Slovenia's delegation to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament has split in two in a reflection of rivalry between two conservative parties that form opposition in the national parliament.

Parties affiliated with the EPP won five of Slovenia's nine seats in the European Parliament in the June 2024 elections; four went to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) and one to New Slovenia (NSi).

Matej Tonin, the leader of the NSi and its member in the European Parliament (MEP), has now formed his own national delegation within the EPP over a dispute that has been simmering for a while.

Tonin's dismissal as treasurer

His office posted an explanation on 21 February saying that after initially constructive cooperation, pressure by the SDS leadership led to Tonin being dismissed as the delegation's treasurer, where he had insight into his colleagues' financial dealings.

"This was coupled by public attacks on his work by some of his colleagues in the delegation, which further strained relations within the group," Tonin's office wrote.

In light of that, forming an independent delegation was a logical step, the office said, adding that this is the first time Slovenia has two delegations in the EPP, which brings a new dynamic to the representation of Slovenian interests at European level.

Having been given the EPP's go-ahead to form his own delegation, Tonin told the newspaper Delo the "essential thing is that as head of delegation I'm now in the EPP bureau, where key decisions are made".

The EPP bureau also includes SDS MEP Romana Tomc, one of ten vice-chairs of the EPP group, the largest faction in the European Parliament. Tomc also heads the original national delegation to the EPP.

Rivalry over rule of law alerts

According to Delo, the final straw in the simmering row was the rivalry between the two opposition parties in drawing attention of EU institutions to concerns about the rule of law and other issues in the country.

The NSi was the first to alert EU institutions of the alleged "erosion" of parliamentary democracy in Slovenia in September 2024, and in mid-February Spanish MEP Adrian Vazquez Lazaro, a rapporteur of the EPP political group for the rule of law report 2024, visited Slovenia at Tonin's invitation.

A similar fact-finding EPP mission was announced by Tomc early in February. It is to look into concerns about media freedom, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law in Slovenia. According to Delo, that mission had been planned without Tonin knowing about it.

Attacks get personal

Tomc and Tonin later got involved in an acrimonious exchange on X with Tomc asserting that the rift was not between the SDS and the NSi but a result of Tonin's personal ambition.

"After he got membership of the committees of his liking on the back of the SDS's landslide victory in the EU elections, [Tonin] decided to go solo in December," she wrote.

Tonin retorted by raising Tomc's own ambition. "After becoming an EPP group vice president she did not give up the leadership of the delegation to one of her colleagues, which would have given Slovenia two members in the bureau, but instead took both positions herself."

The frictions between the NSi and SDS are nothing new although the parties have collaborated well in all three governments led by SDS leader Janez Janša so far.

Faced with attacks from the SDS, who argue that the NSi is too close to the ruling coalition, Tonin, like his predecessor at the helm of the party Ljudmila Novak, has declared that his party will not be a future Janša-led government, which earned him criticism from the party's founding father.