Manuel Mestre, 51 years old from Faro, businessman in the tourism sector and president of the Surf Club of Faro for 26 years, he has been the head of the list of the Partido da Terra-MPT for the Algarve, to the Legislative Elections of 30 January.
With Manuel Mestre, the series of interviews that the Sul Informação is publishing, with all the heads of the list of all the political forces that are candidates for the constituency of the district of Faro.
To all, and in a logic of equal opportunities, the same questionnaire with 12 questions was sent, in a timely manner.
The answers are, of course, diverse, as will become clear over the next few days, with the publication of all the interviews.
Sul Informação – What are the priorities of your political force for the next legislature for the Algarve?
Manuel Mestre – In the Algarve, we have a serious problem of lack of manpower, especially in hotels and restaurants, so it is essential to attract qualified manpower.
It is also necessary to find solutions for the lack of water in the region.
As for the public transport network, there must be an approximation between the interior of the Algarve and the coast.
It is also necessary to create an alternative to the national road 125, promote the conservation of our coastline, invest in the valorization of endogenous resources, promote the circular economy and defend Health.
SI – What led you to accept being the head of the list for the party or political force you represent?
MM – The answer is simple: I no longer felt represented in the Assembly of the Republic. The only deputy who raised his voice in favor of the Algarve was Dr. Cristóvão Norte. In fact, without wanting to get involved in the PSD's political strategy, I think they shot themselves in the foot.
If I may, if the MPT had all the votes of voters who were unhappy with the situation I mentioned, my election would be guaranteed.
SI – What are the expectations and objectives of your political force in relation to these Legislative Elections?
MM – The expectations are, at least, to be able to elect a deputy in all constituencies.
SI – What remains to be done in the Algarve?
MM – Measure 1 – The Algarve, by itself, has the ideal weather conditions to attract and settle a new population, but it is not enough.
Mitigating this situation involves accelerating the citizenship process for those who immigrate to Portugal, by making renting more affordable, and also by building housing at controlled costs.
For younger families, settlement is boosted by granting them exemptions – for example in the IMI –, ceding municipal land or providing them with credit, at a time when the cost of m2 reaches values that are unaffordable for the country's economic reality.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember the lack of subsidies that promote and defend the birth rate, as well as later make access to day care centers free of charge.
Measure 2 – Lack of water: new ways of capturing drinking water are required, optimizing existing resources, in many cases sufficient, but poorly applied.
The lack of water in the region is a reality, and in the future – not too far away – it may occur with less pressure or with successive cuts in the supply network.
Having, with such favorable geographical conditions, a resource such as salt water, desalination, despite being expensive, must remain a solution on the table and considered as quickly as possible.
Nevertheless, and despite the scarcity of rain, it is essential to enhance the capture of rainwater and water from WWTPs for the irrigation of golf courses and fruit trees.
In the network of cities, it is essential that the loss of drinking water is fought, so that the water table is used to 100%.
For agriculture, we must seek to maximize irrigation systems for better use of resources, subject to climate and all contingencies. Still on this subject, we must also encourage the cultivation of carob, fig and strawberry trees, native species that resist drought and are part of our culture.
Measure 3 – In the Barrocal region of the Algarve, the road network is far from ideal, and is consequently a barrier, in itself, to the settlement of families in these areas.
However, in this regard, the problem of our road and rail network takes on alarming proportions when we talk about the Algarve mountains, especially in the limits of the municipalities. It is therefore essential to create direct links between the barrocal and the mountains, so that these people feel closer to the coast.
Its creation would help to eliminate the lack of manpower, contributing to the settling of families and to the growth and development of the region and of the region: we all know that, without good accessibility, there is no development or settling of populations.
Another thing that is not acceptable is the lack of a rail link with Spain, particularly in a region like the Algarve. I am well aware that this is a huge investment, but if that is always the argument, it should be valid for all regions.
In the future, if that call was high speed and called Faro, Beja, Évora and Lisbon, was certainly an alternative to using the car or plane.
With regard to the latter, it would also be an asset, because it made the connection between airports faster and faster - and leading to a better use of Beja airport and Faro, removing traffic from Lisbon airport, the weight and dependence that are recognized.
Measure 4 – Our coastline is our greatest treasure, but not only for the Algarve, but also for the majority of those who come to us and bring sustenance and wealth to the region.
Therefore, urgent measures are needed to conserve the cliffs and the dune cord, as well as the cleaning and conservation of the beaches.
However, let it be clear that we are against the removal of populations from the islands, through the tearing down of existing buildings, but we will always be in favor of not granting more building permits in the future. There are alternatives in the barrocal, very close to the coast, in need of development, in a sustainable way and without weakening the regional identity component.
Measure 5 – A few years ago, our farmers and fishermen were given subsidies for the felling of trees and boats, and, in many cases, they were not later invested in the sector, causing it to lose competitiveness.
With the development of markets, it is imperative that we turn to land and sea to take advantage of our resources, which, in the end, should not only be a natural design, but a common sense strategy.
Let's see. In 2010, there was a simplification of Promar and Proder, which aimed at attributing a set of support to the development of the primary sector. What effects did it have? What was created? How many entrepreneurs were covered? What impact did it have on the economy?
Returning to the land, with the cultivation of trees such as carob, fig, strawberry, orange and olive trees, would boost the economy by the hand of tradition and the natural culture of our region.
In relation to fisheries, fortunately, the one practiced in our region is sustainable, practiced in small artisanal vessels, not causing a significant impact.
This, indeed, should be defended, due to its direct influence on family economies and not being covered in a general way by measures that seek to limit fishing in large trawlers that decimate species and devastate the bottom.
SI – Health is a deficit sector in the Algarve and in the country. What measures do you recommend to solve the health problems in the Algarve?
MM – The creation of the Hospital Central do Algarve is a priority defended by successive governments, but never implemented by a single one.
It's an electoral buzzword, period.
However, it is not just a matter of building it, but of creating mechanisms for attracting doctors and nurses to the region.
Providing quality, effectiveness and sustainability of resources is, as much as its execution, a priority.
The Algarve has a very large floating population, especially in high season. If we want to establish ourselves as a reference, we must also prepare the region for these population peaks, guaranteeing the quality of life for those who chose the Algarve to live and/or visit.
SI – The previous government advanced with the Decentralization of Competences to the Municipalities. What balance do you make of this process?
MM – I think it is a small step towards regionalization, and it is extremely important to give more power to the Municipalities. Although, in some cases, the funds transferred are not enough, it is the price of having autonomy in the decision. Municipalities are proving that they can do more and better.
SI – Should a future government move forward with Regionalization? Why or why not?
MM – The MPT defends regionalization. The lack of investment in the Algarve region is glaring, as it represents less than 1% of the region's GDP.
The creation of the Administrative Region of the Algarve would provide the region with greater autonomy and efficiency in matters of fund management, facilitating investment, but above all, promoting the correct investment.
SI – In the Assembly of the Republic, resolutions have been passed to end tolls on Via do Infante or, at least, to introduce significant discounts. What do you think about this topic and what solutions do you recommend?
MM – Estradas de Portugal transformed the National 125 into an urban road, in which the last refurbishment was nothing more than an authentic crime to traffic in our Algarve. The successive continuous lines and the 50 km/h limits cause delays in public transport, in the delivery of goods and services and, in many cases, lead to missed flights and, consequently, to a less happy experience for those who visit us. The Algarve's ROI (Return on investment) is certainly affected by this.
The situation on national 125 is therefore unsustainable and, taking into account that removing tolls on the A22 will not be a reality, it is essential to intervene.
The issue of tolls, although it would not solve all the problems that exist, it is true that it would solve some…
An alternative would be the widening which, in the case of the N125, is impossible due to the inherent conditions, making the only alternative the construction of a new road to the north of the A22, with connections to the coast, barrocal and mountains.
The MPT, being an environmentalist party, I know that it could be criticized for presenting this measure, however, and putting people and families first, we have to propose conditions and alternatives that promote and defend their survival, fixation and development.
SI – At the beginning of the current pandemic crisis, the Government announced a specific plan for the Algarve, which never came to fruition. What does Algarve Tourism need to recover from the pandemic?
MM – The last two years have been a veritable merry-go-round of emotions in the tourism sector, with the opening and closing of the economy, the entry and exit of Portugal on the red lists, with uncertainty and the impossibility of planning the different seasons.
What we really need is to get back to normal, then the excellent professionals working in the sector, in connection with a region of excellence, do the rest.
Entrepreneurs are so used to being abandoned by the government that they don't even account for support anymore. If they come, they will be a help, but they will not be decisive. Our resilience and professionalism will continue to be decisive.
SI – In the case of more fractious issues, such as regionalization, tolls on Via do Infante and health, among others, if you are elected, will you vote for the AR according to your conviction, even if it goes against the guidelines of your party?
MM – The MPT was created in 1993 and has a humanist, ecological character, with the family, in all its aspects, as the pillar of society.
It is a party that has no direct connection to any other, so it is governed by the defense of its ideological pillars.
Our biggest advantage is that same independence, guaranteeing the impartiality of our vote in Parliament: we can vote for any party, as long as its proposal meets our ideals, as a party and as people.
What we intend, with our election, is to give voice and reinforcement to the Algarve in the biggest house of national democracy, putting, without fail, the Algarve and the Algarves in first place and never forgetting who elected us.
My vote will always meet the interests of the Algarve, my convictions are unshakable, and when I accepted this mission, I made it very clear to the MPT that I would always vote in conscience.
SI – Do you want to add any more topics or questions?
MM – During the next legislature, we will do everything to ensure that the creation of the Administrative Region of the Algarve can become a reality.
We will stubbornly defend the construction of the central hospital and also the investment in our roads and railways.
That the best of our lands be taken advantage of and that our boats do not stay, as is so often seen, on land.
We will not forget, out of honorable commitment, the creation of a solution for the lack of water and the strategies for fixing and developing populations.
It is necessary to give voice and body to the competence of the Portuguese. Knowing how to value, internally, what is recognized outside. Competence, ability to work, professionalism, dedication, commitment. Everything.
It's time to capitalize on what we are by nature.
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