PS: Bibiana Director Breaks Law on Access to Information, Should Be Ousted

Bratislava, 18 July (TASR) – Petra Flach, director of the International House of Art for Children (Bibiana), violated the law on access to public information, according to a ruling by the Bratislava District Office. The finding was announced Friday by Progressive Slovakia (PS) MPs Dana Kleinert and Michal Sabo, who called on Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (SNS nominee) to dismiss Flach from her post. Kleinert explained that the violation concerned her inquiries into the establishment of a new marketing and strategy department at Bibiana, which raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest. According to Kleinert, Bibiana's management failed to provide the requested information and did not issue any formal decision on the matter. She filed a complaint with the Prosecutor-General’s Office, which found Bibiana’s conduct inconsistent with legal norms on information access. „We recently received the district office’s ruling, which clearly states that Ms. Flach and an HR department staff member were found guilty of violating the law on access to public information,” said Kleinert, who sits on the House Committee for Culture and Media. Sabo criticized Flach’s defense that she was unaware of the relevant legal obligations. „For a statutory representative, ignorance of the law is not an excuse — it’s a failure,” he said, adding that her appointment contradicts the Culture Minister’s claims of filling leadership roles with qualified experts. The PS MPs also criticized Bibiana’s performance under its current management, citing a lackluster and uncreative program, poor cooperation with established authors, and inefficient use of funds. „In any normal country, a culture minister would have dismissed the director of such a respected institution after a year like this. That is our recommendation to the minister,” Kleinert stated. mf