Borut Pahor

Having become an entrepreneur and influencer after leaving office, Pahor appeared in an advertising campaign wearing pyjamas in bed beside an undressed woman. The campaign prompted strong reactions concerning the monetisation of his image and possible symbolic degradation of the presidential office. He continued other commercial campaigns in 2026.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Personally implicated

Following Nataša Pirc Musar's arrival, people close to the new presidency criticised the previous administration for committing substantial expenditure in the final weeks of its term, reducing the new team's budgetary flexibility.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

Pahor and Italian President Sergio Mattarella jointly paid their respects in Basovizza, both at the memorial to Slovenian victims of fascism and at the foiba. The gesture was welcomed as historic, but some Slovenians considered that it risked validating a revisionist interpretation of foibe history.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

All members of Pahor's permanent advisory council on climate policy resigned. They explained that the trigger was the president's failure to respond to legislative changes restricting environmental NGOs' ability to participate in certain procedures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Pahor's government supported the sixth unit of the Šoštanj thermal power plant despite criticism over its cost, financial risks and climate impact. A parliamentary inquiry committee subsequently considered that the Pahor government and certain ministers bore major political responsibility for the project's cost escalation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

During his presidency, Pahor developed highly personal communications on Instagram, combining official duties, sport and informal staged appearances. The practice earned him the nickname 'Barbie' and criticism accusing the presidency of superficiality or 'soft populism'.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Directly implicated

For his presidential campaign, Pahor spent numerous days appearing in various manual and working-class occupations. The strategy brought him considerable visibility but was also described as a populist publicity stunt and an extreme personalisation of the campaign.

State of the evidence

Reported by the press

Attribution

Directly implicated

After months of political crisis and the loss of several coalition partners, Pahor's government lost a parliamentary confidence vote by 51 votes to 36, paving the way for Slovenia's first early parliamentary election.

Attribution

Political responsibility

Borut Pahor and Jadranka Kosor signed the border arbitration agreement in November 2009. In Slovenia, the opposition argued that the agreement insufficiently protected the country's territorial interests, leading to a highly polarised referendum.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility