The mayor of Tavira Jorge Botelho was elected this Monday as the new president of AMAL – Algarve Intermunicipal Community, at the first meeting of the Intermunicipal Council, the body that brings together the 16 mayors of the Algarve. The entity returns to having a socialist president, after the PS had guaranteed the presidency of 10 of the 16 Municipal Chambers of the Algarve in the elections of 29 September.
Jorge Botelho, speaking to the Sul Informação, talks about continuity and defending the region. “You can be sure that they will have an AMAL president who uncompromisingly defends the interests of the region. Defending does not mean shouting louder, but having ideas and proposals to present in the right places and at the right meetings. But, above all, to have the belief that the region is being defended on behalf of all municipalities», he said.
«What I will star will not, in any way, be a partisan vision of AMAL. Parties are important, but once the elections are over, we must all work for the Algarve, without partying, assuming our ideas, beliefs and values, but with the discernment of defining common goals. In this line, there will be a certain continuity of what AMAL has been in its history», he said.
As for the style he will impose on AMAL's leadership, the Tavirense mayor warned that it will be “certainly different” from his predecessor Macário Correia, but says that the general objectives are maintained.
“We can expect a responsible attitude from the new AMAL leaders, in line with what has always been done. People change, the style will certainly change, but we continue to play a role in AMAL to affirm regional causes. that's what it is
Fundamental,” he said.
The newly elected mayor of Loulé Vítor Aleixo also speaks of defending the interests of the region and applauded the choice of Jorge Botelho. «I have no doubts that AMAL is better delivered, as it is chaired by someone who will imprint a substantially different leadership style, in the sense of being attentive to the issues, sharing with his colleagues all the causes of the Algarve and taking the decisions that affect the region», considered the mayor Louletano.
Vítor Aleixo spoke of the election of Jorge Botelho in an interview given to the radio program “Impressões”, jointly promoted by the Sul informação and by Rádio Universitária do Algarve, a conversation whose highlights can be seen in our newspaper and which can be heard in its entirety tomorrow, Wednesday, at 19 pm, on RUA FM (102,7 FM).
«AMAL has hitherto limited itself to managing funds. It was a purely technical-administrative political instance. But I think we are at a pivotal period, in which we have to be aware that the political agenda will change a lot in the coming years. AMAL will have to be much more political than administrative. We must have the capacity to put our foot down and go against the Government's policies when they manifestly harm the citizens of the Algarve», he defended.
Vítor Aleixo gave the example of the introduction of tolls on Via do Infante, which «has greatly harmed the lives of people and companies», a subject that Jorge Botelho also elected as a priority for the mandate that is now beginning.
The new president of the entity that brings together the 16 Algarve municipalities gave several examples of matters that will have to be discussed within AMAL, from the outset "administrative decentralization and the issue of public services, namely Finance and Health", but also the A22, “the funds of the next Community Support Framework, water, mobility and health”.
«Surely, we will have an AMAL that is sufficiently demanding and interventionist to be able to affirm what we want», believes Jorge Botelho. The management team he leads is completed by the members José Amarelinho, mayor of Aljezur (PS) and Rui André, mayor of Monchique (PSD).
Comments