Swedish Election 2025: Cultural Policy at a Crossroads as Right-Wing Coalition Threatens Sweeping Reforms
In an article for Kunstkritikk, editor Mariann Enge described Norway's upcoming 2025 election as a "fateful choice," emphasizing the right-wing agenda to reduce funding for public culture while the left's commitment to cultural values diminishes. As Sweden approaches its election on Sunday, the Tidö parties are not advocating for budget cuts, given that the Tidö government has already set the cultural budget at its lowest since 2000. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has indicated that ministerial roles will be offered to the Sweden Democrats (SD) if the right prevails. The think tank Timbro and Oikos suggest slashing public service funding and enhancing corporate influence in culture. The piece critiques the ideological transformation since 2009, pointing to an increase in market dominance over culture and a weakened political response. Norway's red-green win coincided with a surge in far-right support; the results in Sweden will be revealed on Monday.
Key facts
- Kunstkritikk editor-in-chief Mariann Enge called Norway's 2025 election a "fateful choice" due to right-wing cuts to public culture funding.
- The Swedish Tidö government has already delivered the lowest share of the state budget to culture since 2000.
- Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has promised ministerial posts to the Sweden Democrats if the right wins the election.
- Tidö 2.0 – Nystart för Sverige proposes halving public service funding and phasing out state support for study associations.
- The 2009 bourgeois cultural proposition Tid för kultur removed the goal to "counteract the negative effects of commercialism."
- A new art museum in Malmö is planned with public funding but significant external financing from foundations, business, and private individuals.
- Moderna museet and gallerist Per Skarstedt faced a conflict of interest: Skarstedt donated a KAWS work while the museum initiated a later-canceled KAWS exhibition during Gitte Ørskou's tenure.
- Gallerist Marina Schiptjenko described the Moderna museet affair in ETC as a sign of the times, with public museums compromising integrity for private money.
Entities
Artists
- KAWS
- Per Skarstedt
- Marina Schiptjenko
- Gitte Ørskou
- Mariann Enge
- Ulf Kristersson
- Frans Josef Petersson
- Jenz Koudahl
- Heath Braun
Institutions
- Kunstkritikk
- Fremskrittspartiet
- Tidöpartierna
- Sverigedemokraterna
- Timbro
- Oikos
- Moderna museet
- Kungliga konsthögskolan
- ETC
- Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Locations
- Norway
- Sweden
- Malmö
- Fort Worth
- United States