Tee Kochir's resignation: Opposition outraged over the trading of the MP's mandate, and the SDS has no information on this ...

The Slovenian National Assembly was informed on Thursday of the resignation of Tea Košir, the state secretary at the Ministry of Health, along with her departure from the position of MP. Košir had not previously explained the reasons for her resignation, though she later mentioned experiencing pressure and threats. She confirmed during an interview with Tarča on TV Slovenia that she received a job offer at the infrastructure directorate in exchange for stepping down from her parliamentary role. Košir's decision has sparked outrage among opposition figures. Meira Hot, an MP from the Social Democrats (SD), expressed deep concern over the circumstances surrounding Košir’s resignation. She noted that such behavior reflects a serious suspicion of corruption related to trading a parliamentary mandate. Hot emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity for MPs and criticized the political culture in the country. Asta Vrečko, co-chair of the Left party, described the situation involving Košir as highly problematic. She expressed concern that Košir accepted a new position under pressure and threats. Vrečko questioned whether President of the Democrats Anže Logar, who often speaks about democracy, would consider this incident as evidence of a lack of integrity and normal political culture. She suggested that the coalition led by Prime Minister Janez Janša might have wanted to prevent Košir from becoming an independent MP, which could have cost them one vote in parliament. According to Vrečko, the solution came from Jernej Vrtovec, the minister from the New Slovenia (NSi) party, who offered her a position at the infrastructure ministry. Borut Sajović, leader of the Freedom Party's parliamentary group, believed Košir was a victim of the pressures she faced. He called for all institutions in the country to investigate the background of these pressures, especially since Košir was an MP and her voters had entrusted her with their mandates. He added that threats against Košir were unacceptable and should be reported to the appropriate authorities. However, he also claimed that pressure on Košir came from opposition parties as well. Sajović stated that he had contacted Košir, but she denied it. Meanwhile, representatives from NSi, the Democrats, and the True Slovenians did not clarify the circumstances around Košir's resignation. Andrej Poglajen, an MP from the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), said he had no information regarding the alleged trade of Košir's parliamentary mandate. He understood that Košir had voluntarily submitted her resignation from both positions. Poglajen noted that Košir would continue her career at the infrastructure directorate, emphasizing that road connections are a priority in her home region, just as they are for other MPs. He added that all elected officials must work according to the priorities of the people who gave them their mandate. Anže Logar, president of the Democrats, denied suggestions that Košir's resignation resulted from pressure or coercion from his party. He also rejected the idea that the party had bought her silence with another job. Košir, originally from Lesc, became known to the public after being unexpectedly elected as an MP earlier this year. However, she quickly became a major internal issue for the Democrats and the entire Janša coalition. After several weeks of complications and attempts to resolve the situation, she made her first public statement. She explained that she realized there were two roles: being a politician and being a businesswoman, and that she could not reconcile these roles due to her values. Košir was appointed as a state secretary at the Ministry of Health in June, leaving her parliamentary seat open for Elena Zavadlav Ušaj, a former SDS MP. However, Košir did not last long in her new role either. On September 26, she announced her resignation, and five days later, on October 1, she posted on Facebook that she had been threatened. She wrote that she heard warnings about potential harm to her business and even about someone following her in her car. She also mentioned comparisons to the fates of others. Košir initially seemed to settle on resigning from her parliamentary position, stating on Facebook on October 4 that she would not fight for a seat and would not create conflicts over the function. However, she reconsidered and decided to remain an independent MP. This decision, however, caused problems for both the Democrats and the coalition, which is already a minority government. Eventually, Košir changed her mind again and left the National Assembly, accepting a position at the infrastructure directorate. The Commission for Preventing Corruption is currently investigating allegations of trading a parliamentary mandate. At the infrastructure ministry, they clarified that the employment was without any specific conditions.