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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 24 april 2019
Slovenia leader warns EU to counter populism

By JOVANA GEC tional ballots in each EU
Associated Press country. National political
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) parties with common ideol-
— Slovenia’s liberal prime ogy then unite in EU-wide
minister, whose govern- groups, like the center-right
ment has kept an anti-im- EPP, the center-left S&D
migrant party at bay in the Socialists or the liberal, pro-
small nation, warned on business ALDE.
Tuesday that the European In Slovenia, Sarec’s Marjan
Union needs new, more Sarec List — a member of
efficient leadership to suc- ALDE — is facing a chal-
cessfully counter a populist lenge from the right-wing
surge and the mounting in- Slovenian Democratic
fluence of Russia and Chi- Party of former Prime Minis-
na. ter Janez Jansa, who is an
Marjan Sarec told The Asso- ally of Hungarian firebrand
ciated Press in an interview Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
that mainstream European Jansa won the most votes
officials and parties have at last year’s parliamentary
failed to deter right-wing elections in Slovenia, but
groups, which are slated to Sarec gathered center-left
make strong gains at next parties to form a minority
month’s European Parlia- government, leaving the
ment elections that are populists out.
seen as important for the While the European Parlia-
future of the bloc. Slovenia’s prime minister Marjan Sarec talks to a reporter during an interview with the Associated ment predicted that main-
Populists are advancing in Press in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Tuesday, April 23, 2019. stream parties will keep
Europe because moder- Associated Press control over the European
ate groups haven’t pushed A 41-year-old former actor ter the May 23-26 election long again,” he said. “We assembly despite the ex-
their own agenda actively and comedian who took should be more efficient, need another leadership ... pected significant gains
enough, Sarec insisted. the helm of Slovenia’s gov- less political and more ori- we need such leaders that by the right-wing groups,
“In Europe, generally, we ernment after last year’s ented to technical solu- will be proactive that will Sarec warned that “elec-
have such a situation be- parliamentary elections, tions, if it wants to be able be more capable of fast tions are always unpredict-
cause the modest parties, Sarec cited prolonged to respond to nations such decisions.” able” and marred by tradi-
modest forces weren’t Brexit talks as an example as China or Russia and their Political experts say the tionally low turnout.
successful with their way of the EU’s slow decision- economic and political ex- European Parliament vote “You can never know what
of behavior,” said Sarec, making even as he said pansion in the continent. could prove to be a tipping will occur on the elections
speaking in English. “If you that delaying Britain’s de- “Brexit is quite good exam- point in post-war European and that’s the main prob-
just sit down and wait what parture from the bloc was ple how things are done in politics, if traditional politi- lem that we have now,”
will happen, of course they positive because “it won’t European Union, endless cal powerhouses lose sup- he said. “We can only
(populists) will be very loud be good for anybody.” debates, then the date of port and extremist, populist speculate. We can only
and they will have a lot of A new European Commis- exit is coming, then we are parties gain more clout. guess. We depend on the
space.” sion that will be formed af- faced with it and we pro- The votes happen as na- elections.”q

As tensions rise, Bosnian Serb businessman slain in ambush

By SABINA NIKSIC ties. “We are on the side from Serbia last year. Bos-
Associated Press of the forces that want to nian Security Minister Dra-
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herze- build this country and not gan Mektic, a member of
govina (AP) — A prominent to destroy it,” Krunic said in a Bosnian Serb opposition
Bosnian Serb businessman a recent interview. party and a prominent crit-
who owns a private se- Bosnian media identified ic of Dodik’s, tweeted Tues-
curity firm was shot dead the slain attacker as Zeljko day that Krunic’s targeted
along with his bodyguard Kovacevic, describing him slaying had the “signature”
in what local media have as a well-known criminal of the ruling elite all over it.
described as a mafia-style who should have been According to stolen diplo-
execution that sparked a serving a 5-year prison sen- matic cables published by
shootout. tence for a string of robber- WikiLeaks, Krunic told the
Slavisa Krunic, who owned ies but was free due to a U.S. embassy in Sarajevo
several businesses includ- clerical error. Krunic’s slay- in 2008 that people close
ing Sector Security, was ing comes amid growing to Dodik were pressuring
shot in his vehicle late Mon- Bosnian police officers guard crime scene in Glamocani, near tensions in Bosnia that have him to sell Sector Security,
day as he approached his Banja Luka, Bosnia, Tuesday April 23, 2019. been fueled, among other which employees Bosnians
home outside the northern Associated Press things, by a recent decision of all ethnic backgrounds,
Bosnian city of Banja Luka. Krunic’s driver sustained se- accused Dodik of stoking of the country’s Serb-run to a private security firm
Police said the married rious injuries. ethnic tensions in Bosnia region to establish an aux- under their control. Ac-
48-year-old father of four Krunic was known as a vo- to divert attention from iliary police force of over cording to the cable, Kru-
was taken to the hospital cal critic of the ruling Bos- his corrupt practices and 1,000 officers. The decision nic speculated that Dodik
but died. nian Serb nationalist party insisted that companies comes after Bosnian Serbs “wants control over Sector
Police also said one of the and its hard-line leader, he owned would hire and purchased a large amount Security’s 900 men in uni-
attackers was killed and Milorad Dodik. Krunic had serve people of all ethnici- of automatic weapons form.” q