Trouble in Slovenia

Slovenia’s Minister Stojmenova Duh resigns

Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh had come under pressure because she had used the blue light on a business trip to Austria without permission.

(Bild: Sun Fanyue Xinhua / Eyevine / picturedesk.com)

The Slovenian Minister for Digital Transformation has come under additional pressure ahead of a vote of no confidence on Friday. One of the reasons was an unauthorized blue light drive on the A2 freeway in Austria. Stojmenova Duh has now resigned. 

According to a report by TV station N1 on Wednesday, the minister used a blue light on her official vehicle without authorization during an official trip to Austria in the spring. Slovenian Digital Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh already faced further difficulties on Friday with a planned vote of no confidence. The Slovenian minister has now announced her resignation. 

Blue light due to long delay
According to N1, Stojmenova Duh or her driver illegally used the blue light of her official car so as not to miss her flight from Vienna-Schwechat to Geneva. 

Driver wanted to avoid traffic jam
Apparently, the Slovenian minister and her driver got caught in a traffic jam on the A2 highway near Hartberg (Styria). In an attempt to avoid it, the driver unlawfully activated the blue lights of the official car. According to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, this was a clear violation of the regulations. 

Prime Minister Robert Golob accepts the minister's resignation.

Apparently several violations by the minister
According to reports, however, this was not the only traffic violation that the driver is said to have committed on the journey to Vienna. The Slovenian minister's official vehicle was caught by a speed camera in Austria for speeding. The Austrian police then contacted the relevant Slovenian ministry to obtain information about the driver and the incident.

Instead of providing the requested information, the Slovenian Ministry for Digital Transformation sent a letter to its own embassy in Vienna. In the letter, the embassy was asked to intervene with the Austrian authorities and ask them to refrain from prosecuting or sanctioning the driver. The reason given was that the driver had been "forced to activate the blue lights so that the minister would not miss her flight."

Minister: there are "many untruths"
The minister's response also sparked further outrage. In it, the minister pointed the finger at the media and said that there were "many untruths" in the reporting. She pointed out that she herself had never asked drivers to switch on their blue lights, either at home or abroad, "so that's a lie". "The employees of the Ministry of Digital Transformation have always acted in accordance with the instructions of the competent authorities," added Minister Stojmenova Duh. 

N1, meanwhile, refers to accurate reporting based on "several official documents in the editorial office" and "the responses of the ministries".  

Opposition and coalition have doubts
Stojmenova's coalition, which had previously assured her of support in the vote, now also has doubts. 

Stojmenova Duh had to justify her controversial purchase of computers worth 6.5 million euros to parliament for the second time on Friday. Of 13,000 laptops intended for free loan to socially disadvantaged groups, only 3,000 are said to have been distributed so far.

The opposition accuses the minister of numerous irregularities in what it considers to be an uneconomical purchase, including a lack of transparency, breach of duty and damage to public funds. According to N1, Prime Minister Robert Golob accepted the minister's resignation.