The victory of pro-Russian populist Pyotr Pellegrini over pro-Western Ivan Korkok in Slovakia's presidential election earlier this month gave Moscow a new ally in the EU and a potential war zone. This dealt another blow to the struggling Ukraine. . The new president has consolidated the power of close political ally Prime Minister Roberto Fico, who opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, and given Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán a stronger grip on EU and NATO decision-making processes. This would give Russia a strong pro-Russian ally.
The shrill tone of this campaign, dominated by anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian disinformation that casts Korcok as a US stooge and “war candidate,” is not just another example of dirty campaigning in central Europe. This is also the result of Russian interference in Slovakia's media space and politics, which experts say has increased significantly in the last weeks of the election campaign. It is another stark warning ahead of June's European Parliament elections that Russian digital propagandists and their proxies are intent on and may be able to sway elections within the EU.
At first glance, the fight over Slovakia's presidential election may seem like a trivial spectacle. In the central European country of just 5.4 million people, the president has few powers, the most significant of which is the veto of new laws, which parliament can override with a simple majority. But for the past five years, the post has been held by Zuzana Caputova, a progressive environmental and human rights activist who, when elected in 2019, was a member of central and eastern Europe, where populists are gaining traction. It was seen by many as a bright spot in the area. Perhaps her most important work, and evidence of the enormity of the popular figure's decision not to run for re-election, has become clear over the past six months. Despite Caputova's limited influence, she acted as a check on Fico's three-party coalition, objecting to the government's review of the criminal code.
Officials said Colcoc, a former diplomat who served as foreign minister from 2020 to 2022, would have been a capable successor. In the first round of voting in March, he won 42.5% of the vote to Pellegrini's 37%, putting him in pole position.
But a campaign featuring a barrage of pro-Russian disinformation may have been the lever that dramatically changed the outcome. Mr. Pellegrini won about 53% of the vote, while Mr. Colcoc lost a disastrous lead with about 47%. Slovak observers say Russia's footprint is all over the election campaign, and it is entirely possible that Russian conspiracies shifted votes to favored candidates, as they did in last year's parliamentary elections.
“Russia's influence has been enormous and influential,” said Eva Mihokova of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, a Bratislava-based think tank. “Lies and ridiculous falsehoods on shady websites and social media have accused Colcok of being a candidate for war and a dangerous free-market liberal,” she said. “Although there is still no evidence that these media outlets are actually funded by Russia, although there is a strong suspicion that they are, Russian influence is clear. They certainly reflected Russian interests.” “In contrast to last year, when Slovakia expelled a Russian diplomat for interfering with the parliamentary movement, much of the disinformation does not come directly from Russia, but through Slovak proxies,” Mihokova said. He said it came about indirectly.
Slovak poet and philosopher Juliana Sokolova said: “Since the pandemic, pro-Russian, conspiracy theory and so-called alternative media have helped change not only the language and culture, but also the political landscape here. It's still useful to this day.” “They have been heard by many and accepted as truth.”
Pro-Russian internet platforms and social media channels showed support for Pellegrini after the first round, said Dominika Hajdu and other Slovakia experts at the Bratislava-based think tank Globsec. Websites such as Hlavne Spravy, ExtraPlus and InfoVojna repeat the Kremlin's policies almost verbatim, she said. Haravne Spreavi's Telegram account covers topics such as LGBTQ perversion, Washington's aggressive foreign policy, NATO's expansionist aims, the 1999 NATO-US bombing of Serbia, and of course the Ukraine war itself, namely the Russians in Ukraine. There are a lot of posts about the oppression of ethnic minorities and NATO. Hawkism and the far right in Ukrainian society and politics. Hajdu said that some of the news bulletins on the Slovak website were simply copying, translating and pasting articles from Newsfront, and she said that Crimea, which works with the FSB, Russia's main security agency, He referred to the disinformation and propaganda media outlets based there.
Gerlata Technologies, a Slovak startup specializing in hybrid threats, says the crowded pro-Russian media landscape is complex and opaque. The newspaper is known for the presence of far-right, far-left and populist politicians who spread pro-Russian propaganda based on their beliefs, as well as false accounts, such as Newsfront's Slovak bureau, that are sometimes directly linked to Russia's national and other interests. He said that information media also exists. It is a troll or agent controlled by the Russian state.
Analyst Mikaela Ruzhikova said the pro-Russian tone had reached its peak in the two weeks before the vote. Ruzhikova, who works at the Warsaw Institute think tank, said that the trend is even more pronounced than last July: “To achieve its goals, the Kremlin not only uses its resources (embassies, spies, oligarchies) but also its will. It is also used by local stakeholders.” He cooperates for various incentives and spreads Russian propaganda. ” Ruzhikova said: “The expansion of Russian influence in Slovakia is facilitated by domestic sympathizers and disinformation activists who are willing to adopt the content of pro-Kremlin channels and the official positions of the Russian military and political establishment.” he claimed. Slovak disinformation activists are thus intentionally helping Russia legitimize its policies and discredit Ukraine, the West, and democratic international institutions. ”
The most obvious example of this was in the aftermath of the first round, when Slovakia's pro-Russian press and proxies worked tirelessly to spread disinformation that Korcok was a war candidate who would reinstate conscription and send Slovak soldiers to Slovakia. This is what I continued to do. Ukraine fights for Kiev. They accused Korcok of being a puppet of the United States and NATO, putting the interests of the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance ahead of those of ordinary Slovaks. In fact, Korcok never said this, and the Slovak president has no authority to send anyone to war. Fico joined the cacophony of Russian metaphors, calling Korcok a “warmonger.”
There is evidence that Russia is investing in disinformation channels similar to Slovakia's websites and illiberal right-wing parties across Central Europe. On March 27th, a German magazine der spiegel and czech Denik N Politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary used Voice of Europe, a portal owned by pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs, to spread Russian propaganda ahead of the European Parliament vote. He reported that he received compensation from. The Czech government imposed sanctions on the platform and suspended its operations for promoting Russian interests and secretly funding candidates for the European Parliament. According to the BBC, Voice of Europe has over 180,000 Twitter/X followers.
Matus Kostorny Editor-in-Chief Dennick N.finds it difficult to explain Slovak sentiments toward Russia following the Soviet Union's 40-year post-war occupation of Slovakia and invasion of Ukraine, which is in stark contrast to neighboring Czech Republic and Poland. But he stressed that Russian propaganda in Slovakia involves more than just “fake journalists” on the internet. “Slovak politicians, especially those from government parties, regularly speak this Russian language and repeat its talking points and propaganda. This is more powerful than what comes directly from Russia.”
“Not that Slovaks want to live in Russia, and that's not what they think.” [pro-Russian] Politicians want the Soviet Union to return to Slovakia,” Kostorny said. foreign policy. “But they are using it to attack their liberal opponents, who have cracked down on corruption and imprisoned their allies.” He said he had the authority to give. These are two important tools for reversing the fight against corruption. Mr. Kostorny said he would not be at all surprised if Mr. Pellegrini began pardoning some of the dozens of convicted members of the ruling party.
However, Slovakia's new rulers were willing to practice what they preached. After taking office last year, Fico cut off Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine, and earlier this year claimed that Ukraine was “completely under US influence and control” and therefore “not an independent sovereign state.” did.
Sokolova said another key factor in Fico's party and Pellegrini's victory was Orbán's long arms. Hungarians living in Slovakia make up about 8 percent of the population and vote in both Slovak and Hungarian elections. They overwhelmingly vote for Mr. Orbán's Fidesz party and tend to chafe under the rule of Slovak nationalist politicians.
But Orbán believes an alliance with Slovakia's populist government, including the ultranationalist Slovak People's Party, has better payoffs than a rhetorical battle over past injustices. “Mr. Orban's mobilization of voters in southern Slovakia for Mr. Pellegrini through the media was absolutely decisive,” said Sokolova, a Hungarian living in southern Slovakia. “The turnout was [for Pellegrini] It was large scale [ethnic] Hungarian cityscape. ”
Mihokova said that ethnic animosities between Slovaks and Hungarians have largely disappeared, and other animosities have emerged. “Slovak nationalists and dictators realized that they could win more voters by exploiting Orbán's favorite targets of hatred, such as Brussels, the United States, and immigration, than traditional ethnic nationalism.” she said. foreign policy. “Slovak populists see Orbán and Fidesz Hungary as role models,” Mihoková said. And as for Orbán's transformation, “he needs a partner.”
Now that Slovakia has a populist president and government, he has another partner in his campaign to overturn the European Parliament and abandon Europe's defense of Ukraine.
