In Aveiro, speaking at the closing of the National Youth Meeting, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa argued that Europe “is falling behind” and that money will not solve the problems young people face, although it can be a “positive factor.”
“We are at the end of a historical cycle and at the beginning of another, in the world, in Europe, and in Portugal (…). We are at this turning point in the world, the world will not be the same, we don’t know in a year or half a year, it will not be the same after the American elections, whatever the result, it will be different, it will not be the same after the changes in China, which had difficulties managing the pandemic and recovering economically (…) it will not be the same in the positioning of the Russian Federation or in the emerging powers in South Africa, Brazil, Turkey and India, it will not be the same,” he argued.
According to the Head of State, “there is, in fact, a sense of transformation and wars increase in these periods of uncertainty and unpredictability, hence the need to fight for peace, in Europe, in Africa but also in the Middle East, peace in many places that are talked about and in many places that are not talked about.”
But there is another problem: “All systems were designed for another time and through inertia they have lasted,” he said.
“European political systems are in deep crisis, and that’s why voids are opening up where new inorganic realities enter, some will call them populist, because systems designed for the post-World War II era and designed for the post-transition in the evolution from the 20th to the 21st century are in crisis, they have not adapted to digital, to energy change, to scientific and technological advances, to mobility, to the aspirations of the younger ones, they are old,” he pointed out.
And, according to him, “the alternative to the old are old, old in ideas, old in structures, old in organization, old in people and this is a problem in Europe.”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warned that “Europe is falling behind,” although it leads “the fight for climate action, still leads the fight against migrations, against refugees” but, he said, “it has lost momentum.”
In Portugal, he emphasized, the situation is no different: “The problem is arising in Portugal, with Portuguese parties… not falling behind outdated and the party system becoming obsolete.”
For the President of the Republic, there are “positive factors” in the current moment such as European funds “but for a short” period of time: “It is a positive factor until 26, 27, 28, 29, Portugal 2030, which is tomorrow, it’s the day after tomorrow.”
“But it’s not money that solves the problem, it’s knowledge that solves the problem,” he stressed, arguing that “it is fundamental that young people reach decision-making centers, governing municipalities, governing regions, governing the so-called central power (…) it is inevitable and if it does not occur it is lost time and change that is lost.”
Drawing a parallel between the time when the April 25th Revolution occurred and today, the Head of State considered that the “great appeal of the post-50 years of April is not to celebrate in itself that fact which deserves to be celebrated.”
“Celebrating April is making ruptures, not exactly the same ones, that are worth those that were made at that time, it has to be done,” he defended.
