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Slovenian PM Janez Janša • First gay pride parade in Maribor, Slovenia
Slovenia's prime minister Janez Janša, a rare EU ally of Hungary's right to outlaw the promotion or portrayal of homosexuality to children, has claimed that imposing "imaginary European values" on central Europe could lead to the union's collapse.
Janša,
who publicly backed Donald Trump in his attempt to overthrow the US presidential election result,
leads Slovenia as it takes the EU's rolling presidency, steering the bloc's agenda for the next six months. He is a deeply controversial figure, whose political career includes being jailed while battling for Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia and an overturned conviction for corruption.
The EU is facing daunting challenges as it seeks to rebuild out of a pandemic which badly damaged trust in its institutions, recalibrate its relationship with the US, prepare for the economic and political challenge posed by China and accustom itself to a starkly different relationship with its former member state, the United Kingdom. But speaking to a group of reporters from European newspapers, including the
Observer,
as Slovenia took over chairing the council by which member states help prioritise and form legislation, Janša drew on his experience of the Yugoslav federation when asked about the greatest risk to the EU.
Comment: It's rather curious that Biden didn't go from the usual playbook by immediately blaming Russia. One would have to assume that avoiding the tried and true methods would have to fit into their plans in some way. We'll have to keep our eyes on this one.
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