Former Dissident Leader Says Slovakia Has Turned Into 'Golden Calf' Driven by Corruption

František Mikloško, a prominent organizer of Slovakia's largest anti-communist protests during the 1989 Velvet Revolution, has declared that corruption and the pursuit of money have become the country's defining ideology. The former dissident leader, who helped organize the Candle Manifestation that drew hundreds of thousands to challenge communist rule, argues that Slovakia has transformed into a "Golden Calf" where the state serves material interests rather than democratic principles. Mikloško warned that the country faces a fundamental choice between power and truth, suggesting Slovakia may be returning to the oppressive conditions of the Normalization period that followed the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. His comments reflect growing concerns about democratic backsliding in Slovakia, where corruption scandals have repeatedly shaken public confidence in government institutions over the past decade.