Culture and art are something like oxygen for a person. Artists have a unique ability to illuminate and soften the human soul. To create beauty. Defy all power. To broaden our horizons.

Does the state care about art and culture? Very. This is evidenced by the growth of cultural workers by 17% in 2021 compared to 2019, the largest in the EU. This is proved by the new ERT, which now presents a quality entertainment program – with brilliant shows, from the “Music Box” by Nikos Portokaloglou to “The Number” by Phoebus Delivorias. This is evidenced by the successful policy of monetary discounts, i.e. state funding of 40% of the production costs of 216 film and television programs of international and Greek productions, most of which we enjoy watching and are now proud of abroad (see “Maestro” or ” bees”). “). This is evidenced by the reduction in VAT on films, art and e-books, together with a reduction in the claim fee for artists only. 458 million euros are allocated as emergency assistance to artists during the pandemic and restrictive measures. 501 projects of the NSRF and the Cultural Heritage Restoration Fund and of contemporary art worth almost 1 billion euros to be completed by 2025.

A special program to protect the UNESCO world monuments located in our country from the threat of climate change for 100 million euros. New book policy agency. The new National Gallery, the National Museum of Modern Art, which is replenished every day, the new Archaeological Museums of Chania, Messolonga and Alexandroupolis, the excellent Goat Museum. A landmark project for the expansion and modernization of the National Archaeological Museum, which has already been completed. All these are policies and projects launched over the past 3.5 years by the Ministry of Culture that provide jobs and income for our creative industry and its people. So the answer to the title question is a resounding no.

What else have we agreed on? We agree that performing arts education has been neglected over time and is a special category that does not fit into the “shape” of formal education. How and why should such an outstanding talent as Dimitris Papaioannou or Leonidas Kavakos take the pan-Greek exams that we all know? We need a different structure of education, which will not reproduce the mistakes of the past and which, frankly speaking, no one has seriously worked on over the past many years. We also agree, and for the first time, a commitment was made by the Prime Minister of Greece that by 2025 we must finally introduce public institutions of higher education in the performing arts that recognize professional and academic rights. The three relevant working groups have already begun their work since last week.

Therefore, many in good faith ask: why then do you equate an artist’s degree with a high school diploma? Somewhere here begins disinformation, which, unfortunately, reaches the limits of political instrumentalization.

What makes the famous P.D. 85/2022; It codifies what is consistently applied in Greek law regarding the recruitment and remuneration of new employees in administrative and financial positions in the State. It covers a total of 231 industries and 680 employee specialties and was to be published to ensure smooth competition and recruitment to cover critical government positions. That is why P.D. cannot be revoked. To put it as simply as possible on the contentious issue of “equating” with high school diplomas: what the DP says. is that any post-secondary graduate who does not have an HEI degree and who wishes to work in the State as an administrative officer is hired and paid in the secondary education category. This rating is horizontal. It’s not just about the artists. In total, this applies to 71 industries and 205 specializations (for example, journalism or computer science students). This is the way the Greek state ranks and pays those who do not have a university education.

Should the Greek state also have an intermediate horizontal wage level for holders of post-secondary qualifications? Maybe yes. But it is not. Shouldn’t there be about 200 other specialties on the streets today, according to the same logic, against the same DP? But they can’t be found. This should say something to the artists, who, I’m sure, have an easier time than the rest of us to feel the rightness and wrongness of a request. Why shouldn’t the other 200 professions that are interested in working or working in the public sector claim the same right to subsequently “upgrade” their studies? Why should only artists hired by the government for non-artistic work receive higher qualifications and salaries compared to workers in other specialties who also do not have a higher or technical education?

The answer is clear: very simple, because it goes against every concept of law, but also against all rules of academic evaluation. And this is fully accepted today by all specialties, except for artists.

How can we all take a step forward? The reality is that with the initiatives we have already taken, we are currently in the status quo ante. In the situation before the publication of the famous work of P.D. 85/2022, with regard specifically to the artistic sphere, when there was no intention of mobilization – for, I repeat, an eternal and insoluble problem. In fact, artists were explicitly excluded from PD by a legislative decree that was passed 10 days ago and solemnly confirmed what we have been saying from the very beginning: that P.D. it does not address the employment of artists for artistic or educational work in the state, nor does it equate art school degrees with a high school diploma. These sets are governed by special provisions that exempt artists from both the ASEP and the uniform wage, recognizing the specifics of their work.

Artists are rightly offended by the age-old lack of modern and adequate art education in our country. What they saw in PD and worried them is now outright repealed by law, and at the same time, for the first time, the government has opened a serious dialogue about the present and future of arts education. In this dialogue, we are open and sincerely want to solve problems. Let logic and calm prevail, and let us leave the pre-election confrontation outside of art, which flourishes only when it is really free, and not armed.

Mr. Akis Skertzos is the Minister of State.