Six in ten Dutch citizens support wide-ranging budget cuts to the culture sector, an opinion poll has revealed. The rightwing minority coalition wants to reduce government expenditure on culture by 200 million euors over the next 18 months.
Pollster Maurice de Hond's figures, which were published on Sunday, show that 36 percent of those questioned said they hoped a future government would reverse the budget cuts. A statement that the Netherlands has spent too much on culture over past years was supported by a 60-percent majority of interviewees.
On closer inspection, support for the budget reductions differs according to the political orientation of interviewees. Just 25 percent of the Green Left party supporters agree with the slimming down of the culture sector, whereas 86 percent of Geert Wilders' populist anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) agree with the slashing of arts subsidies.
Actual participation in cultural activities shows a similar spread across the political spectrum, with three-quarters of leftist democrat party D66 voters having visited a museum in the past year, against a quarter of PVV supporters. On average, 48 percent of the population has been to a museum in the past year, while just eight percent went to the opera.
(rk/mw/imm)
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@Anonymous 4 July 2011 - 11:26am
Bad example,you would know that most all the great Dutch masters never received a penny of subsidies and most of them died impoverished.
In fact all the great artists that the Netherlands has produced over the years even in modern times didn't come out of the subsidized sector but are almost to a man self made.
Take for example Armin van Buuren who gave him a subsidy?
There are more examples like this, also even with these cuts the level of spending on culture simply goes back to 2005 levels.In the USA which has produced probably more artists over the years then any other country has never had any such public schemes but relies almost exclusively on private donations.
Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches, rest just enjoy the other's discomfort..
Great move. What has art and culture ever done for the Netherlands? I mean, aside from attracting millions of tourists, inspiring spectacular architecture, being a beacon of excellence around the world, and making an area of marshlands an interesting place to live. What besides that?
Opinion polls say the first word on everything, and the last word on nothing.