The day starts shortly after sunrise. At 7.45 am Anna Lührmann, the German State Secretary for European Affairs and Climate, is already at Quinta da Boavista, about a five-minute drive from the center of Ponte da Barca; If you go on foot, always along the Lima River, the journey takes 15 minutes. And it was precisely along the ecovia of the Minho village that the path was followed, in communion with the surrounding nature.
Upon arrival at her destination, Anna, accompanied by her advisor Florian, awaits the stage where the second day of Summer CEmp, the summer school of the Portuguese Representation of the European Commission, will begin. It is there, amid the clucking of chickens and the barking of dogs, that the forty young participants, speakers and mentors talk about Europe. But before the debate, everyone – including Anna Lührmann – takes part in an activity typical of the region: harvesting. Like them, Tiago Antunes (State Secretary for European Affairs) and Laurence Boone (French State Secretary for European Affairs) also participate in the activity, which unites them with the local community and traditions. Together they will also participate in one of the last panels of this morning with debates focused on the future of Europe. And what future is this? ‘It is the first continent with carbon neutrality. That’s the key. It is a future of peace and prosperity, if we make the right decisions nowThis means an expansion that is carried out quietly and in due time, but also that the institutions are prepared for these challenges,” the German government official tells DN, next to the swimming pool of the accommodation where she was staying, in Ponte da Barca.
Source: DN
