Katja Kokot responded to the events surrounding Boris Mijic: "I know what it's like to be falsely accused"

Katja Kokot, leader of the parliamentary group of the Resni.ca party, has accused political opponents of engaging in what she calls "dirty politics." In an interview with journalists from Siol, Kokot revealed that she had received hints, messages, videos, and even instructions given to certain journalists on how to write about her party, how to daily discredit them, and which issues to highlight regarding them. She described this as a corrupt aspect of politics that would not exist if her party had supported another side during coalition negotiations. Despite these pressures, Kokot expressed pride in her party's decision to support the government led by Prime Minister Janez Janša, stating that they enabled the government to start working as quickly as possible. Journalists have been photographing her house and exposing her family, according to Kokot, while simultaneously spreading false information about her personal affairs. These stories were repeated daily in the media, which she believes reflects poorly on the results of recent public opinion polls that show little progress for her party in the National Assembly. However, she argues that these poll results do not fully reflect the strong direct support she receives both on the ground and through letters and phone calls. The pressure on her parliamentary group reportedly stems from events involving MP Boris Mijič. Kokot mentioned that she personally spoke with him and noted that his appointment and dismissal as an MP are governed by the Law on MPs. Therefore, it is not within their power to dismiss him, she explained, emphasizing that the only action they could take within the party structures was to expel him from the party. This, however, would not affect his seat in parliament. Resni.ca currently holds five mandates in the National Assembly. If any decisions were made before October 10th, when the legally mandated period for organizing substitute elections ends in case of a vacant mandate, they would lose one of these mandates. Kokot argued that this would be unfair to both the party and the voters who entrusted them with votes and mandates. She acknowledged that some party structures were perhaps immature before entering the National Assembly but stated that they have since been improved. She believes such situations will not happen again, emphasizing that candidates are now thoroughly vetted. In an interview with Večer, Kokot addressed the situation surrounding Mijič, noting that he is an elected MP whose appointment and dismissal are regulated by law. She emphasized that the party cannot dismiss him but can only exclude him from the party. She explained that the five mandates obtained by the party are determined based on the average number of votes per area nationwide, and that one of these mandates belongs to Mijič. She reiterated that making any decisions before October 10th would result in losing a mandate, which she considers unjust to both the party and its voters. On the issue of Mijič’s alleged misconduct, Kokot stated that each story has two sides. She indicated that Mijič took over a family business already in debt and that she called upon the prosecution authorities to investigate and impose appropriate sanctions or measures. She clarified that it is not her role to judge the accusations, and although she knows how it feels to be falsely accused and condemned for something one did not do, she does not blindly defend Mijič. She wants the responsible authorities to perform their duties. In an interview with Siol.net, Kokot reaffirmed that the party is entitled to five mandates and that they will ensure they retain all five until the end. She noted that Mijič collaborates with them in the National Assembly despite the allegations against him. She emphasized that the dismissal of an MP is governed by law and that the party can only exclude him from their ranks. She also discussed the media's portrayal of her party, revealing that she had received messages, videos, and even instructions given to specific journalists on how to write about her party and how to daily discredit them. She touched upon her provocative communication style on social media, which has drawn attention and criticism, but she stated that she intends to continue posting and will not change her approach. Katja Kokot, a 44-year-old doctor of veterinary medicine, is a member of the Resni.ca party and leads its five-member parliamentary group. She was first elected to the National Assembly in the 2026 parliamentary elections in the Maribor III electoral district. Before entering parliament, she worked in the field of veterinary medicine, including as a specialist in safety oversight and regulation of medicines. In the National Assembly, she is also the chairperson of the committee on agriculture, forestry, and food. When asked about the changes in her work since leading the parliamentary group, Kokot stated that it is not as difficult as she initially expected. She noted that the team is well-coordinated and understands each other well. Her responsibilities include coordinating meetings, providing guidance to professional staff to prepare expert materials for MPs, and participating in sessions with the president of the National Assembly. As head of the parliamentary group, she handles more phases of the legislative process than individual MPs, including decisions on when laws should be brought to session or committee and whether they should proceed under expedited or regular procedures. She added that she finds the role suitable and that she prepared for it, having wanted to become more involved in the legislative process after following the work of the National Assembly for several years. She also mentioned that she enrolled in a master's program in management and law two years ago, where she studied the entire process of adopting legislation, from the initial idea to the final written rule. Regarding criticisms and political pressures faced by her party and MPs, Kokot noted that there have been many recently. She identified internal challenges within her parliamentary group and party, particularly after the elections when they engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations with different parties. Their decision to support the government led by Janez Janša was carefully considered and aligned with their programmatic guidelines. However, she did not expect the level of subsequent scrutiny and pressure they have faced.