Milan Pogačnik
Encyclopedia
Milan Pogačnik is a Slovenia
n politician
. Between November 2008 and March 2010, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition of Slovenia.
Pogačnik was born in Celje
, then part of the People's Republic of Slovenia in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. He studied veterinary medicine
at the University of Ljubljana
, graduating in 1971. He obtained his PhD in 1984. Between 1990 and 2008, he served as dean of the Veterinary Faculty at the University of Ljubljana.
Between 1994 and 1998, he served as member of the Council for Higher Education of the Republic of Slovenia, and between 1999 and 2002 as member of the Slovenian Council for Science and Technology; both are advisory organs to the Government of Slovenia
. Between 2000 and 2003 he served as head of the National Veterinary Institute, and between 2002 and 2004, he chaired the Council for Veterinary Policies within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition. Between 2003 and 2008, he was member of the Scientific and Advisory Board of Joint Research Centre of the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods within the European Commission
. Between 2007 and 2008, he served in the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority
.
Pogačnik first entered the Slovenian political scene in 2000, when the Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek
proposed him as the candidate for Minister of Agriculture after the Slovenian People's Party
left the governing coalition. However, Drnovšek's government fell before Pogačnik could be confirmed in the Parliament. In April 2004, after the Slovenian People's Party again left the government, the Prime Minister Anton Rop
appointed him as Minister of Agriculture. In the Slovenian parliamentary election, 2004
, Pogačnik ran unsuccessfully for Parliament on the list of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
. The elections was won by the conservative opposition, and Pogačnik was replaced by the Democratic
politician Marija Lukačič.
In the parliamentary election of 2008
, Pogačnik ran as a candidate of the opposition Social Democrats
. After the election, he was appointed as Minister of Agriculture in the government of Borut Pahor
.
motion
against him regarding the return of two dogs to the physician Saša Baričevič. However, on 9 March 2010, before the charges against him were discussed in the National Assembly
, he was arrested by the Slovenian Police for questioning regarding dodgy land deals and trading of favours with the Slovenian National Party
(SNS) leader Zmago Jelinčič
. It was reported that Pogačnik was trying to secure the support of Jelinčič's party for a key farmland law and in the no-confidence vote against him in return for securing land for a national aviation museum near Murska Sobota
(northeastern Slovenia) that Jelinčič was lobbying for. The following day, 10 March 2010, he stepped down as the Minister of Agriculture. On 29 March 2010, he was temporarily replaced by Henrik Gjerkeš, who was also the Minister of Local Self-Government and Regional Development at the time. In May 2010, Dejan Židan was named the new Minister of Agriculture. In October 2010, a complaint
was filled against Pogačnik by the Koper criminal police.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Between November 2008 and March 2010, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition of Slovenia.
Pogačnik was born in Celje
Celje
Celje is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje . The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle at the confluence of the Savinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna...
, then part of the People's Republic of Slovenia in the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. He studied veterinary medicine
Veterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, graduating in 1971. He obtained his PhD in 1984. Between 1990 and 2008, he served as dean of the Veterinary Faculty at the University of Ljubljana.
Between 1994 and 1998, he served as member of the Council for Higher Education of the Republic of Slovenia, and between 1999 and 2002 as member of the Slovenian Council for Science and Technology; both are advisory organs to the Government of Slovenia
Government of Slovenia
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia is the cabinet that excersises executive authority in Slovenia pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of Slovenia. It is also the highest administrative authority in Slovenia. It comprises the Prime Minister and 15 ministers, three of them without...
. Between 2000 and 2003 he served as head of the National Veterinary Institute, and between 2002 and 2004, he chaired the Council for Veterinary Policies within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition. Between 2003 and 2008, he was member of the Scientific and Advisory Board of Joint Research Centre of the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods within the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. Between 2007 and 2008, he served in the Management Board of the European Food Safety Authority
European Food Safety Authority
The European Food Safety Authority is an agency of the European Union that provides independent scientific advice and communication on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain, created by European Regulation 178/2002....
.
Pogačnik first entered the Slovenian political scene in 2000, when the Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek
Janez Drnovšek
Janez Drnovšek was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia , Prime Minister of Slovenia and President of Slovenia . He was born in Celje, Slovenia, then the Socialist Republic of Slovenia...
proposed him as the candidate for Minister of Agriculture after the Slovenian People's Party
Slovenian People's Party
The Slovenian People's Party is a rural-based conservative political party in Slovenia. Formed in 1988 under the name of Slovenian Peasant Union as the first non-Communist political organization in Yugoslavia, it merged with the Slovene Christian Democrats to form the present-day party in 2000...
left the governing coalition. However, Drnovšek's government fell before Pogačnik could be confirmed in the Parliament. In April 2004, after the Slovenian People's Party again left the government, the Prime Minister Anton Rop
Anton Rop
Anton Rop is a Slovenian politician. He is currently a member of the National Assembly of Slovenia. He was the fourth Prime Minister of Slovenia, from 2002 to 2004. Until 2005 he was also the president of the Liberal Democratic Party , the legal successor of the Slovenian Association of Socialist...
appointed him as Minister of Agriculture. In the Slovenian parliamentary election, 2004
Slovenian parliamentary election, 2004
-Delegation of Socialni demokrati [United List of Social Democrats]:-Delegation of Liberalna demokracija Slovenije [Liberal Democracy of Slovenia]:-Delegation of Nova Slovenija [New Slovenia]:...
, Pogačnik ran unsuccessfully for Parliament on the list of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
Liberal Democracy of Slovenia is a liberal political party in Slovenia. It is led by Katarina Kresal and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party...
. The elections was won by the conservative opposition, and Pogačnik was replaced by the Democratic
Slovenian Democratic Party
The Slovenian Democratic Party , known until 2003 as the Social Democratic Party of Slovenia is a Slovenian centre-right liberal conservative and Christian democratic party...
politician Marija Lukačič.
In the parliamentary election of 2008
Slovenian parliamentary election, 2008
Parliamentary elections for the 90 deputies to the National Assembly of Slovenia were held on 21 September 2008. 17 parties filed to run in the election, including all nine parliamentary parties...
, Pogačnik ran as a candidate of the opposition Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Slovenia)
The Social Democrats is a centre-left political party in Slovenia, currently led by Borut Pahor. From 1993 until 2005, the party was known as the United List of Social Democrats .-Origins:...
. After the election, he was appointed as Minister of Agriculture in the government of Borut Pahor
Borut Pahor
Borut Pahor is a Slovenian politician who has been Prime Minister of Slovenia since 2008. A longtime president of the Social Democrats party, Pahor served several terms as a member of the National Assembly and was its chairman from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Pahor was elected as member of the European...
.
Charges of corruption
In February and March 2010, Pogačnik was reported by the media to be involved in different corruption scandals. The opposition parties started an interpellationInterpellation (politics)
Interpellation is the formal right of a parliament to submit formal questions to the government. In many parliaments, each individual member of parliament has the right to formally submit questions to a member of government. The respective minister or secretary is then required to respond and to...
motion
Motion (parliamentary procedure)
In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take certain action. In a parliament, this is also called a parliamentary motion and includes legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary...
against him regarding the return of two dogs to the physician Saša Baričevič. However, on 9 March 2010, before the charges against him were discussed in the National Assembly
National Assembly (Slovenia)
The National Assembly is the general representative body of the Slovenian nation. According to the Constitution of Slovenia and the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, it is the major part of the distinctively incompletely bicameral legislative branch of the Republic of Slovenia. It is unicameral...
, he was arrested by the Slovenian Police for questioning regarding dodgy land deals and trading of favours with the Slovenian National Party
Slovenian National Party
The Slovenian National Party is a extreme nationalist political party in Slovenia, led by Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti. The party is renowned for its euroscepticism and opposes Slovenia's membership in NATO...
(SNS) leader Zmago Jelinčič
Zmago Jelincic
Zmago Jelinčič Plemeniti is a Slovenian nationalist politician and author. He is the head of the Slovene National Party ....
. It was reported that Pogačnik was trying to secure the support of Jelinčič's party for a key farmland law and in the no-confidence vote against him in return for securing land for a national aviation museum near Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota is a city in northeastern Slovenia. It is located in the eponymous municipality near the Mura River in the region of Prekmurje and is the regional capital.-Name:...
(northeastern Slovenia) that Jelinčič was lobbying for. The following day, 10 March 2010, he stepped down as the Minister of Agriculture. On 29 March 2010, he was temporarily replaced by Henrik Gjerkeš, who was also the Minister of Local Self-Government and Regional Development at the time. In May 2010, Dejan Židan was named the new Minister of Agriculture. In October 2010, a complaint
Complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons that the filing party or parties In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties In...
was filled against Pogačnik by the Koper criminal police.