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MEP and leader of the Left Bloc (BE), Catarina Martins, is in Madeira this Friday on an election campaign, where she denounced the increase in the cost of living in the Region and criticized the actions of the Regional Government led by Miguel Albuquerque.
During her speech, Catarina Martins highlighted that inflation in Madeira has been particularly severe, heavily penalizing Madeirans.
In Portugal, people already put less in their shopping carts than in the rest of Europe with the salary they earn. But in Madeira, there is still less than on the mainland, warned the MEP, reinforcing that this reality demonstrates the even more intense impact of the economic crisis in the Region.
Catarina Martins criticized the speech of the President of the Regional Government, who insists on highlighting Madeira’s economic growth.
“Miguel Albuquerque says the economy is doing so well… But for whom is it doing so well? For those who can buy less and less with their salary? For these people, the economy is not doing well at all,” he said.
The Bloco leader argued that Madeirans do not want to depend on social programs that, in her opinion, are insufficient to face real difficulties.
People don’t want to live on crumbs or walk around with their hand out. What they want is fair wages and fair prices that allow them to go to the supermarket and buy what they need, he stressed.
Catarina Martins took the opportunity to highlight the role of the Left Bloc in Madeira, praising the work of regional deputy Roberto Almada and regional coordinator Dina Letra.
People realize how much the Left Bloc is missed in the Regional Legislative Assembly. Roberto has been the voice of those who work, the voice of the fight against corruption, and he has been sorely missed, she said, also highlighting Dina Letra’s work in defending concrete measures to improve people’s lives.
The MEP also took the opportunity to criticize the Regional Government, stating that it is not sustainable for Madeira’s leadership to be marked by figures involved in legal proceedings.
“We cannot have a Regional Government made up of defendants”, she said, defending the need for early elections to guarantee political stability and respect for democratic institutions.
Catarina Martins also warned about the national political context, referring to the management government led by Luís Montenegro. The Bloco leader appealed to the President of the Republic to maintain strong scrutiny over the decisions that may be taken during this period, recalling the controversial privatization of TAP carried out by the government of Pedro Passos Coelho.
“It is essential that this government does not make decisions that it cannot make”, warned Catarina Martins.
The Left Bloc continues its campaign in Madeira, focusing its speech on defending measures that guarantee greater economic and social justice for families in the region.