Culture: Strasbourg, what strategies do the candidates for the 2026 municipal elections have?

Pokaa brought together 9 candidates for the Strasbourg municipal elections from January 26 to February 26 for a FACTU interview. The focus was on 10 specific questions about the daily life of Strasbourg residents, with concrete proposals. The eighth topic: culture and support for associations and institutions, in a context of austerity.

Cem Yoldas, Jeanne Barseghian, Fahad Raja Muhammad, Florian Kobryn, Mohamed Sylla, Pierre Jakubowicz, Catherine Trautmann, Jean-Philippe Vetter, and Virginie Joron. These are the 9 candidates who participated in the FACTU interview.

10 topics in total, the same questions, the same response time each time [1.30 minutes maximum per question, editor’s note], and the same setting in the studio. Concrete proposals were discussed on subjects related to the daily life of Strasbourg residents. The eighth topic was about culture and support for associations and institutions in a context of austerity.

Photos by Manon Jensen and Titaina Perrier / Pokaa

The background

During budget cuts, culture is often one of the first areas to be adjusted. Locally, the region reduced its cultural subsidies by 10% this year, and the CEA cut €3 million from its cultural and heritage budget.

On the other hand, Strasbourg has experienced some turmoil in recent years, voting in 2022 to reduce subsidies to associations and institutions by 2.5%, while also closing museums for an extra day for 5 months.

Nevertheless, the city remains the main funder of culture, and has initiated several renovation projects for its heritage, such as the Kléber bookshop, the Laiterie, the Palais des Fêtes, the Star Saint-Ex cinema, and the major renovation project for the Opera.

In this uncertain context, what do our candidates have planned for culture? Find out in the video.