Madeira News Blog

(21st August). The last of today’s front page stories : ‘Coelho Says That The Judicial System Is Fascist – The Diário starts a series of interviews with the heads-of-lists. The PND wants a place in São Bento’. So the Diário is going to interview the main election candidate for each party, that should see a few noses growing. Today’s interview is with José Manuel Coelho (aka The Rabbit) of the New Democratic Party, total no-hopers for a seat in the Assembly of the Republic (São Bento), and unlikely to get anything of note in the local elections either (2.08% in the 2007 Regionals). But he is an interesting man, a communist at heart, outspoken, and sometime outrageous. He is probably most famous for producing a Nazi flag and a large clock in the Madeira assembly last year, protesting about the cut in time for opposition speakers, and the ‘methodologies’ of the Madeira government. For that I read his interview, and here is a selection, but I doubt if I will do this with the other 11 parties.

Q : What is the main reason for your candidature ? A : Because I think I will be elected, because the Madeirans people are tired of grey men that pop up every four years just to ask for your vote. After that nothing more is heard from them. The Assembly of the Republic produces laws that are going to worsen the life of the Portuguese. Madeira has a quota of six members in the assembly and the ‘friends’ go off there and leave the Madeirans ‘behind the door’.

Q : Do you believe that you can be elected? A : I believe. It needs around 12 thousand votes and there is much apathy and abstention, especially in greater Funchal. There are many young people disillusioned with politics and that don’t even vote. I know these people and I will address myself to them, door to door. It is possible to get 12 thousand votes.

Q : Will you take a Nazi flag and a clock to the Assembly of the Republic? A : Naturally, the Assembly of the Republic does not pose the same problem of the undemocratic assembly of Madeira, and it would be improper to take out a Nazi flag there. The ALM functions in a fascist manner and only gives two minutes for a member to talk. In the Assembly of the Republic it is different.

Q : Will you continue to defend the communist ideals? A : Yes, I believe the state should intervene in the economy and there must be a scientific organization of society. The market can not be delivered to oneself (?).

Actually, the political section of the Diário today is noticeably very thin, with quality political news stories even thinner.

‘Authorities with more resources for prevention – New security system was presented by Minister Rui Pereira’. The Minister of the Interior contemplated yesterday that the Integrated System for Surveillance, Command, and Control of the Portuguese coast will give security forces more means to prevent and control crime in maritime ports. "The GNR (National Guard) and the Institute of Port and Maritime Transportation (IPTM) have developed over the last few years, close cooperation, which allows the optimisation of state resources and improves efficiencies in marine traffic control and security of the Portuguese coast," said Rui Pereira. The Minister referred to the partnership that now allows the sharing of resources and information between these two institutions. "It is a matter of security of the utmost importance because the sea, that presents opportunities at various levels, is also an opportunity for crime, including organized crime for the trafficking phenomenon, such as piracy, which is widely thought to have been thrown into the garbage bin of history". The two systems involved / shared are the Vessel Traffic System (VTS), a system that ensures the safety of maritime traffic, that detects boats of greater than 30 metres, and also Integrated Surveillance, Command and Control (SIVICC) is intended to ensure internal security and customs along the Portuguese coast. The SIVICC system is able to detect boats of 8 metres at up to 20 kilometres, and provide video images of any boat within 8 kilometres of range. How will this affect Madeira you may ask … I have no idea, but the Diário thought it was worth covering the story.

‘Government approves support of five thousand Euros for the purchase of electric cars’. The government yesterday approved a package of measures to implement the ‘Program for Electric Mobility’, by providing an allowance of five thousand Euros for the purchase of electric cars by individuals. "These are measures to start the program running with electric mobility, the introduction in Portugal of electric cars", said the Deputy Secretary of State for Industry and Innovation, Castro Guerra at the end of the meeting of the Council of Ministers, which approved the law. He stressed that the Program for Electric Mobility will as a matter of principle "focus on the user of the vehicle", ensuring fairness and universal access to charging. Castro Guerra said that electric car owners can be assured that there will be compatibility between different makes and models of cars, and batteries, and charging systems. That’s a relief then, you can imagine the problems caused otherwise, with worrying whether your favourite supermarket has a two pin or 3 pin socket, etc etc., and then the marital arguments about who will push the car home.

‘Assistência Náutica 33º 16º Wins The Tender For The Boatyard At Água de Pena’. The company was prepared to pay more for the right to operate the boatyard and repair and maintenance site beneath the airport runway, and was awarded the contract for 10 years by the Regional Secretary for Social Equipment. The facility is principally for recreational and leisure craft. 9 tenders were submitted, and the other tenderers have 5 working days to contest the decision that selected the company that submitted the proposal considered "most economically advantageous". The company awarded the contract will have to pay a monthly rent of €8,080 for the site of around 14,500 m2, and it was pretty much that value that wiped out the competition. The contract can be renewed up to two times for equal periods.

I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised to find today that there is little ‘normal’ front page news today, just the Spanish royal visit and the Madeira Wine Rally, with the royal couple getting the lion’s share.

(30th July). Main headline today : ‘Filipe Works Out Of The Royal Visit – The visit of the king and queen of Spain starting today on Madeira doesn’t include The Palace of São Lourenço, nor the Forts at Pico and São Tiago, works with a ‘Filipe touch’. Just the old Palace Espiscopal, today the Museum of Sacramental Art, make up the visit. The passing through Madeira is considered historic by the Spanish ambassador in Lisbon, but not so much for the historians. Together with various restrictions caused by the rally, the royal visit is expecting the closure of roads and parking along various parts of the course’. The visit today is seen as important for the exposure of Madeira, but what many might not realise that King Juan Carlos actually lived in Portugal (Cascais), he loves Portugal, speaks fluent Portuguese, and even when in Spain is a frequent visitor to a Portuguese restaurants(s). I am not really clear on the ‘Filipe’ issue, though the monuments mentioned were built in a period of Spanish influence around the time of Filipe II of Spain, something a little sensitive in Spanish-Portuguese history perhaps?

‘Emotion At The End Of The Afternoon – Vinho Madeira gets going at 7h30, with the technical inspections, but the emotion only comes with the super-special on the Avenida do Mar, that starts at 19h30′.  A small timetable then shows that roads in the vicinity are closed from 3pm until 21h45, and gives tomorrow’s route times and road closures. The article then discusses cars and drivers, so not much I can add here in terms of a summary of the article.

Then the Diário did save a small corner for three actual news headlines, one of which is in politics :

‘Electric Cars In 2012 – Inside of 3 years, Madeira will have charging posts for electric vehicles’. Nissan-Renault have already presented the first prototype of an electric car that is to be built in Portugal, but of course it is not much good without ‘juice’. Galp petrol stations and major shopping centres in Funchal will be the first equipped to refuel electric cars, with the buildings of Dolce Vita, Modelo, and Pingo Doce named, along with Galp filling stations. A protocol has been agreed with all parties, which includes 21 regions / cities of Portugal in phase one (until 2010), which includes Funchal but it outside of the timescale of the rest. The initiative will be extended after that. I may be a bit behind with technology, but pulling into a Galp petrol station to refill seems to me something to avoid at all costs. Petrol etc. takes a matter of minutes, but with recharging batteries it is a much longer process, so does one take a sleeping bag or portable hammock? What will the queues be like?

‘Abortions Increase – From 82 in the first 6 months of last year, the number rose to 130 this year, until June. An increase of 58%’. That’s according to data provided to the Diário by the Administrative Office of Health and Social Affairs (IASAÚDE). Likewise the number of consultations about pregnancy terminations was also up from 109 to 159  over the same periods, up 46%. The president of IASAÚDE explains that this could have several meanings. He says that women have more knowledge and confidence on the subject, and are now prepared to turn to the hospital for help, but also admits that there may be other reasons, "which are due to various causes such as economic or social condition of families and women". The abortion law has only been in place less than 2 years, so it is impossible to draw any conclusions. A hospital spokesman said that abortions are now a medical procedure like any other, and are part of the hospital routine in terms of both the consultation and the termination itself.

In other local news:

‘Airport Arrivals To Be Monitored For Gripe A – New arrivals will be checked with a body temperature measuring device’. The regional secretary for Tourism and Transport, Conceição Estudante, explained that the device will permit measurement of the body temperature of passengers landing at Madeira Airport, saying that since the cases for H1N1 swine flu to date were imported "if we identify the situations at the entrance door we reduce the risks and their impact". No start date has been announced, but she said that they are taking the steps for rapid acquisition and installation of the equipment needed.

‘Vinho Madeira With Financial Support From The Republic – The Secretary of State for Tourism makes €100 thousand available for the promotion of the competition’. The idea is to ensure Madeira receives the maximum exposure of the Madeira Wine Rally internationally with TV coverage in over 50 countries. Good idea from Secretary Bernardo Trinidade, who just happens to be Madeiran … strange that it is announced just hours before the event starts though, especially after all that fuss about changing the law to allow tobacco advertising to make up a funding shortfall.

‘More Than 800 Policemen On Duty For The Royal Visit And Madeira Wine Rally – Operation obliges extra controls over traffic movements and parking’. The visit of the King of Spain, added to the requirements to police the rally, is going to stretch the police force here, and the police commissioner has appealed to Madeirans to collaborate, particularly in the areas of Largo do Colégio, Sé, and Rua dos Ferreiros in Funchal.

‘Police Identify Stash Of Cannabis Plants In São Vicente – The investigation led to the arrest of two men’. The two men have been arrested for drug trafficking. Once the police had identified the site where the cannabis was being grown, they staked out the location until they identified the two men. 6 plants were seized with a height of around 70cm. The plants will be analysed in a laboratory and then destroyed. In these hard times perhaps they were just growing them for the hemp to make clothes?

’12 Firemen Extinguish Three Bush Fires -The three fires were in Madalena, Quinta Grande, and Lombo dos Aguiares’. The causes are unknown, but they started yesterday morning. The fire in Lombo destroyed a "vast" area of land, but in all cases no residences were affected. 

(21st July). ‘Threat Of Italy Puts At Risk 30% Of The Companies In Madeira’s Business Centre’. This would be in the ‘Economy’, section, but there is no economy section today for some reason, and the Diário website seems to be having all sorts of problems and mix ups today. Will check again later, but this story continues from yesterday about the new law in Italy that considers Madeira to be a tax haven.

‘Armas With Capacity Sold Out In August – The 5 voyages anticipated for next month are already all sold’. The ferry will bring more than 5,000 tourists on the trips from Portimão in Portugal, to Madeira. The ferry owner Naviera Armas has even been considering putting on a second ferry, but no application has yet been made to the port authorities. 3,400 of the passengers will stop at Madeira, and another 2,000 will go on to the Canary Islands. 

In national news :

‘Electric Cars Give €5,000 – Sócrates announces financial incentives for electric cars’. The prime minister of Portugal announced yesterday that anyone who buys an electric car will receive €5,000 in incentives, or €6,500 if the person delivers their old car to be scrapped. Companies will also receive a 50% tax benefit. He also announced that he is preparing legislation that will compel new buildings to have recharging facilities for these cars in the garages.

(20th July). ‘Massages To Combat Aggression In Schools – Programme for children has come to Portugal’. Just 15 minutes of massage in the day to day routine of younger children, aged 4 to 12, but it could produce benefits for the rest of their lives. Massages given and received by children are part of a new international program to combat aggression in schools, that has now been initiated in Portugal. The programme was created by a Swedish woman and a French-Canadian woman, both professional masseurs, as well as mothers and educators. ‘Massage in Schools’ is being developed "with a huge success around the world" in schools and other places that care for children, to stimulate the capacity for learning, facilitate interpersonal relationships, and combat ‘bullying’ behaviour or threat of verbal or psychological aggression that occurs without apparent motivation. The massages are done clothed, and cover the head, back, arms and neck of the recipient. Adults will just teach the techniques but not actually deliver the massages. So have I got this right … some kid is getting a good kicking by another kid in the playground at school, and the victim, spitting blood, offers to give the bully a massage? Or does the victim in fact ask the bully  for a massage? Can anyone clarify?