Oto Klempíř, Czech singer and lyricist, 2022
Oto Klempíř, Czech singer and lyricist, 2022Photo: David Sedlecký derivative work: Kacir, 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Oto Klempíř is the Czech Minister of Culture for the Motoristé movement.[3][4] According to Novinky.cz, the Ministry of Culture has no press department and communicates mainly through social media.[1]

National Gallery Prague

After the dismissal in March of the director of the National Gallery Prague, Alicja Knast, Klempíř announced a selection procedure for her successor and put Olga Kotková, until then head of the Collection of Old Masters, in charge of the institution.[1] The minister cancelled the competition on 2 July 2026; according to Novinky.cz, he had not told its participants in advance.[1] The cancellation was criticised, for example, by trade unionists of the National Gallery Prague.[2]

The new selection procedure has two rounds. Applications with concepts can be submitted until 5 November 2026, and the ministry intends to decide on the new leadership at the beginning of December so that the director can start on 1 January 2027.[1][2] The ministry appointed to the selection committee, among others, the director of the Leopold Museum in Vienna, Hans-Peter Wipplinger, the composer and educator Vladimír Franz, the director of the Galerie Louis Carré & Cie in Paris, Patrick Bongers, and the former director of the Belvedere gallery in Vienna, Agnes Husslein-Arco.[1][2]

State cultural policy

The government approved the draft State Cultural Policy of the Czech Republic for 2026–2029, which Klempíř presented at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.[3][4][5] According to the minister, the document rests on three pillars: the people who create culture, cultural heritage and the future.[3][5] It is to be implemented by a follow-up action plan, which is to be submitted to the government by 30 November.[3][5] According to the submission report, expenditure of the Ministry of Culture budget chapter in 2027 is expected to be roughly CZK 19.3 billion, which is CZK 1.66 billion more than this year's budget.[3][5]

The document drew criticism from the opposition and part of the cultural community.[3][4] Former Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) said that it was prepared without involving cultural actors and that the comment procedure was not conducted according to the rules.[3] Member of Parliament Andrea Hoffmannová (Czech Pirate Party) criticised the document for ignoring the professional public.[3][5] The Kulturní a kreativní federace said that the ministry repeatedly bypasses professional organisations.[5]

Chronology

  • — The government approved, on the proposal of Culture Minister Oto Klempíř, the State Cultural Policy for 2026 to 2029, which is criticised by the opposition and part of the cultural community. → ČTK / České noviny Novinky.cz
  • — During the speech by Culture Minister Oto Klempíř at the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Czechia is the guest of honour, the audience called out in disapproval and whistled; writer Radka Denemarková then criticised culture ministers in her address and received applause. → Hospodářské noviny iDNES.cz

Pages linking here

Sources

  1. Novinky.cz
  2. iDNES.cz — 5 October 2026
  3. Hospodářské noviny
  4. ČT24
  5. ČTK / České noviny