Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has written an open letter to Elon Musk, the head of the US Department of Government Efficiency, asking for full transparency regarding USAID funds going to Slovakia.
According to Fico, the USAID agency has provided millions of euros in subsidies and grants to progressive NGOs, media outlets and journalists in Slovakia.
“The information that the administration of the new American President is preparing to definitively abolish the USAID agency, which is intended for foreign aid, is of extraordinary importance for the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic,” the Slovak PM said on X on February 11.
In his letter, he congratulated tech billionaire Musk on his appointment and his decisions, adding: “The announced abolition of the USAID agency also affects the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic.
“It is undeniable that funds originating from USAID were also used for political purposes in Slovakia in order to distort the political system and favour specific political parties,” Fico wrote.
“In order to be able to separate useful and beneficial projects from gross interference in the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic, I consider it prudent to approach you with a request to provide information available on subsidies and grants provided to non-governmental organisations, media outlets and individual journalists who have operated and are operating in the Slovak Republic.
“It is clear from incomplete public sources, that the USAID agency has supported these entities with subsidies totalling several million USD over a relatively short period of time.”
Fico concluded by saying “the misuse of foreign funds” in Slovakia had caused a disadvantage in the political spectrum, something “so serious” he was ready to meet with Musk in person to talk about it and other projects beneficial to both Slovakia and the US.
Dear Friends,
The information that the administration of the new US President is preparing to permanently abolish the USAID agency, designated to deliver foreign aid is extremely serious for the internal affairs of the Slovak Republic. I have therefore contacted Mr @elonmusk, the… pic.twitter.com/tSr0dIBdww— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@sd_smer) February 11, 2025
Among the Slovak opposition, Fico’s letter writing exercise was slammed.
On Facebook, Michal Šimečka, chairman of the opposition movement Progressive Slovakia, said: “Robert Fico has completely lost touch with reality. Instead of governing, he is writing open letters, the latest one to Elon Musk.
“He flatters him and asks for information about grants received by media outlets or other organisations in Slovakia. It’s an incredible disgrace.
“Instead of Facebook correspondence, the prime minister should rather start fighting for Slovak industry,” Šimečka said.
“His favourite, Trump, is threatening a trade war that would hit Slovakia the hardest out of the entire EU. But that would require real work from Fico. Negotiations, strong alliances with other EU countries. And that’s beyond his capabilities.
“He’s not at the table, he’s not taken seriously, he’s threatening to pull us out of Europe, and so all he has left is a career as a YouTuber,” Šimečka concluded.
Fico-friendly media in Slovakia, on the other hand, spoke of how “through CIA structures and in co-operation with [US investor George] Soros’ network of so-called non-profits, USAID organised coups and imposed a perverse gender ideology, minority rule over the majority, mafia-style ‘green’ and energy policies that destroyed local self-sufficiency of all kinds, organised war conflicts, organised massive migration, broke up national cohesion and destroyed indigenous culture”.
EU members states, many of which have been highly vocal about foreign interference in European politics — many because of tweets by Musk— have not officially commented on the Fico-Musk issue.
The US government has been funnelling millions of dollars into student and professional media outlets across Europe, mainly in Eastern and Central Europe. https://t.co/eTS8Zkk1K4
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 10, 2025
USAID in the EU: this is not development assistance, it is ideological warfare