The JM reports that PS and PSD reached a consensus to move forward with a mega-yacht marina, a hotel and a real estate development on the waterfront of Machico, in Madeira. This is a rare consensus between the two largest parties, which normally criticize each other. The Municipality of Machico has been led by PS since 2013, currently by Hugo Marques, while the Regional Government is from PSD, which has governed the region since 1976.
The waterfront is described as a scarce and public good, which once concreted over cannot be undone. The article questions who this project is really for, arguing that a mega-yacht marina does not serve locals who want to put boats in the water, and that waterfront real estate developments are rarely built for those who live here, but rather for those who buy a view and resell it.
The article also highlights the contrast with the municipality's own discourse, which elected housing as the mandate's priority. The piece questions how the waterfront strategy ends up being a luxury marina and private real estate, instead of affordable housing, public space or a sea economy for those who work at sea.
Finally, the article warns about the problem of the two parties that dominate the region pushing in the same direction, deactivating scrutiny and transforming what should be debate into a simple announcement. It concludes that Machico deserves to decide on its waterfront with numbers and alternatives on the table, before the cranes arrive.
