Tanja Fajon: Slovenia’s Foreign Policy – New Challenges
27 March 2025
Video available on YouTube (in Slovenian): https://youtu.be/6UiudrSjF_k?si=QjHnkt4PlM8LyH6J
Opening Remarks
Slovenia’s Foreign Policy – New Challenges (guest Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs)
Amb Marjan Šetinc
27 March 2025
The guest of the Slovenian Society for International Relations was the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Ms. Tanja Fajon, who, despite a tight schedule (traveling from Manila to Bangkok, New Delhi, and just yesterday to Carinthia), found time to discuss Slovenia’s foreign policy challenges and those of the broader EU. Changes in international relations are occurring faster than ever before and so setting challenges for both the EU and Slovenia.
The wars in Ukraine and Palestine have significantly influenced global relations in recent years. Wars, especially the two world wars, have always brought about unpredictable and groundbreaking changes. For example, many people just a few decades ago believed that Yugoslavia was a permanent entity.
The post-war order, the establishment of the UN and its affiliated organizations, the Bretton Woods financial institutions, and other multilateral organizations for peaceful and negotiated international relations are under strain. The commitments made by the most powerful countries within these organizations often remain mere words on paper.
At the end of last year, we spoke with the Minister at the Club of Former Ambassadors of Slovenia, focusing primarily on Gaza and the impossible situation—the genocide carried out by Israel. At that time, the Minister had just returned from visits to several Middle Eastern countries. For a long time, it has been clear that decisions on Gaza and Palestine are made in Washington. Even under President Joe Biden and his predecessors, the situation remained unchanged, with arms shipments flowing uninterrupted to Israel.
With Donald Trump, this reality became even more apparent. His actions began to reshape the world as we knew and understood it in the past years.
The Abraham Accords—trading Western Sahara for Morocco’s recognition of Israel, removing Sudan from the U.S. list of terrorist states in exchange for recognizing Israel, declaring the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital—are just a few examples. Not to mention the imposition of tariffs on German cars, French wine, and Chinese products. The Biden administration inherited and reinforced these deals, effectively endorsing territorial acquisitions despite UN resolutions and international law. The same applies to France being pushed out of a deal by the US to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia.
The U.S. has continued its longstanding policy of aggressive interventions worldwide, from coups in South and Central America to wars in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and beyond. The U.S. is reshaping the world. Last week, The Economist wrote about a “New American Foreign Policy”, is it really new? Certainly not. This policy is not different from the past; however, it is now being pursued more rapidly and aggressively, with overt territorial ambitions and tariff blackmail.
The whole world is adapting to this new reality, reconsidering alliances, and seeking ways to protect its interests. While it was evident that the Ukraine crisis would primarily be resolved between the U.S. and Russia, Europe was caught unprepared. Perhaps it underestimated Trump’s statements, in which he predicted and, in his way, initiated a resolution process. Now, Europe realizes that U.S. actions are leaving it sidelined. It appears that Europe is making panicked moves out of fear and perhaps guilt for the situation, seeing militarization as a solution.
Some European political elites believe that they can preserve Europe’s prosperity through militarization, convinced that Russian imperialism/greed could extend to the Atlantic.
How is Slovenia adapting or preparing for these challenges? The situation in Ukraine is evolving, and many are arguably unhappy with the prospect of a new alliance between the U.S. and Russia. The U.S. has already agreed to lift sanctions on the export of Russian fertilizers. Will Slovenia wait—perhaps for the EU’s reactions and measures, which are becoming more and more clear? How does all this affect Slovenia’s foreign policy priorities, and what are our alternatives? Undoubtedly, these topics should be discussed in government circles?
Minister Tanja Fajon in her talk tackled these questions and concerns!