By: Gašper Blažič
Judging by the front pages and by the priorities of online coverage, yesterday’s quasi‑establishment of a “shadow government” under Robert Golob is also treated as a “first‑class topic” by the mainstream media.
One could say that the Slovenian press is practically celebrating some kind of new beginning. On the same day, information also surfaced that enough signatures had been collected for the referendum on the amendment to the parliamentary inquiry act. Given all the demagoguery and confusion, the question is whether people even know what they will actually be deciding on.
Meanwhile, the main media minimise or even censor the news about the NATO summit in Ankara. Prime Minister Janez Janša is also attending the meeting, and he noted that, due to the unfulfilled commitments of the previous government, he felt embarrassed to be there for the first time. Yesterday we already reported that, because of the Golob government’s “stringing‑along”, Slovenia ended up on the naughty bench. Slovenia will be the only NATO member this year to allocate less than two percent of its GDP to basic defence needs, according to estimates published yesterday by the alliance. “Not only is the country’s credibility within the alliance at risk, but above all our own security,” Janša wrote.
As is known, U.S. President Donald Trump is also attending the summit, and he is disappointed with the performance of NATO member states. Slovenia remains the most problematic. The previous Slovenian government apparently signed commitments, made big promises, and did nothing. Perhaps this is now the reason why they prefer to remain wisely silent about the NATO summit, while inviting Robert Golob to the TV programme Odmevi to explain the Slovenian “truth”.
It is clear that Prime Minister Janez Janša was quickly noticed by the U.S. president.
Reactions to Slovenia’s defence‑GDP share were very telling. “Does anyone really believe we are smarter than the other 31 members? Above all: why did they promise and sign, then lie to allies, and do nothing? Yet there was money for buying Litijska, old computers, strengthening left‑wing NGOs, and financing “research” on gender equality in sub‑Saharan Africa,” Janša wrote on X.
MP Andrej Poglajen also responded strongly, reacting to Robert Golob’s misleading statements in Odmevi. “Golob could only convince NATO of one thing, that he is a notorious liar. On 24 June 2025 he went to The Hague, and on 25 June 2025 he co‑signed, on behalf of Slovenia, a declaration obliging members to spend 5%. Since then, the U.S. administration has remained the same. The “king of the opposition” lies faster than one can say biscuit,” he wrote.
Golob claimed in Odmevi that NATO had no objections to Slovenia’s defence plan, that U.S. generals were supposedly enthusiastic about Slovenia’s doctrine, “but then the U.S. government changed, and now they only want to sell weapons”. So said the former prime minister.
And all this happened precisely on the 35th anniversary of Slovenia’s victory in the war for the defence of its independent state.
It is becoming obvious that Golob’s fumbling regarding NATO was primarily aimed at ensuring that NATO would eventually exclude Slovenia itself, allowing the transitional left to achieve its goal while washing its hands of responsibility.