OK, it is still more than former tolerant partner PVV, which managed to cram the entire draft election programme onto a single A4 sheet. But in the half-page that the VVD, the country's largest party, spends on culture, it is actually worse. Here, the rancorous line inspired by Wilders and Zijlstra against everything that smells of Dutch culture can still be found very clearly. And worse. Learning from mistakes is not in any case.
Those who had expected a different tone, after the cautious apologies during the Paradiso debate of the 'best driver in the country' Jeroen Hatenboer, is disappointed.
More money for culture?
Still not a penny is coming in. After an obligatory plea for the failed Giving Act, emphasising traditions such as the four-day evening walk, Koningsdag, carnival and the Elfstedentocht - the VVD does not burn its fingers on Sinterklaas - we read: 'We want to use subsidies in such a way that more culture can be created with the same amount of money'. So work harder for the same money. And that in a year in which the SER the alarm bell read about appalling working conditions in the arts
But the limit has not yet been reached. Those who unexpectedly still have some money behind them will have to hand it in. The VVD: 'When determining the amount of the subsidy, consideration should therefore be given to whether an institution has and will continue to have a lot of financial resources of its own.' It is abundantly clear that this is aimed at the Rijksmuseum, which the current coalition requires to skim - strongly against the advice of the minister in.
Catch-22
We see a 'Catch-22' looming: if you have money and make even a little profit, you don't qualify for subsidy. If you have no money and make a loss, your financial future is too uncertain to get subsidy. What's more, the offer needs to focus even more on public demand. The time of the autonomous artist is definitely over. But so are the days of subsidies actually.
This death sentence for everything the Netherlands can be proud of is followed by obligatory mutterings about regional distribution and the importance of cultural education. With the shift in emphasis that educational institutions should be leading instead of creators. So a school can say: this week our theme is space, please deliver a performance to that.
Rather the lobby
In short, there is nothing to expect from the VVD for art lovers after the elections. Unless local administrators, including the best in the country, for once do not merely profile themselves in their own city or province. When those local leaders also dare to stand up in the internal programme debate. Unfortunately, they rarely venture there, opting instead for lobbying afterwards. After all, local elections are never far away.
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