Nationalist Premier’s Turn at EU Presidency Worries Lawmakers
- Janez Jansa sits through reprimands in European Parliament
- Speakers concerned Slovenian approach could derail bloc’s work
Janez Jansa speaks at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, on July 6.
Photographer: Christian Hartmann/AFP/Getty Images
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As Brussels gears up to dole out billions of euros of stimulus money, its lawmakers warned that an antagonistic stance from the country that just assumed the European Union’s rotating presidency could hamper the bloc’s work.
Slovenia’s nationalist prime minister, Janez Jansa, sat through a string of reprimands Tuesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg after presenting his program for the EU’s six-month presidency, which manages legislative priorities and sets the agenda. Members from various parties took him to task on issues including the rule of law, judicial independence and media freedom.