Slovenia shamed on corruption by European watchdog

Greco noted that Slovenia's anti-corruption manpower had been reduced from 40 to 37 since the previous report in 2018.

Rules on lobbying by former government staff and politicians have not been strengthened.

The scope of asset declarations for ministers and state secretaries have not been widened to include family members.

And no plan to manage conflicts of interest has been proposed, amid other shortfalls.

"No tangible results have been achieved" to protect law enforcement from corruption, unfair promotions or dismissals of police and top officials, Greco said.

And "considerable progress is needed" to strengthen protection of whistle-blowers blowers, it added.

Slovenia was invited to update Greco on its progress by 30 April 2022.

Greco told EUobserver countries members a legal obligation to implement its recommendations.

Growing pressure

The report was published amid recent accusations of dirty tricks by Slovenian prime minister Janez Janša and his government.

On Tuesday, the Slovenian Administrative Court ruled against Janša's decision to annul the appointment of two Slovenian representatives to the EU's top court in Luxembourg.

Janša personally delayed and finally blocked the appointment of two Slovenian prosecutors - Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir - in May.

This prompted the resignation of justice minister Lilijana Kozlovič, who had selected the candidates.

The picture of the EU flagship country painted by Greco and the anti-Janša accusations is not a pretty one.

And the Slovenian leader is also dragging his heels on appointment of two representatives to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), a new organ for clawing back mis-spent EU funds, as previously reported by EUobserver.

Slovenia is the only member state that has not yet named prosecutors.

This creates a legal blind spot in Europe, resulting in an inability to prosecute cases connected to Slovenia, EPPO chief Laura Kövesi recently said.

Cabinet representatives of EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders told EUobserver he has expressed his concern in person and demanded explanations on multiple occasions since Slovenia took up the EU presidency in July.

Janša previously acted as the country's leader from 2004 and until 2008. And then again in 2012 and 2013.

He was ousted in a vote of no-confidence and was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison on corruption charges.

But the country's High Court ruling expired when the Constitutional Court ordered a retrial for procedural reasons.

"It remains a mystery to me how Janša is obstructing justice and getting away with it," German Green MEP Daniel Freund said on Slovenia's EPPO foot-dragging.