81% of Slovaks back EU membership — so why is Fico trying to rewrite the 2003 accession vote?

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico recently claimed that Slovakia's 2003 EU accession referendum was rigged, suggesting adjustments were made to ensure a favorable outcome. He stated that without these alleged manipulations, the referendum would not have succeeded. However, the referendum was optional and held after Slovakia's EU membership was already legally binding. This raises questions about Fico's understanding of the referendum's purpose or suggests he may be spreading misinformation.