Slovenia appoints first female army chief

Ermenc is first woman Chief of the General Staff of Slovenian army

Major General Alenka Ermenc, newly appointed as chief of the Slovenian Army, smiles in Ljubljana, Slovenia. PHOTO REUTERS

LJUBLJANA:
Slovenia appointed Major General Alenka Ermenc as chief of the army, the government said on Tuesday, making her the only woman in charge of a NATO country’s military.

Ermenc is the first woman Chief of the General Staff of the Slovenian army. She takes over from her predecessor Alan Geder on Wednesday.

Slovenian president likely to be reelected


Ermenc has served in the army since 1991, the year Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. She studied at the Royal College of Defence Studies and King’s College University, both in London.

Her promotion comes after a change of government in September when the centre-left Prime Minister Marjan Sarec took power following a June general election.

 

Recommended Stories