Just a few days ahead of parliamentary elections in Slovenia, scheduled on June 3rd, Slovenian media published data on how Prime minister Viktor Orbán’s party Fidesz tried to influence voters in Slovenia. According to investigative journalists in several Slovenian and Hungarian media, Orbán is not only encouraging its Slovenian ‘sister party’ with xenophobic, nationalist slogans and hate speech – particularly against migrants – but also with a substantial financial injection into the SDS-controlled electronic and printed media. Although Slovenian law on political parties strictly prohibits financial help from abroad, Orbán has found a way to pump more than 2 million Euros into the media controlled by Janša´s party.
Guy Verhofstad, ALDE Group President commented:
“Orbán is trying to roll out his illiberal model to Slovenia and possibly other neighbouring countries. Thus undermining the rule of law in Europe. We call on Slovenian authorities to investigate these allegations thoroughly in order to ensure a fair and clean election campaign.”
Ivo Vajgl, MEP (DeSuS, Slovenia) added:
“If anybody in Slovenia is violating the law, be it a private citizen or a political party and its leader, there are many institutions who should react and draw consequences. Orbán and Janša clearly appear to be safely beyond the law. No doubt this is bad for Slovenia, bad for Europe, good for Orbán & Co.”
