Azores leader speaks on autonomy at University of Madeira

José Manuel Bolieiro, president of the Government of the Azores, delivered an open lecture on "Autonomy and Centrality" at the University of Madeira on 28 September. The lecture was part of the master's degree in Education and Community Development.

He said autonomy went beyond the existence of self-government bodies and that islands could produce knowledge and contribute to national and European decisions.

Bolieiro said the Azores and Madeira need support for development and are regions of opportunity for the Atlantic dimension of Portugal and the European Union.

According to a note from the Azorean executive, the lecture examined the relationship between political autonomy, knowledge and decision-making capacity. It said the two archipelagos should contribute to policies rather than only receive policies defined in decision-making centres.

The session was part of initiatives by the University of Madeira's master's degree in Education and Community Development, directed by Liliana Rodrigues. It was attended by rector Sílvio Fernandes, regional secretary for Education, Science and Technology Elsa Fernandes, regional secretary for Economy José Manuel Rodrigues, deputies, academic community representatives and other entities.

Bolieiro revisited the historical path to the current autonomy model, which he said arose from demands for decentralisation and a desire to overcome the islands' "abandonment, isolation and lack of understanding" of their Atlantic reality. He added that defending autonomy requires a permanent stance against centralising tendencies. The session took place in the year marking 50 years of autonomy.

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