The municipal group of Chega (CH) voted in favour of the 7th ‘amending’ amendment to the Budget of the Funchal City Council (CMF), during the meeting of the Municipal Assembly, held on Wednesday, the 26th of November.
In a statement, the party points out that this was an “essential decision to guarantee the continuity of the eGames Lab project and to prevent the loss of European funds already approved for the municipality.”
“This vote is in no way a vote in favour of the executive. It is a vote for the people of Funchal. We are in the Assembly to defend the interests of the population and not to play partisan games. We will not be complicit in the loss of a single euro of European funds that are already guaranteed for the Funchal,” maintained the leader of the municipal group, Maria do Carmo Gomes.
Maria do Carmo Gomes also underlined that “this change is exclusively technical and results from the national extension of the deadlines of the RRP, not representing any increase in expenditure, any impact on taxes or any additional risk for citizens.”
“What is at stake is simply the reprogramming of funds for 2026, ensuring that the eGames Lab maintains European funding,” she clarified.
The municipal deputy regretted the opposition’s abstention. “The PS, the JPP and the Liberal Initiative demonstrated today that they cannot see beyond their own party concerns. They washed their hands when Funchal needed them. This is not democracy. A true opposition does not hide, does not flee and does not turn its back when European funds are at risk.”
The municipal leader also pointed out that the eGames Lab “represents a decisive investment for the technological future of Funchal, creating real opportunities for young people in areas such as programming, multimedia, creative industries and digital innovation, contributing to diversifying the economy of the city and opening doors to new sectors with greater added value.”
According to information published on the official CMF Facebook page, an amending amendment (Proposal for Deliberation of the Supplementary Budget 2025) was approved today at an extraordinary municipal meeting, which aims to reprogramme, in the Multiannual Investment Plan, adjusting the charges of the contract “WP – Work Packages – eGames Lab”, for next year, that is, for 2026, thus allocating the contract of 1,174,271.22 euros, plus VAT, meeting the extension of the execution of projects under the RRP until the end of the 1st semester. The PSD and CDS, as well as CH, voted in favour of this amendment, which had the abstention of the other parties: JPP, PS and IL.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
