European far-right parties are squeezing theatre, says industry chief

Artists and plays not adhering to the nationalist mentality of rising far-right parties are being pushed out of the industry across Europe, according to Cláudia Belchior, the leader of the European Theatre Convention (ETC).

Founded in 1988, the ETC is Europe’s largest network of publicly funded theatres with 63 members across 31 countries. Belchior says the ETC has noted a political shift against theatre makers in Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany.

“We have a significant number of associates who are being fired, simply because they do not have the nationalist language that interests them at the moment”, Belchior told the press.

These concerns coincide with the election of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Thungria this week, the first time a far-right party has become the main parliamentary force in a German state since the Nazi regime.

Similarly, this week the Italian delegation as guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair has faced criticism for its perceived kowtowing to far-right prime minister Georgia Meloni’s political interests.

Far-right stage fright

Last month, Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won the largest vote share in the national elections. The FPÖ was formed by former Nazi party members in the 1950s. Two days before the 2024 vote, FPÖ candidates were filmed singing an SS song at a funeral.

Across Europe, far-right parties are becoming increasingly powerful, from the National Rally’s close shave with power in France this summer to Party for Freedom becoming the largest party in the Netherlands’ House of Representatives in 2023.

“There are theatres where, quite simply, the repertoire was eliminated to create a repertoire with a unique, nationalist language, and this is very dangerous for our democracies,” Belchior said.

Belchior, who is also the artistic advisor of the Fundação Centro Cultural de Belém and was previously the president of the Queen Maria II National Theatre in Lisbon has hit out at the rise of far-right ideology across Europe.

Her concern is that as far-right parties grow across the European political landscape, they are latching onto the importance of controlling culture to adhere to their nationalistic narratives.

Theatres aren’t being shut as previous far-right ideologues have done. Instead they are opting to “remove people, almost by force, from their workplace to be replaced by others, who have a cultural propaganda agenda,” Belchior said.

The ETC has conveyed these concerns to the European Commission.