News digest: Masturbation, defecation..., and SNS MP's disapproval of 'high culture'

Hello. Here is the Tuesday, April 23 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

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SNS MP scores his own goal in parliament
SNS MP Roman Michelko (l) in parliament. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)

Experts won’t decide which projects will receive financial support from the Slovak Arts Council (FPÚ), an independently-managed arts fund, after the coalition-controlled parliament approve changes put forward by Slovenská Národná Strana (SNS), a far-right coalition party, on Wednesday. Instead, a board under the influence of the Culture Ministry, controlled by the SNS, will make these decisions.

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“It’s absurd for the SNS, which represents 5.6 percent of the electorate, to solely impose its point of view on Slovak culture,” KDH MP František Mikloško said.

In the chamber last week, SNS MP Roman Michelko read excerpts from a 160-page book supported by the fund. He decided to specifically read those passages that talked about masturbation, burping and defecation. Michelko didn’t name the author, nor the title. But it has surfaced that the book, “Blaho”, was written by Dalimír Stano.

“This is the high culture supported by the FPÚ,” the lawmaker said, ironically.

The book was published by the Slovak Writers’ Association last year. Ironically, Michelko acted as the association’s statutory officer and had to be aware of the fact that the book had received money from the fund.

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Related: Dozens of experts in commissions deciding on the applications sent to the FPÚ have threatened to leave if changes to the FPÚ are approved. Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nom.) has told the television news channel TA3 that “others will come after them”. The minister wants to see the fund support more (truly Slovak) projects in regions.

MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE


Politics: On a Czech news website, a hacker posts a fake story about the Ukrainians trying to assassinate president-elect Peter Pellegrini.
Travel: Košice Region has introduced a new attraction for adrenaline junkies.

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OPINION

A Czech Slovakia: A country destined by history to fail
"Viribus Unitis" artwork by Matúš Maťátko (2019). (Source: M. M./The Slovak Spectator)

Are Slovak people destined for their failures by historical development because they never existed, were always only Upper Hungary (the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, ed.), to which they’re gradually returning thanks to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s influence? Some Czechs think so, writes theologian Michal Havran.

EVENT IN BRATISLAVA

Profesia Days
Profesia Days at Incheba in Bratislava in 2020. (Source: Facebook/Profesia Days)

Profesia Days, the biggest job fair festival in Slovakia, will take place at the Old Market Hall in Bratislava on April 24-25. The doors will open at 10:00 on both days. The admission is free, but visitors can register their free ticket online and win different prizes. More than 80 employers will attend the event.

IN OTHER NEWS

On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, tickets for ZSSK trains can only be purchased from the train staff or via SMS. Both the online store and the ZSSK application will be unavailable from 22:30 to 4:30 due to maintenance.

The opposition is criticising the government bill on strategic investments, which is supposed to speed up the processes related to these investments. It intervenes with people’s property rights, the opposition parties argue. They say that the bill as it looks is drafted to help friends of the coalition parties. The coalition aims to pass the bill in a fast-track legislative procedure, of which the opposition is also critical. Moreover, the Progresívne Slovensko party notes that an amendment to the public procurement law opens up a door for the non-transparent allocation of half a billion euros, and that an amendment to the Act on Environmental Impact Assessment restricts public access to the entire assessment process. (TASR)

In eight days, more than €3.5 million have been fundraised in Slovakia for ammunition for Ukraine. More than 54,000 donors have participated in the campaign. The crowdfunding campaign will continue until it’s absolutely necessary. Our special contributor Michaela Terenzani wrote about the initiative in her column, Last Week in Slovakia, on Monday. If you’d like to contribute, be careful. A fake website - www.municiEpreukrajinu.sk - has already appeared on the internet.

A geyser in the village of Herľany in the district of Košice on April 13, 2024. (Source: TASR - František Iván)

The government will hold its Wednesday meeting at a farm in Dolná Krúpa, near Trnava. The farm belongs to the family of former populist Czech PM Andrej Babiš. The Babiš family is one of the largest investors in Slovak agriculture. The Smer party has been on good terms with Babiš for a long time. In Dolná Krúpa, Putin supporter Jozef Hambálek, who has been removed from the EU’s sanctions list upon PM Fico’s request, also runs his para-military camp. (Denník N)

Regional prosecutors have publicly defended General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka. He is their superior. On Monday, a group of elite prosecutors from the abolished Special Prosecutor’s Office (ÚŠP) published a letter in which they criticise Žilinka for chaos after their former workplace was cancelled, as well as for his personnel policy. The general prosecutor, who did not oppose the abolition of the anti-corruption body, perceives the letter as the group’s media attack. Former ÚŠP prosecutors, who used to work on corruption and organised crime cases, work at the General Prosecutor’s Office today, handling the agendas that they have no experience in. Two have announced that they would quit their job in June due to Žilinka’s undemocratic methods.

WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: The meteorological office has issued rain warnings for the Bratislava, Pezinok and Senec districts. The highest daytime temperatures will range from 5°C to 10°C. Rain is expected in many regions. (SHMÚ)

APRIL 24 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Juraj.

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