Parties promise support for culture, they write about it only at the end of their programs

Prague - Political parties are competing in the pre-election battle over which of them will better and more support culture. Leftist parties and the Christian Democrats promise a specific one percent of the state budget, the Civic Democratic Party talks about clear financing rules, the Greens and Public Affairs advocate for transparency. Nevertheless, sections on culture remain rather on the back pages of election programs, just like passages about churches, which also fall under the Ministry of Culture.
    The fall of the government in March 2009 halted the preparation of many legislative changes. Culture still lacks a new heritage protection law, a law on public institutions in culture, and the art market is missing a new law on judicial experts.
    Parties are not very vocal about the state's "debts" in these areas, perhaps with the exception of heritage care. The Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) proposes to draft a general law on culture, the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) want a new law for "balanced and effective" heritage care, and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) wants to connect heritage more with tourism.
    In the law on culture, the ČSSD wants to "define and declare the status of culture in our society." The definition of the state's relationship to culture is already included in the document on state cultural policy, the current version of which valid until 2014 was adopted by the Topolánek cabinet in 2008. The document, as presented by the Ministry of Culture, included a proposal to transfer the agenda of tourism to the Ministry of Culture, but the Ministry of Regional Development opposed it.
    An important document is also the Concept of More Effective Support for the Arts for the years 2007-2013, which, after long postponements, was approved as one of its last steps by the Social Democratic government in May 2006. It is the first strategic document in the field of arts since 1990, presupposing inter-ministerial cooperation and financing of culture not only from the state budget. There are enough materials on how to support culture transparently and responsibly; however, the problem remains to adhere to commitments made at various levels, including government.
    The promised one percent from the state budget for culture by some parties is also not a new idea. Already in 2001, a government document was created stating that the expenditures of the Ministry of Culture should increase to reach this level.
    However, the share still fluctuated around 0.6 percent, only rising in 2006 after protests from the cultural community. Since then, one percent for culture has been discussed at every state budget meeting, but it is not addressed systematically.
    In the past two years, the share of expenditures on culture in the state budget has been about 0.8 percent, but including expenditures on churches; without them, it is still a tenth of a percent lower.
    As for churches, parties are focusing mainly on property restitution. Apart from the Communists, who are against any restitution of church property, parties propose to finalize the normalization of relations between the state and the churches, although they are not very specific.
    The ODS in its Vision 2020 does not hint at specific proposals. The Civic Democrats limited themselves to stating that it is essential for the church to be completely independent of the state. The ČSSD unequivocally rejected church restitution agreed upon during the government of Mirek Topolánek in its so-called orange book.
    According to the agreement from 2007, about a third of the property seized by the communist government was to be returned to the churches, with the rest replaced by a sum of 83 billion crowns paid over 60 years, which with interest would amount to 270 billion crowns.
    The ČSSD claims that it is necessary to settle property relations with the churches, but a "general consensus and mutual balance of demands from both sides" must be achieved. In contrast, the KDU-ČSL wants to strive for the completion of the settlement process according to the already agreed principles. TOP 09 claims it will seek a "final and fair agreement."
    
Key points from the electoral programs of political parties in the cultural sector and in relation to churches

PARTY	MAIN POINTS
ČSSD	- for culture 1% from the state budget - make more use of EU funding - tax incentives - investment incentives - adopt a law on culture - finalize property settlement with churches, but not according to the agreement of M. Topolánek's government
KDU-ČSL	- for culture 1% from the state budget - make more use of EU funding - connect tourism with heritage protection - want laws on heritage and the film industry - complete the normalization with churches according to already agreed principles
KSČM	- for culture 1% from the state budget - do not cut expenditures (except for churches) - against the restitution of property to churches
ODS	- prioritize free competition over assigning grants from the office - investment incentives - connect tourism with heritage protection - separation of church and state
Green Party	- transparent financing - debt relief for the State Fund for Culture - utilize resources from gambling
TOP 09	- merge the agendas of the ministries of culture and education in the area of primary and secondary education - achieve a fair agreement between the state and churches
Public Affairs	- multi-source and transparent funding for culture - extend the protective period of copyright from 70 years to 90 years - return buildings to the church except for St. Vitus Cathedral, transfer forests and agricultural land to municipalities and the state, set an annual contribution to churches for the maintenance of sacred buildings