EU Moves to Withdraw Venice Biennale Grant Over Russian Pavilion

Overview

• The European Commission asked the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) to terminate the Biennale’s €2 million grant, a request announced on Saturday and now awaiting the agency’s final decision.
• Commissioner Henna Virkkunen framed the move as a defense of taxpayer-funded culture that should promote democratic norms and said those norms are not respected in today’s Russia.
• The Venice Biennale says it followed international cultural rules, noted the Russian pavilion was not opened to the public, and warned that excluding countries risks censorship.
• The Kremlin publicly accused the EU of trying to cancel Russian culture and the decision has split Italian politics, with some coalition figures condemning Brussels and others opposing Russia’s participation.
• Separately, UNESCO has opened a review of a controversial nearly 100-foot redevelopment behind Florence’s Teatro Comunale after protests and a criminal probe, a step that could affect the city’s World Heritage status.