Good afternoon, everyone,

It is a real pleasure to be here, and I am very grateful for your invitation. Thank you, Filipe Martins, Director of JESC, for bringing us together on this important occasion.

I also promised myself that I would keep my remarks short - which is usually a risky promise for a lawyer - but I will try.

Today is first and foremost a celebration of what you have achieved. But graduation ceremonies are not only about looking back. They are also about reflecting and looking ahead. Because you leave this programme not only with more knowledge, but with a deeper sense of responsibility.

So, you have completed one mission: the European Leadership Programme. The real question is: what comes next?

For me, the answer is rather simple: another mission.

And, unlike what happens in Mission Impossible, this message will not self-destruct - because the mission you begin today is not for the next year, or your next job, or even the next stage of your career. It is for life.

There are no deadlines. No final exam. No graduation ceremony at the end.

Only a lifelong commitment to the principles that have shaped this programme and which, from today onwards, depends on you.

What matters, now, is not what you have learned. It is what you do with it. To lead with vision. To lead with values. And, above all, to lead through service and example.

When I look at your generation, I see the future of Europe taking shape - a living project, facing uncertainty, tensions, and defining choices. We are living in a time where trust in politics, in institutions, is being severely tested, where public debate is polarised, and where the distance between citizens and decision-makers grows slowly and gradually wider.

This is the moment you are stepping into. Not as spectators, but as active participants. You will help shape and protect what Europe stands for - not only in words, but in reality.

That is a privilege. Few generations are given the opportunity to shape, rather than simply inherit - to influence not only policies, but also priorities, direction, and values.

But with privilege comes responsibility.

Above all, responsibility for how you choose to act. Because, in the end, that is what endures. That is what people remember. And from where I stand, as European Ombudswoman, this is what matters most.

I often say that ombudsmen are, in many ways, agents of hope. Not because we can promise that every problem will be solved or every complaint upheld. But because we show that institutions can listen, that fairness still matters, and that trust can be rebuilt.

In my role, I see every day how citizens experience and interact with public administration. And what they ask for is, in fact, remarkably simple. They do not expect perfection. They expect to be heard. To be treated fairly. To understand why and how decisions. And to be treated, throughout the process, with dignity, respect and compliance with the applicable rules.

When those elements are missing, trust begins to erode, vanishes - even when the outcome itself may be legally correct. And when trust is weakened, institutions themselves are weakened.

The responsibility to act with integrity, courage, and to remain faithful to one’s principles - even when it is difficult - becomes therefore not only a personal matter, but a public one. It means refusing indifference, refusing disengagement, and resisting easy answers when deeper reflection is required.

I know this can feel demanding. At times, it can feel uncertain, even overwhelming - as though you are expected to have all the answers and have them now.

You do not. I do not either.

It is however in moments like these, that principles matter the most. They are like a lighthouse in a storm. They do not calm the sea. They do not stop the waves. But they help you stay on course, and direct you to the safe port.

Whatever the route, the itinerary, the new pathways, the destination remains the same. There should be no fear in deviating from expectations, in exploring new paths, in testing limits, or even in failing. A change in direction is not a loss of direction. Often, it is through uncertainty that clarity emerges. And through setbacks that resilience is built.

Allow me to share something from my own journey.

It has not been a straight line. It has taken unexpected turns. There were moments when it felt as though the world lay open ahead, and others when it seemed to narrow to its limits. At times I found myself being driven by a strong sense of purpose, and at others I had to question myself, my choices and decisions. Yet throughout, one thing remained constant: the principles that had always guided me.

Respect for human dignity, a commitment to fairness, and the conviction that institutions exist to serve people - not the other way around.

Over the years, I have also come to value empathy, which I now consider an essential element of leadership. Empathy is not weakness. It is the ability to understand others without losing your own clarity. It allows you to listen, to build trust, and to act with fairness and integrity.

I have seen, time and again, the difference this can make. Sometimes, what resolves a situation is not a sophisticated legal argument. It is the simple act of listening carefully, of clearly explaining a decision, or of acknowledging a mistake. These may seem like small things. They are not. They are at the heart of good administration.

My journey has also been shaped by less visible challenges - rooted in expectations, cultural assumptions, and persistent stereotypes. These are rarely explicit, but they quietly shape perceptions, opportunities, and the way people are judged. I experienced this firsthand: often reduced to labels - too nice, not authoritative enough, too soft, not combative. Sometimes underestimated, many times judged before I was known.

In those moments, you face a choice. You can adapt, you can conform, you can become what others expect to see. Or... you can remain true to yourself.

I believe that is where leadership begins. It means staying faithful to who you are - even when it would be easier to fit in.

Because, in the end, what matters most is not how others judge you. It is how you judge yourself. Others will always have opinions - but they should never define who you are.

When I decided to apply to become European Ombudsman, I was given many reasons why I would not succeed. I was told I was too young. Too... “Portuguese”. A woman. That I lacked visibility, support, or the “right” profile.

Those doubts were difficult to bear. But I moved forward. Holding on to one idea: sometimes the journey matters more than the destination.

Because we do not always control the outcome. But we do control how we approach it. With integrity. With commitment. With courage. Results will not always meet your expectations. But if you have given your very best - if you have remained true to your principles - there is no room for regret. Only for learning, for recovering, and moving forward.

This has been my way of facing both success and disappointment. I accept. I reflect. And I continue. Because growth rarely comes from having all the answers. It comes from the humility to learn. And the courage to begin again.

What has made this possible - what has sustained this path over time - are values, rooted in family and, also in faith.

A faith that reminds us that leadership is, above all, an act of service. And that human dignity must always come first.

But there is something important that experience also makes clear. Values do not operate on their own. Progress does not happen simply because we hold values. There is sometimes a tendency to believe that things will fall into place - that intention is enough.

It is not.

Values only matter when they are translated into action. They must be lived. Day after day. Through consistency, discipline, and commitment.

Nothing meaningful happens without effort. Believing in yourself is not an abstract idea. It is something strengthened through preparation, perseverance, and showing up, every single day.

And it is through that sustained commitment that a path begins to take shape: by choosing your references, identifying the causes that matter to you, and embracing difference as a source of collective value.

This is also the European project at its core. A Union where unity was not imposed, but built through cooperation, solidarity and respect for our diversity.

We are, indeed, united in diversity.

And in the end, each of you will find your compass. What matters is that you have one - and that you follow it, especially when it is difficult.

Because it will be.

The world you are entering demands competence - and character. Ambition -  and a strong moral foundation.

So the question is not only what you will become, but what you will stand for.

Europe does not need more careers. It needs more conviction.

Congratulations on what you have achieved - and on the mission you are about to begin.

Thank you.