By: C. R.
The mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković, responded today to a question about whether he plans to run for president in the next elections in Serbia by saying that he is not considering it. He reiterated that he will remain mayor until the end of his term, adding that he will announce his decision on whether he will run again on May 9th next year.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Sunday evening, during the presentation of the new Serbian prime minister-designate, that he had also discussed the role of the prime minister with Zoran Janković and added that he would like for Janković to be “the boss one day, and I would help him.” Janković reiterated today that he stands firmly by his earlier statement that he had no idea what Vučić was going to say at Sunday’s press conference. “Why Vučić said that – you will have to ask him,” said the Ljubljana mayor at a press briefing. He repeated that he interpreted Vučić’s words as a sign of respect for his work, and did not see anything negative in the statement.
Asked whether he would run in the 2027 Serbian presidential election, he responded that he was not considering it, and repeated: “At this moment, I only see one location from Rudnik – and that’s Žale.” (Žale is Ljubljana’s central cemetery.)
He did not clearly answer repeated questions about whether he had discussed this possibility with Vučić or anyone else. He confirmed that he had spoken to Vučić by phone after Sunday’s press conference. Janković also said that he does not hold Serbian citizenship, but could acquire it, as he was born in Serbia.
He reiterated that he had dinner with Vučić on Wednesday, and that they spoke only about ensuring peace and stability in the Balkans. “We are friends, and as a friend, I also wrote him that letter of support – a personal letter,” he said. However, some media have accused Janković of being disingenuous, implying that letters of support for Vučić had come from various countries, when in reality they were merely routine congratulatory notes for Serbia’s national holiday.
When asked why the letter bore the official letterhead of the City of Ljubljana, he said he would forward the decision of the Information Commissioner to the media.
He explained that, after a media outlet reported him to the Information Commissioner over the letter, he received a decision today confirming that it was not an official communication.
“I emphasise again that I will not hand over the letter, because it is my personal letter and is not recorded in our system,” he stated in response to the request from the Levica city council group, who asked to see the letter of support for Vučić. He did announce, however, that Levica would be given access in June to data about his official travels abroad.
Janković also addressed questions regarding his connections with businesspeople from Serbia and Republika Srpska. “Anyone who comes and brings added value to Ljubljana is welcome,” he said.
If anyone has evidence that these people are criminals or tied to the underworld, they should notify the relevant authorities, he added. He also stressed that no one would tell him who he could or could not associate with, and that his door was always open.
After the press conference, Pirate Party city councillor Jasmin Feratović issued a statement pointing out the mayor’s evasive answers. He noted that Janković responded to questions mostly with personal explanations, framing them as friendships or peacekeeping efforts.
Such rhetoric does not contribute to transparency, especially when it concerns relationships with leaders such as Vučić and Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, whose policies contribute to the destabilisation of the Western Balkans, Feratović warned. Instead of maintaining a critical distance from regimes that obstruct democratic processes, the mayor sustains close personal and business ties – which raises many questions about the interests driving city politics, he added.
It is worth recalling that Janković already missed his chance to become Slovenian prime minister – after the 2011 elections, when his Positive Slovenia party won under suspicious circumstances. Coalition negotiations eventually collapsed, and other parties formed a government led by Janez Janša, until the infamous “Klemenčič” affair, which triggered the so-called “virantovanje” (political defection), bringing Alenka Bratušek to power. Although she later broke ties with Janković, she is now part of the Gibanje Svoboda party, where Janković remains an influential behind-the-scenes power broker – some even say more powerful than current PM Robert Golob.
Rumors that Janković might move into Serbian politics have circulated for several years. Yet the mainstream media appear to treat this kind of dual manoeuvring as completely normal – not questioning it at all. So – Slovenian prime minister today, Serbian tomorrow, and both the day after?
