Suisseculture criticizes cuts in cultural spending
Suisseculture, the umbrella organization of Swiss cultural professionals, has sharply criticized the massive cuts to the cultural budget planned by the Federal Council. This would make it impossible for the federal government to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic.
What is described in the Federal Council's press release as a "temporary decline" in growth, writes Suisseculture, means budget cuts of two percent in figures for 2024. Cuts that would hit culture at the worst possible time. The Federal Council has set the upper limit for target growth in the financial decisions for the years 2025 to 2028 at 1.2 percent in the area of culture. The target growth would therefore by no means compensate for the cuts made in 2024. This would make it impossible to tackle the challenges facing the cultural sector or compensate for inflation.
At a time when a cost-of-living adjustment of several percent of the wage bill is being negotiated, a reduction in cultural expenditure (the vast majority of which flows directly into wage payments) is not justifiable. Instead, it is time to introduce sustainable measures to improve social security for cultural workers - with corresponding adjustments to the first and second pillar pension systems.
Original article:
https://www.suisseculture.ch/?article=der_bundesrat_verkauft_kuerzungen_als_wachstum
