The President of the Government defended the need to find solutions that will strengthen the involvement of Azoreans in the decisions of their collective and democratic life, making them feel as part of the Regional Autonomy.
 
"We need to explore new ways in order to combine several solutions, namely the solutions to bring elected politicians closer to voters and mobilise the exercise of democratic duties with the solutions towards individual accountability and collective accountability, and the solutions to improve the organisation in the decision-making process. We have to be free and more autonomous," said Vasco Cordeiro.
 
Speaking at the opening session of the 1st Daniel de Sá Meeting, held in Ponta Delgada, the President of the Government stressed that the challenge does not depend on anything or anyone except the Azorean people, starting with political actors, either at an institutional level or not, to the citizens who participate in the Azorean collective life by right and duty.
 
"I am well aware, when examining this issue and proposing to change the relation between elected politicians and voters, this is to say that questioning one of the aspects that should be essential to the vitality of our democracy may be also the ground where demagogy, populism and irresponsibility thrive and cause damage," said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government spoke at the opening of a meeting that included a panel on the 40 years of the constitutional establishment of Autonomy.
 
"But this is the challenge and I would say this is the major imperative to which no one can turn their back, otherwise, we would be lowering our arms. This is enough for the emergence of opportunists that can cause irreparable damage to our Democracy and, therefore, to our Autonomy," said Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government emphasised that improving the correspondence between what democracy offers and what citizens expect of it can only be done within the realm of policy and not outside it.
 
According to the President of the Government, the solution is not, therefore, to have less policy, but to have, in the true sense, "more refined and more responsive Policy with increased transparency and less subject to external factors; the latter are perhaps adverse to the clear relation that should be established between representatives and those who are represented."
 
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro also recalled that Autonomy is largely responsible for the substantial improvement of the living conditions and well-being of the Azoreans in the last 40 years. It has also allowed the Azorean people to decide on the use of financial resources and the definition of regional measures and policies.
 
However, the President of the Government defended that Autonomy cannot be regarded, neither by Azoreans nor by their political and institutional actors, like any development plan whose success is only measured by the works carried out or the material comfort they provide.
 
"There are new challenges, not to mention new dangers for which we must be awakened and mobilised. There are new challenges for Autonomy that are not dependent on external aspects or that do not depend, firstly, on any action taken outside the Region," said the government official.
 
"Our Autonomy will be able to thrive and endure in time if it is nurtured and cared for by the Azorean people, who will contribute to its development," defended the President of the Government. According to him, "there has been few times in the past as in the last three years when the perception of the importance of our Autonomy has been quite evident."
 
"The truth is that, although we are not free from the effects of austerity, our Autonomy has helped us to implement measures and policies directed to Azorean families and companies so that they could be better protected and sheltered from the storm that still plagues us," said the President of the Government.