The experts’ opinion

• What Europe awaits the young people?

– João Tiago Louzeiro, from JSD in Faro, says: «The EU is an asset in a world more and more globalised. It is supported in the self-government and the constitution that defends common, cultural and social values that allow and encourage the respect for each one’s differences. (…) should be a fundamental aspect to consolidate the Union in a civic action who values and acknowledges different people, beliefs and cultures’ values.»

– «The beginning of the 1980s is marked by a big sense of “europessimism”: world economic crisis, accelerate rise of the unemployment, internal disagreements about the division of the financial encharges and disbelieve about the future.» – draw a line with the present time. – CES study, May 2005

• What can we expect for its future?

– «The ambition of full employment, a highly competitive social market economy and an elevated protection level and an environmental quality improvement , as well as the promotion of the economic, social and territorial cohesion, the solidarity between the member States and yet the need to give the citizens of Europe a space of freedom, safety and justice» – CES study, May 2005

• How does the crisis affect Europe?

– «The European economic growth has been slow and it is noticeable a deceleration on the productivity’s increase rhythm. (…) on all aspects, (…) the EU is very far apart its initially proposed goals» – CES study, May 2005

• At this point, are the migrations an opportunity or a threat to young people?

– João Tiago Louzeiro says: «In education, the exchange of teachers and students can and should be an asset in the relationship between people, aiming for the society’s development and specialization.»

• What are the challenges that await us?

– «The preparation of future widening processes, population aging and the migration phenomenon, the sustained development of the social protection systems, the promotion of gender equality, the impacts of the economic globalization, namely, outsourcing, sector and company restructure, changes in the work organization, the future financial scenario and the cohesion policy, among others» – CES study, May 2005

• What institutions decide the lives of these young Europeans?

– The European Union says: «the EU’s broad priorities are set by the European Council, which brings together national and EU-level leaders; «directly elected MEPs represent European citizens in the European Parliament; «the interests of the EU as a whole are promoted by the European Commission, whose members are appointed by national governments; «governments defend their own countries’ national interests in the Council of the European Union».

• What evaluation do you make of the institutions and politicians who represent them?

– «The trust levels and the knowledge itself the European citizens have about the European project and its community institution do not seem to be enough, which leads to a distance between the represented citizens and their representatives.» – CES study, May 2005

• What interventions can and should be done by the young Portuguese, as citizens of Europe, (professionally and civically) to overcome the crisis?

– Álvaro de Vasconcelos says: «Since 1992, at least, the portuguese know it’s not enough to look at Europe as a safe haven where all the calm comes from. Portugal is, since its first presidency, in the centre of Europe, and in order to keep itself there, it has to continue to shape the future of Europe. (…) put the citizen in the centre of the european construction and preserve the european diversity.»
– João Tiago Louzeiro says: «Portugal, like other former colonial powers, should narrow their bonds with the countries they have cultural bonds, as well as develop solid social, cultural and economic relationships that allow both the countries development and a bigger participation of the european space in the world, allied to a strong cooperation in both education and economics.»

Sources:
– http://jsd-faro.blogspot.com/2008/04/o-futuro-da-europa.html (consulted on: 20th of February of 2012)
– http://www.ieei.pt/file/Portugal_constituicao_europeia_Alvaro_Vasconcelos.pdf (consulted on: 20th of February of 2012)
– http://europa.eu/abc/12lessons/lesson_12/index_pt.htm (consulted on: 25th of February of 2012)