The Faculty of Economics of the University of Zagreb has confirmed that MP Branko Simonovič’s degree is authentic. At the end of last week, the MP already showed a certificate of completion of his degree, after journalist Eugenija Carl reported on the national public television that his higher education degree was controversial, or rather, that it supposedly does not even exist. The public RTV Slovenia did not believe his evidence; they wrote that they would check its credibility in Zagreb. The fact that Zagreb confirmed the existence of Simonovič’s degree was something they did not believe was worth mentioning.
Last week, the public television was publicly wondering whether the DeSUS MP Branko Simonovič is on the brink of a new affair, as according to the journalist Eugenia Carl, his bachelor’s degree from 43 years ago, which they claimed does not even exist, is not authentic – which turned out not to be true. Namely, the MP submitted his document as proof, and a photo of the degree also appeared on Twitter. However, he apparently did not provide the document to Carl, as the MMC web portal reported that Simonovič was once again asked to send a photocopy of the certificate of completion of studies and his dissertation. “Once we get them, we will also check whether or not they are authentic,” they wrote, refusing to admit that they were wrong in their accusations.
Yesterday, a letter from the Zagreb Faculty of Economics also appeared in public, confirming to Pro Plus that Simonovič’s degree, which was issued on the 14th of February 1979, is in fact authentic. MP completed his commercial studies programme at the Faculty of Foreign Trade, which offered the programme of the former Higher School of Foreign Trade. He later enrolled at the Faculty of Maribor, where the condition for enrolment was a higher education degree. Of course, the public television and its web portal are in no rush to report on this, and we should probably also not hold our breath while waiting for Carl to apologise to Simonovič.
Sara Bertoncelj
