The recommendation titled “for new times of transparency in the cultural management of the city of Lisbon,” presented by the Socialist Party (PS), follows “alleged irregularities, opacity, and political favoritism” in granting financial support to the Tribeca festival, which in 2024 received 500,000 euros of municipal public funds “without, apparently, any public contest or transparent competitive procedure.”
One aspect of the PS proposal is that the city hall, led by Carlos Moedas of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), “promotes an audit of the funding granted to Tribeca Lisbon in 2024, with public disclosure of the findings.”
Another recommendation calls for creating regulations on granting financial support to cultural events, “with public criteria, clear weightings, and mandatory contests or open calls whenever amounts exceed 50,000 euros.”
This point was approved with the votes against from IL and Chega, abstentions from PSD, PPM, MPT, CDS-PP, and independent deputy Margarida Penedo (who resigned from CDS-PP), and votes in favor from BE, Livre, PEV, PCP, PS, PAN, and two independent deputies from Citizens for Lisbon (elected by the PS/Livre coalition).
Stating that IL is “absolutely uncompromising on transparency issues,” liberal deputy Rodrigo Mello Gonçalves considered the PS proposal “a bit sloppy” and mentioned that the city hall already has a Municipal Support Allocation Regulation (RAAML) that sets criteria for granting municipal support.
In explaining Chega’s vote against, Patrícia Branco criticized the “political hypocrisy of the PS,” noting that while in charge of the city, they did not implement “a transparent regulation.”
The recommendation also aims for the municipal executive to ensure that all financing processes are properly documented and archived, with records accessible to oversight entities and the public, and to publish an annual consolidated report of financial support granted in the cultural area, detailing amounts, beneficiary entities, rationales, and evaluated results.
Additionally, the PS proposed that the assembly recommend the city hall oversee, within its competencies, the city’s nightlife, particularly regarding noise and the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages for public consumption, strictly enforcing existing regulations and applying the prescribed sanctions.
This recommendation received votes against from CHEGA, abstentions from BE, IL, Aliança, CDS-PP, and Margarida Penedo, and votes in favor from Livre, PEV, PCP, PS, PSD, PAN, PPM, MPT, and two deputies from Citizens for Lisbon.
Other points include ensuring regular and timely garbage collection and regular cleaning of the city’s main roads, strengthening public lighting, particularly in residential areas, and installing over 150 surveillance cameras already authorized since the 2017-2021 term.
During the assembly meeting, PS deputy Hugo Gaspar criticized “the passivity and silence” of social-democrat Carlos Moedas regarding the delay in banning night flights at Humberto Delgado Airport and non-compliance with the Noise Action Plan, yet received no response from the PSD/CDS-PP leadership, represented by city hall vice-president Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP).
Citizens for Lisbon deputy Miguel Graça, elected by the PS/Livre coalition, stated that “Lisbon is worse today than four years ago,” pointing to worsening issues in mobility, urban hygiene, and housing.
