Parliament tells Salazar museum to shut down, calling it an “affront to democracy”

Parliament has today condemned the creation of a museum dedicated to Salazar in Santa Comba Dão in Viseu, birthplace of the dictator, approving a vote put forward by the Portuguese Communist Party considering it an “affront to democracy”.

At the time of the vote, PSD and CDS abstained, but the left majority parties – PS, BE, PCP, and PEV – approved the vote presented by the Communists to the standing committee of the Assembly of the Republic.

PSD, CDS and PS have announced their opinions on this issue that has caused controversy in recent weeks. According to a statement from the communist bench, approved by the other approving MPs, the creation of a museum “dedicated to the memory of Dictator Oliveira Salazar in Santa Comba Dão” is “an affront to democracy and democratic values”, as well as “an offense to the memory of the victims of dictatorship”.

Through this vote, Parliament calls on the people behind the museum’s creation to “reconsider their position”, and for all “public and private entities to not support, directly or indirectly, this initiative”.

This position put forward by the Government comes after the Santa Comba Dão City Council announced their intention to create a “Novo Estado” Interpretive Centre, in partnership with other regional entities and included in a local network dedicated to History and Political Memory.