Ministry: Drlicka Dismissed Due to Serious Misconduct and Loss of Trust
Bratislava, August 6 (TASR) - The reasons behind the dismissal of Matej Drlicka from the post of Slovak National Theatre (SND) general manager is serious misconduct and loss of trust from Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), ministry's communication department head Petra Bacinska told TASR on Tuesday, declaring that neither the management of the ministry nor Minister Simkovicova herself plan to interfere in the dramaturgy and activities of the Slovak National Theatre.
The spokesperson pointed out that the ministry's leadership has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Drlicka's managerial practices, also accusing him of political activism in the performance of his duties. In this context she drew attention to his statements against politicians, which were the reason for Drlicka's dismissal from his post back in 2022.
"The Culture Ministry is sensitive to the complaints of employees and soloists of the Slovak National Theatre Opera regarding bullying and incompetent management of the Slovak National Theatre Opera," said Bacinska, pointing out that unlike the situation in the SND ballet branch, where he attempted to mediate between members of the ensemble and director Nina Polakova, he ignored repeated complaints from members of the opera choir. Drlicka's procedure was to give preference to foreign artists, whom he had acquired through cooperation with an international agency, over top Slovak opera singers.
Drlicka is also blamed by the ministry for an incident in which a large crystal chandelier fell onto the stage during a performance on Children's Day. "This incident not only endangered health and safety at work, but also seriously damaged the reputation of the Slovak National Theatre," said spokeswoman for the ministry. "The condition of the equipment, props and any hanging decorations is always ultimately the responsibility of the management, as it is their role and duty to control compliance with safety measures," she stressed, adding that there was no liability or personnel implications in the case.
