The Creative Industry Is a Governance Issue

The economic and social value of culture remains frequently underestimated in policy frameworks. In many countries, it is regarded as a non-essential or merely symbolic field rather than as a productive sector. This perception results in chronic underinvestment, precarious cultural employment, and inadequate data systems that do not accurately reflect its true economic contribution. The Hungarian case exemplifies a broader institutional shift. Since 2010, governance in the cultural sector has become increasingly centralised, accompanied by a change in institutional logic. In numerous instances, the selection of leaders in key cultural institutions has favoured relational and institutional embeddedness over professional merit and performance criteria. Consequently, Hungary's experience economy has shifted: performance-based logic has been partially replaced by legitimacy derived from institutional alignment, rather than from artistic excellence or market success. The creative industries constitute a strategic sector with powerful multiplier effects on innovation, urban development, and social resilience. However, their positive impact depends directly on the quality of governance and leadership.Sustainable development of the sector requires more than funding; it also demands greater managerial professionalism, institutional autonomy, transparency, and the implementation of performance-based evaluation systems. Only under these conditions can the creative industries make their full contribution to a competitive and socially resilient society.