Bussemaker: 'increase' subsidy paid for with artists' pensions

The second chamber was also keen to know exactly what Culture Minister Bussemaker meant by that 'cash transfers'. After all, it was that cash shift that allowed her to festively announce that she would put an extra 18 million into culture, beyond 2017. In a letter to the chamber, the minister has now shown how creatively she can do accounting.

A few costs were not too bad, it turned out. At least, that is what the minister now assumes. For instance, there is money left over that had been set aside to guide possible forced mergers. Mergers, in other words, as a result of her predecessor Zijlstra's budget cuts. In itself, perhaps a bit enthusiastic, as it is only 2015. Not all the effects of Zijlstra's blunt axe are yet known. In Overijssel an orchestra is about to collapse, the Grand Theatre in Groningen is toppled and should merge with the city theatre. Just a few things that could cost money in the coming years. But anyway: now it is still left so go ahead: we will transfer one and a half million to the arts plan for two years. Then we'll see how we deal with the VAT increase.

Another windfall was the Heritage & Space Vision programme. The ministry had set aside 8 million a year for this, which turned out to be too much. They could also do with 6 million. No problem at all: any accountant can shift items around to get things right.

It all gets painful at point 5 of the letter to the second chamber. For there it simply says that the lion's share of the new 'investments' in culture will be paid for with money that was actually once earmarked for artists' pensions. 3.4 million a year, i.e. almost 20% of the 'new' subsidies for art, Bussemaker can pay for because her predecessor Zijlstra no longer wanted to put government money into the artists' pension fund. So Bussemaker is still making good cheer with a stolen bike, and now it turns out the sector won't even get the bell back. That bell also appears to have been nicked.

In the end, everyone forgets about the cuts, the ministry must have thought, because everyone is happy with new presents. Even if you had to pay for them out of your own pocket.

The letter.