In the no-confidence motion against Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon, the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) is accusing the Minister of abusing the diplomatic-consular network in favour of one candidate in the presidential elections. We have already reported that the government also failed to consult the President of the Republic before recalling the former Ambassador to the USA, Tone Kajzer, which means that the second paragraph of Article 17 of the Foreign Affairs Act, which regulates the recall procedure and which clearly states the requirement for prior consultation, has been violated. The recall procedure was, therefore, unlawful: the government acted unlawfully, and the President of the Republic signed an order on the basis of an unlawful procedure.
“We hold her responsible for the abuse of the diplomatic-consular network for the selective collection of voters’ signatures for one presidential candidate, thus creating inequality before the law,” said SDS MP Franc Breznik. The SDS party is accusing Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon of violating the Foreign Affairs Act by failing
to consult with President Borut Pahor on the recall of now-former Ambassador to the USA Tone Kajzer. As Breznik said, all this resulted in a loss of trust in the Foreign Minister.
The reason for the interpellation against Minister Fajon is the affair with the now-former Ambassador to the USA, Mr Kajzer, who was recalled by the government for violating the Foreign Affairs Act. Kajzer allegedly sent an unauthorised dispatch from the Ministry to the President of the SDS party Janez Janša, who then posted the screenshot on Twitter. When asked whether Kajzer admitted to the act, the Minister replied that although the Ambassador might not have recorded the dispatch and sent it, he allowed someone to use his computer and e-mail address. The dispatch referred to a request from the Ministry of the Interior that diplomatic missions and consular posts also prominently display the address to which voters can send their signatures in support of Nataša Pirc Musar’s candidacy for the presidency. Therefore, it is no surprise that Pirc Musar has made it to the second round of the presidential elections since she even received the support of political institutions.
The screenshot was actually a summary of the Ministry of the Interior’s message that had been circulating for weeks before in Ljubljana ministries, all Slovenian administrative units, and other public institutions – which was also pointed out by long-time diplomat Dr Dimitrij Rupel, who added, among other things, that it was not a real diplomatic dispatch and that the now-former Ambassador to Washington had not for a moment jeopardised the security of Slovenia’s dispatch system or diplomatic communication.
Breznik also said that Kajzer, whom he described as one of the best diplomats, had exposed the abuse of the dispatch system, thus effectively becoming a whistleblower. Kajzer, he said, had acted professionally but had been subjected to media and political pogrom as a result. Breznik said that Kajzer had committed minimal offences – if any, and the punishment was disproportionate.
This is the first no-confidence motion filed by the SDS party in this term. The second, against the Minister of the Interior Tatjana Bobnar, who is being accused of abuse of office, misleading the public and failing to fulfil her duties, will be decided by the National Assembly on Monday. A third one has been announced by the New Slovenia party (Nova Slovenija – NSi) against the Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko, because of the abolition of the Museum of Slovenian Independence.
Sara Bertoncelj
