Anže Logar

Anže Logar (born 15 May 1976 in Ljubljana) is a Slovenian politician, minister of foreign affairs in the third Janša cabinet since March 2020.

Anže Logar
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
13 March 2020
Prime MinisterJanez Janša
Preceded byMiro Cerar
Member of the National Assembly
In office
2014–2020
Personal details
Born15 May 1976
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Political party Slovenian Democratic Party – SDS

Logar served as the Director of the Government Communication Office in both Governments of Janez Janša, and served as the official spokesperson of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2008.[1]

Biography

In 2000, Logar graduated at the Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana. In January 2006, he obtained his MSc degree at The Graduate School of Government and European Studies. In July 2016 Logar received a doctorate from the Faculty of Applied Social Studies.[1]

Logar started working in 2000 in the marketing division of SKB Bank, Société Générale group. In view of Slovenia's EU accession, in 2003 he moved to Brussels to work as adviser as the new Slovenian Members of the European Parliament from the European People's Party group (SDS). He then joined Janez Janša's cabinet as head of public relations of the government office for European affairs (2006-07) and director of the government's communication office UKOM (2007-08); during this period he was also the official spokesperson of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2008. As Janša was replaced in government by Borut Pahor, Logar remained as officer in UKOM. He was re-appointed director with the second Janša cabinet in 2012. The following year, Logar was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary at the Directorate for Economic Diplomacy of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[1]

In the 2014 parliamentary elections, Logar was elected to the Slovenian National Assembly on the list of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). He chaired the Committee of Inquiry into identifying abuses in the Slovenian banking system and determining the causes and responsibilities for the second overhaul of the banking system in independent Slovenia. He was member of the parliamentary friendship groups with Israel, France, and the United States.[1] He was re-elected in 2018.[2]

In early 2020, Logar was appointed minister of foreign affairs of Slovenia in the third Janša cabinet. At the parliamentary hearing he mentioned as priority the expansion of the diplomatic network, better cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, and strengthening relations with neighboring Croatia including the implementation of the arbitral award on the Piran Bay dispute.[3] He was endorsed by the committee with 13 votes in favour and 7 against.[4]

He was criticised in April 2020 for forwarding to the Council of Europe a letter, reportedly drafted by the new UKOM director Uroš Urbanija, claimed that all media outlets in Slovenia stemmed from the communist regime.[5]

On 23 October 2020, Logar tested positive for COVID-19.[6]

Honours

On 16 February 2007, on the occasion of Independence Day, the Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus conferred upon him a state award – the 'Life Saving Cross' for his merits in saving the life of a citizen of Lithuania from drowning in a Hungarian lake.

References
  1. Slovenian National Assembly
  2. "Dr. Anže Logar" (Press release). Slovenian Democratic Party. 22 December 2019.
  3. "Anže Logar". www.rtvslo.si. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  4. "Logar: Potrebujemo tihega odposlanca za Hrvaško". RTVSLO.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  5. STA.si
  6. https://news.yahoo.com/slovenias-foreign-minister-tests-positive-041040316.html
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