The finalists of the contest for the Capital of Culture are Broumov and České Budějovice

Prague - The finalists for the 2028 European Capital of Culture (EHMK) competition today became the cities of Broumov in the Náchod region and České Budějovice. This was announced at a press conference in Prague today by the chairwoman of the international jury of EHMK, Else Christensenová-Redzepovicová. The cities of Brno and Liberec also applied for the Czech side. The title of EHMK 2028 will be decided next year. The title of European Capital of Culture is awarded annually by the European Union.

"The title of European Capital of Culture generally brings an extraordinary increase in GDP of 4.5 percent per capita. The effect begins two years prior to the start of the cultural year and lasts up to five years after its conclusion. Investments in infrastructure, the program itself, and especially the influx of domestic and foreign tourists strengthen the economy," said Jan Herget, director of the state agency CzechTourism, today. According to him, the headquarters wants to present all the finalists of the competition to the world.

The European Capital of Culture initiative is a project of the European Union aimed at highlighting the wealth and diversity of European cultures, their common aspects, and traditions. According to the organizers, it also aims to point out that Europe has been the center of rich and diverse artistic development, and European cities have played a significant role in the creation and dissemination of culture.

"It was very challenging; from the beginning, we were told we were the outsiders of the entire competition, as the city of Broumov is the smallest candidate in the history of the competition," said Marie Silondi, the coordinator of the Broumov candidature, to reporters today. "There were two camps: some said we couldn't win precisely because of our size, and others supported us because they felt the immense urgency that the Broumov region has," she stated.

"The main idea of the project is creative pilgrimage, a pilgrimage of thought and time; it is a way of life we want to experience as the European Capital of Culture," Silondi said. In the next six months, the coordinators of the candidature will work on expanding the application with additional criteria. "It is a huge satisfaction for us that we took this step, and we see it as a message for other small European cities," she added.

"For us, it is a fantastic signal that the direction we have taken is relevant not only for us but also for where Europe wants to head. Our project is very focused on cooperation with the city's residents, connecting people, landscapes, and institutions, creating a permaculture environment," said Anna Hořejší for the České Budějovice candidature to ČTK.

"That we are going into the second round is confirmation for us that we are on the right path, and we are very pleased to be going into the second round with Broumov. During the candidacy, we consulted on some projects and supported each other because we feel a common energy there," added Hořejší.

"We are very disappointed because we believe we had a very good and innovative project. However, it is a competition, and other cities succeeded," said Brno councilor for culture Marek Fišer (Pirates), representing one of the unsuccessful candidates, to ČTK today.

"We are, of course, disappointed. We have three years of work behind us and believed that all four candidate cities would get a chance; however, the jury decided as it did," said Ivan Langr (Mayors for the Liberec Region), the deputy mayor for education in Liberec, today. "The cultural strategy for the years 2022 and 2029 still applies, and the goals set in it we will, of course, fulfill nonetheless. EHMK could have been a tool to intensify and accelerate it all," he added.

Each year, two member states are selected, and in 2028 it will be the Czech Republic and France. Over more than 35 years, the title has been awarded to two Czech cities, Prague in 2000 and Plzeň 15 years later.

"Preparing for the candidature of a specific city takes several years of consistent effort by many people. Cities that have held the title of European Capital of Culture then benefit from this title for many years after obtaining it, for example, through an increase in tourism. Here, I can mention my personal experience from Plzeň in 2015," said today Martin Baxa (ODS), Minister of Culture and former Mayor of Plzeň.