In the last few years, most of the major cultural institutions and public universities have been restructured by the government into public interest foundations. This does not change the fact that they are funded by the Hungarian state. It has, however, reduced institutional autonomy by placing boards of trustees over the institutions, whose members cannot be recalled. Because of this reform, the European Union has launched infringement proceedings against Hungary. One criticism was that politicians were appointed to the boards of trustees. After this, the Hungarian government recalled the active politicians. However, the issue remains that the board members cannot be dismissed, and the EU does not see it as ensured that these institutions make transparent decisions regarding EU funds. Therefore, public trust universities were excluded from the Erasmus and Horizon programs, causing enormous damage to Hungarian higher education. The exclusion remains in effect.
Among art universities these structural reforms affected the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, the Hungarian Dance University, and the University of Theatre and Film Arts (Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetem, SZFE). Interestingly, out of all Hungarian universities, only two art universities showed resistance. At SZFE, the management, faculty and the students deemed the process a limitation of academic autonomy and carried on months long sit in in the academy campus in 2020; some of them opted for an independent secession academy of theatre and film studies: Free SZFE. In 2024, the leadership of Moholy-Nagy University resigned as a result of student protests.
The large cultural investments initiated by the government have also sparked much debate. The newly built museums in Budapest’s City Park have ultimately been accepted by the public. However, in the Buda Castle, a reconstruction project is underway that aims to repurpose historic buildings—previously functioning as cultural institutions such as theatres, museums, and libraries—for government use. Critics refer to this process as the “deculturalization” of the Castle. If cultural functions are removed from the area, citizens will no longer have access to these buildings, and tourists will only be able to view the castle from the outside.
Another controversial issue is cultural heritage protection. In economic investments, heritage conservation aspects are not considered, as the state tends to favour investors instead. The independent heritage protection office was abolished years ago, and although experts now work within the ministry, they are unable to prevent demolitions and reconstructions because political decision-makers override their professional opinions.
The Ministry of Construction and Transport oversees the National Castle Programme mentioned in Section 3.1. Within this programme, castles that are in poor condition and unsustainable are privatized, with a mandatory renovation requirement. Criticism of the programme mainly focuses on the fact that the tender winners are business circles with close ties to the government. This group includes friends and family members of the Prime Minister (such as his son-in-law), who are influential players in the tourism industry.
There is an ongoing debate between the state and the Budapest municipality over the funding of theatres in the capital. Most recently, the spotlight has turned to the successfully operating Kolibri Children’s and Youth Theatre. The Minister of Culture appointed a new director who was not supported by the theatre’s ensemble or the professional committee. In the ensuing debate, the minister stated that the „European orientation” of the Kolibri Theatre must be discontinued.
Citing the 2021 Child Protection Act (the full, cynical name is “Act on tougher action against paedophile offenders and amending certain laws to protect children”), the state restricts artistic freedom of expression (see Section 2.5.5 for details). At the World Press Photo exhibition held in the National Museum, a far-right politician filed a complaint against the museum over a photo depicting men in women’s clothing. The museum’s director, although a pro-government politician, refused to enforce the law and was consequently dismissed from his position.
The dependence of cultural actors on the state currently causes the most problems in the field of filmmaking. In the one-stop system of the National Film Institute, filmmakers are highly vulnerable because if their projects are rejected, they have very few opportunities to make a film. Media reports frequently highlight cases where successful directors’ films were denied state support, while those of inexperienced but politically loyal producers received funding. The most successful films of recent years, measured both in terms of festival awards and box-office revenue, have been made without state support.
A feature of the current cultural policy is the key role of some personalities who fulfil multiple tasks:
- László Baán is director of the now combined Museum of Fine Arts and the National Gallery, he manages the Budapest City Park Project (involving the erection of several new cultural institutions).
- Csaba Káel is CEO of the Müpa art centre, the director of the new Bartók and Liszt Festivals, is government commissioner for the National Film Institute and the Eszterháza Palace and Cultural Centre.
Szilárd Demeter is director of the Petőfi Literary Museum and the subsidiary Petőfi Cultural Agency, the anchor of the gigantic endowment destined to serve the Foundation for Hungarian Culture. Demeter is also the leader of the Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre, recently merged from five big museums (see 1.3.3 for details). He is ministerial commissioner for the integrated development of libraries and of the renewal of the rock scene.
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