Assembly adopts € 95 million emergency plan for entertainment, festivals and publishing

The National Assembly voted Thursday evening to support measures for the cultural sector, including festivals and books, as well as the press, as part of the review of the third rectified budget for 2020 in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Via a government amendment to the text examined at first reading, the deputies voted for appropriations of 50 million euros for the "Culture mission". These funds aim to support operators and establishments most vulnerable to the crisis, as well as to set up an emergency fund of 10 million for festivals whose 2020 editions have been canceled due to Covid-19.

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The government amendment was adopted without debate, but elected officials, including in the majority, like Aurore Bergé (LREM) pleaded in vain to go further in particular to support the performing arts. Another government amendment was adopted, again without debate, aimed at setting up a support plan for businesses in the media and press sectors with an additional 70 million credits. The government has also budgeted $ 36 million for book businesses, $ 25 million of which will help bookstores overcome their financial difficulties due to the health crisis.

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The Minister of Action and Public Accounts Gérald Darmanin indicated that this amendment was aimed at "implementing the exceptional plan" for the sector presented by his counterparts in Culture and the Economy. "It was time," said PS MP Michèle Victory, regretting that it had to wait three months for these measures in favor of culture. She observed that the sums allocated since the start of the crisis remained relatively low "in view of the billions lost" in a sector "which was already weakened" .

The Culture Ministry said in the morning Thursday that it has mobilized more than 5 billion euros since March to deal with the impact of Covid-19 on the culture and media sectors. Of the € 5 billion mobilized, € 2.9 billion was mobilized through support mechanisms (partial activity, solidarity funds, loans guaranteed by the State, exemption from charges, etc.).