Slovenia kicked off early voting on Wednesday, May 7, in a contentious referendum set for Sunday that’s stirring strong feelings on both sides of the political aisle. At the heart of the debate? A government-backed plan to grant special pension allowances to a select group of artists.
The initiative, pushed through by the left-leaning ruling coalition, has struck a nerve with the opposition. The conservative Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) isn’t holding back, accusing the government of funneling public money into the pockets of what they call a “cultural elite.”
Taking their message to the streets, the SDS has plastered the country with provocative billboards, including images of avant-garde artist Maja Smrekar—whose headline-grabbing 2017 performance involved breastfeeding a dog. The imagery isn’t subtle, and neither is the party’s message.
“This referendum will show whether Slovenians are ready to be trampled on by a self-appointed elite,” declared SDS leader Janez Janša, who spearheaded the referendum effort by collecting over 40,000 signatures. He framed the vote as a last stand for traditional values, calling it “a defense of Slovenian culture.”
But the government sees it differently. Culture Minister Asta Vrečko fired back, accusing the SDS of stoking a divisive “culture war” and targeting artists for political gain.
As the vote approaches, the issue has become about more than pensions—it’s now a symbolic battleground over identity, values, and the role of art in Slovenian society.
