Drastic budget cuts for the Dutch arts

The leaders of the conservative VVD, the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Party presented their plans for a centre-right coalition. The plans include 18 billion euros in cuts.

The culture budget will not be spared. The plans consist of a budget cut of € 200 million euros for the arts, i.e. a 20% decrease of the current state budget for culture. The cuts will be implemented in the living arts particularly, heritage and amateur arts will largely keep their budgets. Other measures effecting the cultural field include a 15 percent increase of the VAT on tickets and art purchases, the abolishment of the temporary income support for young artists and restructuring the public funding bodies into ‘investment funds’.