French far-right makes culture a presidential campaign battleground

For the first time, culture is set to become a major issue in the French presidential election, driven by the far-right Rassemblement National (RN). The RN proposes privatizing public broadcasting, prioritizing heritage funding over creation subsidies, and defending 'French cultural identity' against what it calls 'deconstruction of national history.' Marine Le Pen notably opposed singer Aya Nakamura's participation in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony for not singing in French. In RN-run towns like Moissac, Beaucaire, Fréjus, and Hénin-Beaumont, subsidies for cultural associations and festivals such as Des voix, des lieux, des mondes have been cut, redirecting funds to historical popular festivals. Meanwhile, the Culture Ministry budget has sharply declined after initial increases under Macron, with local governments also making drastic cuts. Inflation has raised costs in visual arts (transport, insurance), and AI development has led to job losses. Sociologist Fabrice Raffin argues French cultural democratization has failed due to a narrow definition of 'good culture.' The Jean Jaurès foundation proposes evaluating cultural policies by actual audiences reached, not elitist assumptions. Calls grow to shift from 'cultural democratization' to 'cultural democracy,' recognizing diverse practices, fostering participatory logics, and mandating arts education from primary to baccalaureate. The article warns that attacking culture endangers democracy, citing the US and Hungary.