These positions were taken by former Constituent Assembly deputies who, between June 1975 and April 1976, drafted the first Constitution of the democratic regime, established after 25 April 1974, which today marks its fiftieth anniversary. In an interview with the Lusa agency, former PCP Secretary-General Jerónimo de Sousa expressed concern about the current job insecurity faced by young people and rejected the thesis that the new generations have no political awareness or are indifferent to the social reality that surrounds them. The communist historian recalled his time as a young deputy of the Constituent Assembly, when he was 28 years old, and pointed out that the new generations today do not debate a specific constitutional article, but participate in protest processes. "It's not easy, because even the older ones, for example, often argue that young people don't care, they don't care about anything. It's not true. Young people want to know and when they understand, they participate. It's one of the lessons and teachings that I've had throughout this life", he stressed. For Jerónimo de Sousa, "April was worth it" and "still has a future", rejecting that we are facing "an end of a cycle". Also to Lusa, the former leader of CDS-PP and current Mayor of Sintra, elected by the PS, Basílio Horta, said he understood "perfectly that young people are deeply dissatisfied, disillusioned" and that some even want to leave the country. For the former centrist deputy, "young people understand, they realize, that their future lies in politics and in the political decisions that are made" but he acknowledged that there is difficulty in recruiting new generations for political participation, defending "a very strong and deep reflection on the prestige of institutions". According to this former parliamentarian, a politician cannot be constantly "judged and condemned in the public square" and he argued that this class should be better paid. The first solemn session in parliament that marked the Carnation Revolution took place in 1977, after three years of some political instability. The President of the Republic at the time, General Ramalho Eanes, told the deputies that the ceremony marked "the highest point in the acts with which the Portuguese people" had been celebrating 25 April until then. Jerónimo de Sousa, at the time a young metalworker and trade unionist, said he felt "immense joy" for celebrating "the most advanced, most modern and advanced process in our contemporary history". Basílio Horta recalled the process of drafting the 1976 Constitution as "a unique moment" that brought together "the best of Portuguese and political society", listing names such as Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Mário Soares or Freitas do Amaral. "For me, it was one of the most significant moments of my political life", he recalled. The former centrist deputy, questioned about the newly elected parliamentary composition, in which the growth of Chega stood out, with 50 deputies in the hemicycle, stressed that "democracy has the enormous generosity of welcoming into its midst even those who sometimes do not respect it". However, Basílio Horta stressed that "democracy is just that" and that the choice of voters must be respected, even if one does not agree with some positions, sometimes contrary to the "democratic values of April". Asked about the creation, by the PSD/CDS-PP minority government, of a commission for the commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the military operation of 25 November 1975, the former leader of CDS-PP said that he saw no harm in marking the date but without forgetting 25 April, which was "the gateway to everything". Jerónimo de Sousa stressed that the difference between the two dates is that 25 April "belongs to the people". The former communist deputy also left a warning. "Those who think that April is over are wrong, because it is a value that cannot be torn away. It is not a conquest, it is just a reference value. It will be. But April will continue to be increasingly latent with the sense of the need for that April", stressed Jerónimo de Sousa, believing in the will of future generations for another 50 years of democracy. Read Also: Portugal celebrates 50 years of 25 April. Get to know the extended program (Portuguese version)