The event will take place on April 22 and 23, and will include discussions, concerts and inspirational talks.
This is the fifth year of the Pucung festival, which is organized by the Stop Corruption Foundation (https://zastavmekorupciu.sk/en/home/). „Every year we try to show positive role models and introduce inspiring people, to spread the message that change in society is possible,“ said Anna Augustínová from the organizing committee.
The festival will start on Friday with a discussion with Ms. Kövesi, who will come to Slovakia at the invitation of the Whistleblower Protection Office, which is the main partner of the festival. „I appreciate that the European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, has accepted our invitation. Her career story fully fits into the theme of this year’s festival Everything is possible,“ says the chairwoman of the Whistleblower Protection Office Zuzana Dlugošová.
Ms. Kövesi is the former chief prosecutor of Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA). During her time in the office many high-ranking people, including the Prime Minister, were investigated and prosecuted. According to The Guardian (2015) it was “an anti-corruption drive quite unlike any other in eastern Europe – or the world for that matter”.
In 2019, she was elected Chief Prosecutor of the EPPO, which deals with the criminal cases affecting the financial interests of the European Union.
Ms. Kövesi, Ms. Dlugošová and Renáta Ontkovičová, who is one of the six European Delegated Prosecutors in Slovakia, will discuss whether and how the new institutions can help in the fight against corruption. The discussion will be moderated by Zuzana Petková, director of the Stop Corruption Foundation. The festival’s media partner Denník N will stream the main debates.
In addition to corruption and the protection of whistleblowers, other topics will be Slovak corruption cases, political satire, current conflict in Ukraine and the role of hybrid warfare. The names of other guests and speakers will be published on the website (www.pucung.sk). All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to help Ukraine.