Academician Mariàngela Vilallonga takes possession as a substitutes for Laura Borràs in the Catalan Government
Dra. Mariàngela Vilallonga
Mariàngela Vilallonga, full academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors-Barcelona 1914 (RAED), took office as the new Minister of Culture of the Catalan Government on 25 March to replace Laura Borràs, who is taking the leap to Spanish national politics by appearing in the electoral lists of the Junts per Catalunya party for the elections of April 28. The director of the Chair of Literary Heritage Maria Àngels Anglada-Carles Fages de Climent of the University of Girona and vice-president of the Institute of Catalan Studies, Vilallonga has the endorsement of her extensive teaching experience and a solid classical culture.
“The university and the generations of students have taught me that perseverance and will move mountains, that wanting is power -the new minister began her intervention after taking office-. I will defend the role of culture as a factor of social cohesion. The firmness and conviction combined with the softness in the forms they can end up constructing what we propose”. Vilallonga highlighted the role of language as a structuring element and at the same time an integrator of Catalan culture and as the axis of her management. “We must watch over the people, for their right to express themselves freely and for their right to live together and to dialogue with peace, for the land, for our duty to bequeath it in good conditions to our children and for our right to live with the language as central axis. The language is a meeting point and understanding, useful and a tool of our contribution to the whole world, a language that coexists with many other languages and is enriched by them and does not want to compete with any other”.
Vilallonga is committed “to do everything to move Catalonia forward in all areas of culture, from cinema to books, from libraries to theatre, and from museums to popular festivals, giving culture the role of social cohesive”. The academician finished her first intervention as head of Culture thanking Borràs for her confidence. “Thanks to the minister Laura Borràs, who is declared my guardian angel” she joked. Borràs, meanwhile, was convinced that Vilallonga would continue promoting and deploying the cultural policies initiated under her mandate.
The office of Vilallonga was headed by the president of the Catalan Government, Quim Torra, and coincided with the appointment also as new minister of the Presidency and spokesperson of the Catalan Executive of Meritxell Budó to replace Elsa Artadi, who will attend the elections to the Barcelona City Council.
