Study on Cultural Cooperation in Europe – Interarts and EFAH – June 2003 HUNGARY SECTION I: Introduction Hungary’s past, present and future political alliances, as well as its geographical determinants, inform cultural policy making to date. Part of the Austro- Hungarian Empire until World War I, the 19th century brought about a national revival in Hungary in which culture played a significant role; a considerable part of Hungary's current cultural institutions and traditions are rooted in that period. With communist rule imposed after World War II, cultural dogmatism did not begin to melt away until the 1960s. Following a gradual depletion of public resources and a withdrawal of political control, the state pulled out of subsidising culture as well, increasingly exposing culture to the effects of market in the 1980s. By 1989, transition from a communist to a democratic state had taken place in Hungary, which is now preparing for accession to the EU. Hungary’s current transnational cooperation activities in the area of culture are shaped by these developments. One of the main Hungarian priorities in the field of culture has of late been the approaching date of EU accession. A series of cultural seasons have been and will be organised in order to promote Hungary in the current member states, through its cultural values, as a future member. France hosted such a season in 2001, Italy in 2002. Similar grand projects are expected to take place in Great Britain in 2004, and in Russia or Germany in 2005. Also, the 18th Hungarian cultural institute is to be opened soon in Brussels to represent Hungary within Belgium and the EU capital at the same time. Another main priority for Hungary has been and continues to be the country’s Central European location. The cooperation of the so-called Visegrad Four (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) started in the early 1990s. Cultural ministers of V4 meet regularly, and discuss common themes according to a pre-set agenda. Recent meetings took place in September 2002 in Budapest and in February 2003 in Levoca (Slovakia). The four countries maintain a joint fund, from which joint projects are supported. Hungary is also a member of the World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples. However, the intensity of the cooperation is rather low. Regional cooperation has found its main expression within the Alps-Adria Regional Cooperation (which also has a cultural component), with the four Hungarian counties on the western border participating. Hungarian minorities, which have lived in the territory of neighbouring states since the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire, are another focal point. The main dividing line in the Hungarian political arena is now between the nationalist minded and the EU-committed parties. The penultimate (conservative) government, in office between 1998-2002, placed the emphasis in international relations and major projects (Frankfurt Book Fair, Hannover Expo) on demonstrating past and present national values and identity. The Hungarian communities living in the neighbouring countries were also an important factor for cultural cooperation. This cultural leitmotif has changed since the 2002 April 187 Annex I – National reports - Hungary elections, which brought a different party into government; the impact of new principles of cultural policy remains to be seen. 188 Annex I – National reports - Hungary SECTION II: Structures, competences, institutes 1. Public authorities Some issues of transnational cultural activities and policies belong within the scope of authority of the Ministry of Education (arts education, for instance), or to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for the cooperation with cultural institutes abroad, as well as for employing cultural attaches. However, Hungary's cultural administration is dominated by the culture ministry, whose official name is the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage. This Ministry draws up and manages bilateral and multilateral relations and sponsors programmes and events taking place within this framework, through its department of international relations. It sponsors transnational cultural activities both at home and abroad, gives out travel grants, funds projects and programmes, and pays particular attention to (and grants particular funds to) activities undertaken in view of the coming EU accession. It is also responsible for the national cultural institutes abroad through a Directorate of Cultural Institutes. In the national budget for 2002, the chapter dedicated to the ministry (including all programmes and institutions supervised by the ministry, and excluding the Directorate of Cultural Institutes) totalled 250.9 million €. It is very difficult to provide an exact figure as to the transnational related part of the budget. Estimated amounts used for such purposes within the structure of the ministry are as follows: support to transnational artistic or cultural 163,000 € projects taking place in Hungary or abroad support for travel expenses related to 40,000 € transnational artistic/cultural projects not taking place in Hungary support to multilateral cultural projects; most 204,000 € relevant programmes support to transnational projects as part of 163,000 € bilateral work programmes support to most relevant transnational projects 122,000 € as part of bilateral work programmes projects and government tasks in the field of 1.04 million €. culture related to EU accession The Directorate of Cultural Institutes (including 11.3 million € the 17 cultural institutes abroad) 188 Study on Cultural Cooperation in Europe – Interarts and EFAH – June 2003 2. Quasi-governmental institutions Two quasi-governmental organisations are active in the execution of the international cultural programme of the ministry: Hungarofest, and the Central European Cultural Institute. Hungarofest Hungarofest was founded in 2000 as a so called public benefit company (operating like a limited company, with certain tax and other benefits), owned 100% by the ministry. The function of Hungarofest is to organise major cultural programmes in Hungary and abroad. It has a small basic budget and the projects are financed from ad hoc commissions from the ministry, or sometimes from the National Cultural Fund. In 2000 management expenditure went up to 335,000 € and 447,000 € were spent on programme organisation. Hungarofest was in charge of the organisation of the Hungarian cultural seasons in France (with a budget of approx. 3.2 million €) and in Italy (with a budget of approx. 1.6 million €) in 2001 and 2002 respectively; a Theatre Festival in Moscow (2001); an exhibition of Belgian impressionists in Budapest; the International Bartók Seminar and Festival in Szombathely, Hungary. The semi-independent Culture 2000 help-desk, KulturPont, also forms part of Hungarofest. The Central European Cultural Institute The Central European Cultural Institute has been operating as a private foundation since 1989. It followed a route that is the opposite to what one has been accustomed to in recent decades. Instead of undergoing an increasing ‘désétatisation’, the foundation – its staff and projects – succeeded in becoming ‘étatised’ in 2000. It was established as a unit of the above mentioned Directorate of Cultural Institutes. The Institute has its own premises, gallery and small stage, and runs programmes of literature and visual arts in Hungary and in other countries in Central Europe, involving writers, intellectuals and artists from these places. In 2002, exhibitions of a Czech painter, a Czech sculptor and a Croatian photographer were held and an exhibit introducing the multicultural town Gorizia (Slovenia, Italy). An exhibition of 19th century (mostly Austrian) painters on the Danube was subsequently on show in the cultural institutes in Vienna and Paris. The budget of the Central European Cultural Institute amounted to 0.5 million € in 2002, of which about approximately a quarter was spent on programmes. 3. Cultural Funds The National Cultural Fund is a semi-autonomous arm’s length agency that distributes grants to projects. There is no sectorial bias, and civil sector public institutions, including the cultural institutes abroad, may also apply. The Fund does not assume a direct role in cultural cooperation, but it represents an important additional resource. In 2002, the fund granted about 20 million € altogether. However, there is no record of the amount that various applicants used for transborder projects. 189 Annex I – National reports - Hungary Another, smaller arm’s length fund is the Hungarian Book Foundation that runs the Fund for the Promotion of Translation. It distributes about 50,000 € per year to foreign publishers that bring out Hungarian titles. 4. National Cultural Institutes The Directorate of Cultural Institutes operates a network of 17 Hungarian cultural institutes abroad, which aim to promote Hungarian culture at home and abroad, disseminate information and news on developments in Hungary’s arts sectors, and organise cultural events. The Directorate is funded directly by the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage, with an annual budget of around 11 million €. Cultural institutes are operated in EU member states (Berlin, Helsinki, London, Paris, Rome, Stuttgart, Vienna), in accession countries (Bratislava, Bucharest, Prague, Sofia, Tallinn, Warsaw) and elsewhere (Cairo, New Delhi, New York, Moscow). SECTION III: Documents, Legislation and Agreements 1. Documents and Legislation Among the specific features of cultural policy in Hungary