Португалия саяхатшысы: Альберту Жуан Кардозу Жардимнің өмірі мен саясаты

Portuguese politician

Alberto João Cardoso Gonçalves Jardim, GCC, GCIH (alˈβɛɾtu ʒuˈɐ̃w ʒɐɾˈðĩ, born 4 February 1943) is a Portuguese politician who was the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Portugal, from 1978 to 2015.

Jardim was born on Madeira Island in 1943, son of Alberto Gonçalves Jardim (d. 1954) and wife Marceliana do Patrocínio de Jesus Cardoso (Funchal, São Pedro, baptized 2 September 1909 – 29 July 2006). He went to Coimbra in order to study at the local university, and he lived there for over a decade as a student. He was awarded a degree of Licentiate in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra in 1973. Jardim became a secondary school teacher. He was also director of the Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional da Ilha da Madeira (Employment and Vocational Training Centre of Madeira Island). As a journalist, he was director of "Jornal da Madeira", and wrote for different Portuguese newspapers and magazines.

A controversial personality, Jardim is usually seen as an outspoken populist, who is infamous for his often outspoken remarks about his political opponents, from left to right, including several journalists. As Madeira's democratically elected political leader for over 30 years, he has many supporters who view him as a responsible and proactive governor, particularly well regarded in the Archipelago of Madeira proper. Despite his confrontational, explosive and sometimes impolite personality, Jardim has claimed many benefits and privileges for Madeira, helping the region to improve in several fields throughout the years it has been under his leadership. However, the European Union assistance to its ultra peripheral regions, which includes the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, has played a major role in the region's development; Madeira's development has been massively aided by structural and cohesion funds allocated by the European Union to the regional government. In addition, Jardim's government of the autonomous region was financially supported, decade across decade, by massive public debt creation and wild over expenditure. An even more surprising scandal was reported on 16 September 2011, when Portugal's central bank said Madeira island had under reported its debt since 2004, putting further pressure on the country to meet deficit targets under an international bailout. An evaluation conducted by the Bank of Portugal of Madeira's accounts showed it failed to report EUR1.1 billion ($1.53 billion) in debt from 2008 to 2010 alone. The Bank of Portugal called the omission "grave," adding it doesn't know of any similar cases in the rest of the country. The debt was finally totaled at €6 billion, €3 billion less than the total that Alberto said mainland Portugal owed Madeira. His name has been often associated with the Madeira Archipelago Liberation Front (FLAMA), the archipelago's defunct far right separatist terrorist organization that undertook 70 bombings in Madeira between 1975 and 1978. Although no FLAMA activists were ever brought to justice, Alberto João Jardim has often supported their cause, stating that "they should receive a reward not a punishment, since they're defenders of democracy and of the homeland".

He was a fan of C. S. Marítimo, a sports club from Funchal. In 1997 he tried to join the three biggest teams from Funchal in one unified and governmental team. Then the popular Marítimo's supporters denied that intention in a big demonstration. After that he has been seen on the C. D. Nacional side. He will be the president of the commemorations of the 100 years of Nacional. Invited Professor of the Universidade Independente, a Private University in Lisbon.