2023-09-28 03:23:36
Slovenia’s SD leader Tanja Fajon expects the Slovakian parliamentary elections to have an impact on EU policy in the Ukraine war. “This change will certainly bring a kind of new dynamic to the European Union,” said the Foreign Minister in the APA interview, referring to the “pro-Russian” policies of the presumed election winner Róbert Fico. So far, with the exception of Hungary, there is “no political option that would have explicitly sided with the Russian aggressor.”
Fico’s “Smer” (Direction) belongs to the Party of European Social Democrats (PES), of which Fajon is deputy leader. “We are following with interest what is happening in Slovakia,” she said. Fico has repeatedly caused “polemics” within the European party family. “Now he is definitely causing this through his pro-Russian and anti-American stance in condemning the war in Ukraine,” said the former MEP. There have been discussions regarding suspending Fico several times in the past. If he forms a coalition with right-wing extremist parties following the election, there will be “very serious discussions” within the PES, announced the leader of the Slovenian Social Democrats (SD).
The Foreign Minister admitted that the population’s “discontent” was growing when it came to Ukraine because the Russia sanctions would also affect the European economy. “The longer the war lasts, the more skepticism grows as to whether we will do enough to ensure that peace negotiations begin,” she said. Slovenia continues to support Ukraine with humanitarian, material and military assistance; the goal remains the restoration of the country’s territorial integrity. It is important to achieve a lasting and just peace, said Fajon, with a view to the Western Balkans, where there is still great instability following the wars of the 1990s.
In this context, Fajon reiterated her call for an acceleration of the EU enlargement process. In view of the years of delays, the skepticism of the Western Balkan states towards European politics is “understandable”, she said in response to a question regarding the rather low enthusiasm for reform in the region compared to Ukraine. With a view to the enlargement target date of 2030 recently announced by EU Council President Charles Michel, Fajon currently sees “perhaps the last chance for the Western Balkans to support this timetable and commit to reforms.”
In any case, there is a new “awareness within the EU that we have to join forces,” reported Fajon. This also applies to the attitude towards Türkiye, a long-time candidate for membership. The European ministers only recently spoke regarding resuming accession negotiations with the country, “and there was practically no state that said no to this process.”
Fajon sharply criticized the failure of European states in migration policy. “As a former MEP, I have to point the finger at the European governments,” she said. The European Parliament passed a number of laws years ago that would have improved the Dublin system, for example, but the matter got stuck in the European Council. The reason for the blockades is the “mistrust” between the states and the instrumentalization of the issue, particularly by right-wing parties. When asked whether a failure of the migration and asylum package decided by the EU interior ministers would not benefit the right-wing populist parties in the European elections, Fajon replied in the affirmative. “But the right-wing parties that benefit from this will also have to address the issue of migration, because this issue will not disappear from the agenda. And then it will be interesting to see how they approach it.”
Fajon admitted that the migration figures in Slovenia are currently “worrying” and signaled a move away from the previous policy of open borders to new Schengen member Croatia. In light of the recent announcements by Germany, but also Italy and Austria regarding border closures, “we will also have to seriously think regarding what we do with the border with Croatia.” What is important, however, is that Croatia should be better helped to protect its external borders. In this regard, Fajon also reiterated her criticism of the Austrian border controls with her country that have been in place for eight years.
With a view to the upcoming replacement of top EU jobs next year, the Slovenian called for greater consideration of the new EU members. After the 2019 European elections, none of the four top positions (President of the Commission, Council and Parliament as well as EU Foreign Affairs Representative) went to anyone from the states that joined following 2004. “The last time this part of Europe was forgotten, perhaps because of the egoism in the migration crisis,” she criticized. This should no longer happen this time and, in addition to the political election results, geographical and gender balance must also be ensured.
“I don’t see that the discussions are moving in the direction of leading candidates this time, neither on one side nor on the other,” said Fajon when asked who might become the standard-bearer of the EU Social Democrats in the European elections at the beginning of June. But the question has not yet been completely decided, she referred to the electoral congress of the second largest EU party family in November in Málaga, where Fajon would also like to get to know the new SPÖ leader Andreas Babler personally. In any case, there are many potentially good top candidates within the party family, such as the former EU MP, Parliament Speaker, Prime Minister and President Borut Pahor. “Why shouldn’t there even be a top candidate from Slovenia?” asked Fajon rhetorically.
Fajon praised the cooperation of the Central Eastern European states in the C5 group (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia). “We strengthen trust through such meetings alone,” emphasized the Slovenian Foreign Minister, who would like to host the C5 meeting next year. It is also possible to transfer the format to the head of government level “if an important issue really needs to be solved for all of these countries.”
Slovenia is also closely following domestic political developments in Austria following the FPÖ has increasingly attacked Slovenes in Carinthia, most recently as part of a move in the Vienna city council to stop city funding for the Club of Slovenian Students in Vienna (KSŠŠD). Slovenia also lodged an official diplomatic protest because of an anti-Slovenian posting by the FPÖ youth in the Carinthian state election campaign. Fajon “does not want to comment” on the fact that the investigations once morest the FPÖ youth were stopped by the Klagenfurt public prosecutor’s office. However, the posting was “inadmissible” and “unacceptable” and there were apologies from, for example, the Carinthian Governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ) and the FPÖ leadership distancing themselves. “I hope that this was a sufficient lesson so that such things do not happen once more,” said the Slovenian Foreign Minister. In general, she stated: “It is time for Austria to fully comply with Article 7 of the State Treaty (which contains the rights of the Slovenian ethnic group in Austria, note).”
When asked how Slovenia would react to an FPÖ-led federal government, Fajon said she “did not want to prejudge” the election outcome. “But if there is a sharp action once morest the members of the Slovenian ethnic group, we will certainly react accordingly,” she emphasized. “Of course we hope that there will be a political majority in the election that supports European values such as solidarity, democracy and the rule of law,” she added. The world is already very polarized and characterized by many armed conflicts, “and any further escalation of relations and tensions in our region would further threaten the well-being of our people.”
As a non-permanent UN Security Council member, Slovenia wants to focus primarily on nuclear safety from January, Fajon announced. In this regard, she recently held discussions with the head of the UN nuclear agency IAEA, Rafael Grossi. Specifically, the question is whether the Geneva Convention is sufficient to protect nuclear facilities in war zones such as the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant or whether further UN resolutions are needed. Regarding the crisis in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Fajon said that Slovenia supports the efforts of the current chairman country, North Macedonia, in this regard. The chief diplomat confirmed that Slovenia supports Estonia’s OSCE chairmanship candidacy – which was blocked by Russia. However, one would also support an Austrian chairmanship if the working group currently meeting under the North Macedonian chairmanship decides this.
(The interview was conducted by Stefan Vospernik/APA)
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