Cultural Organisations Urge FPU to Respect Contracts, Warn of Further Action

Bratislava, 23 March (TASR) - More than 20 cultural organisations and institutions have called on the Arts Support Fund (FPU) to respect valid contracts and sign amendments for 2026, otherwise they are prepared to take any legal steps, including seeking damages, they indicated at their press conference held on Monday, where they highlighted the impacts of the FPU Council's decision to cancel valid contracts for multi-year projects. They said that they are preparing a motion to be filed with the prosecutor's office, and they also announced further steps. At the press conference, the cultural organisations referred to a legal analysis, explaining that the FPU Council doesn't have the power to cancel valid contracts across the board by resolution. The contracts were concluded legally and signed by FPU, while multi-year contracts aren't prohibited by law. According to the legal analysis, FPU Council's resolution cannot retroactively interfere with existing rights and obligations, so the council's decision cannot, in and of itself, alter the validity of these contracts. The organisations also described the council's arguments as entirely unsubstantiated. "The FPU Council doesn't have the authority to cancel valid contracts by a resolution. Therefore, from our perspective, the contracts will remain in effect until a court decides that they should be cancelled. We'll insist that the state must comply with them," stated Barbara Sigmundova from literary magazine Verzia. The organisations said that the FPU Council's decision has an immediate impact on the functioning of organisations across various cultural sectors, including numerous projects throughout Slovakia, adding that many projects and events are prepared long in advance. The council's decision will make culture in regions across Slovakia far less accessible. "We ask how the Slovak people can trust a state that is failing to comply with its own signed contracts," said the organisations. At its meeting held on 18 March, the FPU Council adopted a decision to cancel so-called three-year contracts covering more than 30 projects across Slovakia, including cultural centres, international festivals and magazines. The organisations also pointed out that the minutes of this meeting haven't been published yet, nor have they received any justification for the decision. jrg/df