Slovenia appoints new chief of Armed Forces

Brigadier-General Boštjan Močnik has been appointed by the government as the new chief of the general staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF).

Previously serving as force commander, the 51-year-old succeeds Lieutenant-General Robert Glavaš, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The 10th chief of the general staff since independence, Močnik is a career officer who has been with the SAF since 1998. Since 2023, he has headed the SAF Force Command, which is responsible for providing forces and exercising command over SAF commands and units in Slovenia and abroad.

Before his latest assignment, he served as commander of the 1st Brigade and held numerous other positions, including chief of the strategic planning section and chief of the capability development division at the SAF General Staff.

Holding a master's degree in defence studies, Močnik has received numerous awards and medals. He has also served in missions abroad, including in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Afghanistan.

His operational experience includes serving as reconnaissance company commander at the Multi-National Task Force North within the EUFOR ALTHEA mission in Bosnia in 2005; as commander, senior national representative, and senior advisor in Afghanistan; and, most recently, in 2015, as Slovenian contingent commander and deputy commander of Multinational Battle Group West in Kosovo Force.

Announcing the appointment on 11 December, Defence Minister Borut Sajovic said Močnik had "exceptional knowledge and experience at home and abroad." He believes Močnik will perform his new duties "for the good of greater security in the country."

The minister described Močnik as young yet mature, with strong theoretical grounding and substantial international experience. He said Močnik enjoys broad respect as force commander, demonstrates strong leadership skills, and is well positioned to connect with younger generations.

Explaining his choice, Sajovic said that during a period of modernisation, the focus must remain on force command, where processes have been successfully launched but need further upgrading. There is no better expert on these systems than the person who has been leading them, he added.

Sajovic expects Močnik to strengthen the connection between the military, politics, and civil society, to continue SAF modernisation, and to fill its ranks.

Challenges ahead

Jelena Juvan, head of defence studies at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences, believes Močnik is a very strong choice. "He understands the seriousness of the security situation and has the required authority," she said, describing him as trustworthy and not politically contentious. She also praised his work on transforming the force command.

Nevertheless, she noted that he will be stepping into large shoes. During Glavaš's tenure, Slovenia adopted, largely due to external factors, a number of strategic documents aimed at modernising the force, including a resolution mandating a gradual increase in defence spending by 2030.

The new chief will not only have to pursue the objectives set out in these documents, but also manoeuvre between the goals of politicians and experts, Juvan said. The foremost priority will be troop recruitment.

Močnik will also need to respond effectively to the constantly changing and unstable security environment and ensure that the force remains prepared, trained, and equipped for unforeseen situations, she added. This will require a healthy measure of authoritarianism, which she believes Močnik has demonstrated in the past.

Glavaš, who was appointed chief of the general staff in April 2020, is retiring.

President Nataša Pirc Musar, the commander-in-chief of the SAF, was consulted on the appointment and agreed to it.

Receiving Močnik just hours after his nomination was announced, she stressed the importance of ensuring that the SAF remains an effective force, which she said requires stable and responsive leadership in an era of significant security challenges.

The government expects the president to promote Močnik to the rank of major general before the end of the year.

The appointment comes just months before the next general election. When a new government takes office, army chiefs are typically among the first to be replaced, which means Močnik's term could be short if a different government comes to power.

However, the current government refrained from replacing Glavaš, who was appointed by a right-wing government, when it started its term in 2022.

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Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA