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Leaders of the socialist and liberal groups in the European Parliament raised concerns over the attendance of European Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto and Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius at a European People’s Party (EPP) political gathering in Slovenia on Thursday.
Iratxe García Pérez and Valérie Hayer, the leaders of the S&D and Renew Europe groups, sent a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, claiming that the Commissioners may have breached the internal conduct rules by appearing at a political event just weeks ahead of Slovenia’s elections.
The incident adds another point of tension within the Parliament’s centrist majority, as socialists and liberals accuse the EPP of mixing institutional responsibilities with partisan politics.
Fitto and Kubilius took part in an EPP meeting in Ljubljana, attended by senior figures and heads of national MEP delegations. The event included a press conference alongside former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, whose Slovenian Democratic Party currently leads opinion polls before the 22 March election, as well as Jernej Vrtovec, leader of the New Slovenia party.
Manfred Weber, the EPP group chair, openly endorsed Janša, saying that “under his leadership, Slovenia grew stronger in the EU.”
Although the Commissioners avoided making any political statements, socialist and liberal leaders argue that simply taking part in a press conference designed to support a candidate in a national election constitutes a breach of the rules.
In their letter, they warn that such involvement could be interpreted as “participating in national election campaigns in a manner that prioritises party commitment over their institutional duties.”
Kubilius, a former Lithuanian prime minister and former leader of the centre-right Homeland Union party, is a prominent member of the EPP.
Fitto belongs to Italy’s Brothers of Italy party, part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, though he previously spent years within the EPP as a member of Forza Italia.
The EPP also played a key role in securing Fitto’s appointment as vice-president, helping negotiate his approval with other centrist political groups.
A European Commission spokesperson said on Friday that Fitto and Kubilius, along with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, travelled to Slovenia “in their official capacity.” The spokesperson emphasized that throughout the visit they “intervened strictly on EU matters and on matters relating to their portfolios,” adding that maintaining political contacts with member states is part of a commissioner’s responsibilities.
Kubilius’ office told Euronews that during his visit to Slovenia, he met the Prime Minister Robert Golob, several ministers, parliamentarians, and civil society representatives, in addition to speaking at the EPP event.
“Kubilius is campaigning for EU defence readiness,” the statement said.
Fitto’s office similarly noted that his trip focused on the potential benefits of EU cohesion funding for Slovenia, and not on supporting any political party.
The EPP does not consider the meeting in Ljubljana as a “campaign event,” but a political one, a group spokesperson told Euronews.
The letter is the latest in a string of disputes among the parties supporting von der Leyen’s Commission.
Although attempts to bring down the Commission through parliamentary confidence votes have failed, socialists and liberals have repeatedly voiced unease over the EPP’s increasing cooperation with far-right groups—an alliance that would have been considered unacceptable only a few years ago.