Minister Resigns Over Abuse Of Office
Slovenia’s Culture Minister Dejan Presicek resigned on Monday after employees at the ministry accused him of bullying and abuse of office.
A week ago union representatives at the ministry had demanded that he step down.
The union claims Presicek’s bullying led to the suicide of an employee at the ministry and also accuses him of misusing an official car for private purposes.
Presicek has admitted misusing the car but has denied all allegations of bullying.
Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec Monday accepted the resignation, saying that “after all that has happened, I couldn’t imagine this leadership team (Presicek and his two state secretaries) could continue working there.” Presicek, a saxophone professor and former head of the Ljubljana Music and Ballet Conservatory, is the second minister to be forced out of Sarec’s centre-left government — formed by a five-party minority coalition in September — after Development Minister Marko Bandelli resigned in November over abuse of office allegations.
Despite the scandals, a poll published by the private POP TV station on Sunday showed Sarec’s government was supported by 65.8 per cent of respondents, the highest approval rating a Slovenian government has had in years.
