LJUBLJANA, Aug 22 — A July car accident involving Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar has escalated into a political and security controversy after scrutiny of one of her longtime friends prompted parliamentarians to seek information from Slovenia’s intelligence service over possible links to Russia.
Pirc Musar’s office has strongly denied that the president has any connection with Russian intelligence networks, while publicly available information has so far provided no evidence that she collaborated with Russian intelligence.
The controversy centres on Viktorija Krivolucka, a Slovenian citizen of Russian origin and longtime friend of the president who was travelling in Pirc Musar’s official vehicle when it crashed in July.
The accident left the president with a broken collarbone and led to her hospitalisation. But what initially appeared to be a personal misfortune quickly developed into a political issue after Krivolucka’s background attracted media attention.
President’s Friend Under Scrutiny
Slovenian media reported that Krivolucka had previously been in a relationship with Roman Jeglič, a former Slovenian intelligence official who left for Russia in the 1990s.
Krivolucka has acknowledged that she lived with Jeglič in Russia for several years but said she has had no contact with him for more than 15 years.
There is no publicly available evidence showing that Krivolucka herself worked for Russian intelligence.
Reports have also said Pirc Musar and Krivolucka travelled together to Russia on several occasions before Pirc Musar was elected president in 2022.
The revelations have nevertheless been enough to push the issue from the media into parliament.
Slovenia’s parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence and security services has requested information from the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency, known as SOVA, about the controversy and possible Russian influence.
Intelligence representatives are expected to provide information to the committee next week.
Calls to Restrict President’s Access
The political stakes increased after Žan Mahnič, an MP from the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), called for intelligence and security reports to be withheld from the president while the suspicions are examined.
Mahnič cited concerns about a possible connection to a Russian intelligence network.
Pirc Musar’s office rejected the allegations.
“We strongly deny that the president collaborates with Russian intelligence networks,” her office said.
Pirc Musar was elected in 2022 as an independent candidate and is generally regarded as liberal and pro-European. She has publicly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has backed Ukraine during her presidency.
The controversy therefore presents a politically sensitive contrast between the president’s public foreign-policy record and allegations based largely on the past personal relationships of someone in her circle.
From Accident to Political Affair
The case has also triggered a wider debate inside Slovenia over Russian influence and the extent to which personal associations surrounding senior officials should become matters of national security.
A commentary published by Slovenian newspaper Delo on Saturday argued that Russian influence should not necessarily be understood primarily through traditional espionage.
Instead, the commentary said one of Moscow’s most effective instruments was the amplification of existing political divisions within European societies.
That distinction could become increasingly important as Slovenia debates the Pirc Musar controversy: whether the episode ultimately reveals a genuine security problem or becomes another deeply polarising domestic political dispute.
For now, the most serious allegations remain unproven.
The intelligence committee’s scrutiny and SOVA’s response could determine whether the affair develops into a substantive national-security investigation — or remains a political controversy sparked by an unexpected car crash.