The youth organization Lideremos and the Princess of Girona Foundation have celebrated this Wednesday at CaixaForum Madrid the first edition of “Foro Retos”, an event that has brought together more than 700 attendees among institutional representatives, businessmen, experts and young professionals to debate the main structural challenges of Spain.
The meeting has been marked by a shared message: the need to bet on dialogue, consensus, and major agreements in the face of political and social polarization. Under slogans such as “Young people choose agreements and consensus over noise and polarization”, the forum has addressed issues such as access to housing, mental health, energy, entrepreneurship, young talent, or the impact of artificial intelligence.
The event was presented by the vice president of Lideremos, Xavier García Tort, and the journalist Cristina Gullón. The president of the organization, Tomàs Güell, defended that the objective of the forum is “to promote a generation that bets on dialogue, consensus, and major agreements as a basis for facing Spain's medium and long-term challenges”.
Carlos Cuerpo promises a plan for young people
One of the main protagonists of the day was the first vice president of the Government and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, who held a conversation with the general secretary of Lideremos, Manuel Tamariz. During his speech, he assured that “the objective as a Government is clear: we cannot fail the young people”.
Cuerpo also announced the commitment to promote together with Lideremos a specific plan for young people that connects employment, housing, and future opportunities. As explained by the organization, after the meeting, conversations have already begun with the Ministry of Economy to develop this initiative.
The Balearic president, Marga Prohens, also participated in the forum, highlighting that young people make up a generation "more than prepared." For his part, the president of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, focused his speech on the role of the business fabric and defended the importance of combining "continuous training and attitude" in a context of transformation marked by artificial intelligence.
Housing, health, energy, and artificial intelligence
The different thematic tables addressed some of the country's major social and economic challenges. One of the blocks was dedicated to health and fertility, driven by Merck, while another, led by Fundación Repsol, analyzed the impact of the energy model on citizens' daily lives.
The Princess of Girona Foundation also focused part of the debates on generating opportunities for young people and strengthening the Spanish entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The forum also dedicated specific spaces to issues such as talent attraction in cities, young leadership, European challenges, entrepreneurship with social impact, or the consequences of digital addiction. Artificial intelligence also occupied part of the conversations, with a focus centered on responsible innovation and leveraging technological opportunities.
Access to housing, one of the major concerns
Access to housing closed the day as one of the central issues for youth. The panel was led by Tania Tejeira, head of Lideremos in the Canary Islands, and served to analyze measures related to the young social bonus and the situation of self-employed workers.
The organization also highlighted some initiatives promoted in recent years, such as proposals incorporated into the National Suicide Prevention Plan, administrative simplification measures, or projects linked to aid for young people's housing in Tenerife.