An MP of the ruling Freedom Movement party (Gibanje Svoboda), Miroslav Gregorič, is known to many as a nuclear expert and the former Director of the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration. However, before last year’s elections to the National Assembly, Gregorič had also decided to enter politics and joined the ruling Freedom Movement party in Parliament. So far, he has proven to be a pro-Russian politician, despite the more than clear and unanimous message from the European Union, of which Slovenia is a Member State, which has decided to come to the defence of the invaded Ukraine. Namely, he was one of the signatories of the shameful pamphlet of Kučan’s people against Ukraine, even though it is more than clear who is the victim and who is the aggressor here.
A letter signed by left-wing intellectuals, cultural figures and even athletes has recently been made public, which is more than obviously directed against Ukraine, which is being forced to defend its sovereignty because of Russian aggression. Namely, Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently decided that, after Crimea, especially in the light of the European Union’s excessive passivity, he can appropriate additional Ukrainian territories to his liking. It is sad, however, that Miroslav Gregorič, an MP from the ruling party, has signed the frightening letter, which Moscow must have been happy to see, as it calls for an end to the arming of Ukraine, which is grist to Russia’s mill.
Gregorič’s signature is undoubtedly worrying in light of his activities in the temple of democracy, as he is a member of the Committees on Defence and Foreign Policy in the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. Since he thus has access to confidential information, some people are raising the question of the danger that he might share this information elsewhere. If this were to happen, he could, as such, be a danger to Slovenia’s national security.
By signing his name, Gregorič has found himself among the crowd of Kučan’s co-conspirators who, under the pretext of the dire need for peace to be achieved quickly, legitimise Russian aggression, which puts Russia, as the aggressor, in an equivalent position to the victim. By refusing to supply Ukraine with weapons (including heavy weapons, which are essential for Ukrainian victory), they are, in effect, helping Russia, which, from the very beginning of the war, has been hoping that the European Union would not stand firmly and unitedly against this flagrant violation of international law. Since it is Russia that started the war, it is a fact that it is also the one that could end it today, if it wished to do so, of course. However, there seems to be no interest in doing so. Obviously, Kučan’s people want to curry favour with Russia so as not to offend Putin too much. They know to which side the left-wing pole is leaning when it comes to the direction of foreign policy. And if Putin were to start harbouring a grudge, frequent pilgrimages to Moscow and economic cooperation between our country and Russia would be made more difficult. And that would be a disaster for them.
Gregorič among the people who deny the Bucha crimes
It is also worth noting that last April, the MP of the Freedom Movement party shared scandalous tweets on the social network Twitter, questioning the Russian massacres in Bucha and not hiding his sympathy for Vladimir Putin’s invasion – which, of course, makes his participation in the above-mentioned group much less surprising.
However, the nuclear expert also seems to find it acceptable to insult the former President of the Republic, Borut Pahor, who has been considered a critic of Russian aggression and a supporter of the invaded Ukraine ever since the Russian aggression started. One of MP Gregorič’s followers seems to have been very bothered by Pahor posting a photograph of him in the company of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London. The Twitter user in question wrote: “Two rotten human beings.” What is certainly surprising, however, is Gregorič’s approval for a post on Twitter that is truly offensive. He also added: “I can’t believe it! Did he go to convince him to surrender to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague? For his role in the 2003 Iraq war?”
Mr Gregorič is all the more controversial because Robert Golob, President of the Freedom Movement party and Prime Minister, condemned the letter from prominent representatives of the left, while forgetting to mention that one of them was a member of his own party. We in the editorial office of Nova24TV asked for clarifications when the letter was published, but the party quickly went silent.
Sara Kovač