Krško - Gen Energija, the company managing the Slovenian half of the NEK nuclear power station, got an interim head on Thursday, as the company's long-serving director general Martin Novšak was dismissed, effective today. Until a new head is appointed financial director Gordana Radanovič will serve as interim head, the company said in a press release.

Gen Energija provided no reasons for Novšak's dismissal.

Novšak, who is considered a prominent right-leaning business executive, led Eles Gen, the company which excluded Eles to become Gen Energija in May 2006, since August 2005. Last July, he started a new term.

Several media reported of his dismissal yesterday before the official decision. According to the reports, he is to be replaced by Blaž Košorok, an Infrastructure Ministry state secretary, who comes from the ruling Democrats (SDS).

Košorok, a former boss of state-owned power holding HSE, is said to enjoy support from PM Janez Janša.

Since no official reasons for Novšak's dismissal have been provided, media offered several possible explanations.

One was that it was a results of a battle of different camps within the ruling politicians for control over the group that will be in charge of the planned project of a second nuclear reactor at NEK, estimated at billions of euros.

Another is that supervisors lost trust in Novšak because he was allegedly too keen on former chairman of energy trader Gen-I Robert Golob, who went on to establish the Freedom Movement political party that ranks high in the pre-election polls.

Web portal 24ur also mentioned that supervisors were allegedly bothered by the fact that Novšak had made a EUR 1.4 million agreement with a PR company Consensus on the NEK second nuclear reactor project, although no final decision on the project has been made yet.