Nantes (Loire-Atlantique). Tension is rising as the vote on the 2025 budget of the Pays de la Loire region approaches, scheduled for December 19. Many cultural actors are worried and are rebelling against the drastic budget cuts already announced by Christelle Morançais (Horizons party), president of the Region since 2017. While the government is reducing its allocation in the name of restoring public accounts, she promises to achieve 100 million euros in savings by cutting operating expenses (1.2 billion euros in 2024).
Much criticized, this blow will primarily affect the sectors of culture, sport and community life. If the Region had already reduced the subsidies allocated to cultural structures last year – the Culture budget had gone from 42.2 million euros in 2023 to 36 million in 2024 – the cuts looming for 2025 are much more strong. Various cultural actors and unions report a drop of up to 73% in the budget devoted to culture (which would therefore not exceed 10 million euros), a figure which has not been officially confirmed or denied by the Regional Council.
Anger and astonishment of the actors
But if the budget has not yet been voted on, many cultural structures have already been informed of the reduction or even the total elimination of their regional subsidy. By telephone, by email or by post, the announcements suddenly flood in, fueling the anger and astonishment of those affected. Festivals, shows, associations and publishing companies are paying the high price for this budgetary tightening. Just two months before its 31st edition, La Folle Journee, a Nantes classical music festival, has just learned of the end of its subsidy of 180,000 euros in 2025. The live performance festival Le Chaînonmissant in Laval (Mayenne) is also sees its financial support withdrawn (€161,500), as does the Les Escales association responsible for the festival of the same name and the Le VIP concert hall in Saint-Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique (€117,800). Also affected by these cuts, the Théâtre régional des Pays de la Loire, located in Cholet (Maine-et-Loire) will lose 16% of its subsidy in 2025 (i.e. €27,500) then all of it in 2026 (i.e. €165,000) . “This loss will represent 20% of our overall budget in 2026,” saddens Camille de La Guillonnière, director of the company. Other structures are worried about their survival, like Maison Julien-Gracq in Mauges-sur-Loire (Maine-et-Loire) which will lose 60% of its subsidy from 2025 (it will receive €64,000) . “The dialogue is, I hope, still open, confides its director, Jérémy Fabre. The Region is the main financier of Maison Julien-Gracq, so without it, or with such a significant drop, the Maison’s very project is in jeopardy. »
“Culture, an untouchable monopoly? »
Under fire from critics, Christelle Morançais responded with a virulent response, posted on the social network X: “So culture would be an untouchable monopoly? (…) How sustainable is a system which, to exist, is so dependent on public money? (…); and even more so when this public money no longer exists? (…) Is this not proof that our cultural model urgently needs to reinvent itself? » In response, an article was published in the daily Release on November 24, denouncing “which would be akin to a social plan of culture” and who “would be deadly for the 150,000 jobs affected”. The associated petition has collected, to date, more than 90,000 signatures. The next day, nearly 3,000 demonstrators protested in front of the Regional Council in Nantes, hoping to influence the vote.
