Czech centers will close three branches abroad in the summer due to a reduction in funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Prague - Czech Centers will close their branches in Stockholm, Milan, and Tbilisi this summer. The information was confirmed to ČTK today by the spokesperson of Czech Centers, Jan Dlouhý. According to him, the reason is a reduction in funding from the founder, namely the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MZV), and the priorities of the current Czech foreign policy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred ČTK to Czech Centers when asked for a comment.

Czech Centers have experienced closures in the past, with branches in Rotterdam and Athens closing in recent years. However, new centers have also been established in Hanoi, Taipei, and Belgrade. The current budget cut from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly the most significant in many years, according to Seznam Zprávy.

"The reduction in MZV funding aims to limit the scope of our activities. I am currently having a very intense discussion with the ministry’s leadership about the extent of the network and the strategic tasks of Czech Centers. I expect a final decision at the beginning of April," said the general director of Czech Centers, Jitka Pánek Jurková, to the server. According to her, the funding from the founder for this year is 157 million crowns compared to 183 million last year.

In addition to the finances from the ministry, the organization itself contributes a smaller portion to its operations. "Our own revenues have been steadily increasing. They currently amount to around 25 million crowns and significantly supplement our budget. This is mainly thanks to income from teaching Czech abroad, which I see as a significant mission of Czech Centers, and fundraising,” the director added.

The Czech Center in Georgia was established in 2021 and has been led since last September by architect Osamu Okamura, whose brothers are the chairman of SPD and the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura, and Christian Democratic MP Hayato Okamura. The Czech Center in Italy has been in Milan since 2010, and in Sweden since 1997.

Czech Centers are a tool of Czech cultural diplomacy. They have been operating in their current form since 1993. In addition to cultural events, they also provide Czech language teaching abroad and participate in organizing certified language exams. In the 1990s, the network of Czech Centers expanded mainly in Western Europe, and after 2000, to other continents. There are currently 26 of them.