Slovenian Opposition Accuses Parliament Speaker of Violating Rules, Blocking Investigations

Slovenian opposition parties are accusing the Speaker of Parliament, Zoran Stevanović, of violating constitutional and procedural norms. Luka Mesec, president of the parliamentary committee on rules of procedure, has formally warned Stevanović about his conduct during an extraordinary session held on Tuesday.

The core of the dispute lies in the failure to vote on the agenda of the extraordinary session, which consequently blocked the establishment of parliamentary investigations into the 'Black Cube' affair and the issue of party financing. Mesec argues that this action undermines the constitutional right of at least a quarter of the deputies to request an extraordinary session and to initiate parliamentary inquiries into matters of public importance.

“

The interpretation of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly in a way that the constitutional right of MPs to request the convening of an extraordinary session of the National Assembly can be nullified by the coalition not adopting the agenda of such an extraordinary session means a violation of general constitutional and legal principles and a serious derogation of the constitutional powers of the National Assembly.

Mesec emphasized that the actual implementation of rights is not guaranteed by merely convening a session, but by its substantive execution. He questioned the appropriateness and legality of Stevanović's actions as the head of parliament, stating that such interpretations of the rules of procedure could lead to a severe derogation of the parliament's constitutional powers.

In response, the opposition, including the SDS and New Slovenia parties, has announced its intention to re-submit a request for an extraordinary session to establish the aforementioned parliamentary investigations. This move comes after a similar attempt in July, where 32 opposition deputies requested an investigation into energy deals, but the session was reportedly never convened by the then-Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič.

“

You are a representative of the National Assembly and should be the first among equals. However, with your actions and the way you conduct sessions of the National Assembly, questions about the appropriateness or even legality of your actions are increasingly arising.