Culture Committee to Question Arts Fund on Operations, Seeks Answers by April End

The Slovak parliamentary committee for culture and media is taking a proactive stance to address concerns surrounding the Fund for the Support of the Arts (FPU). Members have decided to formally question the FPU about its current operational procedures and specifically about the issues arising from multi-year project funding. This move, initiated by committee member Dušan Jarjabek, aims to gather clear answers by the end of April, which will guide the committee's next steps.

This development comes in the wake of the FPU Council's decision on March 18 to cancel or suspend grant agreements with over 30 cultural projects. While the fund and the Ministry of Culture have stated these were suspensions pending review rather than outright cancellations, the affected organizations have taken the matter to the General Prosecutor's Office. They argue the FPU Council acted without legal authority and that the fund's delays and inaction, despite completed controls that found no violations, are unacceptable.

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Budeme mať odpovede na naše otázky, na základe ktorých sa budeme môcť v tejto téme pohnúť ďalej.

The committee's decision to formulate questions rather than conduct a direct parliamentary inquiry, as proposed by Zora Jaurová, reflects a procedural approach to obtaining information. While some members, like Roman Malatinec, suggested a private meeting with FPU representatives, the majority opted for a formal question-and-answer process. The committee's chairman, Roman Michelko, has not ruled out convening an extraordinary session if necessary, indicating the seriousness with which this issue is being treated.

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Mám k tomu výhrady.