Looking at the landscape of political participation among young people in Portugal reveals a true paradox: while they show political interest, engage in causes, mobilize in protests, and are very active in the digital space, they remain distant from traditional forms of political participation, especially regarding political parties. However, there are young people who continue to bring this more traditional political participation into their daily lives. In this article, in partnership with GERADOR, ESCS Magazine spoke with four young people who continue to see hope in political parties, party youth wings, and citizenship projects.

"Giving of oneself to others"

Even without fully understanding what it meant to be part of a party youth organization, Matilde Cunha joined the Social Democratic Youth (JSD) of Cartaxo when she was around 15 years old. She looked up to her father, who had always been a member of parliament, and her brother, who actively participated in the youth organization. “Politics was always something that was discussed a lot in my house. There was always a lot of openness to talk about parties, the news, what was happening in the Assembly, what was happening with the Prime Minister,” she says.

Beyond the examples she had at home, Matilde saw in the JSD (Youth Social Democratic Party) an opportunity to "defend what is different," since it was the Socialist Party that had been in the City Council for the last 50 years. But what exactly does a youth party do? Matilde explains: "We meet, discuss the problems that young people may face living in the municipality of Cartaxo, and then defend our ideas, whether through social media or proposals for the Municipal Assembly." For Matilde, this discussion of problems and ideas is one of the most interesting parts of the process. "It's funny to see the difference between someone who is 18 and has just joined the JSD and me, who is 25. The concerns are completely different, and it's very interesting to see that."

It was precisely this taste for active participation that led Matilde Cunha to run for president of the JSD (Social Democratic Youth). “The first time I ran, we were having a lot of difficulty keeping the local branch active, because you can only be a member of the JSD until you are 30 years old, and there were few younger people participating.” The issue of representativeness was also a decisive factor: in 42 years of the Social Democratic Youth in Cartaxo, she is the first woman to assume the presidency of the party's youth wing and has already served two terms. “Those who are part of a party youth wing have to do it for the love of it, because financially you don't gain anything from it.” The motivation? To defend what she believes in. “You have an enormous sense of presence, because you are working for the interests of other young people in your municipality, your city, or your district.”

Despite trusting in her generation's capabilities to manage the country's destiny, the president of the JSD (Youth Social Democratic Party) in Cartaxo admits that the distance between young people and politics may be due to a fear of commitment. Nevertheless, she emphasizes that participation doesn't have to mean activism. "Sometimes we don't realize that by creating projects and getting involved in associations, we are doing politics in a somewhat indirect way. We are interested, committed. We are quite curious when we want to be, and when we commit ourselves, we commit ourselves seriously."

Almost 10 years after joining the JSD (Youth Social Democratic Party), active participation in politics continues to be a part of Matilde's life. Her father remains her greatest role model. "He entered politics without ulterior motives and did what he did with the intention of helping and doing better for others." And for Matilde, that is precisely what politics is all about: giving of oneself to others.

"To see the world a little bit better"

Although a degree in Political Science and International Relations gives him a political foundation, 21-year-old Afonso Noronha believes that academic training "plays a secondary role to his own desire to get involved in politics." It was precisely this desire that led him to the independent movement Cascais para Viver (Cascais to Live ), a candidate in the 2025 local elections.

While being affiliated with a political party is advantageous in terms of funding and membership base, being independent allows for work free from the usual party interests – and this is precisely what enticed Afonso to get involved in the Cascais local government. “Not having a party, the movement…” Cascais to Live In it is composed by people who have belonged to different party affiliations (...). This creates a diversity of thought, a constructive and different way of thinking, always with a view to the common good of the people of Cascais, which simply does not exist in the same way within a political party,” he emphasizes.

Afonso Noronha saw in local government a means of structural contact with the community, cultivating the necessary tools to materialize his vision for the future. It remains for us to understand whether he is the rule or the exception: is local government attractive to young people? In Afonso's view, there is a divergent language that can alienate young people from local government. “I am somewhat against the idea that young people don't like politics or don't participate in politics. There are multiple systems in which young people have a deep interest, from mobility, the environment, democracy… If there is a local government system that doesn't give voice to these people, that is opaque, that doesn't prioritize transparency, that doesn't materially improve the conditions of young people, it's natural that they respond with apathy. This doesn't mean, however, that young people are apolitical,” he believes. Building the bridge between young people and local government requires a policy of proximity “that has young people themselves at its center,” made possible by more transparent communication.

Politics is bittersweet for young people. Digital technologies have democratized access to information (and vast amounts of it), but they also have the opposite effect on some segments of the youth population. Access to everything opens doors to the challenges that characterize the present day: polarization, extremism, housing crisis, among others. If a feeling of powerlessness is the result of evaluating our daily lives, Afonso warns us that "instead of paralyzing us, powerlessness can motivate us to be better and to take only one step at a time, to engage in local politics, serious politics, and improve our community in that way." And the most effective way to envision a future with a glass half full is to get involved in politics, in its many forms – whether in a Student Association, Parish Council, or political party.

With all the complexities it encompasses, perhaps politics can be summarized as "wanting to see the world a little better," as Afonso says. The sense of community, intimately linked to politics, is only possible through critical thinking. In this sense, an effort is needed to promote a common civic identity that motivates citizens to participate in what belongs to them: the community. "Formal politics should always be subservient to informal politics, to the community, to the construction of society and democracy. Let's not see politics as formal politics first and then everything else, let's see it the other way around: first society, first democracy, first the construction of all those institutions. And then let's see formal politics as a way to manage that," he considers.

“Consider everyone’s voice”

Tânia Liberato discovered Livre in the first elections she voted in. She has always identified with the left, but it was the banner of bringing citizens and institutions closer together that led her to join a political party. “What I would say is an ideal society is one where we all have a say in day-to-day decisions. And therefore, having a party that defends a more decentralized society, where we can have a much more active, more direct voice and where we can participate, was very important to me.”

Unlike most young people of her generation, the 26-year-old believes in the transformative power of political parties. This ideal led her to take an even bigger step and join the team that ran for the parish council of the Union of Parishes of Laranjeiro and Feijó, in the municipality of Almada. Interestingly, she shared the candidacy with a very young team. "It was very beautiful to feel that we were there together for something in common." This idea of ​​community was precisely what motivated the Almada em Comum team . "The process had its setbacks, but the message we conveyed was very beautiful because, ultimately, we all have a lot that unites us, don't we? We have many similarities in our daily struggles."

Having completed the application process, Tânia now assumes the role of council member and is responsible for youth, animal welfare, and civic participation. She interacts daily with young people committed to and involved in political work, but admits that her "bubble" may not be representative of the entire young population. She also acknowledges that her generation has a very unique way of interacting with politics (through social media), but argues that in-person mobilization cannot disappear. "Physical interactions are important because they allow us to be more sensitive to certain topics," she says. "It's much easier to be behind a screen when we don't have to confront the problems. The behavior and the way we look at each other is different, and therefore I think it's important to encourage young people to engage in these interactions."

Equally important is not giving in to conformism or pessimism. “I don’t like it when people tell me ‘It’s always been this way.’ There are things that are clearly wrong and need to change.” Belief in change and the ability of political parties to trigger it accompany Tânia in every representation on the council. “There is so much to do. We need to make people realize that their actions matter and that together we can forge a more positive path.”

Equipping people with these tools and informing them, for Tânia, is part of the work of politics. "Politics is done every day and in different ways," she believes. "It's about being in constant dialogue."

"When a person wants something, they get organized."

With a routine divided between her birthplace in Cascais, the University of Coimbra, and her work in greater Lisbon, 21-year-old Vitória Espósito continues to manage her life in a way that includes politics.
She started out timid in her political involvement, but citizenship projects quickly blossomed within her. Today, she recalls the beginning of her civic development as a snowball effect: “All my friends applied for a project we have at the Cascais City Council, Maré Viva, and I ended up going too. I was a somewhat shy person, so I went with a bit of apprehension, but I ended up accepting. From then on, I never stopped.”

Twelve-year-old Vitória decided to trade dolls for volunteering, a decision that led her to the project that, in her words, "shaped [her] personality": the Voice of Youth.

“The Voice of Youth, which is also part of the Cascais City Council, deals with the transfer of local power to secondary school youth,” says Vitória. From the project that accompanied her throughout secondary school, she retains the value of uniting different ideals and values ​​for the benefit of the community: “We met many new people with completely different backgrounds – and that made all the difference.”

The political vein isn't limited to political parties. Politics can emerge from the most unexpected places, such as youth volunteer projects. A sense of community is cultivated from an early age, motivating young people to connect with their surroundings. Knowing how to identify structural problems is a fundamental part of the Voice of Youth project. “If I find a problem in my community, I have to know the channels to solve it. They exist, so I just have to research them and find them until I bring my problem to the political decision-makers,” emphasizes Vitória, who sees politics as about proximity, not distance. “I am a people person. Politics has to be about that, it has to be about proximity. If I know I can contribute to an area, give my opinion, and also give a voice to those who don't have one, I will do it. And I think that's the most important thing and what motivates me the most.”

Politics is made by people for people, but the feeling that young people are left behind persists. Amidst the information overload that populates social media, young people can feel overwhelmed: politics becomes confusing and unappealing, increasingly enveloped in a dome that is far more distant from the realm of the East. At a time when it is urgent to embrace politics and make it our own, Vitória reminds us: “A conversation from young person to young person makes all the difference. Sometimes all it takes is an initial push, in some way, to attract them.”

While it's impossible to pinpoint the specific ingredients for serious political engagement, volunteering seems to be a gateway to active citizenship. From the moment she embraced the Voice of Youth project, Vitória didn't dare let go. Today, between working in the pharmaceutical industry in Lisbon and pursuing a master's degree in Coimbra, she remains connected to the project as a mentor. “When a person wants something, they organize themselves. It was difficult [to continue with Voice of Youth] and involved a lot of responsibility and flexibility.” Having saved time from university to be able to attend project meetings, Vitória believes that with organization and time, anything is possible – you just have to want it.

From her political career, she leaves behind not only a solid resume, but fundamentally a keen civic spirit oriented towards a sense of community. Vitória leaves us with the message that partisanship is not the only way to do politics: from traditional political means, volunteering is the gateway to a society united by its people. “Politics is door-to-door, it’s in the streets, it’s talking to people and listening to the problems in the communities. It’s not the Assembly of the Republic that represents us. We represent it.”

What is doing politics?

Tearing words from paper is a difficult task for several reasons, the most common of which is: beginTo the tangle of ideas, considerations, and facts is added a completely pure canvas, ready to be written on – making it inviting to writing is the challenge for those who work with words.
The same thing is happening in politics. We are going through times populated by rambling discourse, by opinion-based struggles masquerading as "debates of opinions," in which the possibility of engaging in politics seems progressively more distant. Disinterest has gained ground among young voters, who, sheltered in the sense of belonging on social media, forget that there is an outside world waiting to be explored.

Matilde, Afonso, Tânia, and Vitória prove to us that politics can (and should) be embraced by young hands, and that opportunity is just a "push" away.

Between academic pressures, unpredictable schedules, and latent challenges, young people show us that civic spirit is alive and well and that fighting for the community continues to be worthwhile.

Whether in party politics, independent movements, or volunteering, these voices find a common tone: grassroots politics is the path to consolidating a young, active community with prospects for the future.

The means to achieve this involve more transparent communication from institutions, which motivates citizens to become more aware of their community.

Although these young people are bringing some fresh perspectives to politics, there is still a long way to go. We need youthful faces, but especially fresh perspectives on the issues and the means to address them. A collective effort geared towards a youthful politics is increasingly urgent.