After Montenegro took office, corners and armillary sphere returned to the Government symbol – Portugal

Luís Montenegro, who took office as Prime Minister this Tuesday, fulfilled his promise to bring back the Government symbol with historical elements, such as the shield with the corners and the armillary sphere, and is already present on the Government Portal of the Portuguese Republic.

“With my government, we will stop using the new symbol”, stated the new prime minister on the social network X, during the election campaign. “In our project we do not make our historical and identity references succumb to an idea of ​​sophistication.”

This change occurred immediately after the inauguration of the Prime Minister and the 17 ministers of the new Government formed by PSD and CDS-PP, and the email from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers informing of a meeting on Wednesday already used the old image.

A social democratic source explained to the Observer that “it is about fulfilling a promise” and that “a center-right government has to pursue these issues”, with the decision on changing the logo being reached by consensus within the Democratic Alliance.

Nuno Melo, leader of the CDS-PP, also previously made similar criticisms of the minimalist symbol adopted by the Government of António Costa, which only contained two rectangles and a circle with the colors of the national flag, having dubbed it “ridiculous and a reduction almost criminal”, phase of the removal of the weapons shield and the simplification of the armillary sphere.

He said on the social network Facebook that “the Flag is a national symbol” and that “every detail has an identity meaning for a Nation and a People”, adding that “the symbolism of a flag is not about a government, but Yes, the Nation, it is not a majority that is at stake, but an entire people.”

Controversy with the previous logo

The previous logo, adopted by the Government of António Costa, generated several criticisms from parties and on social media. According to sources from the former prime minister’s office, the logo was changed due to its lack of legibility and complexity for current digital platforms, and this new brand responded “effectively to new contexts, determined by the sophistication of digital communication and dynamics and a reinforced ecological awareness”.

In the Government’s Visual Identity Application Manual, it is stated that the elements of the shield, corners and castles, were removed so that “the symbol does not become a copy or a free adaptation of the original flag”, and in this way the image becomes more “inclusive, plural and secular”.

Another controversy surrounding this symbol was the fact that it cost 74 thousand euros. On November 23, 2022, the contract between the Portuguese State and the contractor Studio Eduardo Aires was published on the Base Portal, with a “maximum price” of 74 thousand euros plus VAT at the legal rate in force.

The Prime Minister’s office justified the Polygraph that Eduardo Aires had “the lowest price” and the “most qualified team, comprising recognized experts in various areas of visual communication, and a portfolio of notable works”. They again argued that “the value is not only not high but is also very far from market prices”.

Eduardo Aires, the designer responsible for the logo, came to defend his choice for the new logo, having linked it to the office of João Cepeda, one of those responsible for communications for the Costa Government. The designer, who received several criticisms and threats, explained that the symbol was the result of an “evolutionary process, participated in and guided by the Government Communications Department”.