Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob has accused foreign intelligence services of meddling in Sunday’s election after reports emerged that Israeli spy firm Black Cube met with opposition leader Janez Jansa in December. The allegations have created a major political scandal just days before voters head to the polls.
Slovenia’s leader is pointing fingers at outside interference as the country prepares for a crucial election this Sunday, following explosive allegations about a secretive Israeli intelligence company’s activities in the European nation.
Prime Minister Robert Golob made strong accusations Tuesday about “foreign services” meddling in the upcoming vote after investigators claimed that operatives from Black Cube, a private Israeli spy organization, traveled to Slovenia in December for meetings with his main political rival.
The 8 March Institute, a group comprising journalists and activists, published findings suggesting that Black Cube executives, including company head Dan Zorella and consultant Giora Eiland, who previously led Israel’s National Security Council, held discussions with opposition figure Janez Jansa on December 22 in Ljubljana. Their conclusions stem from airline travel documentation and additional intelligence gathering.
Slovenia’s domestic intelligence service verified Monday that Black Cube personnel did enter the country during December, though they stopped short of confirming any meeting occurred with Jansa, whose conservative SDS party currently leads in polling data.
Neither Black Cube nor Jansa have provided responses to the allegations, with the opposition leader flatly rejecting claims of any such encounter.
The potential political implications extend far beyond Slovenia’s borders, particularly regarding Middle Eastern policy. If Jansa’s pro-Israel SDS party captures victory Sunday, it could dramatically shift the nation’s stance on Palestinian issues, contrasting sharply with Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement party, which has championed Palestinian causes.
During Golob’s tenure, Slovenia formally recognized Palestinian statehood and implemented restrictions last year preventing imports of products manufactured in Israeli-controlled Palestinian areas.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Golob expressed outrage over the situation: “The fact that … foreign services are interfering in the elections of a democratic member state of the European Union is something unheard of.”
During a televised confrontation between the two candidates Monday night, Golob characterized the matter as the “biggest scandal we have witnessed in Slovenia since independence.”
Jansa countered by suggesting that Golob was attempting to deflect attention from corruption within his own political circle.
Slovenia’s President Natasa Pirc Musar, who maintains political neutrality, has voiced serious concerns about the revelations.
“The extent of the activities of external actors has not yet been fully disclosed or explained, but the activities presented to date seriously undermine the democratic foundations of the Republic of Slovenia, regardless of who leads the government or who is in the opposition,” she stated.
Black Cube gained international notoriety in 2017 when it issued public apologies for conducting covert surveillance operations for Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who faced sexual misconduct allegations from more than 50 women. Weinstein has consistently denied all accusations of assault or non-consensual encounters.
LinkedIn reported in 2023 that Black Cube orchestrated a hidden camera operation targeting Hungarian journalists and activists before that nation’s 2022 elections.
The intelligence firm, which describes itself on its website as established in 2011 by former members of Israel’s elite spy agencies, previously stated it exclusively handles litigation matters and white-collar criminal cases while following all legal guidelines.
Borut Mekina, a reporter for Mladina weekly magazine who helped compile the investigation, emphasized the timing’s significance: “It’s important for the politics and the people that this was revealed before the election.”