PS accuses Madeira minister of blocking farmland protection law

Madeira's PS party has attacked regional Agriculture Secretary Nuno Maciel for publicly backing the creation of agricultural reserves while his own department issued a negative opinion in 2025 on the PS's proposed legal framework for a Madeira Agricultural Reserve. MP Sílvia Silva says the government argued existing municipal plans and a transitional regime dating to 2011 already protect farmland, despite outdated soil maps and continued loss of fertile land to urban expansion. She notes officials at a recent debate acknowledged gaps in the current model. The PS says it will resubmit its reserve proposal and challenges Maciel to secure support from his coalition partners.