Aníbal Cavaco Silva "received, in audience, delegations of the political parties with representation in the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, and heard their opinions on the political situation created by the resignation of the Madeira Regional Government," the statement says.


Once the consultation process was complete, it states, the president decided to call the Council of State for 5pm on 26 January.
The Council of State is the president's top advisory body on political issues.


The government of Madeira, which has been headed by Alberto João Jardim since 1978, submitted its resignation on 12 January, the day after the new leader in the region of Jardim's Social Democratic Party, Miguel Albuquerque, was acclaimed at a congress in Funchal. Albuquerque was elected by party members to succeed Jardim at the end of December, in a vote in which Jardim did not stand.


Jardim had wanted Albuquerque to stay on as regional premier until the end of the legislature in October, but he refused, saying that early elections were needed to ensure democratic legitimacy.


Other parties have also said that elections are needed.