PAN wants to provide free passes to all youth under 25 years of age.

PAN wants higher education students to have more answers to improve mental health and provide free public transport passes to all young people under the age of 25, whether they are studying or not.

“We want to extend passes to all young people, whether they are studying or not, up to the age of 25, we want them to be free until 2026,” said a PAN spokeswoman.

This Monday, Ines de Sousa Real, together with some leaders of the People-Animais-Natureza organization, participated in an action to establish contacts with young people in the Cidade Universitária district of Lisbon, as part of the election campaign ahead of the legislative elections on March 10th.

From January 1, free passes are available to young students under the age of 23, a measure included in the state budget.

In its election program publicly presented on Saturday, PAN also proposes to provide free passes until 2028.

Speaking to reporters during the initiative, PAN’s sole MP also advocated for more answers in terms of mental health, saying that “Portugal is one of the European Union countries with the largest number of young people who are dependent on antidepressants and who have problems from the point of view of emotional stability.”

PAN also proposes next year to freeze the cost of social meals in higher education institutions, pay for internships, review fees and scholarship awards for masters and doctoral students, and increase the supply of student housing to include “the supply of public housing for the service population and, in in particular, youth,” said the PAN leader.

Also asked about the debate between the PS and PSD leaders that will take place this Monday evening, Ines de Sousa Real suggested that “it will be marked by many commonplaces” and noted that “people at home are already tired of these election promises.”

“During election campaigns, everyone waves the flag for the environment, animals or social issues that concern us in our daily lives, but during the year it is political forces such as PAN, which was the opposition party that he endorsed. more measures in the Assembly of the Republic that changed the situation and took care of people, protected animals and protected nature,” he emphasized.

Stating that for the PS and SDP, “one deputy more or less in these political forces will not matter,” the PAN spokeswoman expressed the hope that “on March 10 there will be a vote on an alternative with a green and constructive future for the people.”

Regarding possible arrangements after the elections, Ines de Souza Real reiterated that PAN is committed to the causes it defends and that it is to them that it will “always lend a helping hand.”

As part of the initiative this Monday, a PAN representative handed out cloth bags with the words “My dog/cat votes for PAN” or “PAN, PAN, PAN, with vegetable oil it’s so good”, as well as items for use with pets, such as discs for frisbee. or bone-shaped bag holders.

The single MP heard mostly wishes of “good luck” in the legislative elections, both from people who expected to vote for PAN and from others who indicated that their intention to vote would be for another party.

Ines de Souza Real was also approached by a young man who identified himself as a “fan” and criticized PAN’s proposal to cancel bullfighting and bullfighting shows, considering it undemocratic. The deputy supported the young man’s proposal, given the cruelty of these initiatives and the suffering of animals, and also, according to journalists, considered that “in a democracy it is always important to listen to both sides.”