Minister of Culture, why do you write fiction?

The minister for culture has denied claims that her ministry is centrally controlled, stating she has not experienced such a model during her tenure. The remarks come after initial reports among cultural actors about a reallocation of funds, reductions in support, and temporary suspension of payments. As a producer and someone who held high positions within the Ministry of Culture, first as director of the Department for Arts under Minister Majda Širc, and later responsible for European and international projects under Minister Julijana Bizjak Mlakar, the speaker comments on these measures. "In none of my mandates at the Ministry of Culture has this occurred. However, I don’t know the current state of finances, so I can't comment on it," the interviewee says. When asked whether funding for KIBLA, which relies heavily on the Ministry of Culture, is affected, they respond, "Yes, certainly. But since 2002, our budget has also included EU funds, alongside local community contributions. The ratio of resources has changed. Notably, the share of the Ministry of Culture in the last ten years has decreased. In 2016, we received 150,000 euros annually, now we receive 92,000. At the same time, the ministry's budget for culture was the highest ever last year. State and local funds have not kept pace with rising costs." Some projects, especially the RUK network of art and culture research centers, were likely launched as initiatives. How, then, does one sustain them? What is the legacy of this project? "The legacy is sad, because RUK was a victim of the previous culture minister. The project should have continued in 2023. Under the ministry led by Vasko Simonitij, it was included in the post-pandemic recovery fund along with the Creative Centre. Under the ministry led by Asto Vrečko, however, existing projects were pulled back and reassessed. Immediately in 2023, they prepared a new call for the Creative Centre, which is why it revived, while for RUK, nothing was done. At that point, I spoke with State Secretary Matevž Čelik Vidmar, and he told me that they had no plans for RUK even through 2024 and 2025. It’s true that the ministry issued the call only this year, right before elections. The deadline was May, so we’re still waiting for results. We can say that the previous ministry greatly harmed the project. KIBLA had to lay off five people, and we all know what that means in Maribor, where there are already few jobs and limited financial strength. Moreover, under the previous ministry, there was a process of turbo-centralization. I can’t say everything was rejected, but certainly most things happening outside Ljubljana were turned down. If we look only at Maribor, we lost, not just reduced, but cut to a quarter, the art gallery Portal, once the largest contemporary art gallery in Slovenia. Also, the Beltrina bookshop was closed..." The interviewee acknowledges that the number of Maribor-based producers receiving four-year programmatic funding has increased in recent years. Additionally, a major artistic education project includes Maribor as one of its key locations. Regarding the closure of Beltrina, the interviewee states, "It’s a fact that Maribor had a bookstore and now doesn’t. They rejected the Maribor Art Festival (MUS) and Art Stays in Ptuj..." The interviewee adds, "We suffered losses, but there was no compensation. KIBLA reduced funding by ten percent in the latest call, while all other applicants, including those from Ljubljana, received 100 percent. It’s amusing that after thirty years of work, there are still doubts about our lack of references. It’s also funny that no member of the expert commission has ever been to KIBLA. Even the former head of visual arts, Judita Krivec Dragan, who oversaw the opening of Portal in 2012 until the end of her term, never visited the gallery. That’s over twelve to thirteen years. This is a form of ignorance. You know, anyone in Ljubljana with five minutes can jump to the ministry and lobby. For us, it’s not the same." In another report, the minister for culture is accused of spreading misinformation regarding the future of the Public Institute for Contemporary Dance (ZRSPU). The report highlights that the ministry claims it will not financially support the public institute, citing concerns about the stability of public finances. However, the report argues that the ministry lacks valid arguments and is using political decisions to justify its stance. The report points out that the ministry has not followed legal, strategic, or budgetary guidelines, instead blocking the operations of many cultural entities in Slovenia. The report suggests that the ministry is taking a risky path toward lawlessness rather than respecting the rule of law, which it pledged to uphold in parliament. The ministry admits that funding for the operation of the public institute has been allocated in the current and next fiscal years under general budget lines intended for public institutions, though not exclusively for ZRSPU. The report notes that these funds are designated under the “Art Programs in Public Institutions” category, as per the national budget classification, with specific purposes outlined in the explanatory part of the budget. These directives stem from key priorities in the Resolution on the National Cultural Program 2024–2031, the Development Strategy for Contemporary Dance 2024–2028, and the Action Plan of the Government for implementing the resolution until 2027. None of these documents have been altered or revoked. Simon Kardum, acting director of the Public Institute for Contemporary Dance. Photo: Uroš Hočevar / Kolektiff The minister publicly announces a reduction in cultural funding, with a planned budget realignment (likely in September, when she might invite him to a meeting), and simultaneously blocks the operations of most cultural subjects in Slovenia. She does so without any legal, strategic, or budgetary basis. Clearly, she has decided on a dangerous path towards lawlessness rather than respecting the rule of law, which she swore to uphold in parliament. A deep budget gap of 8.9 million euros, inherited from the previous minister, serves as a scare tactic against the cultural sector. It also aims to convince the broader public that she is a guardian of taxpayers' money. The collateral damage of this cultural battle is ZRSPU. Let me remind you of the weight of the anticipated budget shortfall for this year. It is barely more than a single eight-wheel cart. Is this a populist comparison? It holds. Other statements made by the minister are described as fabrications, rather than conscious lies. In the official position of the ministry, it is stated: "...we do not support the establishment of new administrative institutions in the field of culture that do not contribute to creativity and better working conditions for creators. The guiding principle of the ministry is NO BUREAUCRACY in culture and YES CREATIVITY. According to estimates, the start of the institution's operation would mean the creation of more than ten new office spaces, which is not consistent with the ministry's strategic direction and also not with responsible management of public funds in the current circumstances." First question: For which strategic direction of the ministry is this? I’ve never heard this before. And then: ZRSPU was established precisely for what the ministry writes in the first sentence. As for the second sentence, the comment is: bureaucracy in culture is unknown to me, rather, in public administration.