Alberto João Jardim

Alberto João Cardoso Gonçalves Jardim ( born February 4, 1943 in Funchal) is a Portuguese politician. He is a member of the State Council, the Defence Council, the Council of Internal Defense and Council of Internal Security of the Portuguese Republic. Jardim is one of the most controversial politicians of Portugal.

Life

Jardim graduated in 1973 a law degree from the Law Faculty of the University of Coimbra. Initially, he worked as a lawyer and as a high school teacher. He was director of the Institute for Work and professional development of the island of Madeira ( Emprego e Formação Profissional da Ilha da Madeira ). As a journalist, he worked for the Jornal da Madeira, whose director he was later.

October 9, 2011 Jardim was elected for the tenth time to the President of the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. He has held since March 1978 The Office. He is also the regional chairman of the center -right ruling party Partido Social Democrata (PSD ). Jardim is committed to a stronger autonomy of Portugal. His leadership style is considered to be authoritarian and patriarchal. During his reign, Madeira became one of the poorest regions of Portugal to the region with the second highest standard of living in Lisbon. In 2007, he resigned in protest against the new law on regional finances, cuts in financial aid from the state budget provided for, from his office and was elected as head of government but reappears in subsequent early elections.

Billion debt Madeira

When about since 2000 the EU Suventionen not as bubbling as usual, founded Regional President Jardim own company to new loans to take. After the entanglements Jardims in the open and got out of control, called the German Chancellor Angela Merkel Madeira as an example of how not to spend EU regional development funds. Jardim replied in typical fighting style to the criticism of his financial management by "ignorant" Merkel said as.

In September 2011, it turned out that the Regional Government of Madeira, the debt had set too low since 2008. Jardim admitted that the debt by 1.1 billion euros were higher. Later he admitted to the debt level of up to five billion euros. Portugal's Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar said that in October of even 6.3 billion euros of debt that had accumulated under the Jardim regional government. As a consequence, have since the government activity of Alberto João Jardim subject to investigation by the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR ), the Security Police of Portugal, and the prosecutor's office in Lisbon. He is accused of extensive corruption and tax fraud in the billions. Jardim denied the allegations and questioned the legality of the investigations on.