The Prime Minister of Slovenia, Janez Janša, posted on a social media platform, listing ten instances he claims demonstrate that the European Union and certain member states are engaging in actions undermining democracy, arguing that the EU no longer resembles what it was when Slovenia joined in 2004.
Among his examples are the annulment of Romania’s 2024 presidential election, in which the first-round leader, Georgeescu, had his results overturned by the Constitutional Court on grounds of irregularities and alleged Russian interference. The post also cites a TikTok report indicating that Bucharest had requested suppression of content supporting Georgeescu, while the EU applied pressure through the Digital Services Act.
Janša further alleges EU involvement in elections in Hungary and Bulgaria. After Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party returned to power in Hungary, state-owned M1 television and Kossuth Radio suspended news broadcasts, and editorial staff were purged. Three former ministers close to Orbán were subsequently arrested on corruption charges.
Janša also referenced his own legal history: he served five months in prison in 2014 after being convicted of bribery, but the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 2015, which he described as politically motivated.
He criticized Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and former Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar for purging public media upon taking office. He condemned the Spanish government under Pedro Sánchez for granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants, resulting in over 900,000 applications for legal status, as well as increased migration flows into Ceuta from Morocco. He also criticized Germany’s phase-out of nuclear energy, the EU’s simultaneous closure of nuclear plants and imposition of carbon taxes, and the relocation of industrial production to countries with lower environmental standards.
Yet Janša himself is not without controversy. In December of the previous year, reports emerged that he met with executives from Israel-based private intelligence firm Black Cube. Three months later, a secretly recorded conversation surfaced, damaging the political position of his rival, Miroslav Golob. The Slovenian intelligence agency SOVA stated that Black Cube likely released the video deliberately to influence the election outcome, suggesting it was probably commissioned internally—but did not name Janša directly.
Since assuming office, Janša has lifted restrictions on Israeli arms exports, removed import barriers on goods from Israeli settlements, frozen recognition of a Palestinian state, and asserted that there is no genocide occurring in Gaza. The article notes that the EU has declined to investigate such interventions.
The issues Janša raised—Romania’s cancelled election, Hungary’s media purges, Spain’s immigration amnesty, and EU environmental policies—are all substantively contested points. More critically, Janša is not an impartial observer. He carries a criminal conviction for corruption, albeit one later overturned, and his meetings with Black Cube coincided closely with the emergence of a damaging recording targeting his political opponents.
While SOVA concluded that the operation was “highly likely” internally orchestrated, it did not explicitly implicate Janša. This absence of direct attribution prevents formal charges, but it nonetheless undermines his self-portrayal as a defender of democratic integrity. His swift policy shift toward Israel following his rise to power further raises questions about whether his stance serves domestic political maneuvering rather than principled governance.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880796304633988/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.