Finishing building the Slovak National Theatre means less money for regional culture

President Ivan Gasparovic issued a statement last week 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. The 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.

However, finishing the construction of the Slovak National Theatre in accordance with the original plan would lead to less financing for regional culture in Slovakia, said Finance Minister Ivan Miklos. The Minister claims the main problem does not concern construction of the building, but the fact that if the National Theatre was finished according to the original plan and was used for state-financed culture, the subsequent expenses would surpass the construction costs and would be exorbitant, considering the long-term usage.

Finance Minister Miklos says the money invested in the National Theatre building from 2000-2002 was used the wrong way. According to him, the previous Minister of Culture informed the Government that the money would be sufficient for finishing the building and for starting the operation of the theatre. By now the costs needed for finishing the construction have skyrocketed. Economy Minister Pavol Rusko will discuss the issue with the general chairman of National Theatre.