With every new government, new hopes always arise. As a rule, not too many of them come true. In the case of the new government in Germany, one might not wish that for the German galleries. The former Minister of Culture, Monika Grütters, has not always acted in the interests of the art scene. One only has to think of the Cultural Property Protection Act she initiated, according to which the state no longer has to justify itself in part when it interferes with private property rights. The effect: the bonded warehouse in Switzerland has filled up again.

But now it's Claudio Roth's turn. Will she do better? Actually, many from the art scene had set their sights on Carsten Brosda as the new Minister of Culture. But the outcome of the coalition negotiations in Berlin was different. Claudia Roth has not really shown herself as a cultural politician so far. All that is known is that she worked in theaters in her youth and was manager of the German rock band Ton Steine Scherben.

If you listen around in the cultural scene, the wish for a reform of the Cultural Property Protection Act is the loudest. It would be a way to strengthen Germany again in international competition. A return to the lower value-added tax of 7 percent, would also be a boon for many galleries and dealers.

When former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder introduced the Ministry of Culture, he had to listen to harsh criticism. It was as "superfluous as a minister of the navy in Switzerland," it was said at the time. In the meantime, the department's budget has grown enormously and now exceeds 2 billion euros. The announcement of the current traffic light coalition states that the government wants to support free cultural venues such as galleries. This is the first time the word gallery has ever appeared in a coalition agreement. The topic of looted art is also part of the coalition agreement. Apparently, the government is also aiming for a looted art law. It remains exciting to see how Claudia Roth will tackle these tasks.