The political deadlock in Slovenia forced the European Commission to postpone the appointment of new commissioners, according to bne IntelliNews.
Slovenia’s parliament is struggling to finalise the nomination of Marta Kos for the position. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was forced to postpone the presentation of her new team to the European Parliament, originally scheduled for this week, due to the unresolved process in Slovenia.
Marta Kos was selected as Slovenia’s candidate for the post of European Commissioner on 9 September after Tomaž Vesel had withdrawn his candidacy. However, opposition parties criticised von der Leyen’s proposal to nominate a female candidate as “humiliating” for the Slovenian government.
Franc Breznik, chairman of the EU Affairs Committee and a member of the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), said he would call a meeting to consider Kos’s candidacy only if the government explained Vesel’s replacement by 12 September, according to local media.
Despite the oddities during the reappointment of the commissioner, the ruling coalition is pushing for an urgent meeting of the EU affairs committee to advance Kos’s candidacy. The coalition claimed that all the necessary materials had been submitted to parliament.
Breznik claimed that Vesel did not resign voluntarily but was pressurised to do so, pointing to a letter allegedly sent by von der Leyen to Prime Minister Robert Golob. However, the government maintained that the nomination was a direct result of Vesel’s resignation. However, it has yet to confirm whether it will publish von der Leyen’s letter, as Breznik has demanded.
According to parliamentary rules, a committee meeting must be convened within 14 days following the coalition’s request. However, due to unresolved issues and growing opposition, Kos’ path to becoming Slovenia’s EU commissioner remains uncertain.
