This reduction is added to that of 100 million euros arbitrated in the budget presented by Michel Barnier in December, bringing the overall envelope to 4.45 billion.
The Culture budget provides « a further reduction of 50 million euros »declared Minister Rachida Dati during a hearing in the Senate on Friday, also defending a « exceptional funds of 25 million euros » for artistic creation in the territories. « This budget includes some recent developments »declared the minister on the occasion of the resumption of budgetary debates in public session in the Senate. « The situation of our public finances obliges us and this budget includes a new reduction of 50 million euros for credits to the ministry ». This reduction of 50 million is added to a reduction of 100 million which was arbitrated by the previous government in December.
The total budget devoted to culture in the finance bill represents 4.45 billion euros. As at the beginning of November, Rachida Dati defended a government amendment of 300 million additional euros for heritage, while 5% of the 45,000 historic monuments in France are in danger, according to the ministry.
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“Safeguard emblematic structures”
However, the « available amounts have been adjusted” due to “of the political situation » a you « delay in censorship » of the Barnier government. So much so that within this envelope, 25 million will instead come « supply an exceptional fund for 2025 to help us act for the benefit of the most critical situations for artistic creation in the territories »particularly live performance, she announced. This exceptional fund, initially of 25 million euros, was increased to 40 million euros in total by a vote of senators in the morning.
The ministry specified to AFP that it would first be used to « manage the most serious situations by safeguarding emblematic structures » in a delicate situation, like the Aix-en-Provence Lyric Art Festival, which in 2024 was the subject of a safeguard measure co-led by the State and the communities. This fund will also be used to « help, in the territories, structures to reconstitute their artistic margins »along rue de Valois.
This measure comes at a time when most regions voted before Christmas on budgets that ration their spending, some even making their concern for savings a political guideline, such as the Pays de la Loire with a cut of 82 million euros in operating expenses, particularly in culture.
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