Just two weeks after taking office (in June 2022), the Robert Golob-led coalition started to take over the levers of power in the economic sector. At the time, the government also proposed to the National Assembly to dismiss two members of the Supervisory Board of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (Slovenski državni holding – SDH), including Dr Leon Cizelj. However, it recently became clear that the latter was illegally dismissed.
SDH is the Slovenian Sovereign Holding, which oversees around 10 billion euros of state assets. However, right after taking office, Golob’s coalition (the Freedom Movement party – Gibanje Svoboda, the Social Democrats – SD, and the Left – Levica) took full control of this holding (and consequently of state-owned companies) by immediately replacing the members of the Supervisory Board.
Dr Leon Cizelj, a well-known nuclear physicist and head of the Reactor Engineering Department at the Jožef Stefan Institute, was dismissed by the National Assembly in June 2022. Cizelj then decided to take legal action, as there were no grounds for his replacement – the coalition’s decision was political, and the court’s decision came in the last few days.
The Administrative Court has now ruled that the decision of the National Assembly of the 22nd of June 2022 was illegal. No appeal against the ruling is allowed.
The Golob coalition, with the generous assistance of Urška Klakočar Zupančič, the Speaker of the National Assembly, thus illegally dismissed Dr Leon Cizelj.
The damage is irreparable
Cizelj’s lawyer, Franci Matoz, told the newspaper Delo on Monday: “I am satisfied with the court’s decision, because it has been proven that the conduct of the Ministry of Finance and the government, which prepared the proposal for the dismissal of Dr Cizelj for the National Assembly, was unlawful! As a consequence of such illegal conduct, my client and I will be seeking compensation. Unfortunately, the court’s decision has come so late that Dr Cizelj cannot be reinstated as Supervisor of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding.” The amount of the compensation claim will be agreed with Cizelj, Matoz added.
The newspaper Delo reported on this on Tuesday and also published the judgement. Meanwhile, the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) MP Andrej Hoivik responded to this on X by asking Urška Klakočar Zupančič whether she intends to resign.
Moja Dolenjska
