Slovenia to vote in referendum on artist pension that has fostered culture war

Janez Janša, a former prime minister of Slovenia who initiated the referendum, said that classical art is being replaced by ‘all sorts of degenerate, unhinged models’. Photograph: José Jordan/AFP/Getty Images

Slovenia’s populist opposition has mounted a campaign against “degenerate” artists as it seeks to topple government plans for special pension top-ups for award-winning artists in a referendum on Sunday.

Voters in the central European country will cast their verdict on a government bill that details the conditions and terms under which certain artists can claim an allowance to be added to their pensions.