Trade unions criticize the proposed reduction of the culture budget

Prague - According to trade unions, the government is violating its program declaration on the support of culture and is responsible for the ongoing critical state in this area. The Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Union of Employers' Associations stated this in a press release today. They reject the Ministry of Culture's budget proposal for next year, which is to be more than 400 million crowns lower than this year. They demand that the government increase the budget to the level anticipated by the Ministry of Culture's strategy, i.e., at least to one percent of state budget expenditures, excluding payments to churches.

The government is set to discuss the state budget proposal on Monday. The Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Union of Employers' Associations of the Czech Republic are demanding immediate negotiations with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (for ANO).

According to the draft state budget, the Ministry of Culture's expenditures are expected to decrease next year after several years of growth. The planned amount is currently 424 million crowns lower than this year's budget. The ministry’s expenditures are to amount to 14.36 billion crowns compared to this year's 14.78 billion crowns. Ministry of Culture spokesperson Martha Häckl previously told ČTK that, in terms of fulfilling the government's program declaration, the ministry considers the amount proposed in the budget to be insufficient.

In February, Culture Minister Antonín Staněk (ČSSD) stated that for 2020 he would demand an increase of the budget by 2.4 billion crowns compared to this year. This would mean that the ministry should manage a sum of over 17 billion crowns next year. According to his previous statements, the share of the culture budget in the state budget should rise to one percent in 2021, as the governments have talked about for two decades, and as referred to in the strategy of the Ministry of Culture mentioned by the trade unions.

Staněk's position in the government has not been strong in the long term; discussions about his possible replacement had already begun before he dismissed two directors of contribution organizations in April. For this, he faced criticism from part of the professional public, the opposition, and members of his own party. He subsequently submitted his resignation. President Miloš Zeman did not accept it, and Prime Minister Babiš then proposed his dismissal at the request of the ČSSD.