Elitism and Demagoguery

At loggerheads with the national government that wants to cut into her budget, Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, is threatening to halt her contribution to the Philharmonie de Paris, whose initial budget has been greatly exceeded. Another argument is that the project of the Philharmonie is "elitist": it would only reach a limited, wealthy, musically knowledgeable public. This argument of elitism is also very convenient for mayors and other elected officials as a pretext for cutting the funds required by their orchestras, opera houses and conservatories.