Simkovicova Points to Use of FPU Subsidies by Milan Simecka Foundation

        Bratislava, August 15 (TASR) - At a press conference on Thursday, Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) has drawn attention to the use of subsidies from the Art Support Fund (FPU) by the Milan Simecka Foundation, pointing out that the foundation had also had the subsidies approved for 2025 and 2026.
        "It is non-standard because if you want to get some money from the fund, you have to submit a project, but that project can only be predicted within one year or so whether it will be successful or not, but they know, because they have insured themselves with these sums, that the next year and the year after that the project will be successful as well," she stated.
        Together with secretary general of the ministry's service office Lukas Machala, they pointed out that they had the subsidies for the next two years approved before the amendment to the FPU Act came into force. Machala also noted that the foundation has been "miraculously chained to the state budget for many years", adding that the foundation doesn't carry out activities for the benefit of Slovakia and its citizens.
        Both of them also criticised MP Zora Jaurova's (Progressive Slovakia/PS) activities in the Art Support Fund. Machala pointed out that the politician is in the commission under Programme 6 - City of Culture. "Isn't this a conflict of interest?" he asked. Jaurova said in response that she hasn't been in any FPU commission since February 2023, pointing out that the law doesn't ban an MP from serving in a commission.

It is not true that providing support for three years is non-standard, the Art Support Fund (FPU) said on Thursday in response to the statements by Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) and secretary general of the ministry's service office Lukas Machala earlier in the day, who pointed out that the Milan Simecka Foundation has approved subsidies for 2025 and 2026 in addition to 2024.
        "FPU has been providing multi-year support since its inception and this is a common form of support," FPU noted on a social network. It also responded to the claims by the politicians that they approved the subsidy for the foundation shortly before the FPU Act amendment came into force, pointing out that the foundation's project received support on December 22, 2023, several months before the amendment came into effect.