No decision regarding the closure of a specific branch of the Czech Centers has been made yet

sofie

Prague - No decision has yet been made to close a specific branch of the Czech Centers, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Adam Čörgő in response to a query from ČTK. Earlier, media reported, citing representatives of the Czech Centers, that they would close branches in Milan, Stockholm, Tbilisi, and Sofia this summer. According to the ministry spokesman, discussions about the future and concept of the Czech Centers are ongoing, and no decisions have yet been made regarding the closure of any specific branch.

The reason for closing branches is, according to earlier statements from representatives of the Czech Centers, the reduction of funding from the founder, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While last year the contribution was 183 million crowns, this year 157 million crowns has been allocated for the Czech Centers.

"The Czech Centers are working this year with a lower budget than last year, which is reflected in the extent of our activities and the configuration of the entire network. Therefore, we are engaged in intensive negotiations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic regarding the further functioning of the network and its strategic priorities to ensure its long-term sustainable operation," stated Jan Dlouhý, spokesman for the Czech Centers, to ČTK.

Last week, around thirty people protested in Prague against the closure of the center in Bulgaria. The organizers stated that the Czech Center in Sofia is a vibrant platform for contemporary art, music, and education, including the teaching of Czech as a foreign language. "The closure of the center is not just an administrative cut in the budget. It is a violent interruption of historical continuity and a weakening of our cultural diplomacy," the protest organizers wrote in a press release. They consider the closure of the center to be a signal that culture can be sacrificed at any time to political and budgetary decisions, which they deem unacceptable.

The Czech Centers are tools of Czech cultural diplomacy. They have been operating in their current form since 1993. In addition to cultural events, they also provide Czech language instruction abroad and participate in organizing certified language exams. In the 1990s, the network of Czech Centers expanded primarily in Western Europe, and after 2000 to other continents. Currently, there are 26 of them.