Protests have spread across France after the government’s forced budget announced severe cuts to the culture and arts sector.
“Debout pour la culture” or “Stand up for culture” was the cry that rang out across France as protestors demonstrated against proposed cuts to country’s culture budget.
The French government is trying to reduce public spending to combat its 6% budget deficit. But plans to cut spending on culture has prompted significant pushback from arts workers.
Protest movement ‘Debout pour la culture’ has taken over arts venues across the country, alongside a petition signed by more than 40,000 people, including major names like rapper JoeyStarr, singer Emily Loizeau, and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
On the streets, the protests have been supported by many of France’s most famous names, including actor Juliette Binoche, who was named as the President of the Jury for the Cannes Film Festival for 2025.
Prime Minister François Bayrou forced through a new budget yesterday using a special governmental power to force the French parliament to adopt it without a vote. Bayrou’s decision was a reaction to the collapse of the Barnier government in early December stopping a budget being passed for the upcoming year.
The petition against proposed budget cuts to the culture sector criticises: “a massive layoff plan underway in the cultural sector, which will lead to a serious decline in access to culture for the entire population and throughout the country”.
The 40,000 plus signatories “denounce the idea that by sacrificing public services, including art and culture, the State is making a dangerous calculation, in the name of a context of budgetary austerity, which should not obscure the threats weighing on our democracy.”
“Every time a budget cut of 20,000 euros is announced, it is the equivalent of a permanent job in a cultural structure or an intermittent artistic, technical or administrative job, which is threatened with disappearance,” the letter explains.
“The context of budgetary austerity cannot obscure the threats hanging over our democracy. This is why we say that sacrificing public services, including art and culture, is a dangerous calculation in view of the great societal benefits that result from it. The fact that the State devotes 0.8% of its budget to this public policy is already largely insufficient to meet the needs expressed by the population and by professionals.”
Youth spending squeeze
Some of the institutions that joined in on the protests included La Passarelle arts centre in Saint-Brieuc, Maison de la culture de Grenoble (MC2) in Grenoble, and the Ecosocialist Left group.
Additionally, a letter from Syndeac, the trade union for live arts in France, published a letter calling for Culture Minister Rachida Dati to respond to the budget cuts.
“Since your arrival at the head of the Ministry of Culture, there has been a reduction of no less than 410 million euros (200 million euros by decree in February 2024 and 210 million euros which could possibly be voted on as part of the 2025 budget).”
“Where is the minister whose door is always open for dialogue?” Syndeac demands.
One of the planned cuts is to the Culture Pass, a programme which gives French secondary school children credits they can spend on tickets to culture events and books. The Culture Pass was one of the flagship policies of President Emmanuel Macron’s first term.
Spending will also be reigned in across regional governments, cutting access to culture for those outside of the main cities.
If successful, the budget aims to reduce the deficit from its current position at 6.1% to around 5.4%, higher than the 5.0% target made by the previous government.
