The purchase of Slovenian armored vehicles could disrupt coalition talks – EURACTIV.com
The purchase of the outgoing government of 45 Boxer armored commercial vehicles for 343 million euros could make it difficult for the alleged new prime minister to form a broad coalition.
The agreement will be signed before the end of the month, Defense Minister Matej Tonin said on Tuesday (April 26th) after the Constitutional Court rejected the last of several appeals against the agreement, organized by the Left.
The transaction includes 45 eight-wheeled vehicles with armaments, logistics services and project management costs. The price includes VAT, which is paid in Slovenia. One vehicle is scheduled for delivery in 2023, followed by nine in 2024 and most in 2025 and 2026.
The purchase is “essential for the formation of a key capability of the Slovenian Army, which has been delayed for a long time – a medium-sized battalion battle group … which Slovenia will contribute as a serious member of NATO,” the Defense Ministry said.
The ministry had previously been reluctant to comment on the price and said negotiations would not begin until an agreement in the form of a treaty with the Organization for Joint Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR) was ratified. But just hours after the Constitutional Court rejected the appeal, it announced the final price and the imminent signature.
The left has, in principle, long opposed higher defense spending and has struggled with teeth and nails for the past two years to ruin the deal. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two months before the election had little effect on its anti-NATO stance – perhaps one of the reasons for the poor election results.
Election winner Robert Golob and his Liberal Party reacted shyly to the announcement, saying only that the outgoing government should refrain from concluding such long-term defense agreements. But the left insists the deal must be stopped at all costs and that the outgoing government has no legitimacy to carry it out.
The Freedom Movement will begin coalition talks with the left in a few days. Some experts believe that the OCCAR agreement could be a major obstacle to talks.