Funchal changes hands
By Paulo Áureo
For as long as anyone could remember, the PSD ran Madeira and almost all of its town halls. On 29 September 2013 that changed in a single evening.
In Funchal, the coalition Mudança, “Change”, led by Paulo Cafôfo, took the city hall from the PSD for the first time. Santa Cruz went to the new local movement JPP, Santana to the CDS, São Vicente to an independent list, and Machico, Porto Moniz and Porto Santo to the PS. The PSD kept four of the eleven councils: Calheta, Ponta do Sol, Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos.
Local papers called it a historic day, and for once the word was not too big. The PSD won Funchal back in 2021, so nothing is forever, in either direction.
Sources: DNoticias, the historic change in Madeira’s councils, DNoticias, PSD defeated in Funchal for the first time in 2013