Slovenia’s new speaker of parliament announced the country’s withdrawal from NATO and called for the lifting of sanctions against Russia
16 April 09:38
Immediately after his election, the new Speaker of the Slovenian Parliament, Zoran Stevanović, announced plans to visit Moscow and hold a referendum on the country’s withdrawal from NATO.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Radio Prvi.
Trip to Moscow
On April 13, Radio Prvi published on Instagram a statement by the newly elected Speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia, Zoran Stevanović, regarding his intention to visit the Russian capital in the near future.
“I would like to build bridges and cooperate well with all countries, regardless of the wall that has been built between the West and the East. So I plan to visit Moscow in the near future,” said Stevanović.
Referendum on NATO
In addition to the trip to Moscow, the politician announced a referendum on Slovenia’s withdrawal from the Alliance.
“We promised the people a referendum on withdrawal from NATO, and we will hold this referendum,” Radio Prvi quoted him as saying.
Stevanović also advocates for the gradual lifting of anti-Russian sanctions.
Does the Slovenian Speaker hold pro-Russian views?
The politician himself denies accusations of pro-Russian views.
“I do not hold pro-Russian views, only pro-Slovenian ones. We maintain that Slovenia must conduct its policy independently and sovereignly,” the speaker emphasized.
He added that the country should cooperate with all nations in the world, especially the major ones. However, he noted that cooperation does not mean subordination.
“We will be absolutely opposed to interference in external military and diplomatic disputes,” he added.
The Russian State Duma has already reacted to Stevanović’s election, stating that it is “ready for constructive dialogue with colleagues from the National Assembly of Slovenia based on equality and mutual respect for national interests.”
Who is Stevanović
Stevanović’s election came as a surprise: Prime Minister Robert Golob’s “Freedom Movement” won the parliamentary elections, yet a representative of another party became speaker.
Stevanović leads the Resni.ca party, which the media characterizes as Euroskeptic.
As a reminder, Slovenia has been a NATO member since 2004 and has consistently supported a Euro-Atlantic course. It joined the Alliance during the largest round of expansion, along with six other countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia), following a referendum in which 66% of citizens supported accession.
At the same time, the referendum cemented the country’s course toward European integration.
