Slovak Interior Minister Defends €3,000 Payments to Cocaine-Convicted Musician in Anti-Drug Campaign

Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok has acknowledged that rapper René Ready (known as René Rendy) was paid nearly €3,000 per performance as part of the Interior Ministry's anti-drug awareness roadshow — a campaign that has drawn criticism on multiple fronts. The touring event, which concluded its final stop in Bratislava, centers on a specially outfitted anti-drug truck costing €750,000, procured through an expedited public tender process that experts have questioned. Adding to the controversy, René Rendy was previously charged with cocaine trafficking, raising concerns about the appropriateness of his selection as the campaign's public face. The roadshow, organized by the Interior Ministry — the government department responsible for law enforcement and public order — was intended to educate the public, particularly young people, about the dangers of drug use. Critics have challenged both the financial decisions behind the campaign and the credibility of its messaging, given the musician's past legal troubles. Šutaj Eštok, a member of Hlas-SD, a center-left party that forms part of Prime Minister Robert Fico's ruling coalition, has defended the initiative despite the mounting scrutiny.