Her resignation had been widely expected. She had come under criticism in the artists community especially after she fired Ondrej Cerny as director of the National Theatre, drawing strong protests. 

However, Hanakova also oversaw the passage of the new Czech cinematography law. 

The former dean of AMU, the Academy of Performing Arts for Music and Dance, Jiri Hlavac has been mentioned as the most likely candidate to replace Hanakova. According to the Czech Press Agency CTK, Hlavac has been in discussions about being nominated for the post. He would need to be appointed by Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas. Other potential candidates include Ivo Mathe, whose credentials include several years as General Director of Czech TV.

Hanakova has served as the Minister of Culture since December 2011.