Influencer joins foreign minister’s trip, with his flights paid. His exact role is unclear

The 25-year-old content creator has built a large online following, largely through soft-soap interviews with politicians.

Oskar Barami, a Slovak influencer known for interviewing politicians on his online show, The Oski Show, is accompanying Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár on an official trip to Kenya and Tanzania. His presence has drawn criticism from opposition politicians who question his role and impartiality.

Barami, 25, has more than 240,000 followers on Instagram – a significant number by Slovak standards – and millions of views across social media platforms. Originally known for short videos on TikTok, he has increasingly focused on political interviews. His guests have included Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, opposition leader Michal Šimečka, former president Andrej Kiska, and other prominent Slovak politicians.

Critics argue that Barami gives politicians a platform without challenging them with critical questions. Questions about his journalistic practices resurfaced after opposition MP Vladimíra Marcinková (SaS) revealed that an interview she recorded with Barami more than two months ago was never published.

According to Marcinková, the interview was arranged after she criticised Barami for receiving access to restricted areas of parliament and for travelling with government officials on official trips using government jets.