Nationalist minister tests Slovak culture, LGBT limits

Slovakia's Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova has sparked uproar by dismissing several heads of major cultural institutions and halting projects steered by LGBT+ associations under the pretext of promoting "Slovak culture".

Protesters at a Bratislava rally Thursday will take aim at Simkovicova, who has been a controversial figure since taking office in October 2023.

"The culture of the Slovaks should be Slovak -- Slovak and none else," the 53-year-old minister nominated by the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) said in one early speech.

Simkovicova has slammed "LGBT+ ideology" for causing Europe to "die out".

Her views have appealed to Prime Minister Robert Fico from the centrist Smer party, whose objections to liberal values echo Viktor Orban, the prime minister of neighbouring Hungary.

Fico has called Simkovicova "a pleasant surprise" who is capable of resisting pressure from critics.

Simkovicova, is a former TV anchor working notably for the Slovan TV channel, known for spreading conspiracy theories, xenophobia and pro-Russian views.

- "Pure destruction" -

Slovak National Gallery director Alexandra Kusa lost her job in August in what opponents said was part of Simkovicova's purge.

"Culture ministry staff accompanied by a lawyer showed up in my office one day with a bunch of flowers and a notice," she told AFP.

Kusa, who has been reduced to the post of exhibition curator, said the ministry had launched a derogatory campaign against her.

She says she was punished for backing Matej Drlicka, the National Theatre director, who had been sacked a day earlier.

The head of the country's heritage institute was dismissed this week.

"We are not compatible with the ministry. Their idea of culture is completely different from ours," Kusa said.

She accuses the ministry of launching "an era of bullying and intimidation".

"It's pure destruction and demonstration of power. It's terrible."

The ministry did not respond to AFP's request to comment.

Simkovicova also targets public media. In June, she pushed through a controversial law reforming the state-run RTVS broadcaster into a new company, STVR, which is under her control.

Analyst Pavol Hardos told AFP that wielding political influence over cultural institutions was nothing new in Slovakia.

"This is something we experienced in the 1990s during the illiberal regime of Vladimir Meciar, when there were ideological tests and tests... of who is a good nationalist, a good Slovak, and who isn't," he said.

- Protests and petitions -

What is new, though, is the government's "commitment to purge cultural institutions from anyone who is in any way perceived as potentially a political enemy", Hardos said.

Open-minded and liberal people are "being targeted as a potential troublemaker, and people who are often enough real experts in their areas are being sidelined or thrown out of these institutions," he added.

Hardos said that while it was premature to talk about "an illiberal regime", Fico is walking in Orban's footsteps, though his motivation is revenge rather than ideology.

The government is also targeting LGBT+ rights organizations.

Early this year, Simkovicova said they would not get "a cent" from her ministry. She has recently made good on her promise by curbing public subsidies.

"This concerns any project with links to LGBT+," said Martin Macko, head of the Iniciativa Inakost NGO.

He said attacks on the minority were growing, as were the number of people being treated by the NGO's therapists.

The situation has incited protests among artists, cultural institution staff and the public, who turn their backs on directors named by Simkovicova or read protest statements on theatre stages.

Large rallies were held in the summer, mobilizing tens of thousands of people.

Two petitions written by artists have solicited 400,000 signatures in the EU member country of 5.4 million people.

In the Slovak parliament, the opposition initiated a vote to dismiss Simkovicova, but the attempt fell through.

"No culture ministry employee prevents anyone from being creative or expressing themselves," Simkovicova told the press.