Why Europe ?

I am a forward-thinking young economist, marketing communicator and policy adviser, with experiences across several industries and roles within the private, public sector and NGO sector. With an endless curiosity to understand the human behaviour driving their economic decisions, an entrepreneurial virus running in my veins and a sound social consciousness, I’ve always been compelled to move towards a specific insight or interest.

Being a twin son of a businesswoman, I’ve first imagined my future in business Administration. I was intrigued with a “gap” between my family’s business micro environment and the macro phenomena that were taking place in Portugal and the world in the late 2000s, so I thought a 21th century leader would have to have a broad skill set, a GLOCAL mindset, being able to have a “helicopter” view and understanding the interactions of global issues and acting locally, on the small-scale business. That insight based my decision to study Economics.

In the University I had a first contact with Public Policy, engaging in interesting discussions about International markets and Economic Policy. That open my mind to new perspectives, to have a better understanding what were the root causes the soon-to-be subprime crises in the US that, as we all know, contributed for the European sovereignty and financial crises.

That experience had a profound impact on me. I’ve passed from being keen to work for profit-oriented organizations to be much more driven towards the social impact of economics and policy, on how one could contribute to tackle the global issues that our society was and, unfortunately, is still facing.

Perhaps, poisoned with AIESEC’s “be the Change you want to see in the world” attitude, I’ve follow my instinct and took a road that is giving me the chance to explore all the insights and curiosities in my mind. I was fortunate to, for instance, run a human´s rights EU founded local project, to collaborate with regional public organizations on economic development issues and also being a social entrepreneur, in a startup that promotes Active Aging through Digital Inclusion.

The journey has also been giving me the chance to engage in impactful and meaningful volunteering experiences, such as being a co-founder of a culture development NGO, a pro-bono marketing Director of a community sports club or promotor of a policy driven youth movement, that was founded aiming to tackle a very concrete issue, the high unemployment level of graduates in my local hometown, Viana do Castelo.

More recently, thanks to Erasmus Program, I’ve attended trainings in around 15 EU Member States and engage with a broad network of youth workers and active citizens. It has also introduced me to the wonderful world of foreign languages, inspiring to learn Spanish and French language. It has expanded my professional horizons.

The eager to work on the international environment and intrigued by the Digital disruptive revolution that has been taking place in the world, I’ve decided to live in another EU country, Hungary, and explore a bit more the technical side of the technology’s infrastructure systems and its future impact on jobs and economic growth.

These different experiences makes me feel a truly European citizen, living and sharing EU’s values and pillars, such as solidarity, equality and diversity. For this reason, last June, I’ve went on a European Voluntary Service, in Cyprus, promoting EU at primary schools. During this time off from professional responsibilities, I’ve had another powerful insight: I simply can’t ignore my European heart anymore.

As a consequence, now it is clear that I want to go back in Brussels and next year’s European Elections are my Call to Action to embark on a mission, to be an interface between the EU and its citizens, building bridges for a more participatory and conscious policymaking process.

The financial crisis leveraged on an unresolved legitimacy crisis, exacerbated by the rejection of the European Constitution. The last decade also drove Europe into a crossroads, to a fundamental identity crisis, propelled by two colliding perspectives that are blocking the way to tackle the present and future issues, such as Migration or the impact on jobs and security brought by the ongoing Digital revolution. This crash might be even more visible as we are approaching 2019’ European elections.

On the one hand, we have the centrist political forces advocating for more integration. On the other hand, there’s an agenda for a “Europe of States”, supported by Eurosceptic and nationalists movements that, within the European Parliament and Council, protective are capitalizing upon people’s discontentment and fear of being “left behind”. This colliding visions are generating dangerous phenomena, two of them being:

• Unilateral and protectionist decisions that go against the European Council decisions, having the so-called “illiberal” Hungarian government and its way to handle the migration crisis or the freedom of speech of NGOs as a clear example of that;
• Political decisions to address populist promises, as it is the case of the Italy, that includes in its Government Budget proposals that might have an impact on the short run, such as the €10 billion for a “citizenship income” that will triple the difference gap that the former government agreed to with the European Commission, what goes against the policies might have to be taken to solve long standing issues, such as Italy’s sovereignty debt.

Both cases also present a communication problem, rooted in the so-called European paradox, as already spotted by experts: the structural benefits and political gains generated by EU’s funds are impropriety appropriated and capitalized by national and local political institutions. But, at the same time, the very same politicians and institutions use EU as a “punch-bag” whenever they have to take “unpopular” decisions.

The undeniable identity crossroads, institutional deadlock and the European paradox are causing a systemic damage that seriously undermines EU’s functionality. In fact, the public debate has become so polluted that both sides are taking extreme directions, seeming virtually impossible to bring them around the same table anymore and put their rhetoric speeches, differences and personal interests’ aside and bring them around the same table.

So, facing this reality, what can be done?

I believe “business as usual” approach is no longer feasible to change the status quo, largely influenced by the “évènement du jour”. Room for political innovation must be considered.

A possible answer may be to open up the policy-making spectrum, with a broader range of stakeholders, including national and local public and private organizations, NGOS and, mainly, the European citizens, as being the ones that ultimately most suffer the consequences of what is being decided in the Barlaymont, Strasbourg or in the Council of the EU. It is important to involve them in all stages of the policy-making process, engaging them to contribute and promote a well-informed communication process, as a way to pressure opposite sides to collaborate together on a more pragmatic common agenda.

If one takes a look around Europe it is exactly people expects. I’ve seen with my own eyes that, in the end of the day and apart from any current political ideology, the European citizens pretty much share the same needs and wishes, expecting the EU take’s the driver seat and present concrete and meaningful solutions that bring visible improvements onto their daily lives.

I believe “business as usual” approach is no longer feasible to change the status quo, largely influenced by the “évènement du jour”. Room for political innovation must be considered.

A possible answer may be to open up the policy-making spectrum, with a broader range of stakeholders, including national and local public and private organizations, NGOS and, mainly, the European citizens, as being the ones that ultimately most suffer the consequences of what is being decided in the Barlaymont, Strasbourg or in the Council of the EU. It is important to involve them in all stages of the policy-making process, engaging them to contribute and promote a well-informed communication process, as a way to pressure opposite sides to collaborate together on a more pragmatic common agenda.

If one takes a look around Europe it is exactly people expects. I’ve seen with my own eyes that, in the end of the day and apart from any current political ideology, the European citizens pretty much share the same needs and wishes, expecting the EU take’s the driver seat and present concrete and meaningful solutions that bring visible improvements onto their daily lives.

The challenging times head of us will require a better understanding of the ongoing phenomena, with a higher level of leadership and fresh innovative policies.

Knowledge without initiative might be fruitless. But action without proper knowledge will also lead to nowhere. It is simply not enough to rely on my previous professional experience, my entrepreneurial hands-on attitude, a large contact network or the skills learnt from previous successes and mistakes. It is crucial to be “backed up” with the most recent academic research and theory, to master the EU acquis in-depth and, not less important, to be conscious of the specific terminology and how the policy procedures are actually carried.

Study would help me to extract new meanings of my previous experiences, study in-depth the policy and political arrangements in the pipeline and, guided by the curiosity of understand how Digital Transformation and Communication impact policy-making and leverage solutions to the identity crossroads, institutional deadlock and the European paradox, I may advance my expertise in key policies.

To conclude, as I once luckily passed the security check and arrived on time to discuss with Mr. Martin the research that was taking my sleep away and discuss the impact of Brexit on its own constituency, Scotland, feeling so inspired for being part of something bigger than myself.