MEP Ľuboš Blaha of the ruling Smer party. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
Ľuboš Blaha, a polarising Smer MEP previously banned from Facebook for spreading hate speech and Covid-19 disinformation, has returned to the platform after being permitted to open a new account.
His comeback, which he described as a “small victory for freedom of speech in Slovakia and around the world”, was announced in a typically combative video. Blaha mocked his critics, saying the “liberal café” (liberálna kaviareň) — a derisive term often used by nationalists, populists and conspiracy theorists to belittle pro-Western intellectuals and liberals — would “burst with anger”.
His previous account, which attracted 174,000 followers, was permanently removed by Facebook owner Meta in 2022 for repeatedly breaching rules on hate speech, bullying and disinformation.
Blaha’s return, which he attributes to Meta’s relaxed moderation policies following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, was reportedly aided by Smer MEP Erik Kaliňák, a senior adviser to Slovakia’s prime minister, and David Lindtner, a Smer party lawyer who faces corruption charges.
Blaha, notorious for inflammatory rhetoric, previously urged supporters to target politicians and scientists he labelled “traitors”, prompting protests outside their homes. A Slovak court also ordered him to stop spreading false and defamatory claims against the country’s former president, Zuzana Čaputová.
While he has hinted that he may soften his language to avoid further sanctions — and expects critics to report his posts — Blaha’s return marks a new chapter in his confrontational online presence. Within hours, his new page had already attracted several thousand followers.
“Times have changed. The era of progressive totalitarianism is gradually coming to an end,” Blaha said, adding: “We still live in dark times and must continue to fight for freedom.”
Yet despite his return, Blaha insists Telegram remains his primary platform, which he describes as “the actual island of freedom”.
