Polarisation is growing across Europe, and museums are feeling the effects. Despite traditionally being seen as neutral spaces for cultural preservation and education, they are increasingly becoming arenas of political contention, facing pressures from various political groups seeking to shape narratives around history, identity, and values.
Today we share the NEMO Barometer on political influence in museums in Europe to provide a snapshot of these challenges.
Highlights from the barometer
The Barometer reveals that over 70% of respondents feel that polarisation is rising in their countries. It also shows that a majority of museums, national museum organisations, and other institutions report that museums are subject to political pressure.
Four main themes of political influence emerged when analysing the responses feeding into the Barometer:
- Funding and budgetary constraints
- Dependence on government funding
- Impact of budget cuts
- Influence on public actions
- Programmes and exhibitions: terminating exhibitions, themes being featured or cancelled
- Political interference in governance
- Political appointments of directors and board members
- Pressure to align with political agendas
- Pressure from interest groups and public opinion influence
- Censorship, self-censorship, and public statements
From data to action
Insights from the Barometer informed discussions at NEMO’s European Museum Conference ‘Can we talk? Museums facing polarisation’ in November 2024. Following the conference, the NEMO Executive Board issued a statement addressing the increasing challenges museums face due to political interference and societal polarisation. The statement reaffirms NEMO's commitment to uphold and support the integrity, independence, and resilience of museums across Europe.
The results presented in the barometer are based on answers to a questionnaire NEMO ran in summer 2024. 153 responses from 31 countries were collected. The Barometer summarises prevailing trends in the European museum landscape as an overview while preserving the anonymity of respondents.
A scientific article about the results of this barometer providing a deeper analysis and interpretation of the data will be published later in 2025.