The Culture Budget is Slagged: "Devastating Dismantling"

Scandals, cold showers, and devastating dismantling. This is how the opposition and cultural representatives describe the government's cultural budget for next year. However, the CEO of the Royal Opera, Fredrik Lindgren, is pleased.

» Published:

The Culture Budget is Slagged: "Devastating Dismantling"
Photo: Lars Schröder/TT

Share this article

The Opera receives 10.5 million kronor in 2025 and 21 million kronor the following year to project the upcoming renovation and relocation, which Lindgren sees as "a clear political signal" that the operation is prioritized.

The Social Democrats' cultural policy spokesperson Lawen Redar instead describes a budget that favors institutions in Stockholm but does very little for culture in the rest of the country. She predicts "major problems" for public libraries, county museums, regional theaters, and operas, and a risk of "massive layoffs".

With this economy, municipalities and regions will hardly have good conditions, and that also means they won't prioritize culture in competition with other policy areas.

"Remarkable"

No investment is made in the visual and design area, whose practitioners have "incomes at the bottom of the scale", emphasizes Sara Edström, national chairman of KRO. She calls the reduction of regional culture "remarkable".

Robert Uitto of the Regional Theaters describes the cultural budget as anemic, and the reduction of the regional grant as "a cold shower".

"...now our 20 member theaters are facing another year where they themselves have to make savings to cover both wage cost increases and other cost increases" he writes in a comment to TT.

Archbishop Martin Modéus is both disappointed and surprised. After a long period of stagnation, the grant for the care of the Church's cultural heritage is increased by 30 million, but it does not cover the needs, he emphasizes.

Lowest in Europe

Mats Berglund (Green Party), chairman of the Riksdag's cultural committee, is calling for more political initiatives:

What I react to is primarily that the activities where we really need to allocate money, for example the free cultural life, get nothing. A film initiative was needed, Sweden has the lowest film support in Europe.

Simon Norrthon, chairman of Scen & Film, talks about "a weak budget" and a continued and "devastating dismantling". Although he welcomes the investment in Creative School, he would rather have seen the money go directly to professional culture.

Creative School doesn't always go to performances, but to pedagogy and all sorts of things.

Corrected: In an earlier version, Mats Berglund was given the wrong first name.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

One in Four Students Lacks Access to Staffed School Libraries

One in Four Students Lacks Access to Staffed School Libraries

Jimmy Kimmel Show Replaced by Charlie Kirk Tribute on ABC

Jimmy Kimmel Show Replaced by Charlie Kirk Tribute on ABC

Robert Gustafsson Reflects on Career in New Documentary Series

Robert Gustafsson Reflects on Career in New Documentary Series

Opera Stopped by Nazis Debuts in Berlin with Norrköping Symphony

Opera Stopped by Nazis Debuts in Berlin with Norrköping Symphony

Jimmy Kimmel's Show Halted by ABC After Controversial Comment

Jimmy Kimmel's Show Halted by ABC After Controversial Comment

Jonas Brothers Return for New Camp Rock Film After 15 Years

Jonas Brothers Return for New Camp Rock Film After 15 Years

Korslagda Kukar Changes Name to Korslagda to Avoid Booking Issues

Korslagda Kukar Changes Name to Korslagda to Avoid Booking Issues

Gold Valued at Millions Stolen from Paris Natural History Museum

Gold Valued at Millions Stolen from Paris Natural History Museum

Norway Urges EBU to Address Israel's Eurovision Participation

Norway Urges EBU to Address Israel's Eurovision Participation

Jan Scherman Awarded Torgny Segerstedt's Freedom Pen for Democracy Work

Jan Scherman Awarded Torgny Segerstedt's Freedom Pen for Democracy Work

Jonas Sjöstedt Calls for Israel's Exclusion from Eurovision

Jonas Sjöstedt Calls for Israel's Exclusion from Eurovision

Melodifestivalen 2026 Tour Cities Announced for Next Year

Melodifestivalen 2026 Tour Cities Announced for Next Year

Hollywood Remembers Robert Redford: A Unique Talent

Hollywood Remembers Robert Redford: A Unique Talent

This Week's Films and Series: Dance and Drama Highlights

This Week's Films and Series: Dance and Drama Highlights

Cecilia Uddén Faces Criticism Over Middle East Book and Gaza Reporting

Cecilia Uddén Faces Criticism Over Middle East Book and Gaza Reporting

Julia Franzén's Film Debut in The Dance Club: A Brave New Role

Julia Franzén's Film Debut in The Dance Club: A Brave New Role

Man Arrested in Atlanta for Theft of Beyoncé's Unreleased Music

Man Arrested in Atlanta for Theft of Beyoncé's Unreleased Music

Court Denies New Trial for Menendez Brothers

Court Denies New Trial for Menendez Brothers

Swedish Filmmaker Lasse Westman Passes Away at 86

Swedish Filmmaker Lasse Westman Passes Away at 86

Måns Zelmerlöw Exits Masked Singer Panel for Upcoming Season

Måns Zelmerlöw Exits Masked Singer Panel for Upcoming Season