Seven EU countries raised objections after Slovenia moved to prevent Tanja Fajon, the outgoing Slovenian foreign minister, from taking up the role of the European External Action Service’s special envoy to the Sahel, sources briefed on the matter told Euractiv.
Diplomatic pushback over last‑minute intervention
The appointment process for the Sahel special representative was disrupted when Slovenia’s government, led by Prime Minister Janez Janša, intervened at the eleventh hour to block Fajon’s nomination. The EEAS chief, Kaja Kallas, subsequently proposed the second‑ranked candidate, Birgitte Nygaard Markussen, who was appointed in late July.
The move prompted criticism from several capitals. Officials said that when ambassadors met on 22 July to formalise the replacement, representatives of at least seven countries spoke up in support of Fajon and expressed concern about how the nomination had been handled.
“new, substantive concerns”
In the ambassadors’ meeting the EEAS said Slovenia had flagged what it called “new, substantive concerns” and argued there was an urgent need to have a representative in place by 1 September, citing recent developments in the Sahel.
Capitals seek clarity on rules and transparency
The intervention has underlined unease in some member states about the transparency of special envoy appointments and whether national governments may effectively veto candidates. Responses from specific countries included:
- France said it regretted the lack of transparency and that the process should not have been conducted outside official channels.
- Spain questioned the rushed nature of the replacement, noted the new appointee lacked the high political profile of Fajon, and expressed concern for the EEAS amid ongoing tensions with the European Commission.
- Belgium accepted the EEAS chief’s authority to act but asked for a legal assessment on whether special representative nominees must have their national government’s backing.
- Romania also abstained during the formal appointment vote.
According to the sources, Spain, Romania and Belgium abstained on Nygaard Markussen’s appointment. Lawyers advising the Council of the EU told the meeting that national government backing was not a formal requirement for these EEAS special representative posts.
| Actor | Known Position |
|---|---|
| Seven unnamed countries | Intervened in support of Tanja Fajon |
| France | Regretted lack of transparency |
| Spain | Questioned process; abstained |
| Romania | Abstained |
| Belgium | Abstained; asked for legal assessment |
Domestic politics and potential legal action
The row has domestic ramifications in Ljubljana. The Slovenian government has lodged a criminal complaint against Fajon, alleging she breached rules by not consulting the wider government when applying for the EEAS post while still serving as foreign minister. Fajon denies the allegation and has characterised the move as politically motivated.
Observers say the episode raises two immediate questions for EU foreign policy: whether national capitals can or should exert decisive influence over EEAS personnel choices, and how the service should handle urgent appointments where member‑state objections surface late in the process.
The controversy also comes at a sensitive moment for the EU’s external action service, which has recently been engaged in inter‑institutional friction with the European Commission and faces geopolitical pressure in the Sahel region, where rival external powers are active.
The matter is likely to prompt calls for clearer procedural rules and greater transparency in how special representatives are nominated and confirmed — a debate that could have lasting implications for the EU’s diplomatic reach.
