Pole in Cultural Council of Lithuania

It’s possible that a Pole, the former Deputy Minister of Culture, Stanisław Widtmann, will become the representative of national minorities in the Cultural Council of Lithuania – a new institution, which is to allocate government grants to the field of culture. So far, 20 candidates have been chosen for the 10-person council by a body of electors. The final decision is to be made by the Lithuanian Minister of Culture.

It is the first time that members of the Cultural Council of Lithuania are being chosen. The council is to operate at the Ministry of Culture and decide about the cultural policy of the country through financing and supervising particular programmes and projects connected with art and culture (including those supported by the European Union), allocating grants, supervising activities etc. 14 electors were appointed by several environments, including national minorities organisations, to select the members of the council. On the behalf of minorities, Artur Ludkowski, the director of the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius, was appointed as one of the electors.

58 candidates entered the competition for a seat in the council, including two Poles: former Minister and Deputy Chief of the National Minorities and Emigration Department, Stanisław Widtmann, and Alina Kowalska, Councillor of the Trakai District Municipality, who was submitted by the Association of Poles in Lithuania. Having received 11 votes, Stanisław Widtmann qualified for the group of 20 candidates. One of the 10 seats in the Cultural Council of Lithuania will definitely be reserved for a representative of national minorities, so it is almost certain that the Pole will represent these minorities in their effort for obtaining financial support from Lithuania.

On the basis of: own source

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/polak-w-radzie-kultury-litwy

Tłumaczenie Aleksandra Christ w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Aleksandra Christ within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.