Scandal Erupts After Slovenian President's Car Crash
A series of security lapses and suspicions of information concealment rock Slovenia following the traffic accident involving President Nataša Pirc Musar.
A series of security lapses and suspicions of information concealment rock Slovenia following the traffic accident involving President Nataša Pirc Musar.
The traffic accident involving Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, which occurred on July 31, 2026, has escalated into a political scandal with accusations of concealing key information. The Slovenian Police Union (PSS) has called for an independent investigation into all circumstances, including the use of audible and visual signals in the convoy. Particular controversy has arisen from the President's Office's refusal to disclose the identity of two female companions, one of whom is a Russian citizen.
Andrej Rupnik, former director of the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA), sharply criticized the secrecy on the show 24UR Zvečer. "The moment those two ladies entered the vehicle of a protected person, they became public figures. Therefore, neglecting or refusing to reveal the identity of these individuals is nonsense," Rupnik said.
Rupnik emphasized that the proximity of private individuals to a protected person complicates the work of security services during an attack, and that it is necessary for them to undergo mandatory security checks conducted by the police and SOVA.
Additional controversy surrounds the seating arrangement in the convoy. President Pirc Musar was not riding in the official Audi limousine but in a Mercedes-Benz V 300 van where passengers sat facing each other. Rupnik explained that in such situations, a person who is not belted at the moment of impact becomes a projectile that can injure other passengers, which, according to him, likely occurred.
The controversy has been further fueled by contradictory information regarding the use of a seatbelt. The President's Office initially stated that Pirc Musar was belted, but the President herself confirmed on the fourth day after the accident that she had not used a seatbelt. "We need to determine what information reached the President's Office and whether someone tried to conceal it, but not using a seatbelt is an offense that can mean the difference between life and death in an accident," Rupnik stressed.
The accident occurred on July 31 in the Kastelec tunnel on the Primorska highway while the President was returning from vacation in Croatia to an official event in Komenda. The Mercedes-Benz V 300 van collided with the rear of the lead Audi in the convoy.
Criminal charges have been filed against the 52-year-old police officer who was driving the van, on suspicion of failing to maintain a sufficient distance between vehicles. The President sustained minor injuries and a fractured collarbone, while one of the passengers in the back seat suffered severe physical injuries and remained hospitalized at the Izola General Hospital.
Because official information was released with a three-day delay, this case has sparked strong reactions from the public and media in Slovenia. The first police report on the collision was published in the regular daily bulletin but without the information that the President of the state had been injured in the accident.
