The Slovak Ministry of Culture, headed by far-right minister Martina Simkovicova, has issued an internal list of “risky” literature that includes Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, British writer Frederick Forsyth, as well as Adolf Hitler and Norwegian far-right murderer Anders Breivik. Other names listed in the document as risky authors include Stalin and American far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
The eclectic list is an internal document for ministry employees to supposedly identify authors of works that can lead to “radicalization of people in the context of modern technologies.”
The document was allegedly created based on reports from the Slovak secret service SIS, reports the Czech liberal daily DenikN wrote.
Simkovicova – who was nominated for the cabinet by the far-right SNS party and previously worked as a presenter on Slovak TV, which spread false news about the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine – is facing renewed calls to resign after she fired the heads of the country’s key cultural institutions earlier this month, including Alexandra Kusa of the Slovak National Gallery and Matej Drlicka of the Slovak National Theatre.
A total of 28,000 people protested against these measures in the streets of the Slovak capital Bratislava over two days last week. The opposition, led by the centrist Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, announced that it would hold a vote of confidence against Simkovicova and Justice Minister Boris Susko. Susko is under criticism for releasing former prosecutor Dusan Kovacik, who was convicted of accepting bribes from the mafia and protecting its members from criminal investigations.
The left-right cabinet under populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has stepped up efforts to complete the dismantling of the rule of law, while the European Commission is in the midst of a change following European elections in June. Fico survived an assassination attempt in May and returned to politics this summer amid baseless accusations that the would-be assassin was an “opposition activist.”
Fico’s cabinet has already dissolved the special prosecutor’s office that was responsible for monitoring high-profile corruption cases that had caused concern in Brussels. A special anti-corruption police unit is also to be disbanded by the end of August.
Fico also used his culture portfolio to attack PS leader Michal Simecka after he and Simkovicova accused Simecka of profiting from state subsidies through a foundation named after his grandfather, Czechoslovak writer, philosopher and communist dissident Milan Simecka. The Milan Simecka Foundation was established about 30 years ago after the famous writer’s death in 1990.
Michal Simecka, 39, denied ever having benefited from the foundation.
“If the Andrej Bagar Theater in Nitra receives state support, it does not mean that Andrej Bagar’s family benefits from it,” said Simecka, citing as an example the Slovak actor and director and the theater named after Bagar in the city of Nitra.
Fico, Simkovicova and other members of the ruling Smer and SNS parties have relied on false reports about Brussels and liberal politicians to construct conspiracies and stories claiming they are defending traditional Slovak values. Fico also said his coalition, which includes the centre-left Hlas party and has a narrow majority in parliament, would vote Simecka out of his post as deputy parliamentary speaker, traditionally held by the leader of the strongest opposition party.
Simecka announced that he would file a vote of confidence against Simkovicova and take legal action against Fico if he continued with the false attacks against him and his family.
