
PUBLIC STATEMENT regarding the eviction of NGO’s from Metelkova 6
28. 10. 2020.In light of the recent attacks on civil society and independent culture by the MInistry of culture in Slovenia, Kooperativa – Regional Platform for Culture has sent its letter of support for the NGO’s facing eviction from Metelkova 6 to the MInister of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia Mr. Vasko Simoniti.
Ministrstvo za kulturo RS / Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia
dr. Vasko Simoniti, minister
Maistrova 10, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Zagreb, 28 October 2020
LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AT METELKOVA 6
We are deeply disappointed and shocked by the news that the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia has called on organizations operating at Metelkova 6 to voluntarily terminate their lease and ordered them to vacate the building by the end of January 2020. We also consider unacceptable the threats of legal proceedings and finally eviction if the space is not vacated by the required date. We strongly protest against the moves of the Ministry and call on you to withdraw your decision. All future decision making processes regarding Metelkova 6 must be made transparently and together with the users of Metelkova 6.
In light of the crisis caused by the coronavirus, which has hampered and threatened working conditions for the entire civil society and independent cultural sector, we are appalled by the Ministry’s decision to further destabilize the work of some of the key organizations of Slovenia’s civil and cultural scene. This act calls into question the production of social values of a number of internationally recognized actors in the fields of human rights, women’s and minority rights, culture, arts, informal education, education for peace and non-violence, youth and students and many others.
We can only interpret this decision as an attack on some of the fundamental democratic principles: freedom of work and expression and engaged citizenship. It is precisely these principles that the mentioned organizations have been promoting in their work for decades, thus contributing to the creation of a stable civil and democratic infrastructure both in Slovenia as well as in neighboring countries. This decision will have far-reaching consequences beyond the borders of Slovenia.
We give our full support to the legitimate decision of the organizations based at Metelkova 6 to ignore the threats of the Ministry and their efforts to defend civil society, independent culture and democracy.
Kooperativa – Regional Platform for Culture