By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, December 5, 2025. Article n°1926
Slovenia has decided to delay approving its planned purchase of Patria AMV XP 8×8 armored vehicles from Finland until after the next parliamentary election, effectively stalling the deal for the current government term.
What Slovenia is delaying
Slovenia had signed a letter of intent with Finland in February 2025 to buy roughly 100–106 Patria AMV XP 8×8 armored vehicles, a package estimated at about 695 million euros, which would be one of the largest defense procurements in the country’s history. The vehicles are intended to modernize the Slovenian Armed Forces and equip medium battalion formations after an earlier Boxer vehicle deal was canceled.
Official reasons vs political reality
Officially, the Ministry of Defence says the Patria project is still “progressing” but needs additional time to add modern features such as anti‑drone capabilities and modular upgrades, which lengthen the schedule.
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Politically, the current cabinet is postponing a final purchase decision to avoid alienating parts of its voter base ahead of elections expected in March 2026, since such a large, high‑profile military outlay is politically sensitive, in this country bordering Croatia and Hungary.
Domestic debate and criticism
Opposition figures, including former defence minister Matej Tonin, argue that the delay wastes time and increases costs, noting that under the previously canceled Boxer contract the army would already have dozens of vehicles delivered by now. Critics say restarting or stretching the process risks higher prices due to inflation and strong global demand for armored vehicles, and they urge the government not to “start from scratch” but to move forward quickly with an agreed plan.
Government position going forward
A Slovenian Defence Ministry spokesperson maintains that the Patria acquisition has not been suspended and that work continues on refining requirements and technical specifications. The plan is that any formal cabinet approval of the large multi‑hundred‑million‑euro contract will likely be left to the next government after the 2026 election.
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