Public spending on culture will increase significantly in 2013, Minister of State for Culture László L. Simon announced on 10 January.

The politician underlined that the State Secretariat for Culture will have an increased budget of HUF 35 billion this year. Furthermore, other ministries will also have cultural contributions from their own budget; the Ministry of Interior will have 25 billion forints to spend on developing local culture through libraries, theatres, museums, cultural centres. Tax allowances aimed at providing impetus to culture will exceed HUF 10 billion in 2013 and a budget of at least the same size will also be provided to the National Cultural Fund.

With regard to questions concerning the autonomy of the National Cultural Fund, he recalled that earlier legislative changes had in fact strengthened its financial and professional independence. As for the rural public education system, László L. Simon underlined that HUF 1.1 billion will be dedicated to carrying out related tasks at county level.  The county-level library system will remain as is, while those libraries that carry out more complex tasks are to be maintained by municipal libraries. He also added that independent theatres will receive the same amount of financial support that they benefited from in 2012.

Considering the fact that the mandate of Róbert Alföldi, the Artistic Director of the National Theatre will expire in June, Minister for Human Resources Zoltán Balog today held talks with the newly appointed Artistic Director, Attila Vidnyánszky together with Róbert Alföldi, discussing the future operation of the theatre.

(Prime Minister's Office)