By: Gašper Blažič
Will the story of the parliamentary investigative commission into Golob’s dealings turn into a story of a coup d’état? One thing is clear: the President of the National Assembly, Urška Klakočar Zupančič, has been instructed not to allow the establishment of such a commission – unless it would be led by someone from the Gibanje Svoboda party.
Before the summer parliamentary recess, such a commission had already been established, albeit for a very short time. To recap: when the regular path to establishing a commission investigating the dealings of Gen-I and Star Solar was blocked (due to NSi MPs refusing to sign the proposal), the decision was made by the National Council. According to the constitution, the National Assembly could not reject this decision. However, the leadership found a loophole, appointing a member of the largest governing party to head the commission, even though it was clear that this would mean the coalition overseeing itself. The position of chair was given to Tomaž Lah from Gibanje Svoboda, leading to a boycott by SDS MPs. Since Lah was also supposed to testify before the commission, he could no longer remain its chair, which rendered the commission illegitimate and potentially illegal.
When UKZ overrules the constitution
The opposition has not given up on the idea of forming a commission led by a member of one of the opposition parties. However, Klakočar Zupančič continues to insist that such a commission cannot be established. It is said that right before the end of the parliamentary holidays, she received orders to block the formation of such a commission at all costs – even if it meant violating the constitution. “The President of the National Assembly, who considers herself the foremost protector of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and the rule of law, continues to trample on the constitution and the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly. On August 21st, 2024, 30 MPs from the SDS and Nova Slovenija parliamentary groups submitted a request for an extraordinary session with the agenda item on the adoption of an act to establish an investigative commission. The UKZ informed us that until the proposers correct the material on the investigative commission, she will not convene the extraordinary session,” wrote the leader of the SDS parliamentary group, Jelka Godec, in the second half of August. The fact is that the transitional left is trying to prevent the establishment of this commission in two ways. First, by demanding a revision of the request for the establishment of the investigative commission, and second, by implementing an amendment to the Parliamentary Inquiry Act, which would subject the establishment of the investigative commission to review by the Constitutional Court if such a request were made. Additionally, the controversial Klakočar Zupančič has decided that she will not convene extraordinary sessions of the National Assembly – even if the constitution requires her to do so. This amounts to the suspension of the country’s constitutional order.
The Speaker of the National Assembly seeks excuses…
In its own way, it is interesting how the Speaker of the National Assembly, and thus the entire ruling elite, is also supported by the regime media, as Klakočar Zupančič appears as a guest on shows alone, where she can, without any remorse, repeat what is already known – that the Legislative and Legal Service of the National Assembly raised concerns about the request for a commission and the convening of an extraordinary session, stating that the matter needs to be specifically checked by the Constitutional Court to determine whether everything is truly in accordance with the rules (a decision on this would take a long time, and the final decision by the Constitutional Court would likely be favourable to the ruling coalition). The commission that would investigate Golob’s dealings is also considered problematic due to the unclear and vague definition of public interest related to what the investigation would be focused on. According to the UKZ, the request also interferes with the principle of the separation of powers and the responsibilities of other independent institutions, such as the Court of Audit of the Republic of Slovenia and the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption.
“Authorising such a parliamentary inquiry, which contains such irregularities, is unacceptable and would undermine legal security and create legal uncertainty in the country. As the first among equals, I am very aware that the rule of law first means limiting the holders of power in the country, which means that politics and all political institutions, such as parliamentary inquiries, must operate within the framework of the law,” explained the UKZ. However, the Speaker of the National Assembly also claims that such a commission has already been established, but its work is being blocked by the opposition, which allegedly is also trampling on the constitution and laws.
… and disqualifies
It is impossible to ignore the significant anxiety that is not only noticeable in the Speaker of the National Assembly but also throughout the coalition. For instance, we witnessed a particularly brutal outburst by the Minister of Culture, Asta Vrečko, at a press conference last Wednesday when she was asked about controversial hiring practices at “her” ministry, alongside rumours that the police had visited the minister – an event followed by an even more brutal outburst by the “radiator minister” (as critics call her) on the social media platform X. This nervousness has been present for a while and is becoming increasingly visible, suggesting a very tense autumn ahead. It illustrates the rule that “attack is the best defence”, which applies to Golob, his ministers, MPs, and, of course, the already mentioned controversial Speaker of the National Assembly. This becomes particularly evident when someone, especially SDS leader Janez Janša, points out the government’s unacceptable behaviour. For example, Janša wrote on X: “The constitution and legal principles dictate: 1. that a vote on the request for a consultative referendum must take place after 30 days; 2. that an extraordinary session of the National Assembly must be convened within 15 days if requested by a quarter of the MPs. No ifs or buts. Clear? Dear Madam Speaker of the National Assembly, you are in a deeply unconstitutional situation. #coup” He also announced a criminal complaint for the manipulation of the constitution. The UKZ responded by stating she is not afraid of the complaint and that the party should “use whatever legal remedies they believe they have available”. She also pointed out that filing a false complaint is a criminal offense. “The SDS leader has enough work with his own criminal charges, so let him deal with those,” she added. Personal disqualification of MPs seems to come naturally to her, but it is apparent that Žan Mahnič (SDS) is one of the few willing to speak up against her.
Kosovo forced into “under-the-table” energy trade?
What is really behind all of this? Many will recall the news from mid-August that “hero” of the cycling protests, Anis Ličina, was arrested in Kosovo. About ten days later, it became public that a special prosecutor filed charges against the former head of Kosovo’s energy company KEK, Nagip Krasniqi, who had been arrested shortly before. The accused is said to have strong ties to Martin Berishaj, with whom he reportedly met about a month before his arrest. Krasniqi is also allegedly responsible for skyrocketing electricity prices in Kosovo. Kosovo had already faced energy problems, even announcing potential reductions, similar to those seen in the former Yugoslavia in the early 1980s. The country is said to have financial difficulties due to importing electricity, which it can only produce in thermal power plants, but this is insufficient to meet demand. Consequently, Kosovo has imported electricity, and in previous years, it even parasitised the European power grid, causing concern across Europe, as it could have led to widespread blackouts. Much of this is connected to political disputes with Serbia, where tensions also arise over the sale, import, and consumption of electricity. Kosovo’s parasitism contributed to the point where some clocks in Europe began lagging due to a slight drop in grid frequency.
Interestingly, a similar type of parasitism, though on a much smaller scale, was detected in Slovenia in the Ribnica area concerning the Roma population, which allegedly lasted for ten years. However, the parasitism of an entire country on the European power grid is no joke, as unauthorised consumption greater than global production is a ticking time bomb that can have drastic consequences. Let’s not forget how, five years ago, electricity cuts crippled Venezuela, a country that had supposedly re-elected President Nicolás Maduro, an autocrat, to office. Such power cuts can have particularly deadly consequences in hospitals. Would you want a hospital to lose power during an emergency operation on a loved one?
Ličina just a Potemkin village?
Such circumstances naturally lead to manipulation in electricity trading. Therefore, it is not surprising that a connection between Slovenia and Kosovo has emerged in this regard. Krasniqi admitted that his consortium purchased electricity from Gen-I, and in return, he offered certain services. The details are not known, but according to the Kosovar media that first reported the arrest, the indictment states that Krasniqi abused his official position at KEK in connection with the Slovenian Holding of Power Plants (HSE) to facilitate energy trading in Kosovo. Janez Janša responded to the news by tweeting: “The recent arrests and raids in Kosovo’s power industry are apparently the result of findings from the investigation of the Berishaj – GEN-I – President Robert Golob case.” It seems likely that the key to understanding the largest ruling party’s opposition to the demands for establishing an investigative commission lies precisely in the unfortunate timing, as findings from an investigation in Kosovo could trigger a major international scandal. This raises the question of whether the “Ličina affair” was just a cover for an energy scandal involving Golob. Media coverage of Anis Ličina quickly disappeared, and the energy trading controversy in Kosovo has received very little media attention. This likely explains why Urška Klakočar Zupančič is obstructing the establishment of the investigative commission at all costs, as it would be led by a member of an opposition party.
One thing is clear: if the ruling elite are protecting their “public secrets” about energy deals so brutally that they are willing to shut down the opposition in the style of Putin’s regime, it opens a Pandora’s box that, once opened, could forever seal the fate of the entire transitional pseudo-left elite.
