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@wlaatje Alt text: REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA
PRIME MINISTER
Ljubljana, 18 March 2026
Dear Madam President,
With this letter, I aim to bring to your attention, and that of the Commission, alarming
information regarding what appears to constitute a grave instance of foreign information
manipulation and interference currently unfolding in the Republic of Slovenia. Recent media
reports informed the public of a private Israeli intelligence company Black Cube engaging in
"mercenary surveillance" as a part of a coordinated operation to manipulate the Slovenian
electoral processes by targeting political figures via illegal surveillance and so-called "smear"
operations. Such interference by a foreign private company poses a clear hybrid threat against
the European Union and its Member States, which negatively impacts or potentially threatens
our common values, procedures and political processes.
These media reports have been mostly confirmed by the Slovenian Intelligence and Security
Agency, which informed the National Security Council Secretariat, that the representatives of
the company Black Cube from Israel have visited Slovenia four times in the last six months.
Black Cube's operations follow a well-established set of tools and methods that the company
has already used in other countries. Individuals are recruited through fake profiles, typically
on the Linkedin network. Information is gathered by operatives using false identities. They
organize face-to-face meetings in public spaces, hotels, and restaurants abroad. As soon as
they have achieved their objective, the fake companies' websites are deleted and the phones
used for communication are deactivated. Identities of these operatives, that visited Slovenia,
were later confirmed by targeted individuals that were exposed as part of this illegal operation.
Black Cube is known for their smear campaigns with one goal: to undermine the trust of the
citizens in the democratic processes by releasing falsified corruption allegations at precisely
planned times, in this case, just before the general elections. These activities pose a threat to
national security and influence democratic elections.
H.E. Ms Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
Copy:
H.E. Mr António Costa, President of the European Council