The newly appointed Minister of Culture attended the Book Fair in Lisbon today, marking her first public appearance following the induction ceremony. She emphasized that, although this is a new government, it aims to continue the work of its predecessor, which had limited time to implement its agenda. “Now, we have a governance term of four years,” she stated.
“We only had one year to execute our program, and now we have the time to fully implement what we planned and, naturally, add more measures as challenges evolve,” she added.
When asked about the goal of increasing the culture budget by 50% by 2028, which was part of the governing coalition’s electoral program, the minister said political options regarding this will be examined further in the coming weeks and months.
The minister affirmed that there will be ample opportunity to discuss this and other essential matters, highlighting the addition of Youth and Sports to her portfolio.
The minister emphasized her presence at the Lisbon Book Fair to underline its importance within the cultural sector, particularly in the book domain, and noted her recent commitment to this field following her swearing-in.
She paid tribute to Pedro Sobral, the former president of the Portuguese Association of Publishers and Booksellers (APEL), who passed away in December, acknowledging his contributions to the book sector and his distinctive generosity.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports retains the secretaries from the previous administration: Alberto Santos for Culture, Carla Rodrigues as Deputy Secretary of State for Youth and Equality, and Pedro Dias for Sports.
Led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, this second government sees lawyer Margarida Balseiro Lopes, the former Minister of Youth and Modernization, heading the ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports.
The ministry will oversee various dossiers, including the implementation of the PRR in cultural heritage and digital transition areas, revisions to the Patronage Law, and the Fixed Book Price Law.
The expanded ministry will address ongoing issues such as the VAT on art transactions, contested by artists and galleries, and the Statute of Cultural Professionals, which has faced criticism from the sector. There are also leadership contests for positions at the Cultural Heritage Institute and the Inspectorate-General of Cultural Activities.
In the realm of cinema and audiovisual arts, the “Audiovisual and Cinema Industry Financing Program,” SCRI.PT, approved by the Council of Ministers in April, is set to be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
A legislative reform to restructure cinema and audiovisual support systems, with a budget of 250 million euros, is open for public consultation until June 13.
The Directorate General of Arts, with programs supporting artistic structures and events nationwide, is another responsibility of the ministry.
As they begin, Margarida Balseiro Lopes and Alberto Santos are already facing challenges from professionals in the cinema and audiovisual sectors, vocal about the new ministry structure’s potential signal of culture’s diminished importance.
The state’s budget for this year allocated a total consolidated spending of 597.3 million euros for Culture.
The PSD/CDS-PP coalition’s electoral program aimed for a 50% budget increase by 2028, compared to the 450.9 million euros actual spending in 2024.
