Culture Action Europe's Manifesto for Italian Culture: A Call for Increased Funding

Ahead of the March 4, 2018 Italian general elections, Culture Action Europe (CAE), an international network of cultural organizations, published a 'Manifesto for Culture' endorsed by numerous Italian cultural bodies. The manifesto opens by demanding that candidates from all parties commit to increasing the national public budget for culture from the current 0.3% to 0.6% over the 2018-2020 period. The author, Stefano Monti, partner at Monti&Taft, argues that this document is more of an 'appeal' than a manifesto, reflecting a flawed conception of culture. He criticizes the request as a form of 'begging' that risks discouraging local and central administrations, especially when culture is touted as a key economic driver for Italy, contributing significantly to GDP and employment. Monti contends that the real problem is not a lack of shared principles—since most policymakers agree on the importance of culture—but a lack of industrial plans and precise knowledge to demonstrate the concrete benefits of cultural investment. He calls for evidence-based arguments that can compete with other sectors like technology or industry for public funding. The CAE manifesto proposes three macro-areas: Accessibility, Growth, and Cultural Presidia, with actionable steps that are broadly shared but insufficient without proper tools to prove their effectiveness. Monti concludes that Italian culture remains stuck in the second half of the 20th century, fighting a battle that is no longer relevant.