Slovenia’s intelligence agency has confirmed the presence of foreign influences in the parliamentary election conducted over the past weekend, as reported by the government on Thursday. Following a meeting of the National Security Council, the government issued a statement indicating that the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA) had presented specific activities associated with a foreign para-intelligence agency, along with documented contacts with Slovenian entities.
The statement further elaborated that the evidence collected, both domestically and internationally, has been submitted to the relevant law enforcement authorities, including the prosecutor’s office and the police. The government refrained from disclosing the identity of the implicated foreign agency.
The recent election concluded without a definitive winner. With over 99% of votes counted, Prime Minister Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement obtained 29 seats in the 90-member assembly. The opposition right-wing populist Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of Janez Janša secured 28 seats.
During the electoral campaign, a parliamentary inquiry revealed a corruption scandal involving centre-right parties, while allegations of foreign interference attempts emerged.
The final report of a parliamentary inquiry presents serious allegations regarding the conservative parties SDS and New Slovenia – Christian Democrats (NSi). The inquiry suggests that these parties established a complex system to divert public and private funds into media and political structures affiliated with their interests during the governmental term of former Prime Minister Janez Janša from 2020 to 2022.
The 500-page report asserts that SDS and NSi employed a “sophisticated system of bypass financing.” This system purportedly involved state-owned enterprises, advertising contracts, private donations, and foreign investments.
Foreign interference attempts
Leaked recordings and covert videos have shaken Slovenia’s political landscape ahead of upcoming elections, raising allegations of corruption and concerns about foreign interference. Shared on social media and a new website, these materials reportedly feature conversations among former government officials and a prominent lawyer; those involved deny the claims, insisting the recordings were manipulated.
The high production quality and the recordings’ organised nature suggest a professional effort. In response, the government convened the National Security Council to assess potential national security implications and investigate foreign interference, particularly after reports of Janša’s meeting with officials from the Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube, which he confirmed while denying any wrongdoing. In response, Slovenian authorities have initiated an investigation.
Vojko Volk, Secretary of State for National and International Security, indicated last week that representatives from Black Cube visited Slovenia on four occasions in recent months, including one visit to Trstenjakova ulica 8 in Ljubljana, where the SDS party headquarters is situated.
Prime Minister Golob has urged the European Union to investigate these matters. Black Cube told the AP in an email that “Black Cube is an intelligence firm which provides services exclusively to clients engaged in business activities worldwide, supporting litigations, arbitrations and white-collar crime cases. Black Cube obtains legal advice in every jurisdiction in which it operates to ensure legality of its activities.” “Corruption is a phenomenon that harms economies and impedes legitimate business activity. Black Cube will continue uncovering fraud, corruption and asset dissipation in all its cases globally as it has consistently done in the past 15 years,“ the agency said.
Slovenia’s government acknowledged in a separate statement on March 20 that SOVA head Josko Kadivik provided a comprehensive account of events that transpired between 10 and 11 December 2025. This included material evidence linking three representatives of the private intelligence corporation Black Cube (Giora Eiland, Liron Tzur, and Dan Zorella) to a visit to Trstenjakova ulica 8 in Ljubljana, where the SDS party’s headquarters are located. Kadivik’s presentation also outlined findings regarding Black Cube’s activities in Slovenia and abroad, indicating counterintelligence operations against the Republic of Slovenia and foreign interference in Slovenian elections.
This article used information from The Associated Press.