The deal, which lasts until the end of 2024, stipulates that the municipality will solely finance the Katona József, Radnóti, Örkény and Trafó theatres without government support.

The Budapest General Assembly will appoint the directors of these theatres, all according to a joint statement by Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, and Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor.

The József Attila and Madách theatres, Új Színház, Vígszínház, the Budapest Puppet Theatre and Kolibri will be maintained by the capital but with financing solely guaranteed by the government.

Meanwhile, the government will appoint a director of the Vígszínház by the end of 2024 with the consent of the mayor, while the Thália theatre and the Operetta will be in state hands.

When it comes to open-air theatres, the deal confirms that the theatre on Margaret Island will operate independently but under the aegis of the minister of human resources.

MTI Photo: Zsolt Szigetváry