Leading Berlin theatres, museums and artists have condemned multibillion budget cuts as the death knell for the city’s creative future.
On Thursday Berlin’s city-state government backed a controversial emergency Bill that cuts €3 billion from the capital’s €40 billion annual budget.
Governing mayor Kai Wegener said the cuts were a painful but necessary step in light of a dramatic slump in city income and a spending “explosion” during the pandemic and since.
The city’s transport and climate budget has been reduced by a fifth, health spending by 8 per cent and education by 6.5 per cent. Particular fury has accompanied the 12 per cent cut to Berlin’s €131 million…