Bill allowing minority MPs to hold dual office enjoys bipartisan support

Ljubljana, 19 September - The parliamentary Commission for National Minorities endorsed in a bipartisan vote on Thursday amendments to the Act on Members of Parliament that would allow the two MPs representing the Italian and Hungarian minorities to also hold posts in umbrella minority organisations.

Incompatibility between the two posts has been a source of friction for years and just recently the Administrative Court ruled that Ferenc Horvath, who represents the Hungarian minority, held two incompatible posts when he was president of the Pomurje Hungarian Self-Governing Community, a post he held until January 2023.

The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has issued several opinions to that effect as well and opposes the bill.

Freedom Movement's Janja Sluga, the author of the bill, said this incompatibility was currently governed by two contradictory laws and the new bill will finally put things in order.

She said that neither the anti-graft commission nor the Administrative Court had provided any arguments as to why holding these two posts would be incompatible, while the Justice Ministry said in 2021 that the interests minority MPs pursue in parliament are identical to the interests they advocate in their self-governing communities.

As for warnings that carving out such an exemption would be discriminatory to other MPs, Sluga said that this constituted positive discrimination, which is in line with constitutional provisions giving minorities more rights.

The Pomurje Hungarian Self-Governing Community and the Coastal Italian Self-Governing Community disagree about the law. While the former supports a solution whereby MPs could be members but not presidents, the latter agrees with the bill.

All parties bar the Left endorsed the proposal.

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