Opinion Opinion Opinion Culture Culture Culture Column Michel Guerrin Columnist In the French capital, the cultural scene far outpaces that of other major cities, thanks to the state's funding for many museums and opera houses, observes Le Monde columnist Michel Guerrin. Published on March 12, 2026, at 5:00 pm (Paris) 3 min read Lire en français Subscribers only Candidates in the French municipal elections on March 15 and 22 speak very little about culture. They are mainly elected on issues of safety, cleanliness, traffic, green spaces, employment, transport and housing. Yet this is the election that poses the greatest threat to many municipal theaters and museums, festivals, media libraries and, above all, nonprofit organizations. Cities are the main funders of the arts in France, ahead of the state. The golden age is over. When a new mayor takes office, anxiety among artists soars. In 2023, local government spending on culture amounted to €156 per resident. Over the past five years, while cities have made modest cuts, regions and departments have slashed their cultural budgets dramatically. This happened both on the right and on the left. There is, however, one city largely untouched by this: Paris. Yes, Paris! Everyone knows the capital is privileged in many respects, but here, it takes the prize. Even if the city hall decided not to spend a single euro on culture, the cultural offering would still far surpass that of any other large city. The state funds the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Picasso Museum, the Musée Guimet, the Quai Branly, the Centre Pompidou and the Grand Palais. It supports three opera houses (Bastille, Garnier and Opéra-Comique), orchestras, the Comédie Française and the Odéon Theater. The government also manages both sites of France's National Library, not to mention the Public Information Library, a vital resource for students in Paris. The Philharmonie is a partial exception, with the City of Paris contributing €11 million each year, but the government gives €40 million. Not to mention a host of private art foundations, such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier and the Bourse de Commerce, as well as a staggering concentration of bookstores and cinemas. And cultural heritage? While the Eiffel Tower is managed by the Paris City Hall, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, the Arc de Triomphe and the Conciergerie are government property. As for the nearly €4 billion in renovations for the Grand Palais, Centre Pompidou, Louvre, Opéra de Paris and the Cité des Sciences, these are major issues for the government, not the city. You have 62.76% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.