Slovenia's opposition Freedom Movement and the Left party have submitted a motion for the constitutional impeachment of Prime Minister Janez Janša, citing the government's foreign policy towards Israel, RTV SLO reported on September 9.

Freedom Movement's leader Robert Golob said the government was pursuing a foreign policy that primarily served Israel's interests.

He pointed to alleged interference by Israeli intelligence agents in Slovenia, frequent visits by Israeli lobbyists to the prime minister and Slovenia's use of a veto on an issue that, he claimed, was in Israel's rather than Slovenia's interest.

Golob also criticised the visit to Slovenia by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who was in the country on September 9 for the opening of Israel's resident embassy in Ljubljana.

He said the government had violated Slovenia's Constitution and Foreign Affairs Act, as well as the UN Charter and a number of UN resolutions. The motion seeks to have the Constitutional Court remove Janša from the post of prime minister, Golob said.

Left coordinator Asta Vrečko said her party supported the motion because Janša and his government had repeatedly acted against Slovenia's interests. She accused the government of reversing measures adopted by the previous government regarding Israel and said its policies were being pursued in Israel's interests.

Under Slovenia's Constitution, a constitutional impeachment motion requires 46 votes in the 90-member National Assembly to pass. The opposition parties also accuse Janša of violating Slovenia's declaration on foreign policy and its national security strategy, acting contrary to an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and breaching the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The opposition Social Democrats (SD) said they would not co-sign the motion after reviewing it, arguing that an interpellation of the minister of foreign and European affairs would be a more appropriate legal and procedural route.

The SD said it remained firmly committed to international law and the right of the Palestinian people to their own state.

The SD also pointed to its role in policies including Slovenia's recognition of Palestine, efforts to strengthen the position of like-minded EU countries and preparations for Slovenia to join the case against Israel before the ICJ.

The party said it would therefore pursue an interpellation of the foreign and European affairs minister Tone Kajzer rather than support the constitutional impeachment motion against Janša.