Slovenian Prime Minister Cerar Refused a Conversation with Todorić, Not a Handshake

Shortly after Slovenian media reported that their Prime Minister Miro Cerar refused to shake hands with Todorić, Index sent an inquiry to Cerar's office. Regarding the mentioned event, we were also interested in how Cerar views the takeover of Mercator by Todorić, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.  

However, from the office of the Slovenian Prime Minister, they referred us to a statement published on the pages of Cerar's party, which states that Cerar refused a conversation with Todorić. 

The statement says that "the Prime Minister responsibly and with dignity does his job."

"Miro Cerar has never refused a handshake with anyone and considers a greeting and handshake the most appropriate form of direct contact with other people. Especially since, in the rush of time, it is often the only possible one," the statement reads.

From Cerar's party, they state that at the match, a member of the Supervisory Board of Mercator, Matej Lahovnik, approached him and proposed a conversation with the owner of Agrokor, Ivica Todorić, and the German entrepreneur and chairman of Schalke, Clemens Tönnies.

"The proposed conversation was politely declined by the Prime Minister and party president in front of those present," they conclude from the party.

The portal požareport.si reported that Cerar twice refused a handshake with the owner of Agrokor and the German entrepreneur Clemens Tönnies, owner of the corporation Fleishwerk Tönnies and chairman of Schalke, and that this caused a real scandal. The portal reported that Cerar refused the handshake, emphasizing that in that case he would have to "report both entrepreneurs" to the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption due to an attempt at lobbying.