Slovenian public is shaken by the mystery surrounding the car accident of President Nataša Pirc Musar, with accusations of information concealment and a constitutional complaint announced due to the presence of a Russian national in the vehicle.
The car accident involving Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, which occurred on July 31, 2026, in the Kastelec tunnel on the Primorska highway, has escalated into a full-blown political drama. While she recovers from a fractured collarbone, the president faces sharp criticism from a former intelligence chief, calls for an investigation, and the announcement of a constitutional complaint.
The key controversy stems from the Presidential Office's refusal to disclose the identities of two female companions who were riding with Pirc Musar in the official van. Among them was a Russian national, which has particularly alarmed segments of the Slovenian public.
Andreja Rupnik, former director of the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA), did not mince words in his criticism on the show 24UR Zvečer. "The moment those two ladies entered the vehicle of a protected person, they became public figures. That is why the neglect, or rather the refusal to disclose the identities of these individuals, is nonsensical," Rupnik stated, explicitly pointing to the problematic presence of a Russian national in the immediate vicinity of the president.
Rupnik warned of multiple security lapses. He emphasized that private individuals in close proximity to a protected person hinder the work of security details and are subject to mandatory security checks conducted by the police, and in this case, also by SOVA. An additional risk, according to him, was the improper seating arrangement in the convoy, where the president sat in a van with passengers facing each other, instead of in a limousine.
Further suspicion of an attempt to conceal the truth was fueled by contradictory information regarding the use of a seatbelt. The Presidential Office initially reported that Pirc Musar was belted, but the president herself confirmed on the fourth day after the accident that she had not been wearing one.
"It needs to be determined what information reached the Presidential Office and whether someone tried to cover it up, but not wearing a seatbelt is an offense that can mean the difference between life and death in an accident," Rupnik stressed.
The Slovenian public was further disturbed by the three-day delay in releasing official details about the accident. The first police notice was included in a routine report, without highlighting that the head of state had been injured in the collision. The Slovenian Police Union (PSS) has called for a thorough and impartial investigation, including determining whether the convoy used audible and visual signals.
The story took a more serious turn after lawyer and former president of the Slovenian Constitutional Court, Peter Jambrek, announced he would file a constitutional complaint against the president. As the main reason, he cites the information that has been circulating for days in media close to Janša, that a Russian national was in the car with Pirc Musar.
The accident occurred as the president was returning from vacation in Croatia and heading to an official event in Komenda. In the Kastelec tunnel, the Mercedes-Benz V 300 van, driven by a 52-year-old police officer, violently struck the rear of the lead Audi in the convoy with its front end.
The police filed a criminal complaint against the van driver on suspicion of failing to maintain a safe distance. While Pirc Musar sustained minor injuries, one of the companions in the back seat was seriously injured and remains hospitalized at the Izola General Hospital.
