Ministry of Malta
The merger of the Culture portfolio into the new Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports is not a "demotion." It's a joint venture .
Cultural agents risk not understanding because they are too cultural.
Disclaimer: This is my ministry. Let me ramble on. It's mine because I've studied and worked in the so-called Culture sector—and in Social Communication, which is under the same umbrella. But, above all, because I enjoy multiple sports and also because they force me to be young. I'd have stopped being young by now, but they insist so much that I end up accepting it so as not to upset anyone. I've already made up my mind that I'll be a novice until I'm fifty, no matter how much I pay in taxes. We're young. Emoji with little hands.
To understand the decision to dismiss the Ministry of Culture, we need to think in emojis. Cultural agents are too Deleuze-like. Let me explain: if people come together when they're young (Youth), at festivals (Culture), and for beach volleyball (Sports), it's only natural that the ministry will be a single entity.
It's like a holding company. Okay? Imagine. Like: if Culture, Youth, and Sports report to the same board, there's a common management for everyone's portfolios. Okay? Okay. That's the vision: a single CEO. A single Ministry for everyone's portfolios. You know what I mean? Like.
Dear Culture professionals, to whom I send a hug,
I'm convinced the current government has no intention of demoting Culture. This is, rather, its vision of Culture—which fits well with Youth and Sports because it's the area of events. Of inventions, as they say among young people. In the student associations' glossary, it's called "Recreation." The new ministry is the government's Recreation Department. This isn't personal.
This government's vision doesn't fit with the reality that the Culture portfolio isn't limited to a schedule of activities to occupy leisure time, but rather constitutes a sphere of specialization and epistemological rigor. Much less does it encompass Culture as a core domain, through which a community recognizes itself, reinscribes itself, and projects itself into the universe, in a continuous search for beauty, measure, and meaning. Nor does it encompass Culture as a driving force behind social and economic development, humanist densification, quality of life, and democratic vitality.
The criticism that the new minister lacks a distinguished track record, either in the areas of Culture or Sports, seems to misunderstand that a CEO doesn't need such technicalities at all. The minister's profile is a good fit for the government's overall vision for the ministry.
In short, it's clear that I also regret the lack of serious investment in this area, which is crucial for the country's future. Portugal's lack of investment in culture distinguishes the country from the OECD for all the wrong reasons. I'm not just talking about budgets, but also about sound public policies, aligned with international knowledge and best practices. This isn't even new.
The notion of culture that is associated with youth and sports is more a result of this chronic disinvestment than the vision that will dictate it from now on. Culture, treated this way in the government's structure, is a direct consequence of the country's backwardness.
One must have faith. Not so much Kierkegaard's as Pope Leo XIV's. My faith persists, unshakable. Perhaps these are the advantages of being so young.
The texts in this section reflect the authors' personal opinions. They do not represent VISÃO nor reflect its editorial position.
