Breaking Down the Culture Budget Debate for 2025/2026: Not a Single Penny More to Spare - Klepsch
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Debate over budget - Klepsch finds no more opportunities for cost reduction - Proposals forwarded by the Commission to the Council
Stepping into the ring of the heated budget debate, Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch, representing the CDU, belted out that the savings potential in the cultural budget for Saxony has been completely tapped out with the draft double budget for 2025/2026. In a candid conversation with the German Press Agency, she warned against trying to pit cultural institutions against one another and reiterated the steadfast commitment to preserving Saxony's rich cultural landscape amidst the struggles it faces.
With a budget that's knocking on frugality's door like never before, even her ministry felt the swing of the savings scepter. Nevertheless, the stanchion of cultural space funds, totaling 104 million euros in both 2025 and 2026, remained standing, ensuring the regions, institutions, and local partners can press forward with their plans. The music schools also held their ground, safeguarding Saxony's musical legacy with a budget of 7.87 million euros.
Saxony's culture is primarily financed at the municipal level, primarily through Germany's unique cultural space law. The eight cultural spaces independently decide on supporting institutions and projects. The state pitches in to help the municipalities finance their cultural ventures, while the cultural spaces collect a surcharge.
Stepping up to the plate, Klepsch revealed that the funds of the so-called Culture Pact, allocated for the promotion of some theaters and orchestras, would remain at their 2024 level—a stable 8.76 million euros. This help smoothes out certain disparities in salary scales between institutions, despite escalating operational, personnel, and material costs. On the upswing in 2023 and 2024, nine cultural houses benefited from an additional 5 million euros boost. But, alas, this rescue package is nowhere to be seen in 2025/2026, a potentially big problem for theaters facing further cost surges.
The subsidy for the memorial foundation received a 10% reduction for 2025, but it's scheduled to return to full funding in 2026. The state cultural associations are bracing for cuts of 5 to 15%, which could translate to reduced projects.
Klepsch braced herself against the waves of criticism. State-owned enterprises didn't escape the budget axe either. A "freeze" on both personnel and material costs means no new hires and no project positions are being filled.
Bracing for a storm of criticism and demands, she appealed for a healthy dose of pragmatism. The budget draft of 2025/2026 is a transitionary one, and the hope lies in a recovering economy and increased tax revenues.
Acknowledging her role in various cultural events and initiatives like the Bachfest Leipzig 2025 and the funding for cultural projects like the Sachsenburg concentration camp memorial, Klepsch stands firm in her decisions. Although budgets may be tight, wishful thinking has its time and place, but right now, it's time to face the reality of the situation.
Community policy should reflect the commitment to preserving Saxony's cultural landscape, ensuring continued vocational training in the arts and music schools, as discussed in the budget debate for 2025/2026. In the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, it's crucial to keep an eye on the impact of budget cuts on cultural institutions and the general-news landscape alike.
