More details about Russian interference in Slovakia’s election emerge

The technocratic Foreign Minister, Miroslav Wlachovský, has mentioned the expulsion of a person with “diplomatic cover” who tried to influence Slovakia’s election results in Russia’s favour, in what former defence minister Jaroslav Naď called “the tip of the iceberg”.

Wlachovský elaborated on the information in an interview with Denník N., saying that the revelation came as a result of the work of the secret service.

“This diplomat, or person with diplomatic cover, had a well-developed network of associates here and tried to influence public opinion and the situation in the run-up to the elections,” Wlachovský said.

Slovakia’s snap elections were won by Robert Fico’s Smer party, which had been suspended from the Party of European Socialists in part because of Fico’s insistence on stopping military aid to Ukraine and pro-Russian rhetoric.

Former defence minister Naď commented on the information and said the scale of Russia’s interference in Slovak politics includes financing of pro-Russian media, paying troll farms, clandestine funding of municipalities across Slovakia and “significant involvement of the Russian secret service”.

Two days before Slovakia’s election, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin published a claim that there was a US plot to put progressives in the lead. As a result, the Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov.

Wlachovský said that during the summoning, the ambassador “objected” to allegations. The minister added that “our message, not only to the Russian Federation, is that Slovakia is not interested in this type of activity and will always defend itself and take action“.

According to Andrej Danko, leader of the far-right Slovak National Party, which is set to lead three ministries in Fico’s cabinet, their coalition agreement will be signed on Monday.

In a video from last week, Fico reiterated his claim that the war in Ukraine has roots in 2014, when “Ukrainian fascists murdered civilians of Russian nationality”.

(Barbara Zmušková | Euractiv.sk)