Minority MPs allowed to hold dual office

The changes were backed by the ruling Freedom Movement, and the opposition Democrats, while the coalition Left and opposition New Slovenia (NSi) voted against, and the coalition Social Democrats (SD) abstained.

Incompatibility between the two posts has been a source of friction for years and the Administrative Court has 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.

Janja Sloga from the Freedom Movement said that the proposed amendments were introducing positive discrimination, because members of minorities have dual voting rights. "I strongly believe the legislature never intended to strip members of the minority of the rights they have under the Constitution," she said.

She added that the parliamentary legal service believes these rights do not rule each other out but complement and upgrade each other. A conflict of interest occurs when a person holds two or more conflicting posts, while minority representatives pursue the same interests in parliament and in the local communities, she said.

The two minority MPs backed the amendments, which could not be passed without their consent. "This is about connecting the interests within the minority communities on a vertical level," MP representing the Italian minority Felice Žiža said.

The SDS too backed the amendments with MP Alenka Jeraj pointing to the special legal protection of members of the Italian and Hungarian minorities that guarantees them special rights to protect their minority identity.

She noted that the parliamentary Commission for National Minorities had endorsed an amendment under which a member of the Italian or Hungarian minority elected to parliament on a party or voters' list may also serve as a member of the self-governing community council but not as its president or vice president.

The Left voted against the amendments, arguing that "such manoeuvres may open the Pandora's Box regarding holding dual office". "We're talking about thousands of interests that have emerged and will emerge in the future," said MP Milan Jakopovič.

The Left thinks the legislation on integrity and corruption prevention needs many changes "but we must take the time for this and deal with it in a systemic law", he said.

Bojana Muršič from the SD said that the ban on dual office gives the "necessary impression of neutrality and independence". She pointed to the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption opposing the changes. She too called for a systemic law.

The NSi did not explain its view but it voted against the changes.