Presidential changeover in the Madeira region

The President of Madeira, founder of ORU-Fogar, leaves the regional government after 37 years.

The elections for the Legislative Assembly in Madeira were held last 29th of March, and for the first time, Alberto João Jardim, regional president for 37 years, didn’t run as candidate. 

With the Carnation Revolution and the arrival of democracy, Portugal promoted the creation of two insular autonomous regions: Azores and Madeira, enshrined in the Portuguese Constitution of 1976. Then, in 1978, Alberto João Jardim, from the Social Democratic Party PPD became the regional president, and won 10 regional elections since then. 

On the 7th of February 2007, president Jardim was one of the founder of ORU-Fogar in Marseille, so that the Autonomous Region of Madeira, just as the region of Azores, is one of the eldest and more loyal members of the organization.  He was also cofounder of the Assembly of European Regions (ARE) and president of the Conference of Peripheral Regions in the EU between 1978 and 1996.

Miquel Albuquerque, also member of the Social Democratic Party, shall succeed president Jardim. 

The president of the United Regions Organisation, prefect Paúl Carrasco, has sent a letter congratulating the new president and a letter of appreciation to president Jardim to thank him for his militancy in favour of regionalism.