Press Release
Vilnius, 12 November 2025
Representatives of Lithuanian cultural associations met today with Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė at the Government Office.
Representatives of 25 associations presented arguments outlining the consequences of the planned reduction in funding allocated to the Ministry of Culture under the 2026–2028 State Budget. The proposed cuts would not only contradict the Government’s declared commitment to strengthening culture but would also result in the suspension of key cultural functions currently being carried out. This would lead to a significant decrease in cultural events in the regions, fewer opportunities to present Lithuanian culture abroad, and even lower remuneration for professional artists, whose earnings are already modest.
Representatives of the associations called for an end to the continuous reduction of the Ministry of Culture’s budget that has been taking place since 2019 and has contributed to the current critical situation in the cultural sector. They proposed a minimum 15% increase in the Ministry’s budget allocation, emphasizing that such an increase is not a privilege but a necessary measure to prevent the collapse of the cultural sector.
“The Lithuanian Council for Culture has already experienced significant negative budgetary changes. Since 2022, its budget has been financed directly from the state budget. Following this change, no sustainable cultural funding model was established to ensure consistent and predictable support for the non-governmental sector, regional cultural organisations, and professional artists. For comparison, had the funding model in place before 2022 remained in effect, the Lithuanian Council for Culture’s budget in 2025 would have exceeded €37 million. In reality, the Council’s 2025 budget amounted to approximately €24 million,” said Dr Kristina Mažeikaitė, Chair of the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
According to Edita Sabalionytė, Head of the National Association of Cultural and Creative Industries (KIK Lithuania) and one of the initiators of the meeting, the planned reduction in funding for the Ministry of Culture would directly affect institutions that ensure cultural accessibility, support artistic activity, and sustain the work of non-governmental organisations, including the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute.
“Declining funding poses a threat to the entire cultural ecosystem. If the Lithuanian Council for Culture is unable to adequately support professional arts projects and their diversity, the Lithuanian Culture Institute will gradually lose the ability to develop high-quality, relevant, and comprehensive programmes that present Lithuania at the highest level. This is particularly important in preparation for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Lithuania–Germany Year, and other priority international cultural initiatives,” said E. Sabalionytė.
She also highlighted the solidarity shown by Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT, which proposed allocating part of its budget to support culture and civic engagement. This initiative demonstrates how Lithuanian institutions can work together to strengthen social cohesion and resilience to disinformation.
The Prime Minister committed to exploring opportunities to mitigate the situation regarding funding for the Ministry of Culture when budget discussions return to the Government. Meanwhile, the associations reiterated their request not only to maintain the 2025 level of cultural funding but also to increase it by at least 15%, prioritising support for the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute.
Representatives of the associations confirmed that they will continue to participate actively in negotiations concerning the cultural budget.
The cultural community’s position on cultural funding was presented by:
- Edita Sabalionytė – National Association of Cultural and Creative Industries (KIK Lithuania)
- Eglė Deltuvaitė – Lithuanian Culture Institute
- Mantautas Krukauskas – Lithuanian Composers’ Union
- Kristina Mažeikaitė – Lithuanian Council for Culture
- Jonas Staselis – Lithuanian Association of Art Creators
- Laimonas Ubavičius – Lithuanian Film Centre
- Lina Kaminskaitė-Jančorienė – Association for Film Culture
- Marija Razgutė – Independent Producers Association
- Laura Tekorė – Lithuanian Publishers Association
- Inga Davidonienė – Association of County Public Libraries