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At the closure of this Conference please allow me a few brief words, by beginning to thank you all for your presence and for the addresses by the guest speakers.

I also thank the public that, along these two days, accompanied this initiative attentively and interestedly. I am certain that, at the end of these two sessions, all those attending are now more conscious of the interactivity between democracy, the culture of compromise and development.

To the intervening individuals I once again express my appreciation for their availability to take part in the Conference and for their magnificent contributions.

I recall that this Conference, known as “Portugal: April Routes”, is comprised within the scope of the Routes to the Future, an initiative of the Presidency of the Republic that intends approaching, in several thematic sessions, some of the great challenges that are faced by the Portuguese society, placing the analysis and the discussion of key issues in a national perspective and in a wide temporal horizon.

The Portuguese view democracy as the ideal form of government, but there are signs of a progressive distancing of the citizens relative to political activities.

The Portuguese have the ambition to live in a more developed Country, which implies, on the one hand, economic growth and combating unemployment and, on the other, an intransigent defence of transparency in public life and the safeguard of social justice.

The Portuguese are, in effect, conscious of the challenges that Portugal will face in this crucial moment of its History. They recognize and value compromise as the essential presupposition of governability and development in a medium term national perspective.

The culture of compromise that predominates in the majority of European Union countries, has found difficulty in becoming installed in our democracy. It is necessary to insist on it. On my part, I will not forego it.

Due to all this, the speeches we have heard throughout these two days have been of extreme interest. Trustworthy and independent voices, recognized by their perspicacity, by their knowledge and experience, confirmed our feelings and our convictions: the Portugal that was born 40 years ago is a project of justice and well being which has to be constantly fed by the quality of the democracy and the hope for a better future. The speeches covered such diverse topics as citizenship and compromise, the challenges of the knowledge society and the importance of innovation and of competitiveness to achieve sustainable growth.

The Conference included national and foreign speakers, with speeches by individuals from the most diverse quarters. And jointly, they carried out a serene and deep reflection, extremely enriching for us all.

We started by listening to General Ramalho Eanes, a testimony of wisdom and experience. An individuality that, in decisive moments of our History, stood out through the value of his courage and by the unshakeable firmness of his convictions.

To my personal gratitude for all those present, for the speakers and for those who organized and hosted this initiative I want, as President of the Republic, to associate the gratitude of the Portuguese.

Such as in many other events that took place this year, we are celebrating April with distinction and dignity, with a patriotic sense, profoundly and well informed. The new generations, those that were born after 1974, have difficulty in understanding that, in a dictatorship, it would not be possible to hold such a Conference. For young people, freedom is an acquired value. As a counterpart, security in employment, the possibility of asserting talent or the capability to constitute a family and ensure its autonomy are ambitions - legitimate ambitions – that today’s youth do not consider as acquired or guaranteed.

Carrying out this Conference was an aid to achieve those ambitions. We achieved freedom forty years ago. Development must now be achieved, in order that our democracy corresponds to the dreams born in an April dawn.

Thank you very much