Expression of Solidarity with Artists and Cultural professionals in Slovakia

The European Alliance of Academies (EAoA) is observing with great concerns the current cultural-political developments in the EU-member-state Slovakia. Since the elections of the new government in October 2023, Robert Fico is again prime minister and created his 4^th cabinet in a coalition with his party Smer, as well as Hlas and the nationalistic party SNS. The new government addresses openly their conservative, nationalistic, anti-EU and pro-Russian positions, and already proofs to be a great danger for the freedom of art and culture in Slovakia.

New Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová (SNS) showed with first actions the direction cultural policy is now taking in this small EU-country:

• Revoking the funding and therefore closing Kunsthalle Bratislava, the only state-funded contemporary cultural institution in Bratislava known for its progressive focus,
• refusing any further support to LGBTQ+-projects,
• threatening cultural professionals by implementing plans that any head of state-funded cultural institutions can be replaced at any time, as it happened already with the sudden dismissal of the director of Bibiana-International House of Art for Children, and the director of the Slovak National Library,… .
  

These are only some examples of the beginning of a deep change in Slovakia’s cultural policy landscape. While the minister herself describes these actions as “return to normality”, the Slovak cultural scene and civic society worries for good reason to face from now on similar restrictions as their neighbours in Hungary. A petition with more than 170 000 signatures – a current record – to force the resignation of Šimkovičová, remains without success.

The Slovak EAoA partner Slovenská akadémia vied (Slovak Academy of Science) expressed that they are currently not affected by the governmental decisions on culture.

If this becomes the “new-old normality”, Slovakia’s artistic and cultural freedom is truly endangered. Institutions and projects depending on state funding won’t have any chance but follow the directions of the new government, while we can only imagine from other examples which restrictions will follow for the independent artistic sector.

The Slovak example highlights again the importance of the fight of the European Alliance of Academies for democratic values and artistic freedom, as they are not to be taken for granted for all of us in Europe! We stand with the people of Slovakia who are suffering because of the new government’s decisions and are currently protesting in thousands to protect their democratic rights.

We all must keep fighting for democratic values and stand for the freedom of arts and culture in Europe.

As the most basic step, don’t forget to promote and to go vote for a democratic Europe in June!