The celebrations, which begin this Thursday, will last for a year. In addition to a formal session, there will be numerous cultural initiatives and programming specifically dedicated to the younger generations.
These are two of the most relevant moments that form part of the start of the celebrations of the birth of which will last until the end of 2025 and they will extend to various parts of the country com exhibitions, literary editions and initiatives cultural.
On December 6th, the eve of the founder and first leader of the PS, what it was Prime Minister of three constitutional governments (1976/1978, 1978 and 1983/1985) and President of the Republic between 1986 and 1996, the Legislative Assembly will hold a solemn session of homage.
For the following day, December 7th, when one hundred years have passed since his birth, a evocative ceremony which will meet at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Gulbenkianin Lisbon, national and international personalities, and will be volume 3 of the Mário Soares Works Collection — “Writings of Resistance“.
Of According to the general lines of the program, the celebrations should end in December 2025, again at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, with the holding of a conference International.
The current nature of Soares’ political thought
Before that, next Thursday, at Escola Básica Maria Barroso, in Lisbon, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, will participate in the presentation session of the commemorations program. Coordinated by José Manuel dos Santos, writer and former advisor to Mário Soares, are part of, between others, of organizing the celebrations, the children dthe former president of the Republic, Isabel and João Soares, the former ministers Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues and Isabel Alçada, and personalities such as José Pena do Amaral and Teresa Sidewalk.
A organizing committee intends that the centenary celebrations focus on the current political thinking of Mário Soaresespecially from the “identification that he made of the causes of populism, in his proposals to recover the prestige of democracy, in his ability to attract the most young people”.
“The celebrations will last over a year and will be completely focused on the future, on the way in which Mário Soares’ thinking — his values and ideals — provide a good response to times like today in which democracies face several dangers”, says José Manuel dos Santos, in a note released by the Mário Soares e Maria Foundation Barroso.
A special program dedicated to new generations
The centenary program intends to pay special attention to the younger generations, with the launch of children’s literature, pedagogical actions in schools and exhibitions.
“Want toIt is expected that these celebrations of the centenary of Mário Soares’ birth are very much aimed at the younger generations. They are those who least know History, but they are those who can guarantee the longevity of Mário Soares’ message”, José Manuel dos Santos, coordinator of the celebrations.
Already on Thursday, a children’s biography, entitled “Mário Soares: On the path to freedom”. A book from written by Luísa Ducla Soareswith illustration by Susana Carvalhinhos, about Mário’s life trajectory and values Soares.
Luisa Ducla Soares, widow of the founder of the PS, university professor and former socialist minister Mário Sottomayor Cardia, is considered one of the most renowned authors of children’s literature in Brazil. Portugal.
Of According to the program, which also connects to the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria de Jesus Barroso, the launch of a pedagogical dossier on the life of Mário Soareswith suggestions for text analysis and debate in an educational context — an initiative with the support of Porto Publisher.
Com support from the school library network, it is also intended to develop a program of pedagogical activities suggested for teachers at all educational levels to stimulate activities centered on the biography and values of Mário Soares.
Many exhibitions to choose from
Other initiatives already planned are focused on archive of the former President of the Republiclike “Unarchive democracy” — this has a digital presence on Instagram and is mainly aimed at 3rd cycle and high school students — or exhibition “Mário Soares: 100 years”.
This exhibition, which will be on display between the end of this year and 2025, according to the organizers, aims to make known “the life of Mário Soares, his thoughts, interests and values, his fight and action for freedom and democracy, his national legacy and international”, having been designed to be installed in educational spaces, such as schools, libraries, universities and other equipment cultural.
O The promoters’ objective is that circulate throughout the country and that makes it possible to make known the life of the former President of the Republic, his thoughts, interests and values, his struggle and action for freedom and democracy, his national legacy and International.
Regarding cultural initiatives dedicated to all generations, the organizing committee highlights the exhibition “The salt of democracy: Mário Soares and culture”which will be on display between December this year and May 2025 at Casa de Serralves, in Porto. Uan “exhibition that presents a cross between the art collection and other works and documents that marked the thought and action of Mário Soares (from authors of his preference, friends and himself), revealing his human, political and cultural”.
Already from September 2025, until February 2026, the exhibition will be launched “The worlds of Soares”at the Portuguese Pavilion, in Lisbon. In addition to this exhibition focusing on the biography and legacies of the former head of state, an exhibition of photographs by Luís is also planned from February 2025 at Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Porto. Vasconcelos.
Also Next year, at the Mário Soares and Maria Barroso Foundation, another exhibition will be held, this one entitled “Mário Soares, Portugal, who revolution?”. “This exhibition that shows, through photographs, the great events that marked the Portuguese Revolution of 1974-1975 and the essential role of Mário Soares in the fight for the establishment of a democratic, representative and pluralist regime”, says a note from the organizing committee of the celebrations.
No April 25, 2025, at the Centro Cultural de Belém, in Lisbon, the “Meeting of Centenaries”a session that will combine the celebrations of Mário Soares with the centenary of Maria Barroso’s birthwhich is celebrated on the 2nd of May.
Yet according to the organization, in October 2025, at the University of Coimbra, the “Mário Soares International Congress: A Life Between Centuries”. An initiative will bring together the academic and scientific community to analyze, debate and reflect on the life, action and work of Mário Soares and Maria Barroso.
