News - In Slovakia, hundreds of theaters and galleries threatened the Ministry of Culture to go on strike

Hundreds of theaters, galleries and other cultural organizations in Slovakia threatened to go on strike on Thursday if the culture ministry does not stop “intimidating” people working in the creative sector, Reuters reported.Many of Slovakia's prominent cultural figures are at odds with Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova, part of a growing polarization in the country following Prime Minister Robert Fico's constant criticism of Western liberal values. Simkovickova, of the far-right pro-Russian SNS party, fired the leadership of cultural institutions, oversaw the reconstruction of the public broadcaster and criticized art she considered too liberal.“We are facing withdrawals, dismissals, intimidation, threats and workplace bullying,” said representatives of CultureStrike!, an initiative led by the Open Culture movement. The movement says it represents 340 organizations and 1,900 individuals from the creative sector.