Slovenian Foreign Ministry files criminal complaint against former minister Tanja Fajon over EU Sahel nomination

Tanja Fajon Barbara Žvokelj criminal complaint EU Sahel nomination Slovenia

Slovenia’s Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs submitted a criminal complaint to a specialised state prosecutor against former foreign minister Tanja Fajon and former ministry secretary Barbara Žvokelj. The indictment alleges that Žvokelj exceeded her authority by nominating Fajon as the EU’s special representative for the Sahel without any government decision, bypassing the cabinet personnel commission, the parliamentary committee and standard diplomatic procedures. According to the ministry, the nomination was transmitted solely by email between Fajon and Žvokelj, violating established institutional practice.

Opposition parties, including the Slovene Democratic Party (SD) and the Freedom Movement, describe the complaint as a politically‑motivated retaliation aimed at discrediting Fajon and protecting Prime Minister Janez Janša. They warn that using state institutions for personal revenge threatens democratic norms. Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob stressed that the Sahel post would be Slovenia’s highest diplomatic posting and that the complaint harms the country’s international reputation.

Entities: Barbara Žvokelj · Janez Janša · Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs (Slovenia) · Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia · Robert Golob · Tanja Fajon · Tonet Kajzer

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 8 SOURCES] The complaint also names former ministry secretary Barbara Žvokelj as a co‑defendant. (Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs)
[● 8 SOURCES] The Slovenian Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs filed a criminal complaint against former foreign minister Tanja Fajon. (Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs)
[● 6 SOURCES] The indictment alleges that Žvokelj exceeded her authority by nominating Fajon as EU Sahel representative without government approval. (Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs)
[● 3 SOURCES] Opposition parties claim the complaint is a politically motivated retaliation aimed at discrediting Fajon and protecting Prime Minister Janez Janša. (Slovene Democratic Party (SD) and Freedom Movement)
[● 6 SOURCES] The nomination process bypassed standard diplomatic channels and was conducted solely by email between Fajon and Žvokelj. (Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs)
[● 2 SOURCES] Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob warned that using state institutions for personal revenge threatens democratic norms and harms Slovenia’s international reputation. (Robert Golob)
[● 6 SOURCES] The nomination was not considered by the cabinet personnel commission, nor by the parliamentary committee. (Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs)
[● 2 SOURCES] Golob stated that the EU Sahel representative position would be Slovenia’s highest diplomatic posting. (Robert Golob)