Reporter says Janša distanced himself from far-right activists

Ljubljana – In its latest commentary, Reporter looks at far-right activists’ Twitter squabbles, after a leading member of the neo-Nazi group Yellow Jackets lamented being shunned on Twitter by PM Janez Janša and Žan Mahnič, the state secretary for national security who, according to Reporter, has friendly ties with the far-right group.

The leader of Yellow Jackets Urban Purgar took to Twitter to lament being shunned by Janša and his state secretary Žan Mahnič, even though Purgar had shown unwavering support for the current government.

Purgar’s group has been challenging the anti-government protesters and organising campaigns in support of Janša’s government since last year, and now both Janša and Mahnič branded them as “agents” of Damir Črnčec, the national security advisor to former PM Marjan Šarec.

Reporter says that the far-right Twitter sphere was infuriated, including Purgar, the editor of the “self-proclaimed National Press Agency”. His predecessor Aleš Ernecl shot himself in the knee by publicly boasting that he was the editor of a “fascist media outlet”.

“Both are branded in public as fascists or neo-Nazis, and although they both defended Janša’s government vigorously for more than a year and a half, he does not want to be associated with them any more.”

Reporter adds that “the Yellow Jackets and Purgar also received favourable treatment from several government ministers as a thank you for their support, and they have been given a lot of space in pro-Janša media outlets.”

“Although Janša now denies any links to the Yellow Jackets and tries to brand them as being planted by Damir Črnčec, it cannot be ignored that from the very beginning, the far-right group with neo-Nazi ties has strongly supported the government and the prime minister.”

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