During a parliamentary hearing on the proposed State Budget Law for 2026, Margarida Balseiro Lopes was questioned by the Chega parliamentary group regarding a European far-right event that took place in October at the CCB.
The event in question occurred on October 17 at the Centro de Congressos e Reuniões do CCB, marking the first meeting of the Foundation Patriots. This prompted public criticism from Pedro Penim, the director of Teatro Nacional D. Maria II, and a request for clarification from the PS parliamentary group.
On October 20, the CCB’s board of directors stated to the agency Lusa that “the referenced event took place as a result of a room rental at the Centro de Congressos e Reuniões do CCB for a private event, the specific content of which was not known”.
The clarification further noted that the conference center “hosts dozens of private events monthly promoted by third parties” and is highly regarded as a service provider in this area, guided by commercial policies of respect for legality, freedom, and tolerance.
Today, at the parliamentary hearing, Margarida Balseiro Lopes reminded that “the management of the spaces [at the CCB] is neither the responsibility of the minister nor the Secretary of State” for Culture.
“The management ensures sustainability, for instance, in the most important dimension, which is the cultural aspect of the Centro Cultural de Belém. Where there are rules, regulations, and criteria, as long as they are respected, for me, Culture will always be a space of freedom and never of closed doors or cancellations,” the official stated.
