Culture is not a luxury, it is a freedom. A freedom to create, to pass on, to dream and to build society. For the Mouvement Réformateur, it deserves better than disorganised funding or symbolic support. It deserves a genuine policy. That is why we want an ambitious overhaul of our cultural model.
Today, no one can say precisely where cultural funding goes. We want to organise major round-table discussions with sector stakeholders to establish a register of cultural funding in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. It is essential to understand the criteria governing the granting of subsidies and to assess their real impact.
But that is not enough. Too many cultural and heritage projects struggle to mobilise alternative funding. Belgium lacks an attractive tax framework to encourage private patronage. The MR therefore proposes a reform inspired by the French model: introducing a law on cultural patronage, with tax incentives for companies that support creation.
We also want to set up a public co-financing mechanism: for every euro contributed by a patron, public authorities could add two more. A smart lever that rewards the sector's ability to mobilise, while strengthening overall cultural investment.
Beyond funding, culture needs visibility. “Artists need more support in showcasing their performances than support through benefits.” We must see them, hear them, and give them a presence in public space. This is the meaning behind the proposal by MP Charles Gardier, aimed at strengthening the place of artists on our airwaves. The MR calls for a doubling of cultural programmes on public channels, and the introduction of a 20% quota for broadcasting French-speaking Belgian productions at all hours and on all radio stations. Because visibility is the condition for recognition.
Finally, creative freedom is non-negotiable. It is the beating heart of artistic work. The reform of the artists' status will not touch the two essential pillars: the non-decreasing nature of benefits and the exemption from job-seeking outside the sector. This status must remain a specific framework serving a calling: that of creating freely.
Culture deserves more than slogans. It deserves action.