In April and May 2023, the trend of the previous quarters continued and the war in Ukraine was still a frequent topic in Slovak online space. However, domestic policy came to the forefront as a general topic.
Main Narratives in Slovakia
During April, the topic of Ukrainian grain strongly resonated in Slovak online spaces. Wheat imported from Ukraine was suspected to contain an excessive amount of pesticides, which immediately showed in a number of viral false and manipulative posts doubting the economic and military support to Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin due to the unauthorized abductions of Ukrainian children into Russia. According to a viral video, this warrant is invalid since neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the ICC.
The European Commission suing Hungary due to its law targeting the LGBTI+ population has caused a reaction not only amongst politicians, but also on the Badatel conspiracy website.
Over half of Slovaks accept the possibility of election fraud
The possibility of presidential election fraud in Slovakia and the Czech Republic is high, according to the opinion. As many as 19% of Slovaks described the claim of rigged elections as completely credible, 34% as rather credible.
For more information on narratives focused on politics, manipulations of allegedly fraudulent elections or surveys of satisfaction with the functioning of democracy in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, see the attached CEDMO study below.
CHCETE PODPORIŤ NAŠU PRÁCU? POMÔŽTE NÁM CEZ PATREON. MÔŽETE TAK UROBIŤ UŽ ZA €3
https://infosecurity.sk/podpora/
