Mr Vesel expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for the confidence he had shown in him: "I decided to accept the nomination with sincere intentions for the benefit of Slovenia. However, President von der Leyen and I do not share the same vision of how the European Commission should operate. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for the good of the Republic of Slovenia. My hope for Slovenia on this path is that it will finally secure an influential and effective policy department. I firmly believe that only the most competent individuals have been and will continue to be candidates for this post."

Prime Minister Golob has accepted Vesel's resignation and has already held talks with coalition partners regarding the next steps in appointing a new candidate for European Commissioner. He will also inform the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia demonstrated unity and unanimity in nominating Tomaž Vesel as a member of the European Commission. It believes that Mr Vesel's extensive experience and expertise would make a significant contribution to the effective functioning of the European Commission and represent Slovenia's interests within the European Union. Given that Mr Vesel has chosen to withdraw his candidacy, the Prime Minister respects his decision. Regardless of this decision, we appreciate the professionalism he has demonstrated in his past roles and throughout the European Commissioner-designate procedure. We hope Mr Vesel will continue to make his expertise available in Slovenia.  

The Slovenian Government will discuss the new candidate on Monday, 9 September 2024. This will be followed by a presentation before the competent committee in the National Assembly. Once the legal procedures have been completed, the Prime Minister will inform President von der Leyen of the new candidate.