The European Commission has confirmed the withdrawal of the €2 million grant allocated to the La Biennale di Venezia foundation, opening up a new front of tension between Brussels and one of Italy’s most important cultural institutions.
The decision, formalised by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (Eacea) after a legal assessment and on the Commission’s recommendation, is linked to Russia’s controversial participation in the Biennale Arte 2026.
According to the EU executive, cultural events supported with Union funds must promote and protect democratic values, dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression, principles that “are not upheld in today’s Russia”. This is the reasoning Brussels has given for cutting off the European contribution.
Why Brussels decided to cut off funding
The affair stems from the return of Russia to the Venice Biennale for the first time since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
