[문화정책/이슈] 연정 구성 합의한 사민당의 문화정책... 인공지능 규제 보완, 노동자 예술인 적극 지원
[Date Registered] 2025-03-18 [Views] 1583
The German federal election concluded on February 23, 20251. The election results showed the center-conservative Christian Democratic Union / Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) receiving 28.52% of the votes and securing 208 seats, the party assessed as far-right, Alternative for Germany (AfD), receiving 20.8% and 152 seats, the progressive Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) receiving 16.41% and 120 seats, The Greens (Die Grünen) receiving 11.61% and 85 seats, and The Left (Die Linke) receiving 8.77% and 64 seats2. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht party (BSW) failed to enter the Bundestag3.
The German Cultural Council (Deutscher Kulturrat) is an umbrella organization of cultural associations in Germany4. It cooperates with the federal government, state governments, and EU institutions to advise on the establishment and implementation of cultural policy5. Following the general election, the organization sent an official letter to the parties asking for their positions on cultural policy6. The CDU/CSU, SPD, The Greens, FDP, and The Left responded, while the AfD and the BSW did not state their positions7. We have decided to analyze the cultural policy positions of each party in the order of their share of the vote8.
< Official Logo of the SPD - Source: SPD Facebook account (@SPD) >
The SPD is the abbreviation for Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (Social Democratic Party of Germany)9. Classified as center-left, the SPD is known as the party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz10. It is also the most likely party to form a coalition government with the CDU/CSU after this federal election11. The German daily FAZ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) reported on February 28 that "The CDU/CSU and the SPD plan to start exploratory talks on a possible coalition after the federal election this Friday, which is happening faster than initially expected"12.
The SPD maintained the comparatively progressive stance that **"Art and culture must be included in the Constitution as a national goal"**13. This mention was not found in the CDU/CSU's stance on cultural policy14. Furthermore, the SPD stated that "the federal government's cultural policy must be more than just a supplement to the state governments' authority and must protect the free and democratic fundamental order"15. They also mentioned that they "support the establishment of an independent Ministry of Culture" and plan to strengthen international relations through culture and science via diplomatic cultural and educational policies16.
The SPD adopted a more proactive stance regarding the European Union's AI regulation17. They stated that "the EU's AI regulation requires transparency from copyright holders and allows them to protect their rights and prevent data from being mined for the purpose of training artificial intelligence"18. The SPD indicated that they would examine **"how these regulations will actually be implemented and the need to supplement additional vulnerabilities in copyright protection due to the use of artificial intelligence"**19. This contrasts with the CDU/CSU's view, which considered the current copyright law sufficient to maintain the balance between developers and content creators20.
They expressed a critical view of platform companies21. They stated that they would "work to create fair and transparent compensation rules and to ensure that European culture is not sacrificed to censorship or the divisive algorithms of large platforms"22. Unlike the CDU/CSU, which was cautious about applying AI regulations to avoid hindering corporate activity, the SPD took a firm stance against copyright infringement by platform companies and the side effects of algorithms23. Attention is drawn to how the issue of copyright protection following the development of AI technology will be agreed upon in the so-called 'Black-Red Coalition' between the CDU/CSU and the SPD24.
The SPD stated that "discrimination and hatred due to right-wing extremism and other forms of collective hostility are increasing" and that they **"strongly oppose all forms of exclusion"**25. They also stated that to uphold their core promise of 'Culture for All,' they would work to ensure that cultural infrastructure operators receive stronger financial and organizational support and that all citizens have access to affordable cultural opportunities26.
The SPD also specifically mentioned Jewish life in Germany27. They stated that they **"recognize Jewish life and culture in Germany as a special expression of trust in our democracy and rule of law, and are dedicated to protecting, promoting, and making it visible"**28. They specifically mentioned that this includes **"the remembrance of the Holocaust, support for memorial sites, educational activities, guaranteeing the safety of Jews in all areas, a safe university environment for Jewish students, and a resolute response to anti-Semitism"**29. This similarity in emphasizing the elimination of anti-Semitism and the Culture of Remembrance can be noted when compared to the CDU/CSU's response30.