Ethics in politics and governance: power, responsibility, and public trust
April 17th, 2026 | 18h15 | Fórum Fnac Chiado
Governance is an activity grounded in values that guide decisions with a direct impact on collective life, and in a contemporary context marked by the progressive erosion of trust in democratic institutions, the intensification of polarization in public discourse, and the increasing complexity of political decision-making processes, it becomes relevant to revisit the role of ethics in the exercise of power.
This discussion proposes to analyze how the exercise of political power can, and should, be structured by clear ethical principles, such as integrity, responsibility, transparency, and commitment to the common good.
More than identifying failures or deviant practices, it is important to understand the institutional and cultural mechanisms that promote or inhibit ethical behavior in the public sphere. This implies discussing effective models of accountability, strengthening transparency practices in decision-making, and fostering meaningful forms of citizen participation that go beyond mere democratic formalism.
Speakers
Sofia Branco is currently President of the Association for Media Literacy and Journalism (ALPMJ) and a journalist at the Lusa agency. She holds a degree in Journalism and a Master’s in Human Rights and Democratization, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Sociology in the interuniversity OpenSoc program.
Autora dos livros “Cicatrizes de Mulher” (Público, 2006) e “As Mulheres e a Guerra Colonial” (A Esfera dos Livros, 2015), é formadora regular pelo Cenjor – Centro Protocolar de Formação Profissional para Jornalistas. Foi presidente da Direção do Sindicato dos Jornalistas entre janeiro de 2015 e maio de 2021. Tem um percurso profissional reconhecido, nacional e internacionalmente, na cobertura de temas de direitos humanos. Entre 1999 e 2009, trabalhou no jornal Público, tendo recebido vários prémios pela série de trabalhos sobre o tema da mutilação genital feminina (entre os quais a Medalha de Ouro da Assembleia da República e o Natali Europe, atribuído pela Comissão Europeia).
Nuno Nabais is the director of Fábrica Braço de Prata. He holds a degree in Philosophy from the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon (1979), a Master’s in Contemporary Philosophy from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon (1983), and a PhD in Contemporary Philosophy from the University of Lisbon (1995). He has been a contributor to the newspaper Público in the field of philosophy since its first issue, and wrote several pieces for Expresso in the 1990s. He founded and managed Portugal’s first philosophy bookstore, in Bairro Alto, between 2001 and 2005. In 2007, he moved the bookstore to the building of the former Fábrica do Braço de Prata, in Marvila. With the publisher Relógio d’Água, he published one book on Nietzsche and another on Husserl. He was a professor of Theatre Theory at the School of Theatre and Cinema and at the University of Évora, taught Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine, and Epistemology in the Doctoral Program in Science, Art and Society at the Faculty of Sciences. Since 1984, he has been teaching a bit of everything in the Department of Philosophy at the Faculty of Arts of Lisbon.
Bernardo Sousa Reis is the Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Mechanism (MENAC). He served as Principal Technical Adviser at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union (REPER), in Brussels, where he followed the negotiation of legal instruments in the field of taxation, temporarily coordinated the ECOFIN team, and represented Portugal in various Council of the European Union working groups, including the Code of Conduct Group. He held government positions as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State for Fiscal Affairs in the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Constitutional Governments, and as Adviser to the Minister of Finance in the 21st Constitutional Government. In the private sector, he worked as a consultant at KPMG and as a lawyer at PLMJ. He holds a law degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and a Master’s in Law and Management from the Portuguese Catholic University. He also has training in Public Policy Analysis from the London School of Economics and Political Science and in International Taxation from the IBFD.
João Tocha is a Political Marketing and Organizational Strategic Communication Consultant. He has worked as a consultant for various political parties, governments, and ministries. He was part of the electoral and political campaign teams of António José Seguro (for the leadership of the Socialist Party), António Costa (Lisbon City Council, by-election where he achieved an absolute majority), Pedro Passos Coelho (first legislative election), and Rui Rio (first election for Porto City Council and later as leader of the Social Democratic Party). He provided strategic consultancy for the first election campaigns of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Carlos Moedas, and Ana Abrunhosa (election for Coimbra City Council). He works with several mayors, including Isaltino Morais (Oeiras), Paulo Silva (Seixal), and Ribau Esteves (Aveiro). He has also been a consultant for the Portuguese Professional Football League and the Portuguese Football Federation. He works with multinational companies and business associations, including Grupo Sacyr, the pharmaceutical industry, Tilray, Engie, and Inspired. He has served as a political consultant in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Moderator
Miguel Meneses He is an editor and screenwriter. With nearly 30 years of experience in the publishing world, he has been at the helm of the local newspaper Notícias do Parque for 23 years. He holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations and has worked as an observer for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a significant period in the former Yugoslavia. In parallel, he collaborates on photography, video, and fiction projects for film and television as a writer and actor, keeping alive his passion for stories and characters, which he has nurtured since childhood.
Partners
HOSPITALIDADE_FNAC These monthly meetings at FNAC Chiado, from February to July, function as a ritual of inquiry — a space where the DNA of the festival is gradually revealed. More than a prelude, they are a deep dive into the ethical questions that shape our time. An invitation to think, question, and co-create. This is where the festival begins, not as an event, but as a movement.
THE GARDEN PEOPLE joins Festival Impacto as a partner by offering seeds for the event’s gift bags. This simple gesture carries strong symbolism: just as a seed needs care to grow, ideas also need space, inspiration, and community to flourish. With this contribution, The Garden People helps bring to life the spirit of the Impacto Festival — a gathering that aims to plant new perspectives, encourage action, and cultivate positive change.