'Slovakia' Party: M.R. Stefanik Bust Project a Fraud

Bratislava, 4 July (TASR) - The opposition's 'Slovakia' party has accused the Culture Ministry of fraud with respect to a project of a bronze bust of General Milan Rastislav Stefanik, which is to be installed at a military cemetery in Rome. The party claims the ministry intends to commission the creation of the bust for significantly more money than experts say it should cost. The Culture Ministry has strongly rejected the allegations, emphasizing that a work of such historical and representative value requires both artistic expertise and appropriate funding. According to 'Slovakia', the ministry is attempting to avoid a public tender by directly awarding the contract for more than €61,000. „Experts say a comparable bronze bust, including a pedestal, should cost no more than €8,000 to €12,000,” the party stated. It also raised concerns over the contract timeline. „The minister signed the contract with the sculptor on 9 June 2025. It was published on 23 June and became effective on 24 June – even though the sculptor was supposed to submit the work for review by 15 June,” the party claimed. 'Slovakia' has called on the Prosecutor-General’s Office to investigate the matter, with party leader Igor Matovic declaring, “Everything points to a fraud.” In response, the Culture Ministry condemned what it called the belittling of a significant cultural and artistic project. „This is a piece that will be displayed abroad and is meant to represent the Slovak Republic and a national hero in an international context. To suggest it could be produced for a symbolic price or even 3D printed, as some so-called ‘cultural experts’ like Mr. Matovic have hinted, demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of artistic craftsmanship and historical representation,” the ministry stated. The ministry added that the selection of the sculptor followed a standard process, involving evaluation by a professional commission. „The decisive factors were sculptor Milan Lukac’s extensive experience with monuments dedicated to Slovak historical figures and his proven, long-term interest in the legacy of M. R. Stefanik. He has created multiple works on this theme,” the ministry explained. The ministry also clarified that the bust and pedestal will be cast as a single piece in bronze, with dimensions tailored to the installation site in Rome. „The price is set transparently, with no hidden costs, and a detailed breakdown is available in the contract published in the Central Contracts Register,” it concluded. mf