Premier Portugal in dialoog met jongeren: Europees Verdrag hoogste prioriteit (en)

Prime Minister dialogues with youngsters from all the EU Member States. European Treaty is "the priority of the priorities"

"The Treaty will be a sign of confidence in Europe. A sign that it is stronger and growing ", told on Sunday morning the Prime Minister, José Sócrates, to 27 youngsters from each one of the Member States of the European Union.

In this opening and symbolical act of the Portuguese Presidency. José Sócrates, addressing to the youngsters who he called "Europe generation", considered the negotiation and the closing of the Treaty as "the priority of the priorities" of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union (EU), which will be held by Lisbon's Government until the end of this year.

Informally dressed, with no tie and jeans, the Prime Minister, said at the joint dialogue that with the reformist Treaty, "less federalist", that overcomes the unratified European Constitution, Europe "will be a bit better" and "will provide the European Union with better functioning tools". He added "I'm not saying all the problems will be solved, but it will be certainly better".

The Prime Minister, from now on the President of the European Council, stressed that amongst the innovation of the Treaty, based on the mandate received at the Brussels Summit by the end of the German Presidency, there is the reference to the fundamental rights. "For the first time, there is a reference to the European citizenship, an issue that all the youngsters are sensitive to, which allows any person to reivindicate his/her rights at the European courts", said.

Another topic discussed were the climate change, a "struggle that Europe has to lead". The future and the important contribution of the youngsters for education, knowledge and innovation, as well as the accession of Turkey to the EU, were not forgotten.

The youngsters at the meeting are mostly granters of scholarships within the Erasmus programme, allowing, from many years before, the exchange of students from Universities of several countries of the EU