While European statistics show that Romanians are coded in reading and participation in cultural events, new fiscal measures seem to make more difficult access to culture.
The books have increased, in a Romania already coda in the chapter of Istoco photo reading
The increase of VAT, applied from August 1, 2025, has led to the increase of books, tickets to museums, events and not only, and the cultural institutions already feel a hesitation from the public.
“The public begins to hesitate”warns Ioana Popa, marketing director of the Logos Theater, who already observes a decrease in ticket sale.
For his part, Andrei Munteanu, the director of the Jewish State Theater, points out that, although in the case of the institution that the tickets do not have VAT, the general economic pressure narrows the budgets of the people, who get to choose between bread and art.
In bookstores and publishers, the painting is similar: Florin Enceanu from Bookzone says he had to quickly adjust prices, logistics and campaigns in order not to lose contact with the public.
The theaters feel the pressure: “The public begins to hesitate”
In the first days after the entry into force of the new fiscal measures of August 1, 2025, independent and state theaters began to feel changes in public behavior.
Ioana Popa, marketing director of the Logos Theater, confirms that the impact is already visible:
“The new package of fiscal measures, which has entered into force from August 1, already affects our current activity. The increase of VAT from 19% to 21% we feel in the relationship with third parties, by increasing the rental value of the showrooms and in the purchases of materials for the props to the shows. be the long -term beneficial and the public to appreciate the dedication of the artists. ”
In short, this means that putting on a new show costs more, and investment recovery becomes more difficult when people buy tickets with more restraint.
It is not just about the direct costs of theaters: rents, decorations, costumes, but also about consumer psychology. When the prices in everyday life increase, the culture goes below the list of priorities.
Andrei Munteanu, director of the Jewish State Theater, emphasizes another dimension: even if the theater tickets are not subjected to VAT, the general economic pressure is inevitable.
“VAT does not apply to tickets. We pay stamps. Theatrical stamp fee. If VAT increases, the standard of living decreases and implicitly increases the share of food in the list of needs, thus affecting the theater, which is not a priority when there is no money for bread. The concrete support of the authorities must mean subsidizing the culture at a level appropriate to the European average ”, he explains.
What is the theatrical stamp fee?
Based on the fiscal and cultural legislation, the theater shows can be exempted from VAT (art. 292 of the Fiscal Code) if they are organized by public cultural institutions or non-profit entities, but they are obliged to perceive the theatrical stamp.
This represents a special tax provided by Law no. 35/1994 regarding the literary stamp, cinematic, theatrical, musical, folklore, entertainment, sportsman and for plastic art.
For the entrance tickets to theater shows, instead of applying VAT, a fixed theatrical stamp fee is charged. A percentage of the ticket price is applied (generally 2% – 5%, depending on the type of event and the provisions of the law). The amount is transferred to the Romanian Theater Union (UNITER), which uses it for support programs in the theatrical sector (additional artists, financing projects, prizes, etc.). It is included in the ticket price: the spectator does not see it as a separate fee at the house, but it is calculated and retained by the organizer.
But even with this form of support, theater needs public to justify and support the productions, the public that becomes more and more difficult to attract because of other expenses.
Book publishers, between survival and reinventing
If the theater lives from the tickets sold and the state subsidies, the book market is directly hit by the increase of the VAT reduced from 5% to 11%.
Florin Enceanu, the founder of Bookzone, one of the most visible Romanian publishers, says that the last few months have been a quick adaptation test.
“In July and August we directed important resources to align the logistics processes and internal systems to the new fiscal changes. The increase of VAT has not only generated a price adjustment, but also multiple operational changes. It is clear that we will need to compensate for dedicated campaigns for short -term readers and long -term programs to encourage the closeness of reading people ”, says Enceanu.
This “reinvention” about which Enceanu talks involves investments in digital marketing, creating more accessible collections and developing promotional packages. In a country in the last place in the EU in reading books (only 29.5% of Romanians over 16 have read at least one book in the last 12 months, according to Eurostat), any price increase risks to remove the already low public.
The official data of the National Institute of Statistics show that in 2024 public libraries issued 19.0 million volumes to 2.4 million active users, an easy increase compared to 2023.
But this apparent positive evolution hides a fragmented reality: there are counties in which librarian infrastructure is almost non -existent and others – especially in rural areas – where roads, distances and lack of staff make access to the book a difficult mission.
Reading, antidote against manipulation
In the absence of coherent national programs to encourage reading and constant fiscal support, publishers will have to rely more and more on their own initiatives to maintain a living contact with the public.
Florin Enceanu also warns that the effects of the lack of culture are already felt throughout society. “I think it is essential, if not even mandatory, there is a program or partnership between publishers and authorities to support reading. In the current context, we see clearly what the lack of culture can lead: the degradation of the mental health of the society, the vulnerability to the manipulation and the accentuated polarization. Increasing interest in the book can be one of the most effective ways to combat the negative effects of excessive social media consumption and reduce the impact of fake news. I do not believe in solutions based on censure, but in the preparation of people to quickly recognize false information, and reading is undoubtedly one of the strongest forms of education in this sen.s ”, Enceanu points out.
The audience with less hand -to -hand will be strongly affected
As always, the increase of prices affects less on the privileged and more the vulnerable, draws attention and Stefan Teisanu, the president of the Cluj Cultural Center.
“” It is supposed, in the case of cultural events of high outfit (theater, opera, etc.), that they can keep their regular public to a reasonable extent, but that they will raise, by increasing the prices, an additional barrier to the public who had any difficulties in accessing them. That, on the one hand, in this case the elasticity of the demand for the price of tickets is much higher (when the price increases a little, the consumption decreases a lot) and because, on the other hand, the decrease of the purchasing power will even more than the culture of these categories of people. by the EU media ”he says.
And the decrease of cultural consumption has harmful social and economic effects. From a social point of view, it will lead to an even weaker general cultural education, less chances of forming critical thinking and good taste, a weakening of community identity and cohesion, increasing intolerance and social inequalities, attracts attention.
“From an economic point of view, the decrease of cultural consumption directly affects the income of the cultural institutions and organizations, and this creates a negative impact: the decrease of the income in art, the decrease of the tourism, the decrease of the attractiveness of the cities and so on. In the long term, the decrease of the cultural consumption can increase the medical costs and can decrease the civic consumption. a state that has contributed decisively to the huge growth of the faults in society, as it was seen in the recent elections and as you can see with the free eye in the middle quality of debate and tolerance in society. culture”, Stress the official ..
Culture in relation to national IQ
Economist Andrei Caramitru has aroused controversy with an analysis posted on Facebook, in which he correlates the lack of access to culture with the low level of the average IQ in Romania (between 87 and 91, “almost the last in Europe”).
He argues that 40% of Romanians are functionally illiterate, and 15% fall into the clinical mental retardation.
“The problem is that it is not” resolved “through education. It is solved only with iodine, balanced diet when they are small, exposure to advanced stimuli and lasts many generations. And nobody guarantees.”he wrote.
Caramitru emphasizes that the lack of cultural participation and the low level of education lead to a vicious circle: decreased civic involvement, productivity and social adaptation capacity.
Romania in danger of “cultural poverty”
Romania is facing two realities that are difficult to ignore: it is the last of the European Union in reading books and penultimate in participating in cultural activities. The latest Eurostat data looks as follows:
- Reading book (people over 16 years of age who have read at least one book in the last 12 months): 29.5% in Romania, compared to 75.2% in Luxembourg or 72.1% in Denmark.
- Participation in cultural activities (theater, cinema, concerts, museums): 22.2%in Romania, penultimate position, over Bulgaria (~ 19.7%), but far below European leaders, Luxembourg and Denmark (over 77%).
In both chapters, the internal gaps are huge: in urban areas and among the population with high incomes the participation is more than double compared to people with low incomes, from rural areas.
VAT increasing and increased access to culture
On August 1, 2025, Romania increased the standard VAT from 19% to 21% and unified the reduced quotas in one, 11%, replacing 5% and 9%.
Direct impact:
- Books, manuals, press publications, access to museums and monuments – VAT increased from 5% to 11%.
- Tickets at cultural events – many enter the reduced share of 11%, but for VAT commercial events can reach 21%.
- Public theaters – although tickets are exempt from VAT, they pay the theatrical stamp duty, and the costs increase indirectly through rents, utilities and props.
Thus, the increase of VAT and the decrease of the purchasing power risks reducing the cultural demand even more, exactly at a time when the society would need more education, cohesion and creativity. In the absence of public support and access policies, culture will remain a luxury that fewer Romanians can afford.
