Christian Jardin
LP: – Mr. Minister, what is the share of culture in Moldova’s GDP and what real tools does the state have at its disposal to increase this indicator?
– Currently, the contribution of the cultural sector to the country’s gross domestic product is estimated at about 2-3%. This figure reflects a wide range of cultural activities, including art, media, design and fashion, as well as cultural heritage.
To increase this contribution, the Ministry of Culture proposes, on the one hand, to increase public investment and, on the other hand, to develop instruments aimed at diversifying cultural products and services. Attracting private investment, including through public-private partnerships, encouraging the consumption of domestic cultural products, increasing their value, modernizing the operating environment and internationalizing cultural research are important.
LP: – What areas in the cultural sector – creative industries, cinematography, festival tourism, crafts – do you consider the most promising in terms of economic growth?
– The cultural sector as a whole, with all its divisions, is able to sustain economic growth through activities that generate income, create jobs and attract tourists. When it comes to growth prospects, cultural tourism and the creative industries have a more pronounced growth potential, but recently we have seen a growing interest in theater and concert activities. The halls are becoming more and more full. We have more and more sold-out performances of theater, ballet and concerts, which makes us happy. This means higher revenues and significant growth potential.
LP: – Speaking about the budget for culture in 2026: what priorities have you set and what projects had to be abandoned due to limited resources?
– For 2026, the Ministry of Culture has identified several priorities related to the functioning of institutions, the use of cultural heritage and infrastructure, improving the professional status of artists, as well as stimulating public interest in domestic cultural products and services.
Thus, the approved budget allows increasing the salaries of cultural workers by almost 10 per cent by increasing the basic indicator from 2,200 to 2,400 lei, which will directly affect the incomes of about 15,000 people.
At the same time, the ministry continues to support the expansion and diversification of cultural activities in rural areas through the National Fund for Culture and the “Access to Culture” program. This program remains the main instrument for supporting cultural and social life in the country’s localities.
LP: – How effectively, in the Ministry’s opinion, are state subsidies in the cultural sector used? Is there a system for evaluating their effectiveness?
– State subsidies are an indispensable tool for the functioning of the cultural sphere and preservation of the national heritage. Especially considering that cultural and artistic activities have a high degree of risk and unpredictability compared to other sectors of the economy.
The Ministry of Culture analyzes the social, cultural and economic impact of the subsidies allocated to the institutions of which it is the founder. Based on these analyses, certain adjustments are considered in order to increase the contribution of the funded institutions to the objectives set by the Ministry. At the same time, state subsidies remain the main mechanism through which these goals can be achieved.
LP: – Is the ministry considering the possibility of attracting private capital for cultural projects? What incentives could interest the business community?
– Attracting private capital, including through public-private partnership mechanisms, is a priority for us. Now we are analyzing the possibility of developing a large PPP-type project aimed at restoration and economic realization of some monuments of national heritage.
In parallel, the Ministry is identifying internal financial sources to support the development of studies, documentation and restoration works on historical monuments in order to encourage private investment and create the necessary motivation for owners to preserve national patrimony more responsibly.
LP: – How do you assess the role of culture in the development of regions, especially small towns and villages, in terms of employment and revitalization of local economies?
– I would say that culture plays an important role in maintaining social cohesion, especially in rural areas. Private initiatives tend to develop more easily in communities where, in addition to infrastructure and basic economic conditions, there is also an active cultural life: it contributes to a stable and constructive social climate.
From this point of view, culture has direct relevance for regional economic development. Although the number of employees of local cultural institutions – libraries, houses of culture, art groups or museums – is small compared to the total labor force, their activities have a significant social and economic impact on communities.
LP: – How actively does Moldova participate in European cultural programs and grants and what is their economic impact?
– Since January 1, Moldova will be able to participate in the program “Creative Europe”, the main instrument of the European Union for financing culture, audiovisual sector and media, whose total budget for 2021-2027 is 2.44 billion euros.
The Ministry of Culture aims, at this stage, to better prepare the cultural sector for the implementation of European projects and, in this sense, concrete actions are being taken to strengthen the capacity of potential beneficiaries. It is planned to create a Creative Desk consulting office that will provide logistical support to applicants under the Creative Europe program. And the National Office for Cultural Development will be strengthened to support cultural projects and actors in this field.
LP: – What main economic result would you like to see from the cultural policy already in the next 2-3 years?
– In the next couple of years, I hope to see concrete economic results in several important areas. The first goal is to increase consumption of domestic cultural products and services. Currently, data show that one person in Moldova spends an average of just over 100 lei per year on cultural and entertainment activities, with significant differences between urban and rural areas. The goal is to increase this amount by at least 30% by expanding and diversifying the cultural offer, attracting private initiatives, accelerating digitalization processes, as well as through cultural mobility and education through art programmes.
The second important result concerns attracting investment in architectural heritage. Moldova has a large number of mansions, villas and estates included in the National Register of Historic Monuments, many of which are in a state of serious degradation due to lack of resources and lack of clear models of economic realization. In the context of growing host tourism, this heritage is becoming of increasing investment interest.
In the coming years, we intend to identify at least two or three monuments with economic potential and develop public-private partnership models that will have a positive effect on the communities in which they are located. This includes creating jobs, attracting tourists, investing in infrastructure and increasing local budget revenues.
Another systemic problem of the Ministry is related to capital investments. We intend to increase opportunities to use available funds for reconstruction or repair projects for buildings owned by the ministry or its subordinate institutions. In addition, we want to attract funds for the reconstruction of large projects and advance, in particular, in the reconstruction of the buildings of the Philharmonic Hall, the State Circus, the Universum Center, the Organ Hall and the Mihai Eminescu National Theater.
LP: – Thank you for the interview! We wish all these plans to come true in the New Year.
