“It is important to remember that the future is built today, with and for the new generations. In education, employment, entrepreneurship, housing... In the generation of new generations”, said António Costa to Jornal de Notícias.

With a strong focus on young people and without any reference to the current political situation, the chief executive recalls the "passion for education" of fellow socialist António Guterres, stating that this "was not inconsequential" and that "education in Portugal has changed in these 27 years and, with education, he changed the country”, a passion that “continues today, with coherent and inclusive public policies”.

“The new generation offers us the greatest asset that a country can have: more qualified citizens. We therefore have an obligation to ensure that these young people can choose Portugal to work”, he warns.

According to Costa, along with the creation of qualified jobs, a “fair labour market” is needed, adding that “this month the Assembly of the Republic approves the Decent Work Agenda”.

“And we need living wages. The Medium-Term Agreement in Public Administration ensures that in 2023 the base salary for entry into higher technical careers will be 1,320 euros, putting pressure on the private sector to increase wages when hiring qualified young people at the beginning of their careers”, he defends.

Housing

For the prime minister, “housing is perhaps the greatest concern of young people when they become autonomous”.

“After decades in which the State resigned from promoting public housing policies, we are now acting, also together with the municipalities. We approved the first Basic Housing Law, the National Strategy and the first 223 Local Housing Strategies have already been contracted”, he lists.

The Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), continues Costa, “has planned 2.7 billion euros to invest in housing, which will be a real structural change to be implemented by the end of 2026”.

“Today we are building the country that will be carbon neutral in 2050, which in the 40s will have a per capita GDP above the European average, which by 2030 will lift 660,000 people out of monetary poverty, halve the number of children in this situation and will invest 3% of GDP in R&D, and that by 2026 the public debt will be below 100% of GDP. This future is built in the present”.