To the Committee on Culture of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

To the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Inga Ruginienė

To the Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Acting Minister of Culture, Raminta Popovienė

To the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

Copy to:
The Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania

The National Association of Cultural and Creative Industries of Lithuania (KIK Lithuania) expresses its deep concern regarding the gradual reduction of appropriations allocated to the Ministry of Culture in the Government’s draft state budget for 2026–2028: €255.776 million in 2026, €246.780 million in 2027, and €200.897 million in 2028.

It remains unclear on what arguments or assumptions such a consistent reduction is based. Considering this trend, legitimate questions arise as to who shaped the cultural sector budget and its priorities, and who represented the interests of the cultural sector during the budget negotiations, if such negotiations took place at all. If no budget negotiations were conducted, as appears to be the case, it may be assumed that the cultural sector budget was formulated without the involvement of those responsible for shaping cultural policy.

It is evident that this approach to budgeting for culture is:

• incompatible with the Government’s stated commitments to strengthen culture, creativity, and national resilience;
• disconnected from current economic realities, including inflation, which inevitably increases the cost of implementing cultural projects and activities;
• inconsistent with other government decisions being implemented simultaneously, such as increases in the minimum monthly wage, salaries of civil servants, and remuneration for cultural workers, all of which will further reduce the share of available funding for cultural projects and programmes beyond the planned budget cuts;
• incompatible with the justified expectations created within the sector regarding the expansion of cultural diplomacy and cultural exports, particularly following the successful Lithuanian Season in France and preliminary agreements concerning a future cultural season in Germany. It should be noted that the implementation of the latter initiative is not only in the interest of cultural stakeholders but also serves Lithuania’s national security interests, particularly in the context of the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania;
• developed without regard to existing strategic documents, including the National Progress Plan 2021–2030, the Culture and Creativity Development Programme of the Ministry of Culture 2021–2030, the Law on the Foundations of Culture, and the National Cultural Agenda currently under development. These strategic frameworks define the long-term direction of cultural policy and clearly imply the need for increased rather than reduced investment in a sector that makes a substantial contribution to Lithuania’s economy. According to data from the State Data Agency, the cultural and creative sector generates more than €2 billion in value annually, accounting for approximately 3.28% of Lithuania’s GDP.

The National Association of Cultural and Creative Industries of Lithuania emphasizes that decisions to reduce cultural funding contradict not only Lithuania’s long-term strategic objectives but also the current geopolitical context.

Today, when hostile states actively use culture and the information space as instruments of “soft power” to influence public opinion, strengthening Lithuanian culture becomes not only a cultural objective but also a matter of national security and societal resilience. By reducing funding for culture, the state weakens its ability to foster civic awareness and shared values, counter external propaganda, strengthen public trust in democracy and institutions, and promote creativity, which directly contributes to economic growth, innovation, and social cohesion.

We also wish to highlight the important role played by the Lithuanian Council for Culture (LCC) in strengthening the non-governmental sector, particularly in the regions. Cultural NGOs form a significant part of Lithuania’s cultural ecosystem, bringing together communities, artists, creators, cultural managers, and active citizens. These organizations not only produce cultural content, products, and services but also foster civic engagement, social cohesion, and regional inclusion. In many municipalities, NGOs are the primary implementers of cultural initiatives, ensuring the diversity and accessibility of cultural services.

Cultural NGOs also contribute to the development of civil society, the transmission of values to younger generations, community resilience to external influence, and economic development. They create employment opportunities, enhance the attractiveness of local areas, strengthen local tourism, and support the growth of the cultural and creative industries.

We further emphasize the importance of strengthening the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the funding instruments it administers, as well as expanding the scope of its programmes, in line with the commitments set out in the Programme of the Twentieth Government of Lithuania.

We therefore propose increasing the Lithuanian Council for Culture’s programme budget (excluding administrative expenses) by 10%, from €22.102 million to €24.312 million. Such a measure would represent a consistent implementation of the Government’s commitments to strengthen the Council’s activities, compensate for rising costs of goods, services, and salaries, and ensure sustainable funding for the cultural and creative industries sector.

We also note the necessity of developing long-term mechanisms and introducing indexation opportunities for project-based funding administered by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. This would allow funding levels to grow proportionally to economic and inflationary conditions, ensuring programme continuity, the development of cultural diplomacy and exports, the stability of the NGO sector, and the sustainable growth of culture across Lithuania’s regions.

Photo: Martynas Norvaiša