Taskforce warns against cuts to the culture budget
The Culture Taskforce, a cross-sector and cross-association network of Swiss cultural organizations, has published its statement on the relief package 27.
In March 2024, the Federal Council commissioned a group of experts headed by Serge Gaillard, the former Director of the Federal Finance Administration, to carry out a review of tasks and subsidies. It was tasked with proposing measures to reduce the federal budget by at least 3 billion from 2027 and by at least 4 billion from 2030. The task force writes that the debate on the relief package 27 represents a directional decision: instead of cuts, targeted investments in social resilience, cultural diversity and democratic innovation are needed.
The task force calls for no cuts to cultural institutions and programs, the protection of cultural diversity as a strategic location feature, the strengthening of cultural education and social participation, especially for children and young people, the preservation of international cultural partnerships as a contribution to hybrid security policy and the anchoring of cultural resilience as a strategic goal of Swiss policy.
