Saloa Zolotariovi
Tamara - Prime Minister Âkop Belani faced intense scrutiny in Parliament on Friday as lawmakers across the chamber grilled him over €4.2 million in unauthorized spending by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Regional Development, Tourism and Local Economies, threatening to further destabilize his already fragile coalition government.
The heated questioning centered on tourism promotion contracts and regional development initiatives allegedly approved by Interior Minister Zurap Iličovi without proper parliamentary authorization between March and August of this year. The scandal has emerged at a particularly vulnerable moment for Belani's government, which relies on a fragile coalition commanding just 77 seats in the 145-member Parliament, a mere four seats above the 73 needed to survive a no-confidence vote.
"The Prime Minister must explain to this chamber how €4.2 million in public funds were committed without the required budgetary approval," demanded Marati Zaporojetsëâ, the Agausian Liberal Party's finance spokesman, who led the opposition's assault. "This is not merely a procedural oversight—this is a fundamental breach of parliamentary authority."
Prime Minister Belani, appearing visibly strained during the questioning, defended the expenditures as necessary for ongoing regional development projects that could not be delayed. "These were time-sensitive commitments related to regional tourism infrastructure that had already been contracted," Belani told Parliament. "The ministry acted to fulfill obligations to regional governments and private sector partners. We fully intend to seek retroactive approval through the supplementary budget process."
Interior Minister Iličovi argued that the spending fell within his ministry's discretionary authority for regional development initiatives, though he acknowledged that "clearer communication with parliamentary committees" would have been preferable.
The opposition remained unconvinced. Progressive Democratic Party MP Petl Baguši called for a full forensic audit of the ministry's spending. "We're talking about tourism marketing contracts, luxury hotel bookings for promotional events, and regional 'development grants' that appear to have bypassed standard procurement procedures entirely," Baguši said. Aleksandre Ûmdaje, representing the Liberal Party on the Legal Committee, suggested the matter could warrant an investigation into whether ministerial immunity should be lifted.
More troubling for the Prime Minister, coalition partners also joined the criticism. Tamara Iuditeki of the Farmers' and Greens' Union questioned the spending during the session. "We cannot simply rubber-stamp unauthorized expenditures," Iuditeki said. "Parliament exists to provide oversight, not to approve spending after the fact." Maikl Japûski of the United Alliance was even sharper, demanding to know "how many other ministries are operating outside parliamentary control."
The scandal comes as Belani's government has seen its poll numbers recover from a low of 13% in February to 19% currently, now tied with the opposition AL at 19%. While €4.2 million is relatively modest in Agausia's budget, the political damage could be substantial given the government's narrow majority.
The opposition has announced plans to request a full investigation by the Committee for Economy, Budget and Finance. Parliament is scheduled to debate a formal motion next week calling for the establishment of a special investigative committee with subpoena powers. The motion requires 73 votes to pass, meaning it would need support from at least some government backbenchers or coalition partners to succeed.
The Prime Minister's office issued a brief statement after the session, saying Belani "welcomes full transparency" and would provide "complete documentation" of all expenditures to the relevant parliamentary committees. Minister Iličovi declined to speak to reporters as he left the chamber, though reports are circulating that the Interior Ministry has offered his resignation to the Prime Minister, which had not been accepted. The Minister’s office reported that those facts were unequivocally false.
For Prime Minister Belani, the challenge is clear: demonstrate accountability without appearing weak, satisfy coalition partners without alienating his own party, and navigate the scandal without triggering the confidence vote that could end his government. With the government holding just a four-seat cushion and polling showing a dead heat with the opposition, the stakes could hardly be higher.
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