Regarding Célia Pessegueiro, who this Sunday became the first woman to lead PS-Madeira, Alberto João Jardim did not limit himself to arguing that the former mayor of Ponta do Sol “has a CV that deserves civic respect”. He also gave her advice, writing that the new secretary general “will have to understand who she counts on and not waste time with the ‘caviar left’ or ‘communes'”.
“It will have to be her and not an instrument of others”, wrote the historic social democrat, who foresees “a big test” for Célia Pessegueiro, as she must “self-assess whether she has a credible status to be a candidate for president of the Regional Government of Madeira” and “take on the fight for autonomy”. Otherwise, highlights Alberto João Jardim, “it will be PS more of the same, mixed with the folkloric pseudo-left”.
But also the previous socialist leader, Paulo Cafôfo, who in the 2019 regional elections was just over five thousand votes short of what would be an unprecedented victory for his party in the autonomous region. – after having managed to win the Chamber of Funchal in the 2013 and 2017 municipal elections -, he deserved praise from Alberto João Jardim.
“He worked for democracy and autonomy. I bear witness to this, despite ideological differences. These people have to be respected, unlike the clowns who wanted to impose totalitarian regimes again”, wrote the man who led the Autonomous Region of Madeira between 1978 and 2015. Without forgetting to highlight that Cafôfo “had the misfortune of joining a party that, in Madeira, self-destructed since the 25th of April, when he sided with the communists, while Mário Soares was fighting them, and even more extreme ones”.
In recent years, PS-Madeira has shown signs of crisis that culminated in the second departure of Paulo Cafôfo, who was a regional leader before taking over as Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities. In the regional elections on March 23, 2025, the party was only the third most voted, with 15.64% and eight deputies, losing the opposition leadership to Juntos pelo Povo, which had 21.05% and obtained 11 mandates in the Regional Legislative Assembly.
The negative trend for PS-Madeira continued in the local authorities, as not only did Célia Pessegueiro fail to win re-election in Ponta do Sol (leaving Machico and Porto Moniz as the only socialist municipalities), but the party was relegated to fourth position in Funchal, behind the PSD-CDS coalition, Juntos pelo Povo and Chega.