Luís Graça has been elected leader of the regional Socialist Party in the Algarve, taking over from António Eusébio.
Graça says he promises to make the regional party more lively, "with lots of debates, to get out of his comfort zone and to go and listen to people, civil society, business associations and unions."
Graça also points to all the good things the government has achieved, especially in economic terms and to promote employment, “In the Algarve, at this time, we are already in a phase of almost full employment, a situation very different from the one we were in two years ago."
The socialist also points out as a positive, the investment made by the French company, ANA, at Faro Airport and the renovation of the western part of the EN125, although he admits the need for some rethinking on the miles of bollards down the centre of the road to thwart any overtaking and faield to mention the dangerous, crumbling eastern section.
The issue of mobility includes, according to Graça, the tolls on the Via do Infante.
In a move guaranted to bring early failure, Graça says he is going to put pressure on the government to reduce the tolls by "about 30% for most vehicles, which could be as much as 50% for goods and trade vehicles," but failed to mention how this would be achieved.
These toll reductions, says the politician, are part of an objective that he intends to achieve in the short term, but admits that, "there is still no way to do what would be fair, which is the abolition of tolls."