
A fierce political debate has erupted in Slovenia, where President Nataša Pirc Musar is facing questions over the connections of her inner circle to individuals with suspected ties to Russia.
The issue took on a dimension after a car accident, where a Russian friend was also in the vehicle in which the president was traveling.
Slovenian media have reported on her ties to a former Slovenian intelligence officer who defected to Russia in the 1990s.
The developments have prompted a reaction in the Slovenian parliament. The parliamentary security committee has requested information from intelligence services to assess whether there is any potential Russian influence or threat in the president's circle.
Pirc Musar's travels to Russia have also been in the spotlight. According to media reports, she has visited Moscow and St. Petersburg several times, including a trip a few months before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The opposition SDS party has called for stronger measures, including reviewing the president's access to classified intelligence information, pending the completion of security checks.
On the other hand, the Slovenian intelligence and security service, SOVA, has stated that a previous verification of the person in question had not identified circumstances that posed a threat to security.