Spain, Sánchez government launches bonus for 18-year-olds for spending on culture (but not bullfighting)

The Spanish government led by Pedro Sánchez has launched a bonus for 18-year-olds quite similar to Italy’s 18app: the voucher, worth 400 euros, will be given to all young Spaniards who turn 18 in the calendar year, and can be spent on culture (except he for bullfights, although they were declared cultural heritage in 2013). This was announced by Sánchez himself last week during the EU-Balkan summit held in Slovenia: the measure will be included in the budget starting in 2022. The bonus can be used to buy books, to go to the theater, cinema, museum, and to see dance and music performances. During his announcement, the Spanish prime minister specifically cited France and Italy as the countries that inspired the measure.

According to sources in the Spanish culture ministry, 200 million euros will be allocated for the bonus, and it will be available to more than 450,000 children born in 2004 who will reach the age of majority next year. Sánchez’s idea is, on the one hand, to facilitate young people’s access to culture, and on the other hand, to inject significant sums of money into one of the sectors, culture, that have been most affected by the pandemic. Moreover, in Spain, the 18-25 age group is among those who most frequent cultural venues, and the one that reads the most books: consequently, the hope is to further stimulate consumption in the sector. At the moment, however, the full catalog of goods that can be purchased with the bonus is still to be defined: there are doubts, for example, about video games and subscriptions to streaming movie platforms.

For Spain, however, this is not an absolute novelty: already in 2017, in fact, the Madrid municipal administration introduced a voucher for young people aged 16 to 26, called “Jobo,” with which it was possible to obtain free access to certain events organized by the culture area of the capital’s administration. In Barcelona, a 10-euro bonus aimed at all citizens was launched in 2020 and made available to go to the cinema, concerts, theater, or to buy books.

Pedro Sánchez called the bonus “exciting”: “It is a measure that targets young people and an industry that has suffered so much in these pandemic months,” he said. “The problem that young people have is that the age at which they achieve independence is becoming less and less accessible,” he added. “We are convinced that aid like this is needed to emancipate themselves earlier.” Culture Minister Dario Franceschini also commented on the Spanish measure: “After France,” he said, “Spain has also decided to introduce the culture bonus to support the cultural consumption of young people, thus following Italy’s example. Our model, introduced in 2016 by the Renzi government, sets an example in Europe. An achievement of which we should all be proud and which stimulates us to insist on the proposal made to the EU to create a single culture card for all young Europeans.”

Image: Pedro Sánchez ©European Union 2019

Spain, Sánchez government launches bonus for 18-year-olds for spending on culture (but not bullfighting)

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