The Universidade Europa is a political training initiative aimed at young people on European issues organized by the PSD since 2008, and in this edition the program includes topics such as the environment, defense, the future of Europe or the financing and functioning of the EU, among others.

Today, the speaker at the dinner on the theme "The EU of Defense and Security" will be the Minister of National Defense and leader of the CDS-PP, Nuno Melo.

Before, in the opening session, the secretaries-general of the PSD, Hugo Soares, and of the CDS-PP, Pedro Morais Soares, and the leaders of the party youth, Alexandre Poço (JSD) and Francisco Camacho (JP), will speak, in addition to the director of the Universidade da Europa and coordinator of the PSD Training Academy, MEP Carlos Coelho.

On Saturday, in addition to a "class" with Carlos Coelho - who was left out of the AD lists for the European elections on June 9 - on the functioning of the European Union and a luncheon-conference with journalist and commentator Nuno Rogeiro, the program will include speeches by the Minister of the Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, and MEP Lídia Pereira on the priority of the environment and climate.

At the dinner-conference, with the theme "The Challenges of the EU Today", the speakers will be the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, and the Spanish PP deputy Esteban González Pons, former vice-president of the European People's Party group.

The last day of the initiative, Sunday, will be opened by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, José Manuel Fernandes, and former coordinator of the EPP of the Budget Committee, who will speak about "Who pays for the EU?".

The closing will be in charge of the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the head of the AD list for the European elections, the journalist and commentator Sebastião Bugalho, in the first speech at a party initiative since his name was approved by the PSD National Council, on Monday.

On that occasion, the PSD president justified the choice of the independent Sebastião Bugalho, 28 years old, for being "a talented young man" and, at times, disruptive.

"A talented young man, a young man that the country knows, here and there even controversial, who confronts, is disruptive, stimulates confrontation with democratic respect. It is an example of what we want: that it is worth being in Portugal, fighting for Portugal and going to Europe to defend the interests and colors of Portugal", said Luís Montenegro, saying he was convinced that Bugalho "will make a difference in the next European elections".

In the last European elections, in June 2019, the PSD ran alone and had its worst result ever, less than 22% of the votes, and elected six MEPs.

The Universidade Europa is, along with the Summer University, which takes place at the end of August in Castelo de Vide (Portalegre), one of the two annual PSD initiatives focused on the political training of young people.

Read Also: AD candidates for the European elections will be at the PSD's Universidade Europa (Portuguese version)