No special session of House Culture Committee

The parliamentary culture and media committee didn't hold a scheduled special session on Thursday as it failed to meet a quorum. No coalition members of the committee turned up for the session, while one opposition member missed it as well. The session was initiated by the opposition, which invited Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (an SNS nominee) and recently dismissed heads of the Slovak National Theatre and Slovak National Gallery to take part in the event. Simkovicova didn't turn up either, sending Deputy Minister Tibor Bernatak to represent her.


Committee vice-chair Zora Jaurova (PS) noted that the session was convened by the opposition to hear Simkovicova explain her recent dismissals of the heads of the two cultural institutions. According to Jaurova, this wasn't the first time that the minister didn’t turn up at a session of the committee. "We will complain directly to Prime Minister Robert Fico," the committee vice-chair said.

At a press conference on Thursday, Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova along with Ministry’s Chief/of/Staff Lukas Machala criticised Jaurova's activities in the Slovak Arts Council (FPU). Machala pointed out that the politician is in the commission under Programme 6 - City of Culture. Jaurova said in response that she hasn't been in any FPU commission since February 2023, pointing out that the law doesn't ban an MP from serving in a commission.

Source: TASR