On 12 May, Minister-president Jambon received his fellow Ministers of Culture in the Ererra House for an Interministerial Conference on Culture.
The culture sector was hit hard by the corona crisis. And in the current circumstances it is unclear when the sector will be able to restart its activities. Together with Isabelle Weykmans (German-speaking Community), Bénédicte Linard (French-speaking Community) and members of the Brussels and federal governments, Minister-president Jambon discussed possible support measures for the cultural sector.
The elaboration of these measures is a complex matter, as they may relate to different levels of competence. Culture is a Flemish competence, but the status of artists, the right to temporary unemployment benefit and the tax shelter for cultural projects are federal matters. At the same time, a number of measures are already in force in Flanders. For example, self-employed persons and organisations in the culture and entertainment sector can apply for a one-off compensation premium and an emergency fund of 200 million euros is being set up.
The inter-ministerial consultation was therefore a first step in an intrafederal joining of forces to support the cultural sector.