People from Culture Area Calling For Dismissal of Culture Minister

Bratislava, May 3 (TASR) – Activists behind the ‘Cultural resit’ initiative on Thursday handed over to the Government Office an open letter, in which they called on Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) to dismiss Culture Minister Lubica Lassakova (Smer-SD) from her post and appoint a new, competent and morally pure candidate.

Slovak film director Roman Polak spoke on behalf of the initiative, which includes around 2,260 people working in the culture sphere. “We have a feeling that Mrs. Lassakova doesn’t have professional experience for being the right minister of culture,” said Polak, adding that the initiative has tried to meet the premier in this regard twice, but the attempts have failed.

Actors Jana Olhova and Alexander Barta read out the main points of the open letter addressed to Pellegrini. “The minister’s main task is to communicate with partners both inside and outside the ministry in order to seek and promote solutions to problems, all this in the context of the vision to move the ministry she manages forward,” said Olhova, adding that Lassakova doesn’t have enough professional skills for that.

“Her managerial experience in the area of culture was not enough to hold the post of regional cultural institution director. She has no supraregional political experience in either a political party or any state or local bodies,” said Barta, adding that with her current proposals at the ministry Lassakova only shows that she doesn’t understand the structure of cultural institutions and the powers of regional and local municipalities.

The activists are ready to meet the premier to present their reasons for Lassakova’s dismissal to him in person.