Slovenia blocks ex-foreign minister from EU Sahel envoy role amid domestic political feud
The Slovenian government, led by Prime Minister Janez Janša, blocked former foreign minister Tanja Fajon from becoming the EU's special representative for the Sahel region. Fajon, a social democrat, was the front-runner but was denied the post after Slovenia's new foreign minister, Tone Kajzer, raised procedural objections and formally opposed her candidacy. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas then withdrew Fajon's nomination and approved the second-ranked candidate, Danish diplomat Birgitte Nygaard Markussen. The move is seen as a power play by the European People's Party (EPP), which supported Janša's right-wing government. Critics, including Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar and MEP Matjaž Nemec, called it a loss for Slovenia and questioned the EPP's commitment to democratic values. Fajon accused Ljubljana of lobbying against her and discrediting her personally. The incident follows Janša's earlier failed attempt to block Slovenia's EU commissioner nomination.
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