The reworked anthem was broadcast by the public broadcaster, Radio and Television of Slovakia, on January 1. Slovak composer and conductor Oskar Rózsa, who has long advocated for an update to the anthem, led the project. Rózsa initially proposed the idea to the Ministry of Culture in 2011, but it was not until 2023, under the leadership of Minister Martina Šimkovičová, that the project gained official support.
Šimkovičová, a polarizing figure known for her pro-Russian and anti-LGBTQ+ views, personally oversaw the recording of the anthem. In mid-October, she teased the update on the Infovojna podcast, promising a "big surprise" ahead of the New Year reveal.
Controversies over costs
Shortly after the announcement, controversy began to swirl. A contract published by the Ministry of Culture revealed that Rózsa would receive €20,000 for his work on the anthem, while an additional €26,500 was allocated for recording costs. However, no funds were set aside to compensate members of the Slovak Philharmonic Choir.
Moreover, Rózsa was selected as the composer for the project without a public tender process, sparking accusations of favoritism and lack of transparency.
In response to mounting criticism, Rózsa defended himself on social media, dismissing his critics. "I’m not making the anthem for you. You still haven't understood that it's not your anthem," he said, adding that the anthem was intended for "a completely different group of people."
Ties to far-right
The anthem was recorded in London in late November. Rózsa was in the U.K. visiting far-right conspiracist Daniel Bombic, also known as Danny Kollar. Bombic, a self-proclaimed opponent of Slovakia’s "progressive mafia," has three European arrest warrants against him for extremism and data crimes. He is awaiting extradition to Slovakia on charges of spreading misinformation about the country’s Roma minority and harassing female journalists online.
Bombic filmed Rózsa’s controversial response to his critics, adding fuel to the ongoing debate over the Ministry of Culture’s ties to contentious figures. The recording also shows both Rózsa and Bombic with Lukáš Machal, the Slovak Secretary General of the Service Office of the Ministry of Culture, whose presence raised a few eyebrows, as he had accompanied Rózsa to London.
Public reaction
After the anthem’s midnight broadcast, public discourse shifted to evaluating the musical merits of the updated version. The new arrangement, which features a slower tempo and the inclusion of the fujara, a traditional Slovak folk instrument, has been divisive. While Rózsa defended the changes as necessary, critics on social media dismissed them as “unnecessary” and “kitschy.” Some described the slowed tempo as “funeral-like,” claiming it made the anthem difficult to sing.
“There is nothing musically significant in the new version of the anthem that justifies changing the melody,” commented Albin Sybera, an analyst at Visegrad Insight, speaking to TVP World. “The changes instead seem to reflect a clientelist culture within the Ministry of Culture, supporting figures like Rózsa.”
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether the anthem will gain acceptance among Slovak citizens or remain a point of contention in the country’s already divided cultural landscape.
