Early Warning: The Politicization of Arts and Culture in Slovakia
Artistic Freedom Initiative and Open Culture! have launched a new report: “Early Warning: The Politicization of Arts and Culture in Slovakia”.
Early Warning exposes the systematic attack on artistic freedom in Slovakia since parliamentary elections were last held in October 2023. Political interference, censorship, and suppression are reshaping the cultural landscape—creating a hostile environment that is hindering artistic and cultural production.
Through in-depth research and powerful testimonies from 19 Slovak artists and cultural workers—including former Slovak National Theatre director Matej Drlička, ex-head of the Institute of Cultural Policy Marcel Čas, visual artist Andrej Dúbravský, and contemporary art duo Monika and Bohuš Kubinský— this report provides a detailed account of the alarming transformation of the cultural sector in Slovakia.
With illiberal trajectories already entrenched in other countries in the region, Slovakia’s case is a grim warning for Europe and democratic countries around the world.