It will be again Minister of Culture and Sports yes Pedro Sanchez revalidated as president of the Government and he asks for it; but for now, Miquel Iceta (Barcelona, 1960), will serve as interim host minister in Cáceres during the informal meeting of Ministers of Culture from the 27 countries of the European Union. It is one of the events of the Spanish rotating presidency and is celebrated in full “catharsis” in another of the areas linked to his portfolio, with the lights and shadows that women’s football has shown. “His fight to prevent this from happening again is going to be good for Spanish football as a whole,” he says.
What do you expect from the meeting of ministers in Caceres?
It is a meeting that is called ‘informal’, but it is important because the ministers of the 27 will get together [países que integran la Unión Europea] to address culture as an essential public good and as a priority for European governments. Since last year, UNESCO has been leading the idea of culture being a sustainable development objective when the 2030 Agenda is reviewed.
And how do you get to that?
Culture is many things, but if we stick to cultural heritage, many countries are discovering that we can make the maximum effort to preserve and disseminate heritage, and that at the same time it is a vector of economic progress through cultural tourism, which It is quality tourism with added value. Furthermore, it is already recognized that more cultured societies end up being fairer and more efficient. That is why we need all countries to make culture a priority. This means that we must increase the budgets dedicated to culture, get the policies to promote culture right and that societies also be more demanding, demanding more culture and commitment from administrations.
It talks about culture as an essential good, but the truth is that this ministry is the one with the lowest budget allocation (1,514 million) although it has increased in recent years.
It’s true. It is one of those that has increased its endowments the most in the last two years, 56%; but we would still like it to be more.
Access to culture is limited in rural areas. How can we reverse this situation to extend equality in this field as well?
The choice of Cáceres as the venue for this meeting aims to send the message that culture reaches the entire territory. Cáceres not only has a very important historical heritage, but we want the ministers to visit the Helga de Alvear, because a great effort has been made there for contemporary art. We have made promotion policies to balance that cultural dimension, such as the bonus for young people or the senior film initiative, with the idea that culture reaches everywhere.
What is your assessment of the cultural bonus?
We are very satisfied and the idea is to maintain it, but that requires that there be an allocation of 200 million in the budgets each year. 260,000 young people have already requested it, although there are still a few days left and we would like to reach every corner.
Should we promote bullfighting?
Our laws say so and, therefore, it must be encouraged. We cannot forget that we come from a cultural tradition in which bulls were of great importance and continue to have a large number of fans today.
Are you more into culture or sport?
Miquel Iceta is more about culture; but Spanish sport is giving us so much joy… And something that is very important, the lower categories are giving us great results, so we are enjoying today’s successes and preparing for tomorrow’s. But there is also some problem with the sports structures that are not always up to what Spanish society demands.
The players of the Spanish soccer team have become, despite themselves, a symbol of everything that remains to be done in terms of equality, also in sport.
It’s true. They obtained an impressive sporting triumph such as winning the Soccer World Cup; but they are also obtaining an almost more important triumph, which is being the spearhead of Spanish society, which has decided that it is over and that we no longer accept any more discrimination, no more obstacles, no paternalism, nor anything that could hinder or diffuse the great potential of the women of our country. They are standard bearers of it. I understand them when they say that what they would like to do is play, but History has placed them as standard bearers of an advance that is unstoppable. Even so, it is true that it is regrettable that they have had to experience unacceptable gestures and that they have encountered a lack of understanding of the structures of sport. Their fight to ensure that this does not happen again and that the federation enters a stage of renewal is going to be good for Spanish football as a whole.
Why was no action taken from the Higher Sports Council (CSD) at the first signs of problems, before the World Cup?
The CSD does not appoint and remove presidents of the federations or coaches. What we do is promote sport and we only act when conflicts occur and we receive complaints. Surely we should have reacted sooner, but we cannot do it arbitrarily or capriciously, but only when we are asked. The CSD has mediated when asked. It is also true that we have to maintain confidence in the structures of sport that, in general and with some regrettable exceptions, are working well and are committed to the goal of equality that is included in the sports law that we approved in December.
Yeah Luis Rubiales If I hadn’t exceeded all the limits, first in the box and then with Jenni Hermoso, would anything have changed?
I believe that the advancement of women is unstoppable and things are beginning to change. But there are moments when a catharsis occurs and this has been a catharsis in Spanish football. It would be unfair not to recognize that, despite the difficulties, women won. That is a sign that work had also been going on in women’s sports. And as a government we have committed ourselves, also financially, to the professionalization of women’s football. I believe that they have been accompanied, not enough and sometimes in inappropriate ways.
When will the changes demanded by the players materialize?
The Spanish Football Federation has requested authorization to advance its assembly to the first months of next year and there the complete renovation will take place.
Isn’t it better to do it before?
The structure of sport means that if we held an assembly now, the composition of that assembly would be the same in which the previous president was so applauded. We prefer that it be celebrated with new elected representatives with a renewal that the players are asking for and that Spanish society is also demanding.
In the last call, we have excluded Jenni Hermoso with the justification of protecting it. Do you think it is really being protected?
No. And this has been one more of the errors that are occurring. Professional players aspire to be selected and win matches; Therefore, they are not protected by separating them, but by creating all the conditions so that they can play comfortably and happily, and that they do not have to think about anything else.
Would you repeat as Minister of Culture?
Undoubtedly, yes. But that depends on President Sánchez being sworn in again and counting on me when putting together his team.
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And will we see him using Catalan on the tribune of the Congress?
I have decided. If you ask me in Catalan, I will answer in Catalan. Just like if you ask me in any other language, I will use it.