Slovenia's coalition rejects Israeli-linked election probe

Slovenia's right-wing majority has blocked an opposition bid to launch two commissions of parliamentary inquiry into alleged foreign election interference and illicit campaign financing.

Lawmakers voted down the agenda of an emergency session just 30 minutes after it began, preventing the automatic establishment of the probes as required under parliamentary rules, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Allegations of interference and funding bypasses

The inquiries, sponsored by the Freedom Movement, the Social Democrats (SD) and the Left, aimed to investigate activities surrounding the 22 March general election.

The primary probe sought to examine allegations that Black Cube, an Israeli private intelligence firm, interfered in the election at the behest of the now-ruling Democratic Party (SDS).

The opposition also sought to investigate funding networks that they suspect bypassed national rules on foreign political donations, a continuation of a similar inquiry conducted during the previous parliament that found serious violations.

Procedural manoeuvre cancels session

National Assembly President Zoran Stevanović adjourned the session after the SDS, the alliance led by New Slovenia (NSi), and Stevanović's party, Truth, voted 38 against the agenda. Four members of the coalition Democrats abstained.

The opposition fell short of passing the agenda with 34 votes, as several key leaders, including former Prime Minister Robert Golob, were absent.

Under parliamentary rules of procedure, inquiries requested by at least one-third of MPs are automatically confirmed without the need for a vote to prevent the majority from blocking minority oversight, but to do that the agenda needs to be confirmed first nonetheless.

"What we've witnessed today was nothing short of a trampling on democracy," said Asta Vrečko, deputy group leader for the Left. She warned that the majority could now use this procedural manoeuvre to shut down any such future requests.

Meira Hot, leader of the SD deputy group, called the situation "absurd" and noted that the parliament's rules of procedure had not foreseen an emergency session being blocked by voting down its own agenda.

Israel's role highlighted

Opposition leaders also pointed out that the vote was held on the day that Israeli Ambassador to Slovenia Ruth Cohen-Dar met senior parliamentary officials, including Stevanović. Freedom Movement deputy group leader Borut Sajovic questioned whether Slovenia remained a sovereign country in light of the day's events.

The opposition alleged that the majority blocked the session specifically to suppress evidence of international ties.

"We can see that they want to prevent any discussion about why foreign intelligence services were in Slovenia before the election, why they had been seen at Trstenjakova [the SDS headquarters], what their ties are to Israel, why they want to freeze the recognition of Palestine," Vrečko said.

"Is it really necessary to constantly bow to another country and possibly having to pay off debts? Because that's what this looks like."

The SDS declined to comment beyond saying that it was up to the opposition to supply the votes. The Democrats said the same, adding that their abstention followed internal coalition agreements.

The centre-left opposition have announced they will request a review by the parliamentary working body in charge of interpreting the rules of procedure, as well as a constitutional review if necessary.

They also plan to continue submitting requests for sessions "a hundred times if necessary," according to Sajovic.

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