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Year by year

Madeira 2012–2014

What happened on the island after our 2006–2012 archive: the news, the festivals, the fires, the flights and the small things, one year at a time.

2012

5 notes
  1. Madeira asks for help: the €1.5 billion loanIn January 2012 Madeira signed an economic adjustment programme with Lisbon, with a State loan of €1.5 billion and a debt of more than €6 billion.
  2. The ferry’s last crossingThe Portimão–Funchal ferry, which began in 2008 as a “new era”, made its last crossing at the end of January 2012.
  3. Quieter skiesIn the crisis year of 2012 Madeira's two airports handled about 2.3 million passengers, with fewer flights than the year before.
  4. The July firesIn July 2012 wildfires burned above Funchal, in Ponta do Pargo and along the south coast, and at least a hundred people had to leave their homes.
  5. Marítimo 0, Newcastle 0 (twice, nearly)In the 2012–13 Europa League group stage Marítimo held Newcastle United 0–0 in Funchal and 1–1 at St James’ Park.

2013

3 notes
  1. The ferry that wanted to come backIn 2013 the Spanish company behind the old Portimão–Funchal ferry said it had wanted to restart the route, and explained why it could not.
  2. Funchal changes handsIn the September 2013 local elections the PSD lost Funchal for the first time and kept only four of Madeira’s eleven councils.
  3. Ronaldo opens his own museumOn 15 December 2013 the CR7 Museum opened in Funchal with 126 of Cristiano Ronaldo’s trophies.

2014

8 notes
  1. Zürich, 13 January: Ronaldo by 3%On 13 January 2014 Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or in Zürich with 27.99% of the vote, just ahead of Messi and Ribéry.
  2. Portugal leaves the bailout. Madeira keeps payingOn 17 May 2014 Portugal ended its troika programme with a “clean exit”, while Madeira’s own €1.5 billion loan from Lisbon runs until 2044.
  3. Bruno Magalhães wins the rally againBruno Magalhães won the Rali Vinho da Madeira in 2014 in a Peugeot 208 T16, after 2012 and before 2015.
  4. Europe’s leading island, officiallyIn 2014 the Madeira Islands were named Europe’s Leading Island Destination at the World Travel Awards.
  5. A new square, made of the riversIn November 2014 Funchal opened Praça do Povo, a seafront square built on the stones and gravel dredged from three of the city’s ribeiras.
  6. “Maybe they will build a statue there”On 21 December 2014 Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled a 3.4-metre bronze statue of himself in Funchal, seven years after his brother joked about one.
  7. After almost four decades, a new leaderOn 29 December 2014 Miguel Albuquerque won the PSD-Madeira leadership with 64.06%, succeeding Alberto João Jardim, who had led the party for almost four decades.
  8. 6.6 million nightsIn 2014 Madeira’s tourist accommodation recorded about 6.6 million overnight stays, 5.1% more than in 2013, with Germany and the UK as the biggest markets.