José Manuel Fernandes was speaking at the 13th edition of Universidade Europa, a political training initiative that brings together around 70 young people in Cúria (Aveiro), with today's closing featuring speeches by the Prime Minister and leader of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, and the head of the European list of the AD (a coalition that will bring together the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM), Sebastião Bugalho. The former MEP and former EPP coordinator of the Committee on Budgets, in a class on "Who pays for the EU?", stated that Portugal has at its disposal, within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), around 22.2 billion euros, but could have had 30.5 billion euros, if it had exhausted the entire loan component. "Portugal did not want to and there is a frustration here (...) Spain wanted all the resources and is using them for the purpose of efficient water storage", he exemplified, considering that "Portugal missed an opportunity to use these 8.3 billion euros and now cannot go back". José Manuel Fernandes admitted that these loans represent more doubt, but the repayment period was 30 years and the interest rate was "very low". "Why did we waste these resources? Why is Portugal 2030 with an execution rate close to zero? Because the previous government did not know how to plan, did not know how to listen to local authorities, the CCDRs", he lamented, considering that it could have used these funds both in water management and in capitalising companies. In the area of agriculture, the minister reiterated the criticisms of the previous executive, which he considered to have left "a very heavy legacy", saying that there are 1,050 million euros that, by 2025, have to reach the field and be paid. "We cannot lose a cent (...) The previous socialist government, as a result of its incompetence, as a result of its negligence, did not move quickly to implement all these funds that are crucial for Portugal", he said, recalling that the country is the Member State that depends most on funds for public investment. "They have to be used to create value, to create wealth, they cannot be used to replace the State Budget", he criticised. In his speech, the minister took the opportunity to defend farmers, considering that "the constant attack that is being made on them" is unacceptable and that they are "the ones who best defend the environment". "Why was there a revolt by farmers? Because they have been disregarded, they are often presented as if they were villains and enemies of the environment, because they are asked for environmental demands and are not given resources, because there is a green radicalism that prevents climate objectives from being achieved", he said. The Minister of Agriculture defended that, in order to achieve these objectives, "in addition to telling the truth to people", it is necessary to be gradualist, not radical. "Farmers are the first to be interested in the environment and in soils being in good condition", he said, considering that this "revolt must be heard and understood". On Saturday, at the same PSD political training initiative, the Minister of the Environment and Energy, Graça Carvalho, defended that agriculture can have less environmental impact if it uses "all available scientific knowledge". Read Also: Reparation to former colonies? "No process was or is at stake" (Portuguese version)