The independent cultural sector is preparing peaceful protests if the draft 2027 budget is not changed. Artists, cultural organisations, creative unions and representatives of state and municipal institutions are calling for public spending on culture to reach 0.66% of gross domestic product, or approximately €939 million.
The draft allocates €728.3 million. The difference of approximately €211 million is the main financial demand in a declaration by the “Independent Cultural Sector” Association. The organisations warn that if no changes are made, they will take to the streets between the first and second readings of the State Budget Act.
The sector sees a retreat from commitments made
According to calculations presented by the signatories of the declaration, the share of public spending on culture will fall from 0.56% of GDP in 2026 to 0.52% in 2027. The medium-term budget forecast also provides for 0.45% in 2028 and 0.43% in 2029.
In absolute terms, spending is expected to shrink from €736.4 million in 2026 to €684 million in 2029. Given projected inflation of 4% in 2027, the nominal decrease of 1.1% would mean a real decline of approximately 5%, the authors of the declaration say. They also note an additional reduction of more than €50 million in 2028, for which, they say, no reasons have been provided.
“Culture is not an expense but an investment and a public good that must not be sacrificed to cuts in public spending,” the signatories of the declaration say.
What the organisations are demanding
The sector is also calling for changes to the medium-term budget forecast so that funding increases every year. This is linked to the Charter for Cultural Policy, which was unanimously supported by Parliament’s Culture and Media Committee. On 26 October 2026, the Ministry of Culture recognised the document as a strategic framework.
The charter provides for an annual increase in public funding for culture of 0.1 percentage points of GDP until it reaches 1%. According to the organisations, the draft budget is moving in the opposite direction.
Sector representatives are also calling for salaries in state and municipal cultural institutions and community centres to increase at the same rate as average incomes in the country. They are also seeking clear funding for the independent cultural sector, noting that the draft contains no separate budget lines for the National Culture Fund and the National Cultural Calendar.
What the draft provides for
The explanatory notes to the draft budget state that the Ministry of Culture’s budget for 2027 will be €285.7 million, or 7% more. Additional funding is planned for film, the performing arts, intangible cultural heritage, the facilities of state cultural institutions and commemorative events.
However, cultural organisations are calling for meetings with the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Culture and Parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee and Culture and Media Committee. They are urging the MPs who supported the Charter for Cultural Policy to introduce amendments between the first and second readings.