Slovak Writer Leaves Film Institute in Protest as Cultural Sector Mobilizes Against Government Policies

Writer Veronika Šikulová has resigned from the Slovak Film and Television Institute (FPÚ) in protest against what she describes as the deliberate destruction and weakening of Slovak society. Šikulová's departure comes as Bratislava prepares for a protest march organized by Open Culture, a cultural advocacy group, highlighting growing tensions between the cultural sector and government policies. The writer criticized what she sees as the transformation of a ministry into a "revenge center" and warned that intellectual thought continues to be viewed with suspicion in Slovak society. Šikulová expressed concern about public apathy but said she has not given up hope for change. The protest reflects broader discontent within Slovakia's cultural community over government actions that many view as targeting intellectual and artistic freedom.