Slovak Defence Minister Shows Off Lavish New Office: 200,000-Crown Kitchen and 3.3-Million-Crown Moss Wall

Slovak Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák gave journalists a tour of the new ministry building, which the department plans to move into by the end of August. According to the minister, the total cost of the renovation came to around 53 million euros (roughly 1.3 billion Czech crowns), with furnishings adding another 3 million euros (about 75 million crowns).

The renovation project has raised eyebrows from the start, with critics pointing to exorbitant spending on certain interior and façade elements.

One particular talking point has been a moss-covered wall costing around 131,000 euros (roughly 3.3 million crowns). "This is a ventilated façade that held up even during a heatwave of 40 degrees Celsius," the minister said on Thursday, adding that the structure comes with a five-year warranty.

Another contentious item was a giant LED screen on the building's façade, which cost more than 400,000 euros (about 10 million crowns). Kaliňák insists the purchase was justified and rejected claims that the money was "thrown away."

As for the kitchen set, which cost nearly 8,000 euros (about 200,000 crowns), the defence minister called it "an average standard." However, when pressed further on pricing and equipment choices during the briefing, he gave evasive answers.

Kaliňák also claimed that the media had allegedly published inaccurate figures on certain items, citing expensive mirrors as an example. He did not name any specific outlets, and no Slovak media reports actually mentioned mirrors. When asked which outlets had spread this information, the minister suggested journalists "search the internet."

The press had previously reported on some of the equipment based on figures from the contracts register, which listed specific amounts. According to the minister, these prices were later reduced. For instance, a bar counter originally priced at around 18,000 euros (roughly 460,000 crowns) ended up costing "just 10,000 euros" (about 255,000 crowns). Bathroom fixtures, including urinals, were initially set to cost around 600 euros (15,000 crowns) each without installation, but according to Kaliňák, the ministry managed to procure them at 345.59 euros (about 9,000 crowns) apiece.

The minister told a similar story about a coat rack: under the contract it was supposed to cost 600 euros (15,000 crowns), but ended up costing "only" 330 euros (about 8,000 crowns). "What matters is that we bought it for half the price," the minister said in defence of the purchase.

Overall, Kaliňák defended the interior's general style, saying it matched the status of the ministry's representative residence. Critics, however, point to a glaring contradiction between the government's declared budget austerity and the lavish spending on the building's furnishings.

By the Around Prague newsroom