José Sócrates Warmly Received On Madeira ; Quinta do Lorde Investigation
It won’t normally happen that you will see two political summaries posted on the same day, it’s just that this new blog will include news from the actual day of publication rather than the day after.
(15th May). The opposition parties in the Madeira assembly have managed to muster sufficient signatures to force an enquiry into the development of Quinta do Lorde. The PS, PCP, BE and PND eventually realised that they had the collective power all the time, and now they have a legal right to see an investigating commission formed. The development was approved some time ago, on protected land (Parque Natural), and has since exceeded its authority in height and in ground space. It was supposed to representative of a typical Madeiran village when it received consent in 2004, but I believe it has risen to 7 or 8 storeys.
There was obviously only going to be one story in today’s news of course … The visit to Madeira yesterday of the golden boy of politics, also referred to as the Travelling Salesman, prime minister Sócrates of course.
(16th May). Yesterday’s main picture in the Diário de Notícias was of Portugal’s prime Minister, Jóse Sócrates swamped by supporter, mostly of the female elderly kind. The headline : ‘Sócrates With Unexpected Support – Surprisingly, Madeirans offered applause, hugs and kisses to the prime minister, to who they referred as a “great man”. Behavior that would counter the normal attacks of Jardim and the PSD-M’. Many people were out on the streets with the PM, and only the trade union USAM protested. Previous poor personal relations were put aside for the visit. Determination was shown in the discussion about the Colombo resort (Porto Santo), and other projects for Madeira received approval. President Jardim, seemingly surprised by the positive reception, said that the PS-M (Sócrates socialists party) summoned support for the PM through the internet. The Diário observes that the ‘rough ride’ just never happened, no whistles or jeers, and aside from one trade union at the hotel where he had lunch, there were no protests, just smiles and warmth. On his relationship with Jardim, Sócrates said “A politician must be prepared to put aside his differences and act with superiority, despite the harshness and abuse of the talk and political debate”. It was not an easy day for the PM to be anywhere, after the news was released that Portugal’s decline in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 1.5 was the worst in the entire European Union, but he even managed to evade that issue.
(16th May). Main headline of the day : ‘Jardim Forgets Benefit – It was a measure presented with grandeur: Jardim promised on 18th March serious assistance to help the unemployed with bank loans. The measure is not even yet approved’. The intention was good, it was an important measure to help those in financial difficulties, and it was along the lines of what was being proposed in Portugal, but what was promised as being ‘in development’ was far from becoming a reality. The decree to take this forward has been ready for weeks. A similar measure to help people paying their rent has already been implemented.
