Image: from Jim Rigney X @RigneySec
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia — Slovenia’s intelligence agency has “unequivocally confirmed” that foreign entities attempted to interfere in last weekend’s parliamentary election, the government announced Thursday. The revelation comes as the small European Union nation grapples with a razor-thin election result that has left the country’s political future in a state of deep uncertainty.
In a statement following a high-level meeting of the National Security Council, the government revealed that the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA) presented evidence of “concrete activities by a foreign para-intelligence agency” and identified contacts between these actors and domestic Slovenian entities.
“The evidence collected, both domestically and abroad, has already been handed over to competent law enforcement authorities, the prosecutor’s office, and the police,” the statement said. While the government did not officially name the foreign agency in its Thursday briefing, the campaign was dominated by allegations surrounding Black Cube, an Israeli private intelligence firm.
The election, held on Sunday, March 22, resulted in a near-deadlock. With over 99% of the votes counted, Prime Minister Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) secured 29 seats in the 90-member National Assembly, narrowly edging out the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), led by former Prime Minister Janez Janša, which won 28 seats.
The controversy centers on a series of covertly recorded videos released during the campaign. These recordings allegedly showed government-linked officials discussing political influence and state contracts. Activists and investigative journalists claimed the leaks were an orchestrated “smear campaign” designed to sway voters away from the ruling liberals.
State Secretary for National and International Security Vojko Volk previously stated that Black Cube representatives visited Slovenia four times in the months leading up to the vote, including a location near the SDS headquarters. While Mr. Janša admitted to meeting with a Black Cube adviser, he has vehemently denied any wrongdoing or involvement in an interference operation. Black Cube has stated it only provides services for business-related litigation and “uncovering fraud.”
The geopolitical stakes of the election are significant. Under Mr. Golob, Slovenia has taken a strongly pro-Palestinian stance, recognizing Palestinian statehood and supporting international legal actions against Israeli leadership. Conversely, Mr. Janša is a vocal supporter of Israel and a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The confirmed interference has sparked alarm across the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at a recent summit, described Mr. Golob as a victim of “clear-cut interference” and warned that such disruptions are becoming a systemic threat to every European election.
As coalition negotiations begin, the presence of two new parties, the center-right Democrats and the populist Resni.ca, means that no bloc has a clear path to a 46-seat majority. Analysts warn that the shadow of foreign manipulation and the narrow margins may lead to a prolonged period of political instability in the Alpine nation.