Change of government logo sparks new controversy
At a time when Portugal continues with crises to solve in the education, health and housing sectors (to name a few), one of the major talking points of the last few days has been the new government’s decision to change the governmental logo.
The government led by Luís Montenegro had made an electoral promise to change the logo back to how it was before his predecessors opted for a more artistic rendition of the Portuguese flag, which lacked some of its more distinctive features such as its sphere and shield – a change which was immediately undone once the new government took office.
António Leitão Amaro, Minister of the Presidency, said that returning to the former logo “restored essential symbols of our identity, history and culture.”
While this may seem like a minor issue, the truth is that this decision has sparked a debate about whether this change was truly necessary and was a measure that required such urgent treatment.
Pedro Nuno Santos, secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS), believes this change “should not have been a priority, because it is a minor issue and does not affect the lives of the Portuguese people.”
He also defended that PS never intended to bring into question its “respect for national symbols, because it takes the defence and the identity of the country seriously. We do not confuse that with an administrative logo of the government.”
Eduardo Aires, the creator of the previous logo, has described the change of logo as a “populist” measure and a “step back” for the country. Cited by Jornal de Notícias, he said the decision has “given design unprecedented attention in Portuguese society,” and said it was “surprising that a design project had gained such importance.”
Others have gone even further, with a public petition calling for the previous logo to be restored having already ammassed over 4,700 signatures.
“This action not only disregards the vitality and relevance of the artistic, creative, and design community but also underestimates the intellectual and critical capacity of the entire Portuguese population,” the creators of the petition wrote.
“The choice to ignore a world-renowned work, developed by Studio Eduardo Aires, is not just a failure to recognise excellence in the field of design; it is an act of regression to obsolete practices and an adherence to a narrow vision of what constitutes national identity. Such a measure reflects a profound disconnect with contemporary values essential for the evolution of Portuguese society on the global stage”.
“By opting for a previous visual identity, considered by many as technically inadequate and visually obsolete, especially in its digital functionality, the current government demonstrates an alarmingly retrogressive perspective. This decision not only contradicts the basic principles of effective design but also puts Portugal at a disadvantage in international dialogue and the global creative economy,” they add.
Despite the controversy that the decision has generated, Prime-Minister Luís Montenegro has guaranteed he has no regrets.
