Taxpayers' Birthday Present to 18-year-olds
Source: Andrew Lancaster on Unsplash
Spain announces €400 culture pass ‘birthday gift’ for teens turning 18
Teenagers turning 18 in 2022 will receive a €400 culture pass to spend on anything from books, concerts and cinema tickets, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Wednesday.
Speaking at Ljubjana’s EU-Western Balkans summit, Sánchez said the measure would improve young people’s access to culture, and at the same time, help the Spanish culture industry, which has suffered great financial losses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The announcement comes just a few days after the government announced it would launch a housing scheme that would give 18 to 35 year-olds mid-income earners a monthly €250 discount off their rent.
Both measures were announced as part of the Spanish government’s agreed budget for 2022, although this still needs to be approved by the Spanish Cabinet in its meeting on Thursday.
It follows similar legislation in Italy and France, where governments have distributed €500 and €300 bonuses respectively for young people to spend on culture.
Ione Belarra, leader of junior coalition party Unidas Podemos and minister of Social Rights, said the culture pass was her party’s proposition. “The budget agreement will include a youth culture pass, after a proposal by Unidas Podemos,” she said in a tweet.
Vice-president Yolanda Díaz, leader of Unidas Podemos, said that “supporting the arts and young people’s futures was an essential condition in the budget, which must act as an impulse for culture”.
El acuerdo de presupuestos incluirá un bono cultural joven a propuesta de Unidas Podemos.
— Ione Belarra (@ionebelarra) October 6, 2021
Apoyamos a nuestra juventud que se merece vidas libres y felices y a nuestra cultura, que nos ha acompañado en los momentos más difíciles. https://t.co/Y5WyQFnyI8
Who will be eligible for the culture pass?
The money will be allocated to all young people from the moment they turn 18 years old, starting in 2022.
The Culture and Sports Ministry, in charge of rolling out the new scheme, which will cost €200 million, calculates half a million young people will be eligible across the country.
What can the culture pass be used for?
The money, said Sánchez, can be spent on things like buying books or going to the cinema, the theatre and live concerts.
However, the money will be divided into different sections, so not all of it is spent just on books, for example. Precise details of how many sections it will be divided into have not yet been announced. It’s also not yet clear whether the pass will be used with an app, like in France and Italy, or a different system.
After Sánchez initially said the culture pass would include bullfighting, Spain’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, later said it would not be covered, and neither will subscriptions to streaming platforms, according to Cadena Ser.
On the other hand, young adults will be able to use the culture pass to buy video games.
Iceta added that: “it’s like an 18th birthday present, and I would love it if they spent it at the opera or a classical music concert.”
Comments
On the one hand, I don´t want to be a critic with this gift because, after, you will tell me that I jump at the chance to criticise this Government, on the other hand, I am not used to saying what I don´t think. I am going to make this comment with these previous couple circumstances.
France and Italy will give this present too. Spain does what most advanced countries do it. Spain´s Minister of Culture and Sports, Miguel Iceta would love that teenagers spent it at the opera or a classical music concert. ¡How wonderful! Teenagers are going to go to the Auditorio and the Teatro Real. This scheme will only cost €200 million, what is very cheap to encourage the culture of young people. It seems this is the best scheme that a government can do. Ione Belarra, leader of Podemos, said the present was her party´s proposition, as Podemos is a communist party, this culture pass is from communist party, but there are others communist countries in the world which have communist government.
The Spanish Government has decided that it will be to all young people when they turn 18, to don´t discriminate anyone. This detail demonstrates that it´s fair and the Spanish Government legislates for everyone. Neither a capitalist Government would do in this way.
See you.
"It’s a good idea. To increase culture is very interesting. Culture is the most important to be free, have not illness, enjoy a stunning life and have a good time. All governments should promote activities to people improve culture. Of course, Spanish young should receive the similar bonus."
"Someone could say that it’s miserable give money to go to museum, library or theatre, but I don’t agree, on the contrary, it’s wise, because people ought to know that the better has a value."
Who said the above? I rest my case.
On the one hand, I don´t want to be a critic of this gift because you will then tell me that I jump at the chance to criticise this Government, on the other hand, I am not used to saying what I don´t think. I am going to make this comment in any case.
France and Italy will give this present too. Spain does what most advanced countries do. Spain´s Minister of Culture and Sports, Miguel Iceta would love teenagers to spend it at the opera or a classical music concert. ¡How wonderful! Teenagers are going to go to the Auditorio and the Teatro Real. This scheme will only cost €200 million, which, to encourage the culture of young people, is very cheap. It seems this is the best scheme that a government can implement. Ione Belarra, leader of Podemos, said the present was her party´s proposition, as Podemos is a communist party, this culture pass is from the Communist party, but there are other communist countries in the world which have communist governments. (Not sure what you mean with this last sentence)
The Spanish Government has decided that it will be for all young people when they turn 18 so as not to discriminate against anyone. This detail demonstrates that it´s fair and the Spanish Government legislates for everyone. Not even a capitalist Government would behave in this way. (I'm not sure what the point you are trying to make is)