Fiona Govan
SPAIN’S government has announced a birthday gift to all 18-year-olds in the form of a culture voucher worth €400.
The culture pass, which can be spent on books, concerts, cinema tickets or museum entrances or even video games, was announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday.
Sánchez said the measure would come into force in 2022 and was designed to encourage young people’s access to culture.
It would also support Spain’s culture industry which suffered terrible losses under Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Approximately 500,000 teenagers are said to be eligible for the pass when it is rolled out next year by Spain’s Culture and Sports Ministry.
Spain’s minister of culture, Miquel Iceta Llorens, said: “It’s like an 18th birthday present, and I would love it if they spent it at the opera or a classical music concert.”
The announcement comes the same week as young people in Spain were told they could access €250 discount on their monthly rent under a new housing scheme.
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.
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