Foreign Ministry files criminal complaint against Tanja Fajon and Bojana Žvokelj

Slovenia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has lodged a criminal complaint against former Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and former Secretary-General Bojana Žvokelj. The complaint centers on alleged serious breaches of law during the nomination process for Fajon's potential role as the EU's special envoy for the Sahel region.

According to reports, the current leadership at the ministry is largely relying on a legal opinion from the government's legislative service. This opinion reportedly concluded that former Secretary-General Žvokelj lacked the authority to formally nominate her superior for the EU position without government approval. The ministry emphasizes that the government is the sole body authorized to represent the state and handle personnel matters, and this candidacy was never officially decided upon by the government.

Furthermore, the nomination was not reviewed by the government's committee on personnel and administrative affairs, nor was the relevant parliamentary committee informed, despite being operational at the time. The process and communication regarding the candidacy allegedly occurred directly between Fajon and Žvokelj via email, bypassing standard diplomatic channels and Slovenian diplomatic missions abroad. The ministry asserts this deviation from established practice is significant.

The complaint reportedly highlights the content of the nomination letter, signed by Žvokelj, which referred to Fajon as "acting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs." The ministry argues that Žvokelj effectively executed the formal act of nominating a candidate on behalf of the state, exceeding her official powers. The complaint further alleges that both women deprived the ministry and the government of a lawful, transparent, and institutionally correct candidate selection process, violating fundamental principles of the rule of law, despite allegedly knowing they lacked the authority and that the procedure was inconsistent with established practice and Slovenian law.

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It is my honor to nominate the acting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon.