The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stated that the ability of politics to attract young people and create empathy with them "is a fundamental condition for its rejuvenation as a science of governance, negotiation and dialogue, and compatibility of interests with a view to safeguarding public interest.”

Rodrigo Oliveira spoke on behalf of the President of the Government at the presentation ceremony of the book "Os Jovens e a Política" (Youth and Politics) by José Miguel Bettencourt that took place Tuesday in Ponta Delgada. The government stressed that this work is of "great relevance for a better understanding of the relation of youth with politics in contemporary Portuguese society."

According to him, this capacity of interaction and the growing interest in politics are crucial to "break the myth that the solutions the Portuguese society needs to successfully overcome its challenges cannot be found in politics and that the mechanisms to reach them cannot be guaranteed by political parties."

Therefore, "citizens are interested and available to receive the responses that should be provided by politicians, but, above all, they are waiting for them to search for solutions, even those concerning the introduction of structural changes, provided that they contribute to the strengthening of democracy and transparency and bring citizens closer to politics," said Rodrigo Oliveira.

The same goes with the autonomic process. For the government official,  "one should recall that the new generations, after four decades, only know the life of an archipelago guided by Autonomy that, despite facing many obstacles and challenges, has ensured levels of well-being and progressed that are incomparably higher than those seen so far."

However, we must debate the creation of conditions that will allow Autonomy to continue to be the project that motivated and inspired generations of Azoreans. In order to ensure its future, it is crucial that the current generation is able to imprint a sense of responsibility in political action, thus safeguarding the vision and commitment of future generations in the autonomic project.

"The solution for a better Autonomy is, indeed, within politics, while being a noble mission at the service of those to whom it is addressed, whether it is embodied in the more traditional manner of political parties or in the new movements created by society," said the government official.

According to the Regional Under Secretary for External Relations, rejuvenating the autonomic process and making it more appealing to future generations "require the improvement of the conditions that will allow young Azoreans to find effective solutions and responses to their concerns and their aspirations, thus ensuring that the project of collective experience will be in good hands in the future."