Early voting started on Wednesday, May 7th in Slovenia ahead of the referendum on Sunday where voters will be able to have their say on whether selected artists should receive special pension allowances.
The conservative Democratic Party (SDS) claims the allowances, introduced by the left-wing government, are an income guarantee to a specific cultural elite.
The SDS has billboards around the country featuring the prize-winning performance artist Maja Smrekar, whose 2017 performance involved breastfeeding a dog.
Party leader Janez Janša said the referendum, which the party initiated by collecting more than 40,000 voter signatures, would show “whether Slovenians have become a doormat for the selected elite to wipe their feet on.”
He said the referendum is “for the defence of Slovenian culture.”
Culture Minister Asta Vrečko accused the SDS of waging a culture war against the arts and artists.
