Slovak Prime Minister Requests Information from Elon Musk on US Grants to NGOs and Media

Bratislava, Feb 11 (NationPress) The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, has made public a correspondence directed to Elon Musk, the head of the US Department of Government Efficiency, seeking information regarding US grants allocated to Slovak non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and media.

In the letter shared on social media on Monday, Fico voiced his worries about "the misuse of foreign funds in Slovakia to disadvantage part of the political spectrum," and expressed his hope of meeting Musk in person, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Fico remarked, "It's indisputable that USAID funds were utilized in Slovakia for political aims, intending to distort the political landscape and favor certain political factions," adding that "based on limited public sources, it is evident that USAID has granted these entities several million dollars in a relatively short timeframe."

To differentiate between constructive projects and what he termed as "blatant interference in Slovakia's internal affairs," the Slovak PM appealed to Musk to aid in acquiring information concerning the grants and funding disbursed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to NGOs, media outlets, and individual journalists in Slovakia.

Additionally, the Prime Minister would like to converse with Musk about other initiatives that could be mutually advantageous for Slovak-American relations.

USAID administers humanitarian, healthcare, and emergency programs across nearly 120 nations globally, operating with an annual budget approaching €43 billion.

USAID has come under scrutiny due to a government reduction initiative led by billionaire and Trump ally Musk since the Republican administration took office on January 20.

Fico, who leads the leftist-nationalist government in Slovakia, has consistently critiqued the pro-Western liberal opposition, NGOs, and media in his nation, alleging their collusion against Slovakia.

In January, US President Donald Trump enacted a decree that paused all foreign assistance provided by USAID for 90 days, later issuing several exceptions.

Fico has encountered peaceful demonstrations recently, with tens of thousands of individuals across Central Europe expressing concerns over perceived democratic backsliding and a shift in foreign policy towards Russia. He has accused protest organizers of attempting to orchestrate a coup without offering any supporting evidence.

His letter followed statements from his ally and neighbor, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, who mentioned on Friday that he would take measures to ensure that all aid funding from the US to NGOs and media critical of the government is disclosed, asserting that the time had come to "eliminate these foreign networks."

The global charity arm of the Roman Catholic Church sharply condemned Trump's cuts to US foreign aid on Monday, claiming that his plans to terminate funding for USAID will have a "catastrophic" impact on the developing world.