Janša's Political Revenge: Tanja Fajon Loses Top EU Diplomatic Post
The former Slovenian foreign minister lost her nomination for EU Special Representative for the Sahel. She accused the new government's domestic political calculations of destroying the country's reputation in Europe.
Former Slovenian diplomatic chief Tanja Fajon will not assume the role of European Union Special Representative for the Sahel region. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has officially withdrawn her nomination, a move that comes as a direct consequence of intense pressure from the new Slovenian government.
The shift in the political climate in Ljubljana, where Janez Janša took power with the support of the European People's Party (EPP), proved decisive for Fajon's European career. Janša himself recently stated that the issue surrounding her appointment was closed, after the new leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs challenged the legitimacy of her candidacy.
A Dangerous Precedent for European Diplomacy
Reacting to these developments, Fajon did not hide her disappointment. She emphasized that narrow partisan interests and daily politics have once again prevailed over strategic national and European goals. According to her, Slovenia missed an exceptional opportunity to have its own high-ranking representative at the top of European diplomacy.
"This is not the first time Slovenia has lost significant influence and, above all, reputation due to domestic political disputes," the former minister warned.
She believes that decisions on high-level personnel solutions in European institutions should be made exclusively based on the expertise, experience, and achieved results of the candidates. Yielding to political pressure from national governments, according to Fajon, represents an extremely dangerous precedent for the functioning of the Union.
She directed particularly harsh criticism at what she described as the personal discrediting she experienced from the new Slovenian political leadership in front of key figures in European capitals, assessing such behavior as completely unacceptable.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources reveal that Kaja Kallas has already found a replacement for the vacant position. Most likely, the new EU Special Representative for the Sahel will be Danish diplomat Birgitte Nygaard Markussen.
