We strongly object to the Minister of Culture's attacks on grant committees

We strongly object to the Minister of Culture's attacks on grant committees and to the simplistic interpretation that makes culture a target.

Culture is not a "superstructure", an appendage that can be shouted at, cut down according to the mood of the moment, and then "addressed with a serious face" the impacts. Culture is a public service and at the same time an interconnected ecosystem. It is unwise to unthinkingly disrupt its balance.

We find the attack on expert committees, accompanied by a touching thank you to those who will obey, particularly unacceptable. The members of the committees are not nominated by anonymous "friends in the industry", but by professional associations, with the final selection being made by the ministry itself. The members of the committees are publicly accountable for their decisions. If a minister questions their legitimacy, he is in fact questioning the mechanism used by his own office.

We also remind you that subsidies are not a cultural fad. Public support operates across society – in industry, agriculture, transport and the political system. In culture, there are established, independent and entrepreneurial organizations. Their activities complement each other. In the area of ​​subsidies, culture has long been dependent on non-claim grants, and the system must therefore be trustworthy, transparent and predictable.