Nearly 20,000 people took to the streets of Slovakia’s capital Bratislava on Tuesday to protest against the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico, whom they accuse of dismantling the country’s cultural institutions.
The protest, organised by two opposition parties, was mainly aimed at the decisions taken by Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová and the actions of Justice Minister Boris Susko.
The rally, which echoed a similar demonstration organized by civic activists on Monday, criticized Šimkovičová’s recent dismissal of the directors of the Slovak National Theatre and the Slovak National Gallery.
“Culture is being dismantled in Slovakia” and “the leadership of the Ministry of Culture is arrogant and incompetent,” was one of the slogans heard at the demonstration.
Ms Šimkovičová defended her actions, accusing the opposition and the media of trying to undermine her authority.
Justice Minister Susko has also faced backlash over controversial changes he made to criminal law, abolishing the special prosecutor’s service, reducing penalties for corruption and some other crimes, including the possibility of suspended sentences, and significantly shortening the statute of limitations.
Last week, he also suspended the prison sentence of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik, who was convicted of corruption, further fuelling public outrage.
Unlike previous rallies, Tuesday’s demonstration did not feature speeches from politicians, focusing instead on the voices of the people.
Additional sources • SKSTVR