UK denies Fico's election meddling claim
Late Tuesday, the British Embassy in Slovakia issued a firm denial.
"Any claim that the United Kingdom sought to influence the outcome of the election or encourage people to vote for or against a particular political party is completely untrue,' Embassy's spokeswoman Monika Holečková told Slovak outlet Aktuality.sk.
'This activity was aimed at encouraging young people to participate in the democratic process in their countries by participating in elections, regardless of their political affiliation or support," Holečková added.
Earlier that day, Fico told a press conference that London had paid 'journalists, activists, and influencers' to sway public opinion against his party, Smer-SD, and in favour of the opposition party Progressive Slovakia in an election his party ultimately won. He cited an article published by the British investigative outlet Declassified UK on 16 July.
Without presenting further evidence, Fico spoke of a 'deliberate, intentional act by a foreign power with some journalists and political influencers' to influence the vote.
Slovakia's foreign ministry has summoned the British ambassador for a meeting on Wednesday. Fico warned that if the ambassador failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, he would write an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and personally contact other EU leaders. 'Our interest is not to escalate tensions, but to clarify the situation,' he said.
Author rejects Fico's version
The article in question alleges that UK-funded media agency Zinc Network Ltd paid influencers across Central and Eastern Europe to encourage young people to vote – a region it describes as a 'key battleground in the information war with Russia'.
Influencers were asked to post content approved by the British Foreign Office. But speaking to Denník N, Williams rejected claims that the UK influenced Slovak elections in favour of any specific political party.
'My investigation showed that influencers on social media were paid to post videos aimed at mobilising young voters ahead of the 2023 elections. It was not an explicit partisan campaign nor support for any particular party,' Williams said. He also dismissed Fico's claim that journalists were involved: 'As far as I know, no journalists were involved in this operation. Therefore, it would be wrong to accuse journalists in this case.'
Williams added that the campaign appeared to be a call for electoral participation and support for democracy.
(de)
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