Press Release
The Government has been presented with a catastrophically inadequate budget for the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. Furthermore, nearly two months without stable leadership at the Ministry have resulted not only in the stagnation of important cultural initiatives, but also in a lack of representation of the cultural budget issue within both the Government and the Parliament. The proposed drastic budget cuts would effectively paralyse key institutions under the Ministry of Culture — the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute — and pose a serious threat to the future of culture in Lithuania.
The share of the state budget allocated to the Ministry of Culture, already minimal, continues to decline. Since 2019, the proportion of the national budget dedicated to culture has fallen each year, from 1.78% in 2019 to 1.11% in 2025. Under the proposed 2026–2028 budget, the cultural sector is expected to lose €56 million over three years. Compared to 2019, this represents a 37.5% decrease, from 1.78% to 1.06% of the state budget. Such reductions would result in lower—or even unpaid—fees for artists, a drastic decline in the number of cultural events in the regions, and fewer opportunities for cultural diplomacy abroad.
“The situation created by the governing majority, in which the cultural sector finds itself today, may go down in history as a period with long-term and potentially catastrophic consequences. The entire non-governmental sector and the work of artists depend on the Ministry of Culture’s budget. During the period of uncertainty within the Ministry, associations and cultural organisations took the initiative to advocate for this issue, which is vital for the entire cultural sector, and continue to do so,” says Edita Sabalionytė, Head of the National Association of Cultural and Creative Industries of Lithuania (KIK Lithuania).
Due to the particularly challenging budget situation, an appeal addressed to Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė was signed by 25 associations representing more than 60 cultural organisations. On 12 November, the Prime Minister met with representatives of these associations as well as the leadership of the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Lithuanian Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute. During the meeting, Prime Minister Ruginienė acknowledged that the Ministry of Culture’s budget was insufficient and promised to seek additional funding.
On 14 November, representatives of the associations and leaders of the aforementioned institutions met with the newly appointed Minister of Culture, Vaida Aleknevičienė. On 17 November, the draft budget was discussed by the Committee on Budget and Finance of the Lithuanian Parliament.
According to representatives of the cultural community, the meetings and discussions left the impression that decision-makers do not fully appreciate the damage that reductions to the Ministry of Culture’s budget would inflict on the cultural sector.
Laimonas Ubavičius, Director of the Lithuanian Film Centre, emphasized:
“We are talking not only about individual events or salaries, but about the very cultural content created by non-governmental organisations and artists. We are talking about the entire cultural ecosystem. Without adequate funding, there will be fewer creative works to present to audiences in Lithuania and abroad, limiting our ability to tell Lithuania’s story internationally. The livelihoods of the majority of independent creators depend on the funding provided through the Lithuanian Film Centre, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute.”
The critical condition of the cultural sector was also highlighted by Dr Kristina Mažeikaitė, Chair of the Lithuanian Council for Culture:
“The Council’s budget has not increased since 2022, and we have reached a point where at least a minimum 15% increase is essential to ensure the continued functioning of the cultural sector. If funding were reduced by 15%, the Council would no longer be able to support regional cultural programmes. At least 500 events would disappear from Lithuania’s regions, affecting 57 municipalities, and the Council’s funding level would effectively return to that of 2018. Can we afford to turn back time when it is more important than ever to strengthen communities, civic engagement, and resilience to disinformation? In this challenging period, we must unite and build a stronger future.”
Each year, the Lithuanian Council for Culture provides funding to at least 600 artists and 650 cultural organisations, supporting projects ranging from activities in regional schools to international festivals abroad.
Following discussions in Parliament, the draft budget is expected to be returned to the Government this week for further revision. The final decision—and responsibility—for the future funding of the cultural sector now rests with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture.