Moldova/ 2. Competence, decision-making and administration  

2.2 Overall description of the system

The Parliament passes legislation drafted by the Ministry of Culture in co-ordination with the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Public Information.

The Parliament ultimately approves the budget on culture following the submission of a bill prepared by the Ministry of Culture and in co-operation with an inter-ministerial body. Proposals for the budget can be submitted to the Ministry of Culture by national culture and arts institutions. Key pieces of legislation must be approved by Presidential advisory bodies, and occasionally by the President him / herself.

The Ministry of Culture is the central administrative body responsible for cultural policy in the Republic of Moldova. Its main aims are:

• to promote national and universal human values through art and culture;
• to provide the best possible conditions for preserving, enhancing and promoting national cultural heritage;
• to develop a publishing policy;
• to develop the optimum legislative and regulatory framework for the dissemination of national culture;
• to ensure conditions which allow for the artistic freedom;
• to appreciate artists' contribution to the development of national culture;
• to present indigenous art works and productions at home and abroad;
• to develop cultural tourism by promoting the cultural and natural heritage of the Republic of Moldova; preserve natural environment and landscapes, urban and rural architectural complexes and reservations, archaeological complexes and sites, other monuments and places that have a national or international value from the historical, artistic or scientific point of view; and
• to promote cultural tourism as an integral part of the government's programmes of social and economic development.

The aims stipulated above were set by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the period of 2001 - 2009.

In autumn 2009, after repeated parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova (05 April 2009 and 29 July 2009), a new, democratic government was established, after eight years of communist governance. The newly established government identified several Ministries as inefficient and decided to re-structure them, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which is now the Ministry of Culture, as it was before 2001.

At this stage there is only a preliminary organigram of the Ministry which, in fact, is the structure of a new institution, not a reformed one.

These changes were due to the total inefficiency of the old Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Existing departments / divisions / sections were changed, as shown in the preliminary organigram of the Ministry of Culture, but any new priorities have not been announced yet, since the final decision on the new structure of the Ministry is still awaited.

The Department for Inter-Ethnic Relations is the only state body that plays an important co-ordinating role within the cultural policy-making processes. The Department's Directorates (for "Inter-Ethnic Relations and Minorities" and for "Foreign Relations and Diaspora") are specialised in policies regarding multicultural inter-ethnic relations and supporting individuals of Moldovan origin living in other countries.

After the territorial-administrative reform in 2003, 32 District Offices, the municipal Department of Culture Chisinau and the municipal Directorate of Culture Balti were set up to manage all local cultural institutions. Their main goals are:

• to ensure conditions necessary for the development of folk art and traditional handicrafts, as well as for entertainment and other cultural activities;
• to carry out programmes on conservation and promotion of culture and art in the districts / municipalities by organizing various cultural events: festivals, competitions, activities aimed at conserving and promoting folk art, reviews of amateur groups, fine arts and handicraft exhibitions; and
• to submit to the Ministry of Culture and the district / municipal Council an annual report on its activity and on the operation of the institutions under their control.

The local cultural institutions network includes 1 227 Houses of Culture, 1 380 public libraries, 110 schools (of art, fine art and music) and 80 museums.