Prime Minister Golob: "Influence on democracy must never be exercised from the shadows"
Prime Minister Robert Golob is attending the regular March meeting of the European Council in Brussels | Author Nebojša Tejič, STA
In a statement to the media upon arrival at the meeting, the Prime Minister addressed both the European Council meeting taking place today and the current political developments in Slovenia.
The Prime Minister said that yesterday and today he met with European partners, with whom he held in-depth discussions on the influence of foreign actors on elections in Slovenia. "Regardless of who commissioned it and who carried it out, this constitutes a serious interference with the foundations of European democracy and must be treated accordingly," the Prime Minister said. He also emphasised that yesterday and today he spoke with French President Macron regarding the conclusions of today’s meeting and the French letter to the President of the European Commission concerning protection against hybrid online activities. "It does not matter where the threat originates. When democracy is under threat, Europe must stand united," the Prime Minister said.
He added that yesterday and today he met with European partners from the Renew Europe Group, as well as with several leaders, including the Dutch and Irish prime ministers, the French President and European Commissioners.
"Influence on democracy must never be exercised from the shadows. This is the message that has prevailed in all the discussions I have had over the past 12 hours with European leaders. This is not about the origin of this interference. It is about the impact that foreign interference can have on democracy, and about the fact that it genuinely undermines the foundations of European democracy. It is very important that we do not act only on behalf of Slovenia, but also protect other countries that will enter the electoral process in the coming month," the Prime Minister said. It is a cause for concern, the Prime Minister added, that so-called private agencies from abroad are becoming increasingly bold.
"They did not emerge yesterday. They have been active before, but have now begun, for the first time, to target the governing party ahead of or during the electoral process, in order to exert a strong influence on how voters decide on election day," the Prime Minister said, adding that in Slovenia they had been identified before they could have a significant impact. "I believe in the common sense and the integrity of all voters, because I believe their hearts beat for Slovenia. I am convinced that Slovenian voters will be able to say no to such practices even without assistance from Europe. Slovenians do not, in fact, need the assistance of the European Commission today, as we were fortunate to uncover the foreign interference in time. However, it is our responsibility, as responsible Europeans, to expose such practices of interference and, together with the relevant European institutions, build resilience for the future," the Prime Minister said. He reiterated that he has full confidence in the rule of law and in the work of the competent institutions. "We will cooperate, in this and in the next term, with all competent institutions, with a view to clarifying all aspects. My conscience is completely clear. We have nothing to hide. And I will cooperate fully with the law enforcement authorities," the Prime Minister added.
"Unfortunately, our far right exploits every opportunity to discredit Slovenia abroad. In this case, it has become clear that it is prepared to align itself with the most extreme para-intelligence agencies, with a single aim – to come to power, even if this means stopping at nothing," the Prime Minister said, adding that the allegations concerning Marta Kos also fall into this category.
"Even today, I dare to say that this is the biggest scandal in the history of independent Slovenia. Regrettably, we have three truly major scandals: the first, which we are discussing now; the second, Depala Vas; and the third, Patria. The same individual is involved in all of them. It would truly be time, in the interest of democracy in Slovenia, for Janez Janša to withdraw from politics," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister also commented on the agenda of this European Council meeting. "I believe that everything must be done not only to protect energy infrastructure in the region, but also to bring this senseless war to an end as soon as possible," he said, adding that Slovenia strongly condemns all military operations. "The fact that one country allows itself to assassinate political opponents in other countries is something that should give us all serious cause for reflection. And when intelligence operatives from that same country attempt to manipulate elections in Slovenia, it means that we are much closer to this crisis than one might think," the Prime Minister said.
"Europe stands on the brink of a major energy crisis that could surpass what we witnessed in 2022, particularly if attacks on gas infrastructure continue," he said.
He added that peace in the region is the only thing that will prevent a potential energy crisis: "I cannot be clearer. If this war spreads and escalates, and if energy infrastructure in the region is destroyed – and that is the direction in which we are now heading – there are no effective measures that could contain the impact this would have on Europe."
Today, leaders will also devote further attention to measures to strengthen economic competitiveness, remove administrative barriers and the need to deepen the EU single market, which was already discussed at the informal meeting of leaders in February at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium.
The European Council will also discuss the future multiannual financial framework of the EU, the situation in Ukraine, security and defence, and migration.
The discussions at this meeting will also be attended by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde.