Lifetime Legacies The Mário Soares Foundation and the Lula Institute: Political Projects and Democratic Values in the Lusophone World

Abstract

In recent decades, contemporary democracies have watched initiatives led by former heads of state that sought to establish entities dedicated to preserving and publicizing the legacies of their administrations. This growing trend, inspired by the presidential museumlibraries of the United States, is gaining momentum across Europe and Latin America. The Mario Soares Foundation (FMS), based in Lisbon, and the Lula Institute (IL), in São Paulo, constitute two important experiences. Both institutions, founded and overseen by their respective patrons, exemplify a new breed of presidential memorial centers that operate within a multifaceted framework: they are civil organizations that meet the legal conditions to receive private support and public subsidies; they curate and disseminate the presidents’ collections, while also spearheading programs that revolve around the historical presence of the patron and his party. Furthermore, they serve as platforms that bring together ideas and propositions about the country’s destinies. This article focuses on three facets of the trajectories of the FMS and the IL: their institutional profiles, the political narratives they embody, and the strategic projects they endorse.