Hungary’s Artistic Output at Home and Worldwide
Hungary’s Artistic Output at Home and Worldwide
Hungary has a number of obligations within the field of art and international relations regarding law harmonization. Chapter 20 of the Community’s body of laws on Culture and Audiovisual Policy falls under the supervision of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage. The so-called “acquis screening” negotiations of May 1998 were preceded by preparations involving the compilation and processing of the Community regulations, or acquis communautaire, relating to the cultural and audiovisual sector, and their comparison with the statutes of Hungary.
Article 151 of the Amsterdam Convention prohibits law harmonization in the area of culture. In spite of this, law harmonization needs to be guaranteed in some special areas closely related to culture such as the illegal trade or exportation of cultural assets and intellectual property.
Act CXL of 1997 on the Protection of Cultural Values; Museum Institutions, Public Libraries, and Culture was drafted in consideration of the EU’s laws relating to the exportation of cultural values and the repatriation of illegally exported cultural assets. The EU also prescribes the establishment of an independent authority for the purpose of enforcing the above laws, which is provided for by the Act by way of an institution called the Cultural Heritage Directorate. The part of the Act relating to EU law harmonization entered into force on 1 June 1998, and the Cultural Heritage Directorate was set up simultaneously. Full law harmonization is planned to be achieved by the actual time of accession.
The Ministry of Justice is the main body responsible for coordinating matters relating to intellectual property. The jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage covers the supervision of the common management of copyrights and related rights. There is no mandatory Community law applicable to this area. The role of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage is limited to the registration of common law management associations, and to the constant monitoring of the activity (enforcement of the laws and the sanctioning of violations).
The initial stage of the accession negotiations, on 8 and 15 May 1998, saw the review, or so-called acquis screening, of Chapter 20 of the Community statutes (Culture and Audiovisual Policy). The negotiations took place according to lists forwarded by the European Commission in advance. List A contained the mandatory laws to be adopted, while List B contained those recommended for adoption. The adoption of acquis poses no problem in the area culture, though further law harmonization is required regarding audiovisual issues. The Commission established that the Hungarian regulations pertinent to television broadcasting (Act I of 1996 on Radio and Television Broadcasting) was not in full compliance with the Community’s laws. The Hungarian party accepted the relevant acquis, and agreed to achieve full compliance by the actual date of EU accession. No demand for derogation was indicated.
The Guideline on Border-free Television is the EU’s sole mandatory law applicable to this area. Ratified by the European Commission in 1995, the White Book devotes a separate chapter to audiovisual services, and lists the adoption of the Guideline among the tasks to be carried out during the initial phase of the integration preparations. The full acquisition of the Guideline will also require amendments to be made to Act I of 1996 on Radio and Television Broadcasting (the
so-called “Media Act”). The Government proposed its law harmonization-centered law amendment bill to Parliament in December 1999. For reasons of internal politics, Parliament did not pass the Bill during its spring session because a two-thirds majority was not achieved. The Ministry of National Cultural Heritage will submit its Bill again in early 2001. Law harmonization-related law amendment is subject to the completion of the “Culture and Audiovisual Policy” screening chapter, and thus the successful closing of the accession negotiations.
so-called “Media Act”). The Government proposed its law harmonization-centered law amendment bill to Parliament in December 1999. For reasons of internal politics, Parliament did not pass the Bill during its spring session because a two-thirds majority was not achieved. The Ministry of National Cultural Heritage will submit its Bill again in early 2001. Law harmonization-related law amendment is subject to the completion of the “Culture and Audiovisual Policy” screening chapter, and thus the successful closing of the accession negotiations.
Of the associate members, Hungary was the only state in 1996 to which the European Commission proposed the Media II program (1996-2000). This program was interrupted for a time due to the so-called HBO Polska case. The amendment of the Media Act for the benefit of law harmonization will hopefully remove all obstacles in the way of our participation. Even though Media II will end this year, well will at least be able to take part in the Media Plus program to be launched in 2001.
Resolutions adopted on community programs realized in the field of culture and audiovisual policy constitute part of the acquis. Hungary made a Statement of Intent in 1997 to participate in the EU’s MEDIA II and its three cultural programs (Kaleidoscope, Raphael, and Ariane). Hungary participated in the programs Kaleidoscope and Ariane in 1998 (both ended in 1998), and in the Raphael program in 1998 and 1999. The European Union launched a new framework project encompassing areas covered by the previous programs, under the name “Culture 2000” (2000-2004). The program is being opened to Hungary and the rest of the associate members, and we will be able to participate from 2001 onwards. For the benefit of coordinating the Culture 2000 program locally and providing effective information, the Ministry set up the KultúrPont Office at the beginning of the year, which is a member of the Cultural Contact Points network active in the EU’s member-states. Hungary was the first country among the associate members to set up such an information office.
Economically underprivileged regions within the European Community such as Portugal, Spain, Southern Italy, Ireland, and Greece receive support through various funds. Upon its accession, Hungary will also figure among the supported countries, so Hungary’s cultural leadership must be prepared to utilize Structural Funds for cultural purposes. Structural Funds are best accessible to the public through cultural tourism (the protection and utilization of monuments). As it has been already recognized by the member-states of the EU, cultural heritage must be made accessible by tourism, and community actions should promote the mutual recognition of European cultures.
In 1990, Hungary was the first in the region to become a member of the Council of Europe, and it also became signatory to the European Cultural Convention at that time. Once a subsidized country, Hungary has now itself become a source of support.
The fact that Hungary actively participates in the work of the Council of Europe, and that Hungarian specialists receive international recognition is important in terms of European cultural cooperation. This kind of work could also represent a “hallway” leading to the country’s EU accession. A new kind of attitude towards culture throughout Europe also supposes new training and management techniques (cultural manager training). Hungary also supports the Council of Europe’s and the EU’s initiatives to this end, and is pleased to participate in them.
Hungary is taking part in a Council of Europe program aimed at analyzing cultural policies, which studies the decentralization of national cultural institutions and exposes their control, legal status, and financing models in the form of a comparative study (Désétatisation and Privatisation: National Cultural Institutions in Transition. Further participants are the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Finland, and Cyprus). This program is an essential element of efforts urging cultural institutional reforms. One of the priorities of both organizations is also to examine what impact the new information and communication technologies have on culture. The Ministry of National Cultural Heritage has also initiated the drafting of a strategy relating to the challenges presented by information society, on which it may base its future activities in this regard.
Following the change of political system, the degree to which the government could intervene in artistic life lessened as a matter-of-course: the administration’s so-called “permitting” role was relegated to the background having lost its raison d’ętre; instead the state’s primary task is to build artistic support schemes in line with the EU’s practice, and to define priorities. Even the artistic community reacted sensitively to the changes and the new, limited role played by the government. Alongside an elite culture capable of successfully asserting its own interests and possessing an institutional system complete with all the financial resources required for its operation in spite of all the difficulties, an increasing number of independent artistic initiatives, art troupes, and creative groups started appearing, which have also come forward to claim support. The cultural governance recognized that the two circles cannot be opposed; they should instead be able to progress artistically, complement one another and integrate each other’s results. Therefore, after analyzing its tasks, the portfolio reconsidered which are the artistic activities in respect of which the government’s role should remain essential and to what extent, and what form of financing it should be manifested in. In practice, this means the creation of conditions that ensure the transfer of our heritage so intertwined with the past, and to enrich it with as many values as possible in the meantime.
The civic government continues to operate the artistic institutions directly maintained by the portfolio as budgetary institutions. This sphere consists of national institutions such as the Hungarian National Opera, the National Theater, the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Chorus and Music Archives, the Hungarian National Folk Ensemble, and the Arts Hall. The review and update of our tasks was necessary in order to provide for operating conditions at European Union standards. The raising of the budget subsidization of the National Philharmonic by unparalleled magnitudes, the commencement of construction on the new National Theater, and the reorganization of the Arts Hall represented the initial steps of this activity. The founding of a House of Traditions is impending, which promises to be one of the most significant infrastructure and intellectual investment projects of the millennium. Its tasks will be to collect and nurture as national assets the folk art traditions of the Hungarian language, and to awaken and maintain consciousness regarding the cherished traditions - both home and abroad. The establishment of a representative institution providing a permanent place for presenting various genres of dance art - greatly needed in that field - is seen as feasible objective through the foundation of a National Dance Theater.
The institutional operation of several artistic activities is no longer justified in such an altered socioeconomic environment. As a consequence, the government now takes responsibility and practices its supporting role in the given segments of artistic life no longer by maintaining individual institutions but through providing sector-neutral support for the given artistic activity, primarily by way of funding obtainable through tenders. The National Cultural Funding Program, which receives regular funding out of public dues, is the main benefactor of Hungary’s artistic life.
Public enterprises have been founded and are supported by the Ministry. Most artistic fields have public funds of nationwide scope, or ministry-founded private foundations operating out of transferred state assets or regular budget subsidies (e.g., the Public Fund for Hungarian Creative Artists, the Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation, the Hungarian Book Foundation, the Artistic and Free Culture Fund, the Hungarian Culture Foundation, etc.). A market-compatible subsidization model for cultural enterprises was set up with the introduction of a “preferential interest-rate loan program”, where publishers and commercial firms may receive loans through tendering, with the Ministry assuming 50% of the interest on the loans.
Much progress has been made in the area of professional artistic life in accordance with the EU’s decentralization principles regarding the professional, institute maintenance-related, and financial support of local governments that maintain art institutions. In the past few years, the regional local governments have founded new professional artistic institutions, and have also made significant progress in supporting existing ones. The government’s cultural policy is essentially implemented within the system of institutions supported by the local governments, therefore, we are constantly collaborating with the local governments regarding both the setting of objectives and fund-raising. The central subsidization system for local government theaters and orchestras was set up in such a way that the local governments are encouraged to provide as much support for their artistic institutions as possible.
The review of our relationship established with the figures of the artistic world is an essential task of the Ministry, just as the whole system of art subsidization is. The mechanisms by which public funds reach the artists should be made more transparent. Of course, the resolution of this issue is considered a long-term project on account of its complex nature. The social organizations of the artistic world receive regular government subsidies. The artists themselves and the civil organizations of the artistic world are increasingly being involved in the distribution of the resources available. Independent advisory boards delegated by the social organizations are chiefly responsible for the distribution of the National Cultural Funding Program’s resources. In the course of granting the chapter’s earmarked funds, the portfolio also relies upon the opinion of artists acclaimed by the profession. The grant scheme benefiting our young creative and performing artists has been expanded by the Ministry, and new prizes in recognition of artistic excellence have been established.
In constant dialogue with the public figures and organizations of the book publishing profession, the Ministry is attempting to influence reading habits, i.e., lexical culture. This is the reason why the Year of Reading has been conceived. It will be launched through comprehensive social teamwork in 22 January 2001, and will last until June 2002. The Motion Picture Act is about to be passed. It aims to protect national filmmaking in accordance with European standards and ensure that the government funding available for filmmaking and marketing is used more efficiently.
The government considers the reconstruction and European-standard upgrade of public buildings housing professional art studios as a priority task under targeted local government subsidization. The program involving the full reconstruction of theater buildings is progressing, whereby the expansion and upgrade of the Eger and Zalaegerszeg theaters has been completed this year, the remodeling of the Budapest Vaudeville-theatre and the Nyíregyháza theater is underway, the puppet theaters in Kecskemét and Debrecen are being relocated to new, modern facilities, and preparations are being made for the renewal of the Szeged chamber theater.
One of the key issues of the turn of the millennium is the preservation of Hungarian culture and art beyond our borders. The subsidization of professional Hungarian acting outside the country appears as a separate item in the portfolio’s budget. Significant funds are devoted to supporting book publishing for Hungarians living outside the country’s territory.
Much emphasis has been laid in recent years on the presentation of Hungary’s artistic output within Europe. After the Europalia and the Frankfurt Book Fair, France and Italy will be the venues for Hungarian Culture Year in 2001 and 2002, respectively.
Orsolya Kőrösi
Deputy Undersecretary,
Artistic and International Relations,
Ministry of National Cultural Heritage
Deputy Undersecretary,
Artistic and International Relations,
Ministry of National Cultural Heritage
