Henrique Gouveia e Melo visited the “A arte rumo a Belém” exhibition this afternoon at the Circle of Architecture of Oeiras, which showcases paintings from various artists and was organized by Santiago Belacqua, a visual artist supporting the former Chief of Staff of the Navy’s candidacy.
Gouveia e Melo pledged, if elected, to advocate for increased governmental budget allocation for the cultural sector, emphasizing that “culture is a social elevator, and the State needs to invest genuinely, as it does in education, health, and housing.”
“Culture is an important element of society, providing identity and characterizing the best parts of us. It is through culture that many social movements are anticipated. Artists are the first to capture these moments,” he stated.
When questioned about the viability of dedicating 1% of the State Budget to culture, a common demand among cultural agents, Gouveia e Melo hesitated to commit to specific figures but noted that “1% is quite a high target.”
“For perspective, until recently, until the Ukraine war, 1% of the GDP was allocated to the Armed Forces, for national defense. However, culture needs strong investment,” he remarked.
Addressing reports of only 55% of the budgeted funds being executed under the Military Programming Law (LPM) in 2024, Gouveia e Melo dismissed concerns, advising caution in interpreting such figures.
“Often, contracts are multi-year, and the investment not completed during that period is due to undelivered products, materials, or equipment, but these are ordered, and funds must be reserved for payments due two or three years later,” he explained, stressing that “in reality, most of the investment is practically all utilized.”
Referring to an analysis by economists at the Bank of Portugal highlighting that half of old-age pensioners received a pension below 462 euros in 2024, Gouveia e Melo expressed deep concern.
“We truly need social cohesion and must gradually address these issues. We can’t solve them overnight, but we must ensure that vulnerable individuals, especially the elderly, do not live in undignified conditions,” he advocated.
In these comments to journalists, Gouveia e Melo was also questioned about whether he believes his opponents have been transparent regarding labor reform, following António José Seguro’s challenge to André Ventura to clarify his position on the government’s project.
Gouveia e Melo refrained from assuming the role of the media in scrutinizing candidates but remarked on the “interesting” level of scrutiny his words receive compared to his opponents.
“I would like the scrutiny to be comprehensive and for transparency to also be complete. Both should always go hand in hand. We wish for the selected individual to be well-known so that the people’s choice is an informed one,” he stated.
After asserting in an interview with Rádio Renascença that some presidential candidates are Freemasons, Gouveia e Melo was asked to clarify whom he was referring to, but he declined to comment further.
“On this matter, I will keep quiet, as there have been attempts to associate me with this issue from the start of the campaign. I have nothing more to comment on what I consider minor politics,” he concluded.
