Slovenia blocks ex-foreign minister from top EU job in domestic spat
The Slovenian government has blocked former foreign minister Tanja Fajon from taking a senior EU diplomatic post as special representative for the Sahel, with the role going to Danish diplomat Birgitte Nygaard Markussen. Fajon, a social democrat, was the front-runner but faced a sustained campaign against her by Slovenia's right-wing government led by Janez Janša. Foreign minister Tone Kajzer raised procedural concerns, leading EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to withdraw Fajon's candidacy. The move is seen as a power play by the European People's Party (EPP), the dominant EU political force. Slovenia's president Nataša Pirc Musar called it a major defeat for the country, while Fajon said Ljubljana lobbied against her and sought to discredit her personally. The controversy highlights tensions between domestic politics and EU appointments, with critics accusing the EPP of tolerating Janša's confrontational style.
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