The extent of the drop in the culture budget in 2026 was known since the communication of credit ceilings this summer by the Bayrou Government Ministry. It is also largely the “Bayrou” budget which was presented Tuesday to the Council of Ministers and which is now being examined by Parliament. A 4.3% reduction in payment appropriations is proposed compared to the Initial Finance Law (LFI) 2025, or 171 million euros.
This will seem a lot to some like the CFDT who denounce “an accounting vision that stifles innovation and access to culture” but few to others in the face of the 17 billion savings (i.e. the famous 1%!) requested in public spending even though France continues to display an abysmal deficit representing 4.7% of GDP.
But Rue de Valois manages to maintain the essentials by playing on two important economies which largely absorb this drop: the end of investment subsidies for the work of the Grand Palais, i.e. 40 million, and the rolling back of the Culture Pass which goes from 210 million in the PLF 2025 to 127 million.
So that by cutting corners here and there, the ministry continues to do what it has always done: renew all its programs and support. Heritage pays the most – proportionally and in absolute value – its cost to the limitation effort with a reduction of 8.5% in its payment credits (CP) or €106 million. The CMN loses 1 million, Versailles 6 million in its works master plan, the Louvre 1 million, the Guimet Museum will still have to wait to finance its work, when the Center Pompidou retains its subsidy for public service charges (78 million) even though it is closed!
Creation only loses 34 million out of its CP of 1.01 billion, while visual arts resources increase very slightly by 0.78% (154 million), allowing the CNAP to continue its relocation project in Pantin (€11 million) planned for 2027.
The drop in CP of the third major program of the ministry entitled “Transmission of knowledge and democratization of culture” is in phase with the general movement. It’s inside this ” program “ that the dynamics are the clearest: the sharp reduction in the means of the Culture Pass (of which SAS becomes a State operator in January 2026) makes it possible to finance work programs in higher art schools. However, the work deemed essential to the Beaux-Arts of Paris will still have to wait.
Meanwhile, interest on the debt financing public deficits for decades jumped from 52.3 to 60.3 billion euros, more than twice the total budget of the Culture Mission. And this should not get better since Bercy anticipates a charge of 77 billion in 2028.
Will Parliament retain this outline? Response by the end of the year.
