The Secretary-General of Together for the People (JPP), Élvio Sousa, has strongly criticised the decision of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira to reject a request to lift the parliamentary immunity of the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture, Eduardo Jesus.
The request, submitted by the Judicial Court of the District of Madeira, was debated and voted on in the regional parliament on Tuesday. It was ultimately rejected by a single vote, with 24 deputies voting against lifting immunity and 23 voting in favour.
The outcome reflected a clear division within the Assembly. All opposition deputies supported the request to waive immunity, while members of the PSD/CDS governing coalition voted to maintain the protection afforded to the regional secretary.
The case stems from comments made by Eduardo Jesus during the debate on the 2025 Budget of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ORAM 2025). Statements directed at opposition deputies sparked political controversy and public criticism, with allegations that the language used was offensive and inappropriate for parliamentary proceedings.
In a statement issued following the vote, Élvio Sousa argued that public officials should not seek shelter behind parliamentary immunity when their conduct is being questioned.
“Those who have no concern about the degree of offence to the dignity of people and to Parliament itself do not hide behind parliamentary immunity,” he stated.
Sousa also criticised Eduardo Jesus for failing to directly apologise to the deputy at the centre of the dispute. While acknowledging that the Regional Secretary had apologised to the President of the Legislative Assembly, he argued that this did not address the personal nature of the remarks.
“Secretary Eduardo Jesus addressed an apology to the president of the Assembly, but to this day he has not deigned to directly apologise to the JPP deputy,” Sousa said.
The JPP leader further accused the regional secretary of undermining the dignity of the parliamentary institution through what he described as “improper, aggressive and unacceptable language” directed at elected representatives.
According to Sousa, the decision to block the waiver of immunity raises questions about accountability and transparency. He argued that public officials should be willing to face judicial scrutiny when complaints arise regarding their conduct.
“Those who escape the scrutiny of justice and take refuge in immunity protected only by the governing parties demonstrate a guilty conscience and a fear of facing the truth and the facts,” he said.
The controversy is likely to remain a point of political contention in Madeira, with opposition parties maintaining that the matter should have been allowed to proceed through the courts, while the governing coalition has chosen to uphold the parliamentary immunity of one of its senior members.
The vote represents the latest chapter in an ongoing dispute over standards of conduct within the Regional Parliament and the balance between parliamentary protections and individual accountability.
The deputy of CHEGA, Hugo Nunes, today expressed its deepest repudiation and indignation at the decision of the plenary of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, which rejected the waiver of the parliamentary immunity of the regional secretary for Tourism, Environment and Culture, Eduardo Jesus.
According to a statement issued by the party, “the scandal surrounding this vote becomes even more serious when examined alongside the official document that followed the decision”.
The document, it claims, reveals that the Judicial Court of the Comarca of Madeira (Funchal Criminal Investigation Court) formally requested authorisation to constitute Regional Secretary Eduardo Jesus as a defendant and to question him within the scope of case no. 2234/25.6T9FNC.
Furthermore, the statement notes that the Assembly’s Committee on Rules of Procedure and Mandates unanimously issued a favourable opinion on the 27th of May 2026, concluding that there were no formal or substantive obstacles preventing the request from proceeding to a vote in the plenary.
Despite this, the party argues that “the majority of deputies chose to disregard the unanimous opinion of the committee and used the plenary session to shield a member of the Regional Government.”
For the party, equality before the law is “a sacred and non-negotiable principle.” It argues that the decision is a perfect example of the vice that corrodes institutions, where parties unite to protect their own while ignoring the transparency demanded by the people.
Deputy Hugo Nunes reacted strongly to the outcome, describing it as “a national disgrace and a blatant insult to all Madeirans.”
As the document clearly states, the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Mandates unanimously gave the green light for the process to move forward, recognising that nothing prevented the matter from being deliberated. Yet, when the moment of truth arrived, fear of the system prevailed, and 24 deputies chose to hide behind the anonymity of a secret ballot to protect a Regional Secretary from facing the courts.
“While ordinary citizens are immediately held accountable for their actions, those who occupy positions of power afford themselves the privilege of hiding behind political protections to avoid answering to justice. Those with nothing to fear should not fear scrutiny. If Dr Eduardo Jesus is convinced of his innocence, he should be the first to seek his day in court to defend his honour, rather than allowing the system to shelter him behind a cloak of impunity.”
Hugo Nunes also stressed that CHEGA’s position remains “faithful and unwavering” to what he described as the party’s founding principles: combating cronyism, corruption and double standards in public life.
“CHEGA did not enter politics to serve the regime or participate in backstage deals. For us, there are no untouchables, regardless of their party affiliation. The 24 votes that blocked this judicial process are proof that the system remains alive and well in Madeira, protecting itself while mocking taxpayers.
“We will not remain silent. Madeirans can be certain that CHEGA will continue to be a voice of opposition against a political class that believes itself to be above the law. We will continue to scrutinise the actions of the Regional Government with determination and will not tolerate any attempt to place political or personal interests above the rule of law,” he concluded.
At the centre of the allegations are Eduardo Jesus’s comments during a parliamentary budget debate on the 17th of June 2025.
According to multiple reports, the comments that triggered the strongest reaction were:
- Referring to Socialist deputy Sílvia Sousa Silva as “esta gaja” (“this girl/chick/woman” in a derogatory sense).
- Referring to another Socialist deputy, Sancha Campanella, as “burra do caralh”* (a highly offensive insult).
- He was also reported to have directed insults at a JPP deputy, including “bardamerda” and “palhaço-mor.”
The reason the case became more than a simple row over parliamentary language is that several parties and organisations argued the remarks were not merely rude but sexist and misogynistic, because they were directed at female deputies and appeared intended to diminish them in their role as elected representatives. Parties including LIVRE, RIR and the PS described the language as sexist, discriminatory and incompatible with the dignity of Parliament.
The legal complaint brought by the two PS deputies alleges that the remarks harmed their honour and dignity and constituted gender-based discrimination.
Eduardo Jesus later issued an apology, saying he had not intended to offend the deputies and that the comments arose during a heated political debate.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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