Jehlička: The ministry does not have money for the construction of the National Library

Prague - The Ministry of Culture does not plan to allocate any money this year for the construction of a new National Library building. Culture Minister Václav Jehlička said this today on Radio Impuls. According to him, it remains an open question when money will be available for the new National Library. He reportedly has felt for a long time that the new library will not be built as quickly as was described.
"I am the Minister of Culture, I am not the Minister of Finance or the Prime Minister, but they would know better where to find the money, and I think that currently there is no money for this construction," the minister said.
Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek declared on Tuesday that the new National Library (NK) building is not among the current government's priorities and that no money has been earmarked for it in the budget. It is therefore also unclear whether the state wants to allocate money for it. The construction of the library is, according to the government office, a matter for the Minister of Culture.
"We could only finance small projects," Jehlička said on Radio Impuls. Since he took office, the ministry reportedly has not financed anything for the new library, and according to him, money should definitely not be taken from its budget for construction. "The money must be there, and until it is, construction will not proceed," the minister stated. "I think no one knows when that money will be available," he added. Furthermore, according to him, no land has yet been designated for the building, no territorial decision has been made, and no preparatory work has begun.
According to the Minister of Culture, everything depends on the government. If there was land and the government reached an agreement, and if money could be found, and if the Prague City Hall and the council agreed to everything, he said he believes that the new National Library building could be built. However, many factors are currently at play, Jehlička pointed out. He acknowledged that the realization of the new library project could be suspended.
Last week, doubts arose about whether the library would indeed be built in Letná according to the design of architect Jan Kaplický, which emerged from an international competition. It turned out that most city councilors from the ODS, including Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS), oppose the proposal. According to today’s information from ČTK, the mayor will present a list of specific locations where the structure could rise to National Library Director Vlastimil Ježek next week. Locations mentioned include Strahov, Pankrác, Prosek, Letňany, or even Stodůlky.
World-famous architect of Czech origin Kaplický admitted on Sunday that his design for the NK building might not be built in Prague at all. To support the construction of the new National Library (NK) building according to his winning design, a petition has been signed by architects, historians, artists, and educators from the construction fields.
The National Library aims to address spatial problems with the construction of its second building. According to Director Ježek, if a new building does not materialize, there will be a collapse of the library due to capacity reasons after 2010.