Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

We begin today the fourth and last edition of the international conferences comprised in the «Routes to the Future».

I have always believed that one of the most important duties of the President of the Republic consists in pointing out future trends, sow seeds in order that politicians and the civil society are more alert to the issues which will affect us in a medium and long term perspective.

In this sense, I decided to promote, via the initiative “Routes to the Future” a series of multipurpose and well informed discussions which voiced the opinions of national and international specialists versed on issues of unarguable collective interest.

In our political-constitutional system, the President of the Republic must show independence in the face of the controversies that are set in the daily political conflicts, which have their own time and place in every democracy, but run the risk of concentrating on accessory or ephemeral features which lack reality, missing the sight of a serene and dispassionate approach of the issues which will in effect condition the new generations and Portugal’s future.

In this context, and in the very first conference of these Routes to the Future, the challenges of demography and particularly of birth rate were discussed. The second conference was dedicated to a reflexion on Portugal’s strategic positioning, both in the European framework and on a worldwide scale. In 2014, and on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of April 25, we approached the crossroads in which democratic regimes are dwelling, and the need for a civic and political culture of compromise which allows achieving the economic and social development that is our common ambition.

The last edition of these encounters is dedicated to youth, since these will be the most relevant interpreters of the «Routes to the Future». The young are those that, in their future, will have to face the consequences of the fall in birth rate, of the role that Portugal will assume in Europe and in the World, of the demands of a democracy of excellence.

They are the builders of the hope of the Portuguese in the construction of a more advanced society, better developed, fairer and more fraternal.

I renew my thanks to Professor João Lobo Antunes, Commissioner of the Conferences, and to Professor David Justino, for the efficiency in their organization.

My thanks also to Dr. Leonor Beleza, Chairman of the Champalimaud Foundation who, once again, has made available these magnificent facilities to house this initiative.

My greetings go to all who accepted the invitation to embody this “Portugal and its Youth” conference with their wisdom and experience.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Throughout my mandates I dedicated special regard to youth. In addition to an epoch in life, youth represents a significant portion of our society, with specific problems and legitimate aspirations, to which we must provide answers. Youth’s ambitions demand concrete and visible responses. With just words, as fetching as these may be, the issues of the Portuguese cannot be settled. As Florbela Espanca once said, «words are just as songs: the wind blows them away. »

More than talk about the young, we must listen to them. As President of the Republic, this was what I endeavoured, promoting numerous meetings with the young, amongst which stand out the six campaigns of the “Route to Youth”. The first, dedicated to the autonomy of youth and associative activity, was a unique dialoguing moment with heads of academic associations, young farmers and entrepreneurs and creators in the fashion industry.

The second campaign of the Route to Youth focused on juvenile associative activity in the fields of art and culture and as a tool of youth’s economic and social coming of age.

In December 2009, within the scope of the third campaign, I travelled to Porto, Braga and Matosinhos, to become intimately aware of the good examples of youth’s initiative in the areas of entrepreneurial activity, citizenry, culture, voluntary work and solidarity.

With the fourth campaign, in the Alentejo, I became closely acquainted with young entrepreneurialism in the rural area, with examples of best practices that can be replicated in other parts of the Country. I then promoted a new campaign on young entrepreneurialism, this one dedicated to creativity and innovation. Carried out in the area of Greater Lisbon, it gave me the opportunity to once again contact representatives of associations involving young students and entrepreneurs, listening to their aspirations and their concerns, encouraging their ambitions and will to win.

During the sixth campaign of the Route to Youth, held in the area of Greater Porto, I once again viewed the demonstration of the vitality and dynamism of our youth, this time in the range of creative industries.

I consider that the holders of public office are duty bound to render the people account of the actions they developed. The «Route to Youth» initiative, which I decided to launch in 2008, following the Encounter I promoted on “Youth and Politics”, and which was developed through time in several locations throughout the Country, allowed me to underline the importance of our youth and, above all, the importance of listening to them, instead of speaking on their behalf without being closely aware of the reality of their lives and the material issues which they face.

In addition to these initiatives, I must emphasize a meeting held on the subject of youth and politics, during which highly qualified academics were able to analyse, based upon a rigorous survey, the current stage of the aberrance of Portuguese youth regarding their country’s collective life, an issue which I recently referred to before Parliament.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We meet today to debate «Portugal and its Youth». I intended that, in this Conference of the Routes to the Future, speeches and dialogue would be primarily enacted by young people, since they do not require anyone to speak on their behalf. In each of the four discussion panels that comprise this Encounter we shall hear the testimony of youths whose experiences evince their enterprising and nonconformist spirit. It is time that we heard them, that we become aware of their ideas concerning their Country, that we have a clear indication of what each of them views on such diverse topics as employment and citizenry, mobility and culture.

This is, as we all know, the most qualified Portuguese generation in the whole of our History. Equally, however, it is the generation that will face the great challenges of this new millennium. The youth of our time will have to deal with an uncertainty that we did not have to face in the past. The uncertainty and insecurity as to the future are joined with the decision on where to work and gather the fruits of their talent, at home or abroad.

Portugal cannot allow that the immense human capital of its youth goes to waste. It is crucial that we create conditions to attract those that, for several motives, opted to settle abroad. As I already had the occasion to state, in a recent speech before Parliament, it is now, when the links with their country continue live, that we must redouble our efforts for the return of our youth. Should nothing be done, the Country will suffer a double loss: on the one hand, it loses the investment made on the training of a generation of excellence; on the other, it loses what these youths, with their talent and initiative, can contribute to help Portugal return to a sustainable trajectory of economic growth and creation of employment and wealth.

By bringing together, today, a number of youths that stand out due to their work and capacity for initiative, I am demonstrating my trust in Portugal’s future. We have many reasons for hope in our Country. The most relevant is, doubtlessly, Portuguese youth.

I am grateful to you all for your presence, particularly those that travelled from abroad to join us here.

The Tagus estuary, where the river meets the sea, can be viewed from the window of this auditorium. I am certain that this brilliant landscape will be a source of inspiration for the Conference now starting.

To you all, my wishes for excellent day’s work.

Thank you very much.