The French government have announced a huge increase in the country’s cultural budget. €3.6bn has been set aside for the Department of Culture and Communication, a 5.5 per cent increase on the previous year. It equates to just over one per cent of the France’s entire budget.
‘This budget gives culture its rightful place at the heart of the republican pact. It is a foundation and embodies its values,’ said minister of culture and communication Audrey Azoulay in her budget speech.
Azoulay also announced that €100m will go to the Centre National des Chansons [national song centre], which hosts French music concerts and preserves the history of French music through its museum.
Other areas to benefit include public broadcasting, which receives a 3.9bn (a 1.6 per cent increase); Cinema, which has been allocated €700m (a 5.2 per cent increase); and a new €200m devices fund for libraries.
