Pinto Luz spoke at the opening of the 13th edition of the Europa University, a political training initiative that brings together around 70 young people in Curia (Aveiro), with speeches on Sunday by the Prime Minister and leader of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, and the head of the AD's European list (a coalition that will bring together the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM), Sebastião Bugalho.

When listing the various challenges currently facing the European Union, the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing also included populism.

"It is against this challenge of populism that we, the PSD and CDS-PP, have also built this AD. There is only one way I know of to combat populism: it is to implement quality public policies, it is to show that we are capable, it is not to be afraid to reform, not to be afraid to take risks", he defended.

Pinto Luz stressed that, in recent years, Europe has shown that "it is powerful when it unites", giving as an example the way it dealt with the covid-19 crisis, and defined the ultimate goal of politics as allowing each person to "implement their projects of happiness".

The warning against the growth of populism was a common feature in the various speeches at the opening session, with the leader of the JSD, Alexandre Poço, arguing that the moderate forces of the centre-right will have "a great challenge" in the composition of the European Parliament that will emerge from the European elections to be held in Portugal on 9 June.

"In the elections of 10 March, we managed to win those elections and the contribution of the new generations was decisive, this being one of the segments in which the AD had its greatest victory over the PS. We have this challenge, on 9 June, to ensure that young people continue to prefer to vote for this safe path, this right path", he appealed.

In one of his last speeches at party initiatives as leader of the JSD -- the new president of the PSD's "jota" will be chosen in July --, Alexandre Poço also said he hoped that the Portuguese economy would have the capacity to absorb European funds, without becoming totally dependent on them.

"May it be able to use European funds to develop and may European funds not be in the 21st century what, for example, the gold of Brazil was in the 18th century", he appealed.

For the CDS-PP, the Secretary-General Pedro Morais Soares also warned against populism and disinformation.

"Populists exploit people's feelings, make media figures, take advantage of public opinion and emotions", he said, contrasting with "the serious project" that the AD represents in the next European elections.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, left a video message to the young participants of the Europa University, appealing for them to vote in the next elections and "believe in the European project".

"In a week when the 50th anniversary of 25 April is being celebrated, initiatives such as the Europa University are opportunities to celebrate democracy", she said.

In the last European elections, in June 2019, the PSD ran alone and had its worst result ever, less than 22% of the votes, and elected six MEPs.

The Europa University is, along with the Summer University, which takes place at the end of August in Castelo de Vide (Portalegre), one of the two annual initiatives of the PSD focused on the political training of young people.

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