Alvaro Belesa defends youth quotas in politics and criticizes government housing measures

SEDES President and Socialist leader Alvaro Beleza this Thursday defended quotas to increase the participation of young people under the age of 35 in politics and maximum age limits for candidates for political office, “namely leaders.”

This Thursday, a doctor and member of the PS Political Commission was a dinner guest at the SDP Summer University conference, during which he praised the socialist government’s health policy – “great and reformist” – but echoed the criticism he had leveled at some of the housing, which he says he is “very afraid of”.

In a short opening speech, the president of the Association for Economic and Social Development (SEDES) responded with proposals to the challenge posed by the director of this political education initiative, MEP Carlos Coelho, who asked him if there was a “grey Portugal”. .

“Just as gender quotas were introduced – and it is right that there should be more women in politics, as well as in companies, in administrations, in leadership – it is time to create quotas for young people under 35 in politics, in political positions at all levels . “, he defended himself.

Álvaro Belesa also suggested that since the Constitution defines a minimum limit for a person to run for President of the Republic (age 35)—a topic “which is now much discussed”—a maximum limit could also be set. be installed.

“I think that since I am a SNA doctor at 70, I will have to retire, and, well, there should also be a limit on the ability to apply to political bodies, in particular to governing bodies,” he said.

The beauty considered that with the help of these rules it would be possible to “rejuvenate the country”, and left a warning to young students: “If you do not impose yourself, my generation will not leave the store.”

The doctor, who started out as a JSD soldier, praised the government’s announcement of expanding local health posts (ULS) across the country but criticized the hiring of Cuban doctors.

“Portugal needs people from outside who want to look for us, now it makes no sense to make agreements with the government of the communist dictatorship,” he defended himself, acknowledging that the post of Minister of Health – along with the post of leader of the opposition – “They are the worst representatives of Portuguese politics, they are boxing pears.”

By contrast, in housing construction, the Socialist leader reiterated his criticism of the government’s package, namely the rent freeze, which he recognized as temporary for only “two or three years”, and defended the government’s building policy. for rent.

“Portugal is in vogue, one of the reasons for this housing crisis is due to the success of the country,” he said, returning to defending that the country could become the “California of Europe or even better,” especially if it manages to implement more competitive taxation.

Alvaro Belesa, praised by one student for his “free spirit”, said he entered politics inspired by SDP and PS founders Francisco Sa Carneiro and Mario Soares respectively, who were also “free people”.

“I can’t imagine getting involved in politics without saying what you think, these are not politicians, these are proletarians of machines, of employment agencies,” he criticized.

Throughout the conference, which this Thursday lasted about an hour, against more than two previous speakers, Paulo Portas and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, he repeated the ambition expressed in the SEDES book to double the GDP and income of the Portuguese, he called for the need for mutual understanding between the PS and The SDP on issues such as electoral reforms, justice or defence, but assured that he “feels very well in the PS as a liberal left”.

Despite this, he admitted at the end that he had always wanted to take part in the PSD Summer University: “I feel like a bit of a kid, it was a really fun evening,” he said, receiving a standing ovation from those around him. one hundred students.