LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s president Borut Pahor has rejected in an interview with the AP that the increasingly autocratic policies of the country’s government could hurt its upcoming European Union presidency, saying the small Alpine state will stay on its traditional liberal course. Slovenia on Thursday takes over the EU Council presidency with its Prime Minister Janez Jansa in the focus because of his squabbles with Brussels, close alliance with populist Hungarian leader Viktor Orban and a crackdown on domestic media which cast doubt on the country’s credibility to lead the 27-nation bloc. Pahor said one of Slovenia’s main presidency tasks will be the quicker EU accession of the Western Balkan states — Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
