The information was presented by the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, during a parliamentary session in response to inquiries from members of Chega and Livre. The session focused on the proposed State Budget Law for 2026.
The government’s explanatory note regarding the State Budget for Culture indicates that the budget for Museums, Monuments, and Palaces (MMP) for 2026 will increase from 60.2 million euros to 76.2 million euros, marking a 26.6% growth.
During the hearing, Margarida Balseiro Lopes was questioned by Chega about the existence of security plans for Portuguese museums and monuments, following the theft of jewels at the Louvre Museum in Paris in October.
The minister confirmed that museums and monuments have security plans in place and noted an additional budget allocation of 1.3 million euros for 2026 to continue enhancing security in the institutions under her administration.
“But it is a security enhancement that was already underway, regardless of the case presented,” she said, referencing the Paris theft.
In response to Livre’s inquiry about the Recovery and Resilience Plan’s (PRR) role in improving accessibility at museums and monuments, Balseiro Lopes mentioned that MMP would have an additional 3.2 million euros to cover expenses in this area when not covered by the PRR.
The government’s explanatory note also states that the budget increase for MMP includes the allocation of 8.1 million euros for financial assets related to the rehabilitation project of the Burnay Palace in Lisbon, intended to house the company MMP as per a 2024 governmental resolution under the Socialist Party government led by António Costa.
Margarida Balseiro Lopes addressed these points in parliament as part of the detailed review of the State Budget Proposal for 2026, in the Committee on Budget, Finance, and Public Administration, alongside the Committee on Culture, Communication, Youth, and Sports.
