MP from the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), Žan Mahnič, addressed a written parliamentary question to the new government regarding the purchase of the 8×8 boxer armoured fighting vehicles. The planned purchase already caused quite a stir among the left-wing parties during the previous government’s term, as the leftists strongly opposed the purchase. The leader of the Left party (Levica) parliamentary group even said during the formation of the current government that “all three parties of the new government oppose the purchase of the 8×8 boxer armoured vehicles and also agree that we will use all legal means to cancel or eliminate this purchase.”
The SDS MP wanted to know whether the new government intends to realise its claims, when do they intend to cancel the purchase and what legal means they intend to use to do it. And in relation to this, he also wanted to know whether NATO had already been informed that the Republic of Slovenia would not form a battalion-size battlegroup, which it should do in accordance with the agreement and capability objectives. It should also be pointed out that Marjan Šarec recently said that they would try to change the concept of the Slovenian army. It is expected to become more like the “territorial defence.” He did not want to explain what exactly this
means. He only said that it would not be similar to the territorial defence we knew from the time when Slovenia gained its independence.
The opposition MP asked the question only a few days after speculation appeared in the media that a silent anti-NATO Coalition was being formed in the background of the forming of Robert Golob’s government. Several factors contributed to the speculation. First and foremost, the programme of the Left party, which is now part of the government, as it contains a clear intention to leave the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as the personnel moves of Robert Golob, who appointed Andrej Benedejčič as his secretary for National Security. Bojan Požar recently reported on him as a diplomat, and apparently, he is strongly in favour of the Russian federation. The speculations were further fuelled by the aforementioned intention to change the concept of the Slovenian Armed Forces.
Sara Kovač
