BRATISLAVA: Slovakia’s defence minister has come under fire for his lavish taste in architecture after unveiling his ministry’s new 27-storey headquarters, with many criticising the cost of the $61 million renovation.

Known popularly as the “corn” because of its resemblance to the summer barbecue staple, the towering former communist-era barracks facelift is already under scrutiny for potential misuse of the central European country’s public funds.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” beamed the minister, Robert Kalinak, one of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s closest allies, as he opened the building in the capital Bratislava to the public on Thursday.

Many disagreed. “An overpriced Dubai skyscraper” was among the many critical comments on social media, while lawmaker Gabor Grendel of the opposition Slovensko party called it “the most expensive corn in the world”.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026