The single-chamber Parliament produces legislation. In addition to its role in preparing laws, the Committee for Culture and Press also fulfills supervisory functions by occasionally putting various issues related to culture on its agenda. Overall, however, since spring 2010 when Fidesz gained 2/3 of the parliamentary seats – a feat that was repeated in 2014 and 2018 – in the NER era, the Parliament and its Committees have limited autonomy, and reflect the will of the government or the dominant party.
Since 2010 there has not been a separate ministry for culture. Administering issues of culture is dispersed between various governmental organs.
Among the nine state secretaries in the composite Ministry of Human Resources, one is responsible for culture; among the fourteen deputy state secretaries one overlooks issues of culture, and another is in charge of development and financing in culture. In the same Ministry, there are—as of 2021—thirteen ministerial commissioners, whose respective remits include the regeneration of the Budapest City Park, the reconstruction of the Hungarian State Opera House, the integrated development of the national library and literary collections, the upgrading of circus arts, the coordination of basic cultural services, music education, as well as the integrated development of national museums.
The respective ministries appear as chapters of the united government web portal. Apart from news, the top official’s introduction and a contact list of subordinate institutions, the site does not contain further information about policies, plans and statistics. Decisions and new pieces of legislation are presented as news items but are not stored in a structured fashion. A separate service portal displays official communication and management issues.
Built heritage and archaeology – their development, protection, and regulation – are the remit of a Deputy State Secretary who reports to the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office. His work is helped by a Ministerial Commissioner who coordinates cultural heritage tasks. Another Ministerial Commissioner administers the national castle programme.
In the Ministry for Innovation and Technology a Ministerial Commissioner oversees the creative industries.
After intermediate changes during the past decade, cultural institutions abroad are now supervised by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
A Government Commissioner administers the film sector (“in charge of the development of the national audio-visual industry”), and another coordinated the preparations for the European Capital of Culture in 2013 in Veszprém.
Government and ministerial commissioners have staffs of various sizes and fulfill functions of public administration.
The constitution and various laws also prescribe the involvement of the Hungarian Arts Academy – MMA into all major cultural policy decisions.
The National Cultural Fund is a semi-autonomous institution and remains in charge of financing projects.
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