Parliament Should Debate UK Election Interference Claims, Says Kery (2)

Bratislava, 13 August (TASR) – Members of the Slovak Parliament should debate in their plenary session the suspicions of British interference in the 2023 Slovak parliamentary elections, according to Marian Kery (Smer-SD), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Kery emphasised the importance of the issue and said he would consider whether the committee should also be convened. He made the statement to TASR in response to comments by House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice–SD). Following Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) call for the matter to be addressed in Parliament, Rasi stated that the Foreign Affairs Committee would be the most appropriate venue for such discussions. „I believe this issue should be addressed in Parliament in September, either as part of the regular session’s agenda or during a special emergency session. I consider it extremely important. If necessary, I am ready to convene the Foreign Affairs Committee, but I will take some time to think it through and consult. However, I think such a serious matter should be discussed first and foremost in the plenary session of Parliament," Kery told TASR. He also expressed regret that most Slovak media ignored the issue. „They either remained silent or tried to mock and downplay it,” he noted. Kery claimed that the issue of election interference was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the tender process for licences to operate emergency medical ambulance services. He reiterated the need for the topic to be addressed in Parliament. The Prime Minister stated that Parliament should investigate allegations that the United Kingdom attempted to influence the outcome of the Slovak parliamentary elections. He wants to determine whether a British campaign supported the opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS) and whether it led to a breach of campaign spending limits. The House Chair later told TASR that, given the foreign policy nature of the issue, the Foreign Affairs Committee would be the most suitable forum. He expects the committee to examine the matter thoroughly at its next meeting. Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka dismissed Fico’s statement as an attempt to divert attention from the ambulance tender scandal. Fico had raised the allegations at the end of July, claiming that the UK Foreign Office paid influencers via a media agency to sway the 2023 parliamentary elections against Smer-SD and in favour of Progressive Slovakia. He cited a report by the website marker.sk. The British Foreign Office has denied any attempt to influence the election outcome or promote any particular party. It stated that the initiative aimed to encourage young people to participate in democratic processes in their countries. mf/mcs