By: C. R.
Lojze Peterle decided to leave the NSi party due to significant differences with the current party leadership. He informed the NSi president, Matej Tonin, of his decision in a letter. As he stated to STA, he does not plan to re-enter politics by founding a new party, but he urges Christian Democrats to cooperate and work towards building a stronger Christian democracy.
In a statement to STA, Peterle emphasised that his decision to leave the NSi party had been maturing for quite some time, ultimately driven by significant differences with the current leadership and differing understandings of Christian democracy’s identity. “To summarise, there were differences in the understanding of ethics, morality, and politics with the current leadership,” he highlighted.
He added that he no longer feels at home in the party and does not see the “spirit that once convinced Slovenian voters to make SKD victorious”.
Peterle believes that NSi has the potential for far better results than the roughly seven percent achieved in the last elections. The party leadership had promised a breakthrough that never materialised, he stressed. In both relative and absolute terms, NSi lost 30 percent in the European elections, noted the former long-standing MEP, criticising the decision not to run on a joint list with SLS.
Peterle was also critical of party president Matej Tonin, who leads NSi from Brussels. According to Peterle, this does not contribute to the party’s growth, and he mentioned that he is not alone in this criticism. He is also concerned about the direction and image of NSi, noting that several members have left the party for these reasons. With his departure, he hopes to encourage the party to clarify its identity. “Above all, I hope not to see Christian Democrats divided across multiple parties and among abstainers,” he emphasised.
“I do not intend to establish a new party, but I would like to contribute to and call on Christian Democrats to come together, as divided, we will not appeal to anyone,” he stressed. He is willing to assist those who aim to build a stronger Christian democracy with a clear profile, values, and goals.
He also expressed concern over the polarisation in the political arena, describing it as “rooster shoving, as I call it, and new ones keep joining in, which does not fill me with high expectations,” he said.
Now 76 years old, Peterle, who left NSi on Monday, was one of the party’s most prominent founding members, a multi-term MEP, former foreign minister, and, in recent years, president of NSi’s Christian Democracy Club. He also served as the prime minister of the independence government, then as the leader of the Slovenian Christian Democrats (SKD). When asked about his future plans in politics, he mentioned that he has a busy schedule across Europe, giving lectures and “mentoring some young politicians in Europe,” adding that he has no shortage of work.