Azores Situation Report Wednesday 13th December 2023
President of the Republic schedules regional elections for February 4th.
The President of the Republic announced the dissolution of the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Azores and scheduled early regional elections for the 4th of February, a decision that received a favourable opinion from the Council of State.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made this announcement through a note on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic on the Internet, which reads that the Council of State, heard today, “gave a favourable opinion, unanimously among voters” to the dissolution.
Previously, on the 30th of November, the President of the Republic heard the parties represented in the Azorean parliament, following the implementation of the regional budget for 2024.
Government of the Azores allocates 7.5 million euros to the Azores Tariff in 2024
The Regional Government of the Azores approved the allocation of a budget of 7.5 million euros for the Azores Tariff, in 2024, a higher amount than initially foreseen in previous years.
Created in June 2021, the Azores Tariff allows residents of the archipelago to travel by plane between islands for a maximum value of 60 euros, round trip.
In 2022, the Azorean executive budgeted a maximum amount of 6 million euros for this measure, but ended up increasing it, at the end of the year, to 7.1 million euros.
For this year, 6.5 million euros were initially budgeted, but the amount has already been increased to 8.5 million euros.
The renewal of the subsidy for inter-island transport of sick pets was also approved, which, in 2024, remains set at 50% of the final amount of the price charged by the concessionaire of the air transport service.
Many people still follow tradition in the Azores and buy natural Christmas trees.
Many people still go to Campo de São Francisco, in Ponta Delgada, in the Azores, to buy the traditional cryptomeria tree, which fuels Christmas with its aroma and rivals artificial trees.
Like a pine tree, cryptomeria is more expensive than an artificial tree, but many Azoreans prefer to maintain tradition and have a natural Christmas tree at home