English
The Ministry of Culture (MC) clarifies the effects of Emergency Ordinance no. 52/2025, after numerous cultural institutions and professionals in the artistic field expressed their fears regarding the possibility of restricting activities in the last months of the year. In an official statement, the institution states that the situation can be remedied through a joint memorandum with the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration (MDLPA), which would allow the continuation of cultural activities and the development of projects already underway. "Avoiding an administrative blockage by permanently requesting memorandum approvals can be resolved either through a regulatory act or through a memorandum. The Ministry of Culture initiates, together with the Ministry of Development, a joint memorandum to allow the continuation of activities, especially regarding the production and exploitation of cultural goods," the ministry states.
• An atypical year, marked by budgetary discipline
According to the Ministry, the context of 2025 is "atypical”, being marked by a difficult economic situation and the need for increased budgetary responsibility at the level of all public institutions. Traditionally, in the last quarter of each year, the government adopts restrictive normative acts regarding expenditures, but which provided for numerous exceptions for cultural institutions. This time, however, the Government has not included generalized exemptions, thus transmitting "a clear signal of budgetary discipline to all credit officers”. The Ministry of Culture emphasizes that, despite the restrictions, the role of public cultural institutions remains essential in the life of communities and must be supported in order to avoid the paralysis of artistic activities.
• The memorandum will ensure the continuity of performances and exhibitions
The document prepared by the Ministry of Culture and MDLPA will allow for the expenses strictly necessary for the proper functioning of cultural institutions. These include: payment of artists' fees for scheduled performances; realization of premieres; organizing exhibitions, concerts and festivals; holding professional meetings of cultural guilds with the public. "Within the approved budgets, performances will be able to be performed, exhibitions and concerts will be able to be organized. We do not want to reach the point where the state pays salaries, rent and operating expenses for entities that, in fact, will not be able to function," the Ministry said. MC representatives also warn that the financial blockage would lead to the loss of cultural institutions' own income, directly affecting their sustainability.
• A reform of public culture, not just a budget reduction
The Ministry of Culture insists that the administrative and budgetary reform in the field should not be perceived as a simple series of prohibitions or cuts in funds, but as an opportunity for a profound reassessment of the way in which public culture is organized, financed and produced. "The reform should not be seen only as a budget reduction or a series of prohibitions, but as a profound reassessment of the organization, financing, production and functioning of public culture," the ministry states. In addition, the institution wanted to correct information circulated in the public space: in the budget rectification, the Ministry of Culture received an amount six times less than that requested, not 60 times, as previously stated in the press.
The clarifications of the Ministry of Culture come at a time of tension for the Romanian artistic sector, in which institutions fear that they will be forced to suspend their activity due to financial limitations. The joint memorandum announced by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Development could represent a temporary solution, ensuring the functioning of theaters, museums and artistic institutions until the end of the year.
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