"The results are easy to interpret. We are the party that was chosen by the people of Madeira to govern", said Miguel Albuquerque, to then reinforce: "we are available at this moment to undertake what the population needs, which is a government with stability, that approves the Budget and the Government program until July [...] and it is fundamental that this happens."

Albuquerque, also the outgoing president of the PSD/CDS-PP executive, was speaking to journalists at the party's headquarters, in Funchal, where he made the first declaration of victory.

The PSD today won the early legislative elections with 36.13% (49,103 votes), according to the final provisional results released by the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration, electing 19 deputies, out of a total of 47 that make up the regional parliament, one less than in the 2023 elections, in which it ran in coalition with the CDS-PP.

The PS was the second most voted party (21.32% - 28,981 votes) and kept its 11 deputies, the JPP established itself as the third force in the region (16.89% - 22,958 votes) increasing from five to nine representatives, Chega elected four deputies (9.23% 12,541 votes), the lowest number of elected officials in 2023, the CDS-PP (3.96% - 5,384 votes) went from three to two deputies, while the IL (2.56% - 3,482 votes) and the PAN (1.86% - 2,531 votes) each kept one deputy.

"We are available to govern with all parties with parliamentary seats", said Miguel Albuquerque, excluding, however, the socialists.

"Obviously, the PS, at this moment, is not a solution", he stated.

The social-democratic leader stressed that he is available to dialogue in a "framework of stability and accountability to citizens", emphasizing that the PSD does not have "the arrogance or the pride of power" and that the power conferred to them "is something that must be used to serve the population".

However, he did not mention any specific party, nor did he indicate whether he intends to govern in a minority, negotiate a government agreement or a parliamentary agreement.

"I hope, when I get to the representative [of the Republic for Madeira], to have a more stable framework. Now, this will not depend only on me, because dialogue has two ways and responsibility is not only of the PSD", he said.

Miguel Albuquerque classified as "extraordinary" the fact that the party continues to win elections after 48 years of Government in the autonomous region, since 1976, and considered that, despite the loss of the absolute majority, signaled for the first time in 2019, the "wear and tear was residual".

"I thank the people of Madeira and Porto Santo, after 48 years, for continuing to trust our party. It is a sign that we govern well and it is a sign that we govern in favor of the 'res publica' and the sense of the people", he said.

He also drew attention to the circumstances in which these elections took place, referring to the political crisis resulting from the process that investigates suspicions of corruption in the archipelago, in which he was named a defendant, which led to the fall of the PSD/CDS-PP government, in office since February.

"[The election] was triggered by an investigation, by a stigma on people", he said, to then reinforce: "and even with this stigma -- there is no conviction, it is a stigma -- we go to the polls and had an unequivocal and clear victory."

Albuquerque highlighted the "effort and dedication" of the militants during the campaign, which he said was "very hard and very difficult", with him and his family being attacked several times "in an abject and vulgar way".

The social-democratic leader from Madeira was the first to react to the election result and said he had also spoken to the party's president, Luís Montenegro.

"He congratulated me", he said.

Read Also: PSD wins (without majority), JPP grows, BE and CDU leave. What now, Madeira? (Portuguese version)