TALLINN — Tallinn’s 2011 European Capital of Culture budget was approved Friday, even though its source of financing remains unclear as the municipal government and Estonian national government quibble.

The Foundation Tallinn 2011 council approved the €6.9 million Culture Capital program Friday along with CEO Mikko Fritze’s resignation. The program’s lineup of events will not be finalized until later in the fall and the funding issue may not be, either.

In January, a misunderstanding between Tallinn and the Estonian national government developed. The original application to [private_supervisor]the European Commission reads that the city and national government are each financing one-third of the production bodies’ expenses, with the remaining part coming from other sources. However, the city claims it has invested twice as much as the state, and accuses the national government of not living up to its end of the bargain. When asked by Baltic Reports the national government was not able to show the exact payment figures for past years, unlike the municipality.

Minister of Culture Laine Jänes told the media in January that the national government would spell out exactly how much it will contribute to Foundation Tallinn 2011’s budget by March 18. The answer still has not come, though.

Ave Toots-Erelt, press spokeswoman of the Ministry of Culture told Baltic Reports that there is no problem and the state is continuing to support the project. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 says otherwise.

“Next year, when the money mainly goes to finance the program, we expect that the state will give the same contribution as the city does,“ Jaanus Mutli, a Foundation Tallinn 2011 board member told Baltic Reports. “Today, unfortunately the state has not given such answer.”

Mutli said the city had promised to give 50 million krooni (€3.3 million) for the 2011 budget and the foundation is counting that the state to give as much.

The government discussed the matter last week at the cabinet meeting, but no decisions were made public. The government should come to a decision by April 28 at the latest, by the time when the foundation’s representatives are flying to Brussels to meet with the European Commission’s Capital of Culture monitoring division.

Organizers are keen to have Tallinn’s Capital of Culture project end up more successful than Vilnius’ 2009 edition, which saw a one-third drop in tourism from the previous year and an ongoing embezzlement investigation involving a former director.

As it stands now, only eight large-scale events such as the European Movie Awards, Dark Nights Film Festival, Youth Song Festival, Tallinn’s Maritime Days and a few more are scheduled for 2011. The rest of the program consists of smaller literature, music, design, sports, and other events. Only 16 are representing Estonian traditional culture.

Fritze resigns

Although the Foundation Tallinn 2011 CEO Mikko Fritze’s contract was due to end in October, he chose to resign from his post Friday because he thinks that the foundation needs a different management board. Fritze’s resignation was approved instantly at the Foundation’s council meeting. Fritze’s job contract with the foundation will end on June 5, 2010.

Fritze will not leave the project entirely — he’ll be on the organizing team for international events such as ISTLLbul in cooperation with European Culture Capital 2010 Istanbul, and Tallinn’s joint programs with the Turku European Culture Capital 2011 in June 12 in Helsinki.

Fritze confirmed Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that he will run Goethe Institute in Helsinki from summer 2010.

Fritze’s salary of 82,000 krooni (€5,240) a month, higher than that of Estonia’s president, turned into a scandal at the end of 2009 and heated up rumors that Tallinn Municipal government wants Fritze to leave his position. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 denied discussing his leaving. Fritze was hired for the CEO position in the beginning of 2008 after he won a public competition for this job. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]the European Commission reads that the city and national government are each financing one-third of the production bodies’ expenses, with the remaining part coming from other sources. However, the city claims it has invested twice as much as the state, and accuses the national government of not living up to its end of the bargain. When asked by Baltic Reports the national government was not able to show the exact payment figures for past years, unlike the municipality.

Minister of Culture Laine Jänes told the media in January that the national government would spell out exactly how much it will contribute to Foundation Tallinn 2011’s budget by March 18. The answer still has not come, though.

Ave Toots-Erelt, press spokeswoman of the Ministry of Culture told Baltic Reports that there is no problem and the state is continuing to support the project. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 says otherwise.

“Next year, when the money mainly goes to finance the program, we expect that the state will give the same contribution as the city does,“ Jaanus Mutli, a Foundation Tallinn 2011 board member told Baltic Reports. “Today, unfortunately the state has not given such answer.”

Mutli said the city had promised to give 50 million krooni (€3.3 million) for the 2011 budget and the foundation is counting that the state to give as much.

The government discussed the matter last week at the cabinet meeting, but no decisions were made public. The government should come to a decision by April 28 at the latest, by the time when the foundation’s representatives are flying to Brussels to meet with the European Commission’s Capital of Culture monitoring division.

Organizers are keen to have Tallinn’s Capital of Culture project end up more successful than Vilnius’ 2009 edition, which saw a one-third drop in tourism from the previous year and an ongoing embezzlement investigation involving a former director.

As it stands now, only eight large-scale events such as the European Movie Awards, Dark Nights Film Festival, Youth Song Festival, Tallinn’s Maritime Days and a few more are scheduled for 2011. The rest of the program consists of smaller literature, music, design, sports, and other events. Only 16 are representing Estonian traditional culture.

Fritze resigns

Although the Foundation Tallinn 2011 CEO Mikko Fritze’s contract was due to end in October, he chose to resign from his post Friday because he thinks that the foundation needs a different management board. Fritze’s resignation was approved instantly at the Foundation’s council meeting. Fritze’s job contract with the foundation will end on June 5, 2010.

Fritze will not leave the project entirely — he’ll be on the organizing team for international events such as ISTLLbul in cooperation with European Culture Capital 2010 Istanbul, and Tallinn’s joint programs with the Turku European Culture Capital 2011 in June 12 in Helsinki.

Fritze confirmed Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that he will run Goethe Institute in Helsinki from summer 2010.

Fritze’s salary of 82,000 krooni (€5,240) a month, higher than that of Estonia’s president, turned into a scandal at the end of 2009 and heated up rumors that Tallinn Municipal government wants Fritze to leave his position. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 denied discussing his leaving. Fritze was hired for the CEO position in the beginning of 2008 after he won a public competition for this job. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]the European Commission reads that the city and national government are each financing one-third of the production bodies’ expenses, with the remaining part coming from other sources. However, the city claims it has invested twice as much as the state, and accuses the national government of not living up to its end of the bargain. When asked by Baltic Reports the national government was not able to show the exact payment figures for past years, unlike the municipality.

Minister of Culture Laine Jänes told the media in January that the national government would spell out exactly how much it will contribute to Foundation Tallinn 2011’s budget by March 18. The answer still has not come, though.

Ave Toots-Erelt, press spokeswoman of the Ministry of Culture told Baltic Reports that there is no problem and the state is continuing to support the project. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 says otherwise.

“Next year, when the money mainly goes to finance the program, we expect that the state will give the same contribution as the city does,“ Jaanus Mutli, a Foundation Tallinn 2011 board member told Baltic Reports. “Today, unfortunately the state has not given such answer.”

Mutli said the city had promised to give 50 million krooni (€3.3 million) for the 2011 budget and the foundation is counting that the state to give as much.

The government discussed the matter last week at the cabinet meeting, but no decisions were made public. The government should come to a decision by April 28 at the latest, by the time when the foundation’s representatives are flying to Brussels to meet with the European Commission’s Capital of Culture monitoring division.

Organizers are keen to have Tallinn’s Capital of Culture project end up more successful than Vilnius’ 2009 edition, which saw a one-third drop in tourism from the previous year and an ongoing embezzlement investigation involving a former director.

As it stands now, only eight large-scale events such as the European Movie Awards, Dark Nights Film Festival, Youth Song Festival, Tallinn’s Maritime Days and a few more are scheduled for 2011. The rest of the program consists of smaller literature, music, design, sports, and other events. Only 16 are representing Estonian traditional culture.

Fritze resigns

Although the Foundation Tallinn 2011 CEO Mikko Fritze’s contract was due to end in October, he chose to resign from his post Friday because he thinks that the foundation needs a different management board. Fritze’s resignation was approved instantly at the Foundation’s council meeting. Fritze’s job contract with the foundation will end on June 5, 2010.

Fritze will not leave the project entirely — he’ll be on the organizing team for international events such as ISTLLbul in cooperation with European Culture Capital 2010 Istanbul, and Tallinn’s joint programs with the Turku European Culture Capital 2011 in June 12 in Helsinki.

Fritze confirmed Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that he will run Goethe Institute in Helsinki from summer 2010.

Fritze’s salary of 82,000 krooni (€5,240) a month, higher than that of Estonia’s president, turned into a scandal at the end of 2009 and heated up rumors that Tallinn Municipal government wants Fritze to leave his position. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 denied discussing his leaving. Fritze was hired for the CEO position in the beginning of 2008 after he won a public competition for this job. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]the European Commission reads that the city and national government are each financing one-third of the production bodies’ expenses, with the remaining part coming from other sources. However, the city claims it has invested twice as much as the state, and accuses the national government of not living up to its end of the bargain. When asked by Baltic Reports the national government was not able to show the exact payment figures for past years, unlike the municipality.

Minister of Culture Laine Jänes told the media in January that the national government would spell out exactly how much it will contribute to Foundation Tallinn 2011’s budget by March 18. The answer still has not come, though.

Ave Toots-Erelt, press spokeswoman of the Ministry of Culture told Baltic Reports that there is no problem and the state is continuing to support the project. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 says otherwise.

“Next year, when the money mainly goes to finance the program, we expect that the state will give the same contribution as the city does,“ Jaanus Mutli, a Foundation Tallinn 2011 board member told Baltic Reports. “Today, unfortunately the state has not given such answer.”

Mutli said the city had promised to give 50 million krooni (€3.3 million) for the 2011 budget and the foundation is counting that the state to give as much.

The government discussed the matter last week at the cabinet meeting, but no decisions were made public. The government should come to a decision by April 28 at the latest, by the time when the foundation’s representatives are flying to Brussels to meet with the European Commission’s Capital of Culture monitoring division.

Organizers are keen to have Tallinn’s Capital of Culture project end up more successful than Vilnius’ 2009 edition, which saw a one-third drop in tourism from the previous year and an ongoing embezzlement investigation involving a former director.

As it stands now, only eight large-scale events such as the European Movie Awards, Dark Nights Film Festival, Youth Song Festival, Tallinn’s Maritime Days and a few more are scheduled for 2011. The rest of the program consists of smaller literature, music, design, sports, and other events. Only 16 are representing Estonian traditional culture.

Fritze resigns

Although the Foundation Tallinn 2011 CEO Mikko Fritze’s contract was due to end in October, he chose to resign from his post Friday because he thinks that the foundation needs a different management board. Fritze’s resignation was approved instantly at the Foundation’s council meeting. Fritze’s job contract with the foundation will end on June 5, 2010.

Fritze will not leave the project entirely — he’ll be on the organizing team for international events such as ISTLLbul in cooperation with European Culture Capital 2010 Istanbul, and Tallinn’s joint programs with the Turku European Culture Capital 2011 in June 12 in Helsinki.

Fritze confirmed Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat that he will run Goethe Institute in Helsinki from summer 2010.

Fritze’s salary of 82,000 krooni (€5,240) a month, higher than that of Estonia’s president, turned into a scandal at the end of 2009 and heated up rumors that Tallinn Municipal government wants Fritze to leave his position. However, Foundation Tallinn 2011 denied discussing his leaving. Fritze was hired for the CEO position in the beginning of 2008 after he won a public competition for this job. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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