The politics of Madeira, Portugal, takes place in the framework of a semi-presidential representative democracy and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Representative of the Republic exercises some reserve powers on behalf of the President of the Portuguese Republic. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in the Legislative Assembly. All government's offices are headquartered in Funchal, Madeira's capital city.
History In the years immediately after the Carnation Revolution in 1974, a small clandestine far-right independence movement – the Madeira Archipelago Liberation Front (FLAMA) – was created in response to the perceived communist threat in the country's central government and carried out several bomb attacks.
The current Portuguese Constitution, in force since 25 April 1976, granted political and administrative autonomy to the Madeiran and the Azorian archipelagoes and turned the local government throughout the country democratically elected. The first election for the Regional Assembly were held in that year. Jaime Ornelas Camacho was the first President of the Regional Government.
Since the archipelago gained political autonomy from mainland Portugal in 1976, the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) has always been in power, winning 11 absolute majorities in a row over 43 years, and until recently it had always ruled most municipalities. From 1978 to 2015, Alberto João Jardim was the sole President of the Regional Government, winning a total of 9 elections. In 2015, former mayor of Funchal Miguel Albuquerque succeeded him. In 2019, for the first time since 1976, the PSD lost its parliamentary majority and was forced into a governmental coalition with the right-wing Popular Party.
Over the more than forty years of autonomy, a few Catholic priests stood out as some of the main political opposition figures against Alberto João Jardim's long-lasting rule, winning seats in parliament and municipalities for far-left (Communist Party and Popular Democratic Union) and centre-left parties (Socialist Party) and gathering disapproval from the Church local authorities.
Legislative branch
Executive branch
Regional elections since 1976 Parties are listed from left-wing to right-wing. + Summary of elections for the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, 1976–2025ElectionUDPBEPCPPEVPSPTPMPTPANJPPPSDCDSPSNPNDILCHTurnout19765.11.822.359.69.51.674.819805.53.115.065.36.54.680.919845.52.715.367.76.12.671.419887.72.016.862.48.22.967.619924.63.022.556.98.12.42.566.519964.04.024.856.97.30.62.365.320004.84.621.056.09.71.72.161.920043.75.527.453.77.02.760.520073.05.415.42.364.25.32.12.260.820111.73.811.56.91.92.148.617.63.32.657.420153.85.511.410.344.413.72.18.849.620191.71.835.81.00.41.55.539.45.80.50.46.355.520232.22.721.31.00.52.311.043.12.68.94.353.320241.41.621.30.90.41.916.936.14.02.69.23.753.420251.11.815.60.61.621.143.43.02.25.54.156.0Source: Comissão Nacional de Eleições
Local government Madeira is divided in 11 municípios (municipalities), with each of these being split into freguesias (civil parishes), which add up to a total of 54. Municipalities +MunicipalityPopulationMayorPartyChair of the MunicipalAssemblyPartyElectionCalheta10,867Carlos Manuel Teles PSDManuel Baeta de Castro PSD2021Câmara de Lobos33,675Pedro Coelho PSDManuel Pedro Freitas PSD2021Funchal104,024Pedro Calado Cristina Pedra PSD.CDS–PP José Luís Nunes PSD.CDS–PP2021Machico19,981Ricardo Franco PSJoão Bosco de Castro PS2021Ponta do Sol8,593Célia Pecegueiro PSCarlos Manuel Coelho PS2021Porto Moniz2,342Emanuel Câmara PSJosé Carlos Conceição PS2021Porto Santo5,202Nuno Batista PSDFátima Silva PSD2021Ribeira Brava12,435Ricardo NascimentoIndependentRita AbreuIndependent2021Santa Cruz45,281Filipe SousaJPPMaria Júlia CaréJPP2021Santana6,711Dinarte Fernandes CDS–PPMartinho Rodrigues CDS–PP2021São Vicente5,143José António Garcês PSD.CDS–PPAires Santos PSD.CDS–PP2021
Parishes Parishes with more than 10,000 inhabitants ParishMunicipalityChair of theCouncilAssemblyPartyChair of theAssemblyPartyElectionSanto AntónioFunchal27,437Ilídio de Castro PSD.CDS–PPRui Santos PSD.CDS–PP2021São MartinhoFunchal26,464Marco Gonçalves PSD.CDS–PPJoão Pimenta PSD.CDS–PP2021CaniçoSanta Cruz23,361Milton TeixeiraJPPLuís GasparJPP2021Câmara de LobosCâmara de Lobos17,978Celso Bettencourt PSDSónia Brazão PSD2021Santa Maria MaiorFunchal13,387Guido Gomes PSJuvenal Rodrigues PS2021MachicoMachico11,249Alberto Olim PSAlexandra Franco PS2021Estreito de Câmara de LobosCâmara de Lobos10,263Gabriel Pereira PSDJosé Abreu PSD2021
See also Madeira (Assembly of the Republic constituency) Politics of Portugal
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