Scandal around National Theatre building

The building of the Slovak National Theatre has been stopped as artistic organizations protested the idea of turning the building into a congress centre. The parliamentary committee for culture called on Economy Minister Pavol Rusko not to sign the contract on the partial transfer of the building to private hands.

President Ivan Gasparovic has issued a statement on Tuesday criticising the cabinet's plan to turn the as-yet incomple Slovak National Theatre (SND) building into a national cultural and congress centre. According to the president this is a very commercial proposition. He further noted that "culture is secondary" in the scheme. President thinks that the new theatre building should be a showcase for Slovak culture and art, which is why he's concerned about the completion of the construction works. The civic initiative Voice for Culture has written to the president’s office, calling for the original aim of the building to be maintained.

The decision is also criticised by many opposition MP’s. Parliament's Culture Committee on Tuesday decided to carry out an inspection at the Government Office and the ministries of economy and culture. The inspection should review the memorandum of understanding reached between the Government and the American investor. Also notable Slovak actors blame politicians for insufficient communication and neglect of the cultural sphere. "I am disgusted with the entire situation," actor Matej Landl says. Opera singer Peter Dvorsky said that the building could have been completed shortly after the Velvet Revolution, in the early 1990’s.