The Legislative Assembly of Portugal’s Madeira region today approved, by a majority, a vote of protest tabled by the opposition Left Bloc (BE) and another of solidarity by the governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The vote of protest “for the attacks on civilian populations in Israel and Palestine” was approved with votes in favour from the sole member of the BE and from the Socialist Party (PS), Together for the people (JPP) and the sole member for the Communist Party (PCP); it was opposed by Chega and the sole member for the Liberal Initiative (IL), while abstentions were registered by the PSD and its coalition partner the Peoples Party (CDS-PP) as well as the sole member for People-Animals-Nature (PAN), with which the PSD has a confidence-and-supply agreement. The vote of solidarity “for the victims of the conflict between Israel and Palestine” tabled by the PSD was approved with the votes in favour also of the PS, the JPP, Chega, the CDS-PP, and the sole deputies of the IL, PCP and BE. The PAN member, Mónica Freitas, abstained.
