"We are the party of utopias, but this is a reality. All of us - all together - from Costa de Caparica to Brussels, will get a delegation of the Free in Europe", said the leader at the 14th congress of the Free, which ends today in Costa de Caparica, in the municipality of Almada, district of Setúbal.

For the candidate, "the time for courage has come".

"It has come, because today we have the opportunity to elect the European Parliament. It has come, because today we have the power to contribute to a Green Group in the European Parliament", he stressed.

Francisco Paupério said that after today, with the approval of the electoral program, the Free has "a mandate to change the European Union".

"Today, more than ever, this is the courage that the Parliament lacks where the defense of ecology is in danger", he stressed.

The candidate for the Europeans defended that ecology is the most important fight today, which arrives with decades of delay, and that the measures already adopted fall short of expectations and desired goals, also warning that "if it depends on the forces of the right, the parliament will empty all these laws of their climate ambitions".

"This is not what the Free defends for Europe! We need more ambition, and we need it for yesterday! This is why we propose a new Green and Social Pact, with billions per year, to invest in everything that makes a difference in people's lives: transport, renewable energy, industry, employment, housing", he emphasized.

By 2030, he argued, more courage is needed to ensure that the progress made is not distorted.

"We want an end to fossil fuel subsidies by 2025! We want 100% renewable energy by 2040! The Free is ready for this fight", he said, also choosing to fight for the democracy that he considers to be in danger today in the European Union.

According to the deputy, democracy is no longer guaranteed in the European Union.

Francisco Paupério was elected in the party's primaries with a significant number of unique votes from non-party members, which led the Electoral Commission to raise doubts about a possible "distortion of results" in the first round and to propose that only members vote in the second round - something that ended up not happening.

The open primary process for choosing the candidate list for the Europeans, namely the election of the leader Francisco Paupério, generated controversy and internal disagreements, something that has already led the leaders to admit the need to improve this unique process in the Portuguese party landscape, without giving up the principle of openness to society.

Filipa Pinto, also a candidate for the Free in the European elections, number two on the list, also addressed the green pact in her speech, considering that it cannot wait any longer.

"We need the planet's time to be all the time", she said.

The candidate also pointed out as a flag the defense of migrants, considering that it is not acceptable for children to die on their way to Europe.

"We do not accept that asylum is denied to those seeking safety", she said.

The fight against domestic violence was another issue addressed by Filipa Pinto, arguing that the Free does not accept that women continue to suffer rape and domestic violence within the European Union, a theme that gave rise to a standing ovation from the audience.

[News updated at 1:07 pm]

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