Culture Minister Simkovicova Appoints Four New FPU Council Members

Bratislava, April 3 (TASR) - Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) appointed on Thursday four new members of the Art Support Fund (FPU) Council, the fund posted on a social network on the same day. Lubomir Balaz was appointed as FPU Council member for the field of intangible cultural heritage, Lubomir Richter for the field of music and Jaroslav Uhel for the field of visual arts. For local self-government, the minister appointed to the FPU Council Branislav Treger, former chairman of the Slovak Towns and Villages Association and mayor of Liptovsky Hradok (Zilina region). The 13-member council currently has 10 members. In response to the statements made by opposition representatives about the dysfunctionality of FPU, the Culture Ministry stressed on Thursday that the fund is fully functional and the council has a quorum, declaring that the remaining seats on the council will be filled by the end of April. The FPU Council is the supreme body of the Fund and, according to the current wording of the law, it also has the final say in the awarding of subsidies. am