By: Ž.N. (Nova24tv)
The Slovenian Democratic Party will now boycott meetings of the Speaker of the National Assembly. If she does not stop the alleged abuses of her position and violations of the National Assembly’s rules of procedure, they plan to submit a proposal for her dismissal.
“The actions prescribed by the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly have not been followed for some time. On the contrary, you trample on the provisions of the Rules, violate the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, and behave arrogantly, disrespectfully, and with hostility toward opposition MPs. As the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, you are merely first among equals, and your attitude toward MPs should not be discriminatory, offensive, or conditioned by which parliamentary group they belong to,” wrote the MPs of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).
The largest opposition party added that such abuse of the position of Speaker of the National Assembly is an unacceptable restriction on the work of MPs and limits the possibility for debate and participation in the legislative process. They claim her conduct casts a negative light on the entire National Assembly.
“For these reasons, SDS MPs will not participate in the meetings of the Speaker’s Collegium until Urška Klakočar Zupančič stops this behaviour, as SDS MPs do not wish to contribute to the legitimacy of this abuse of power and numerous procedural violations of the National Assembly’s Rules of Procedure. If she does not cease these actions, the SDS Parliamentary Group will propose her dismissal,” SDS further stated in a public announcement.
Urška Klakočar Zupančič has long been the subject of criticism from the opposition, especially for regular violations of parliamentary rules and introducing what they see as new, unorthodox parliamentary practices. SDS MP Andrej Hoivik recently spoke during an extraordinary session about the “threats” from the SDS Parliamentary Group, regarding her alleged interference in the Ministry of Culture’s activities. Meira Hot, the Vice-President of the coalition party Social Democrats (SD), told Delo that they would not support such a proposal, even if it were formally submitted.
The article also highlights that SDS would need 46 votes to pass the proposal for her dismissal, meaning they would require support from Nova Slovenija (NSi) as well as some MPs from coalition parties.
While some supporters of the ruling party see Klakočar Zupančič as a potential candidate to replace Robert Golob as Prime Minister, the opposition is highly critical of her role as Speaker. She has been accused of ignoring the Constitution, abusing the parliamentary rules, and misusing her position. Most recently, she was criticised for blocking the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into Slovenian energy companies, despite rules permitting it.
Klakočar Zupančič has also found herself in the disfavour of Prime Minister Robert Golob, particularly during the abrupt dismissal of Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko, who reportedly lost Golob’s trust. Golob was displeased with Klakočar Zupančič for abstaining from the vote on Šinko’s dismissal, which led to her departure from the vice-presidency of Gibanje Svoboda party. Although the public was told that her departure was her own decision, unofficial sources suggest it was a consequence of her actions during that vote.