When our city was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2026, we were happy and proud. Now another thing has been achieved, which is just as important. A law passed in the National Council of the Slovak Republic in May and was signed by President of Slovak Republic at the beginning of June, thanks to which we can proceed as planned.
Although Trenčín is the second city in Slovakia to bear the title of European Capital of Culture (ECoC), we did not have a legislative regulation for this project of international importance.
Experience has shown that we need a suitable legal framework in order to be able to carry out activities related to the ECOC title in the planned quality, by the deadline of 2026, in accordance with the laws of the Slovak Republic and also with the conditions from the European Commission.
This is especially because the whole European Capital of Culture project is a change of the city and the region, which normally takes decades, but we are going to do it in 4 years. In order to do it, we need a legal system that will allow us to do it.
The new law comes after more than a year of negotiations with the Ministry of Culture and national institutions. It is not unique in Europe or Slovakia. Other countries in Europe have also had to make various legislative adjustments in order to enable the implementation of European Capitals of Culture projects. In Slovakia, there has even been an identical regulation in the Sports Act for many years.
The law defines who can implement the project, regulates the legal relations of the implementer with the direct implementers of the project and the financing system. It aims to set up the financing of the project in a transparent, functional and meaningful way, so that the project can be implemented by 2026, when the eyes of the whole of Europe will be on it.
We are also very pleased that we have also become pioneers for other Slovak cities that will bear the prestigious title of European Capital of Culture. The law will also make their work easier.
The project of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 is now financially supported by the city of Trenčín and the Trenčín Self-Governing Region. Now the next step is to conclude a contract with the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic on the financial support of the project.
Lucia Dubačová
Chief Executive Officer Trenčín 2026