The leader of the Slovenian opposition, Janez Janša, called on the population to arm themselves in the context of the escalating conflict in the Middle East. “The fun is over. Arm yourself. Cool,” the right-wing conservative former prime minister wrote on Twitter (X), referring to what he said was a worsening security situation. He doubted that the current government of liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob would be able to protect Slovenia from the threat of terrorism.
The government reacted critically: “Calls for personal armament, although legal, are completely irresponsible,” said a statement signed by Prime Minister Golob and the leaders of the other two parties in the coalition, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and Minister of Culture Asta Vrečko. The three coalition partners condemned “alarmism, hatred and populism” and rejected calls for rearmament. “Such calls contradict the values of a modern and democratic Slovenia and do not correspond to the spirit of a Europe of solidarity,” she said on Monday.
The ruling left-liberal coalition lamented that Janša’s previous government had passed laws easing conditions for gun ownership and stressed that it had abolished “these controversial changes” immediately after taking office. The statement states that Slovenia has strong institutions that guarantee order and security and that it is among the safest countries in the world, according to numerous global indices.
The Foreign Minister’s reaction was even more scathing, describing the appeal as “irresponsible, in bad taste and even dangerous”. “I strongly condemn such provocations, which could lead to new hatred and violence in our society,” she wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, the police appealed to citizens to let them do their work and stressed that they will ensure the safety of citizens.
Janša requested weapons on Thursday in connection with a pro-Palestinian demonstration that took place in Ljubljana. On Sunday, he repeated the call in a Twitter post, in which he emphasized that there was a high likelihood of the security situation worsening. With regard to irregular migration and the possible threat of terrorism, he accused the government of not being able to assess the situation and act in a timely manner. “That’s why everyone has the right and obligation to do everything within the constitutional order to protect their family and their country,” said the former Slovenian prime minister.