly, in Horta, Faial Island, after four days of discussion.

The investment plan for 2024 will now be debated in detail, followed by the vote on the Budget presented by the regional executive of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition.

The parliament also approved, by majority, in a final global vote, the Medium-Term Guidelines 2024-2028, with 23 votes in favor from PSD, five from Chega, two from CDS-PP, and one from PPM, 23 votes against from PS and one from BE, and two abstentions from IL and PAN.

The Budget proposal, which defines the strategic lines of the coalition executive for this year, includes an amount of 2,045.5 million euros, similar to that presented in October 2023 (2,036.7 million).

During the debate on the document in plenary, the PS, the BE, and the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition, together with Chega, presented proposals for amendment to restore the normal functioning of the Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo (HDES), in Ponta Delgada, which was hit by a fire on May 04.

The joint initiative of PSD/CDS-PP/PPM and Chega aims to allocate 24.3 million euros to the "recovery and requalification" of the unit, so that it is possible, "in the shortest possible time, to restore normal functioning" (some services have been resumed in the meantime).

Of the 24.3 million euros, the coalition that governs the Azores and Chega intend for 20.6 million euros to come from the State Budget, with the remaining amount transferred from other headings of the regional Budget.

The PS presented an initiative to ensure that the funds allocated to the recovery of the HDES are not redirected to other purposes, which is the only amendment proposal from the socialists.

The BE submitted a proposal for the Regional Government to develop, "within two months, a plan for the modernization, capacity building, and development of the Regional Health Service" for the next three years, which includes an assessment of the needs at the HDES.

In addition to this proposal, the Bloco de Esquerda submitted initiatives on other matters, as did the PAN and the IL.

This is the second time that the coalition Regional Government, led by the social democrat José Manuel Bolieiro, has presented a proposal for an Investment Plan for this year, after the previous one was rejected in the Legislative Assembly, in November, with votes against from PS, BE, and IL and abstentions from Chega and PAN, which led the President of the Republic to call for early elections.

The executive that emerged from the February 04 elections governs the region without an absolute majority in the Azorean parliament and, therefore, needs the support of some parties with parliamentary seats to approve its proposals.

In the February election, PSD, CDS-PP, and PPM elected 26 deputies, falling three short of an absolute majority. The PS is the second largest force in the archipelago, with 23 mandates, followed by Chega, with five. BE, IL, and PAN each elected one regional deputy, completing the 57 elected.

Read Also: Plano e Orçamento dos Açores para 2024 votado hoje no parlamento regional (Portuguese version)