Politics
STA, 21 December 2020 - The December public opinion poll carried out by pollster Ninamedia for the newspapers Večer and Dnevnik shows some changes for the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi), whereas the ruling Democrats (SDS) remain the strongest political party. The government support has meanwhile further dropped.
The SDS leads the way with 20.6%, followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) with 11.8% and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) with 11.7%.
The opposition Left garnered 9.1% support - its best result in a Vox Populi poll this year - to place fourth.
The coalition NSi dropped to its lowest this year - from 6.5% in January to 3.8% in December, its worst result in 2020.
It thus came close to the sixth-placed DeSUS party, which improved its position from 2.5% in November to 3.7% after leaving the government coalition last week.
The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) garnered 2.9%, the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) 2.2%, the opposition National Party (SNS) 2% and the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) 0.1%.
Another 23.5% of those polled did not know which party they would vote for and another 6.9% would not go to the polls at all.
Judging by the voters who clearly stated their party preferences, the SDS would win 29 seats in the 90-strong parliament in a general election was held last weekend.
The SD and the LMŠ would each get 16 seats, the Left 13, DeSUS and NSi each 5 and SAB 4. The other parties would not enter parliament.
The informal KUL coalition members - the SD, LMŠ, Left and SAB - would thus have a combined 49 seats, and 54 if joined by DeSUS.
On the other hand, the SDS and NSi would have a total of 34 MPs between them.
The poll also shows low government support, with 64.9% saying it performed unsuccessfully and 30.9% successfully.
The respondents were also asked whether they supported the Constitutional Arch Coalition's (KUL) plan to file a vote of no-confidence in the Janez Janša government, with slightly more than 48% saying yes and slightly more than 45% no.
As for the popularity of politicians, President Borut Pahor remains at the top of the rankings, followed by MEP Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) and now already former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar, who overtook SD leader and MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D).
The poll was carried out among 700 adults between 15 and 17 December.
STA, 21 December 2020 - The coalition has tabled a bill that would redraw some electoral districts in line with a 2018 Constitutional Court decision, after a rival opposition bill that would have abolished districts altogether failed to garner the required two-thirds majority in the National Assembly last week.
The wording of the bill has not been made public yet, but it is likely to include a proposal drawn up by the Public Administration Ministry.
In landmark ruling in 2018, the Constitutional Court gave the National Assembly two years to ensure compliance of electoral law with the Constitution after determining that some district sizes were so disproportionate the equality of all voters was no longer guaranteed.
Two ways of tackling this issue quickly emerged: one where districts would be abolished altogether in favour of electoral unit voting with preference votes, and a second where the boundaries of some districts would be redrawn.
The first option was always seen as more difficult given that it required a two-thirds majority. The second option requires a simple majority.
The ruling Democrats (SDS) have been in favour of the redrawing of districts and together with the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) they successfully blocked last week's attempt at the abolition of districts.
After two failed attempts, it is expected that the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi), which have been in favour of the abolition of districts, could now back this bill as well.
Under the Constitutional Court's decision, the new system ought to have been in place by today. In recent months President Borut Pahor, who initially spearheaded the effort to build a consensus around the legislative changes, has indicated any elections before the law is changed might be considered unconstitutional and illegitimate.
STA, 20 December 2020 - The Centre for Information, Cooperation and Development of NGOs (CNVOS) has warned the most recent corona crisis package, adopted by the government on Saturday, envisaged the abolishment of the state's fund for NGOs, the only systemic source of state funding for NGOs in Slovenia.
The abolishment will take money from volunteer networks, the Caritas, and sports organisations, among others, and stop the development of NGOs and drawing of EU funds, CNVOS said, wondering how this would help mitigate the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic.
The senior coalition Democratic Party (SDS)"slipped the abolishment" into the seventh corona package, CNVOS said. "They have tried to do this this twice in recent months but without success. This time they managed to force the abolishment."
"The NGO fund is a thorn in the side of the biggest government party because it is the only systemic source of funding for non-governmental organisations, and the government cannot wilfully strip it of the money because it is protected by the NGOs act. Therefore the SDS now wants to change the act," CNVOS said in a press release.
Without state funding, there will be no more independent work in human rights, transparency, fight against corruption, fake news, hate speech, as well as a number of social projects designed to help vulnerable groups, CNVOS said.
The EUR 5.2 million fund also finances EU-funded projects and by losing this source, NGOs will not be able to get EU funding. None of this has ever been nor can it be funded by individual ministries, the press release said.
It added that the government tried to divert the attention from this move by proposing a 0.5% increase in personal income tax donations, which would amount to EUR 4.7 million. NGOs have been in favour of this for a long time, but this cannot substitute state funding, because these are completely different forms of funding.
Tax donations go primarily to people's local associations, such as firefighter societies, sport clubs and cultural associations. On average, NGOs get EUR 913 per year from tax donations, with nearly 800 NGOs receiving less than EUR 5, CNVOS said.
Meanwhile, the NGOs fund has a completely different purpose, the press release said. It is the only source of state funding used for development and innovation in NGOs. Moreover, funding from the fund is considerably higher on average than tax donations.
Economist Matej Lahovik, who is advising the government on corona crisis measures meanwhile told Radio Slovenija that NGO received between EUR 300 million and EUR 400 million from various ministries.
The changes do not interfere with these funds but only with the distribution of tax donations. Currently donations that have not been donated to a particular NGO are distributed by an expert commission.
"We are talking about four to five million euro that were being distributed by politically-appointed expert commissions and now people will have the opportunity to give them to chosen associations directly," said Lahovnik.
The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 18 December 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here
Mladina: Govt acting like Trump regarding epidemic
STA, 18 December 2020 – Mladina, the left-leaning weekly, says in its latest commentary that if it only appeared in the last few months that, in fighting the Covid-19 epidemic the Slovenian government was doing exactly what Donald Trump was doing until his defeat in the US presidential election, this has now become completely transparent.
"[PM] Janez Janša cares about the dead and infected and the raging of the epidemic like his role model Donald Trump does. And the same is true for his party. Trump followed capital and benefits that he could himself indirectly gain from this capital, and Janša is doing the same here. Everything negative that happens is only collateral damage of that fight for authority and power."
In the commentary headlined How Many More Dead?, the left-leaning weekly adds that the government's fight against the epidemic is completely falling apart, and that there is no professional logic in its measures, as everything is only a political battle.
All serious and even less serious experts have given up and withdrawn, and MPs have no other option than to seriously weigh their power and responsibility, as the current government has started working in a completely opposite direction.
"The chaos suits it. Janša is aware that he is not capable of salvaging the situation, that he has no one who would give him the impression that the measures are logical and justified. And this is why this government no longer deals with the epidemic, it is now only about keeping power and extending the term."
While countries with incomparably better epidemiological situation started introducing stricter measures, Slovenia relaxed the lockdown. "Remember when Trump did not want to halt public life? How he ridiculed Europe? How the interests of capital were preferred to the right to live? Everything we saw in America, we can now observe in Slovenia."
Mladina concludes by saying that the public hopes that MPs of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will understand where Slovenia is at and that they will be able to admit that they were wronged. "Perhaps even New Slovenia (NSi) should think about where this government has taken us."
Reporter: Fight with epidemic lost due to distrust in govt
STA, 14 December 2020 – Reporter, the right-leaning weekly, says in its latest commentary that the Janez Janša government is losing the trust of people as one of the key elements in battling the epidemic, and that it has never been closer to its end than today. The longer the political agony lasts, the longer Slovenia will be running idle in fighting the epidemic, it adds.
The weekly wonders in the commentary Running Idle why Slovenia has failed to stop the epidemic, saying that one of the reasons is certainly that the government reacted too late, when the spread of the epidemic could not be stopped any more.
While neighbouring countries are opening up, Slovenia is in a lockdown and all there restrictions are taking too long and people are tired of restrictive measures, "especially when they see that the ruling party abuses them to consolidate power."
It is hard to convince people that protesters or the opposition are to blame for the spread of the epidemic, which is something that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek of the Modern Centre Party (SMS) has also figured out.
Unlike the leaders of the largest coalition party, the Democrats (SDS), he has pointed to the responsibility of the current government, including the dwindling trust in PM Janez Janša, Reporter says, commending Počivalšek for calling a spade a spade.
If people have the feeling that the government unnecessarily restricts their fundamental rights instead of protecting their heath, the war against the epidemic is lost.
As for Janša, Reporter says that his "ideological behaviour does not bother only the opposition supporters, but also members of the coalition parties such as the SMC and DeSUS. It is no wonder, then, that Janša's government has never been closer to its end than today."
Karl Erjavec has returned as Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) president to take the "first step towards the downfall of the third Janša government" by publicly rejecting the possibility of serving in the government as minister.
Erjavec has launched the process of DeSUS leaving the government only to be slowed down by DeSUS deputies, but the question is how much longer can they "save Janša's government with their stubbornness before it falls apart by itself."
All our posts in this series are here
What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.
FRIDAY, 11 December
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša labelled the compromise reached by EU leaders over the recovery package a typical European solution, a win-win situation with no absolute winners or losers. The winner is the EU since an opportunity for actually implementing the package as of 1 January 2021 was unlocked, he said.
VATICAN CITY, Vatican - A Slovenian delegation was received by Pope Francis, and Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with Bishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states within the Holy See's Secretariat of State, before a 30-metre spruce from Slovenia came aglow with Christmas lights in St Peter's Square. Logar said the tree was Slovenia's thank-you to the Holy See for its support before and after Slovenia declared independence nearly 30 years ago.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor reiterated his stance that EU prospects for the Western Balkans are the main geopolitical issue bearing on European stability, as he addressed the To Be Secure forum. His wish is for the entire region to join the EU.
LJUBLJANA - The Government Communication Office (UKOM) responded to a letter by Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović concerning the funding of the STA. UKOM head Uroš Urbanija repeated the argument that the STA was obligated to provide UKOM with all the requested documents.
LJUBLJANA - Rating agency Standard & Poor's affirmed Slovenia's AA- rating with a stable outlook. The step acknowledges that Slovenia "remains a stable country in the long run despite the difficult situation due to Covid-19", the Finance Ministry said.
LJUBLJANA/NOVO MESTO - Ljubljana and Novo Mesto police said they had launched an investigation into posters and graffiti which appeared in both cities and labelled some medical experts exposed during the coronavirus epidemic "murderers of the Slovenian nation".
SATURDAY, 12 December
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - President Borut Pahor called on the leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina to focus on the country's economic and social challenges together, as he addressed by video link a ceremony in Sarajevo marking the 25th anniversary of the Dayton agreement, which ended the war in the country.
PLANICA - Germany's Karl Geiger won the individual event of the Planica Ski Flying World Championship with a total of 877.2 points after a nail-biting finish in which the second-placed Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway fell behind by only half a point after four rounds of jumping.
SUNDAY, 13 December
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to temporarily ease some restrictions starting on 15 December. Under new rules, public transportation restarted nationwide. Hair salons, flower shops, car washes and dry cleaners reopened. In four regions with the best epidemiological situation - Central Slovenia, Goriška, Obalno-Kraška and Gorenjska - footwear, apparel and sports equipment shops as well as car dealerships opened.
CLEVELAND, US - The Slovenian Consulate General in Cleveland announced that Edward Gobetz, an esteemed Slovenian American philosopher, sociologist and anthropologist, a professor emeritus at Kent State University, had died, aged 94, of Covid-19 complications.
VAL D'ISERE, France - Martin Čater won the first World Cup downhill of the season in what is the first podium finish for the 27-year-old Slovenian, who entered the race with the start number 41.
PLANICA - Norway won the team event at the Ski Flying World Championships at Slovenia's Planica, overtaking Germany in the last round as Halvor Egner Granerud performed better than Karl Geiger, who beat the Norwegian on Saturday in the individual event. Slovenia bounced back from the turmoil in their ranks by finishing fourth.
ROGAŠKA SLATINA - Voters in the municipality of Rogaška Slatina confirmed plans by the local government to erect the tallest observation tower in Slovenia. At a cost of over two million euro, the 106-metre tower is designed to become one of the landmarks in a community best known for spa tourism.
MONDAY, 14 December
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told parliament that it had been Italy and Croatia's "good will" to invite Slovenia for talks on their plans to declare their exclusive economic zones in the Adriatic Sea. The two countries have the right to declare the zones and it is solely because of "our reputation".???
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told the MPs in parliament Slovenia was in for a "very demanding fight with the last third of the Covid-19 epidemic", after which time would come to eliminate the consequences. He said the EU's recent agreement on the EUR 1.8 trillion recovery package "makes the light at the end of the tunnel brighter".
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after an EU ministerial that the positions of EU member states on solidarity in the new migration pact remained different. Slovenia remains against obligatory relocation, just like nine other members states.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar reiterated Slovenia's support for giving cooperation between the EU and Latin American and the Caribbean a fresh impetus as he took part in an informal EU-LAC meeting. He said the Covid-19 pandemic showed the importance of close cooperation.
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption closed its investigation into the case of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak's purchase of Petrol shares ahead of the full liberalisation of fuel prices after concluding that this is not within its purview. It handed the case over to the Securities Market Agency.
LJUBLJANA - The suspension of STA financing has led to criminal charges filed by both sides. The STA's in-house trade union reported Government Communication Office (UKOM) head Uroš Urbanija to the prosecution over abuse of office. Urbanija filed charges against STA director Bojan Veselinovič, former UKOM head Kristina Plavšak Krajnc and four STA supervisors. Prime Minister Janez Janša told parliament the government was not interfering in the STA.
TUESDAY, 15 December
LJUBLJANA, - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption launched multiple probes into purchases of personal protective equipment in spring. Eight persons are under investigation, including Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Ivan Gale, the former Commodity Reserves Agency employee who first made allegations of irregularities. Počivalšek said he would fully cooperate in the investigation to clear his name.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - PM Janez Janša met ambassadors of EU member states accredited to Slovenia, an event organised by the German EU presidency. He answered questions from ambassadors concerning the most recent EU summit, the main challenges for next year and Slovenia's preparations for its EU presidency in the second half of 2021.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his counterpart Stefan Blok as part of his working visit to the Netherlands to discuss cooperation, Slovenia's EU presidency and topical issues. Logar also held separate meetings with the heads of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the International Criminal Court.
POSTOJNA - Ahead of a two-day ministerial of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) in Postojna, Defence Minister Matej Tonin met his Croatian counterpart Mario Banožić and Austria's Klaudia Tanner. The talks focused on bilateral cooperation in the fields of military and defence and on cooperation within the EU.
LJUBLJANA - Banka Slovenije, Slovenia's central bank, expects the economy to contract by 7.6% this year before growing at a rate of 3.1% in 2021, a sharp downgrade from its forecast in June, when it projected a 6.5% contraction for this year and growth of 4.9% for 2021. The forecast hinges on the successful rollout of coronavirus vaccines.
LJUBLJANA - Public and private investors, including the government, signed a memorandum to cooperate in the construction of a EUR 387 million passenger terminal in Slovenia's capital. The project comprises a new railway station, along with appertaining track infrastructure and platforms, a coach station with a multi-storey car park and a commercial hub.
LJUBLJANA - Bojana Beović, the infectious disease specialist who heads the group advising the government on Covid-19, was elected head of the Medical Chamber. Out of the 5,895 ballots cast by members in a runoff, she won 3,154 against Tanja Petkovič, the head of the chamber's section of care home doctors.
WEDNESDAY, 16 December
STRASBOURG, France - The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it does not have jurisdiction to hear a case brought by Slovenia against Croatia over debt owed to Ljubljanska Banka (LB) by Croatian companies, because LB lacks non-governmental status.
POSTOJNA - The experiences of individual armies in helping to fight the Covid-19 epidemic and the strengthening of cooperation with Western Balkan countries were in the focus of a two-day meeting of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC). Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin and his Hungarian counterpart Tibor Benko expressed support for the long-term stability of the region.
LJUBLJANA - Railways operator Slovenske Železnice signed a strategic logistics and cargo partnership with EP Holding. The Czech holding will become the owner of a 49% stake of Slovenske Železnice's cargo division SŽ-Tovorni Promet. The partnership is pending regulatory approval.
LJUBLJANA - Atlantic Droga Kolinska, Belinka Perkemija, TKK and iSystem Labs were honoured as best foreign investors for their excellent business performance and contribution to the development of the Slovenian economy. The awards are given out annually by the SPIRIT investment promotion agency and the economy ministry.
LJUBLJANA - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič, cyclist Primož Roglič and the men's handball team are this year's crème de la crème of Slovenian sports as selected by the Association of Sports Journalists. Both the athletes and the team received the top sports awards at the 2020 Athlete of the Year ceremony.
THURSDAY, 17 December
LJUBLJANA - The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) left the government coalition with immediate effect and its top decision-making body backed party leader Karl Erjavec as a candidate for prime minister-designate. The move brings the informal Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL) a step closer to a no-confidence vote in the Janez Janša government, but it remains several votes short of a majority.
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Fully upholding the European Commission's position, the European Court of Justice ruled that Slovenia breached the inviolability of ECB archives in a 2016 police search of archives at the country's central bank that was part of an investigation into the 2013 bank bailout. The court's Grand Chamber also found Slovenia in breach of the obligation of sincere cooperation with the EU.
LJUBLJANA - The government formally extended the state of coronavirus epidemic by 30 days beginning on 18 December. However, more shops, including those selling technical goods, tree and plant nurseries as well as shops with goods for installation, maintenance and repair services will reopen for five days, from 19 to 23 December. In the four regions with the lowest number of cases, additional shops will be allowed to open.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor, the supreme commander of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), promoted Chief of the General Staff Robert Glavaš to the rank of major general. The promotion is according to Pahor a result of Glavaš's excellent military career and his results at all SAF levels as well as of the experiences he gained in missions abroad and in NATO structures.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed in a 43:36 vote a bill amending the criminal procedure act. Based on the freedom of information act, the changes make it possible for anyone to access prosecution or court records in criminal procedures if there are no reservations for such access.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed a reform bill on motor vehicles tax as a result of which most car and motorbike buyers will pay less tax, especially buyers of more powerful vehicles. The levy will depend on emissions.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the tonnage tax act extending by another ten years a special regulation under which shipping companies pay an alternative form of corporate income tax.
LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije signed a loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) worth up to EUR 100 million for the expansion of its fibre optic network through 2023. The EIB funds will allow it to finance the continued expansion and upgrade of its network with gigabit speeds, both in urban centres and rural areas.
STA, 18 December STA - Health Minister Tomaž Gantar tendered his resignation on Friday after his Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) decided to leave the coalition. Prime Minister Janez Janša has notified parliament of his decision.
"I've always tried to do my job conscientiously, with all due responsibility and commitment. I believe we did important work together," Gantar said in his letter of resignation.
After DeSUS quit the coalition yesterday, party leader Karl Erjavec initially said it would be up to Janša to decide what to do with both DeSUS ministers, Gantar and Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek.
It was later pointed out, by Janša and several others, that DeSUS bylaws require ministers to resign if the party leaves the coalition.
STA, 17 December 2020 - The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) left the government coalition on Thursday and its top decision-making body also backed party leader Karl Erjavec as a candidate for prime minister-designate. The move brings the informal Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL) a step closer to a no-confidence vote, but it remains several votes short of a majority.
Erjavec explained that DeSUS was exiting the coalition because of the critical situation in Slovenia, adding that the reason was not the epidemic or work of individual ministers, but the policies pursued by Janša.
"We don't have any major remarks as far as the coalition agreement is concerned, but the problem is in procedures bypassing the coalition agreement, especially when it comes to ideological topics and interference in the media."
Erjavec also mentioned the developments in the police and "huge pressure on all important social sub-systems", adding that "we don't want an 'Orbanisation' of Slovenia, and autocratic system".
As for foreign policy, DeSUS wants Slovenia to "hop back onto the Franco-German train and we want to be in the group of core EU countries". For this to happen, Slovenia needs a different government, he said.
Two of the five DeSUS MPs backed the decision by the party's council, and while Erjavec expects the deputy group to follow suit, this is not certain yet.
Two MPs have not made their position clear yet, while one, Robert Polnar, has publicly stated he will continue supporting the coalition and is expected to be excluded from the party and the deputy group shortly.
The two DeSUS cabinet members, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar and Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, will not resign, according to Erjavec, who said it was up to the prime minister to decide when they would be dismissed.
Janša responded on Twitter by pointing to a provision in the DeSUS's bylaw which says that if the party leaves a coalition, the ministers must resign or lose their party membership.
"It is difficult to cooperate with someone who's not even in compliance with their own bylaws... Confusion is the last thing we need in this utterly serious situation."
The parties that make up KUL welcomed the decision and said they would now like to file a vote of no-confidence in the Janša government as soon as possible, presumably before the end of the year.
While they support DeSUS leader Karl Erjavec as a candidate for prime minister-designate, the formal decision is to be taken by the parties' top bodies.
All eyes will now be on the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), without which the centre-left does not have enough votes to topple the government.
SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek said he wanted the party to remain in government to implement the coalition agreement and continue to fight the epidemic. "The times call for operative and substantive politics, not for toppling [the government] and for an ideological battle."
The SMC is very happy with how its agenda is being implemented in this government, but Počivalšek admitted it was "bothered by some moves by the main coalition party".
Unofficial information indicates the SMC deputy group could meet on Friday. According to multiple media reports, some MPs may be willing to defect to KUL, but it is unclear how many.
If four DeSUS MPs join the KUL coalition, it will still be three votes short of the 46 needed for the vote of no-confidence to succeed.
Additionally, one Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) MP is reportedly seriously ill and is unlikely to be able to cast his vote given that a no-confidence vote requires a secret ballot, which is not something the current system of remote voting allows.
DeSUS's decision to quit the government does not mean the story is over, there is still a long way to a constructive vote of no-confidence in the Janša government, political analysts Rok Čakš and Aljaž Pengov Bitenc said.
They also see the Left as a source of instability in a potential new government.
STA, 17 December 2020 - The council of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) voted in favour of a proposal by the party's executive committee that DeSUS leave the current coalition and back party leader Karl Erjavec as a candidate for prime minister-designate.
The decision on the fate of the government ministers who are members of DeSUS is on Prime Minister Janez Janša, Erjavec said.
Erjavec told the press he expected that the DeSUS deputy group would follow the decision that was backed by 37 out of the 47 DeSUS members who voted today. Support for Erjavec as a candidate for prime minister-designate was expressed by 40 members.
The DeSUS president said that the vote had been attended by DeSUS deputy group head Franc Jurša and MP Jurij Lep, both of whom backed the proposal to exit the coalition headed by the Democrats (SDS) of PM Janez Janša.
He added that MP Branko Simonovič had already announced he would support and respect the decisions of the party's main bodies, and he expects the same from MP Ivan Hršak. Erjavec plans to meet the deputy group on Friday.
However, one of the five MPs, noted Erjavec critic Robert Polnar, is to be expelled from the party, in line with the proposal from the executive committee.
This is up to the local chapter where Polnar hails from (Šentjur), said Erjavec, who expects that Polnar will be expelled from DeSUS as early as on Friday or at the beginning of the next week. He would also be expelled from the DeSUS deputy group.
The government ministers who are members of DeSUS, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar and Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, will not resign, it is up to the prime minister to decide when they will be dismissed.
Gantar has an important role at the moment and we do not want him to leave just like that and "leave the prime minister in uncertainty," Erjavec said.
He explained that DeSUS was exiting the coalition because of the critical situation in Slovenia, adding that the reason was not the epidemic or work of individual ministers, but the policies pursued by Janša.
"We don't have any major remarks as far as the coalition agreement is concerned, but the problem is in procedures bypassing the coalition agreement, especially when it comes to ideological topics and interference in the media."
Erjavec also mentioned the developments in the police and "huge pressure on all important social sub-systems", adding that "we don't want an 'Orbanisation' of Slovenia, and autocratic system."
As for foreign policy, DeSUS wants Slovenia to "hop back onto the Franco-German train and we want to be in the group of core EU countries." For this to happen, Slovenia needs a different government, he said.
Gantar said that the decision to leave the coalition was logical considering the developments in the political arena, adding that he would stay on as health minister until there was no other solution, as the situation healthcare was serious.
Asked to comment on Janša's statement that he should dedicate himself to preparations for Covid-19 vaccination instead of taking down the government, he said his team had invested so much effort in recent months that such statements were "out of place."
Erjavec is already in talks with the leaders of the four centre-left parties that make up the informal Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), which wants to unseat the government with a constructive vote of no confidence.
The vote requires the proponents to muster an absolute majority in parliament and put forward a candidate for prime minister-designate.
STA, 15 December 2020 - Roma settlements in Slovenia are at a high risk of becoming coronavirus hotspots due to poor living conditions, the Črnomelj Union for Roma Community Development has warned at an online conference on Monday, noting that special attention should be devoted to the community as a vulnerable group.
"The situation is alarming since we do not have means in place in Roma settlements to prevent the further spread of the virus," said Zvonko Golobič, the organisation's head.
He pointed out that the Roma had been mostly heeding prevention measures, however, the community faced major problems during the coronavirus crisis.
Many Roma families live together in a single room and thus struggle to self-isolate when needed. Remote schooling poses another issue since children seek help with school tasks from community members and may thus spread the infection.
Numerous families do not have access to drinking water, Golobič highlighted. Add to that poor health among Roma people compared to the general population and it becomes clear that the community is at a greater risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19, he said, urging the authorities to do all they could to prevent the situation from exacerbating.
A study by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) released last year shows that the average Roma dies almost 20 years earlier than a member of Slovenia's general population. Roma toddlers aged one to four are seven times more likely to die than non-Roma children of that age.
Asked whether the government had an action plan in the event of a surge in infections in Roma settlements, government Covid-19 spokesman Jelko Kacin said it did not.
"Not at the state level. This is a problem that needs to be managed at the local level," he said, adding that local epidemiologists should assess the situation and propose measures to prevent any escalations.
"One cannot perform miracles overnight," Kacin commented on living conditions in Roma settlements, adding that clean water could be provided in settlements where water access was a burning issue but that the water distribution system could not be build so quickly if it had not been built for years.
Medical director of the Novo Mesto hospital Milivoj Piletič said that it did not help the situation that Roma people often did not have their own GPs selected or participated in prevention programmes.
The vaccination rate among Roma children is low, he warned, stressing the importance of raising awareness about Covid-19 and necessary measures.
Golobič thinks such efforts are not enough though. "We will not stop the virus by only raising awareness. Something more must be done."
Bonia Miljavac, the head of the NIJZ Novo Mesto regional unit, said that measures and procedures related to Covid-19 were based on equal treatment of all Slovenian residents.
The same will apply to vaccination procedures, she said, adding that the NIJZ had published a special Covid-19 leaflet translated into various Roma dialects in cooperation with the Roma Information Centre and the Union of Roma Communities.
The Roma community is strong in the north-eastern Prekmurje region, Bela Krajina in the south, Posavje in the east and the south-eastern Dolenjska region. The Council of Europe estimates that roughly 8,500 Roma live in Slovenia, however the figure ranges from 7,000 to 12,000 according to various institutions.
All our stories on the Roma community in Slovenia
STA, 15 December2020 - The top bodies of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will meet on Thursday to discuss whether or not the party should leave the coalition, party leader Karl Erjavec said on Tuesday, noting that there was pressure from the rank-and-file, dissatisfied with the government's work.
Erjavec made the statement after meeting the leaders of the four centre-left parties that make up the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), which wants to unseat the government with a vote of no confidence that requires the proponents to muster an absolute majority in parliament and put forward a candidate for prime minister-designate.
While the parties initially coalesced around the economist Jože P. Damijan, Erjavec has been offered the job of prime minister as well. Erjavec said today he was indeed one of the candidates, subject to approval by the party's decision-making bodies.
Listing the reasons why DeSUS should leave the coalition, Erjavec said the party membership was dissatisfied with ideological issues, attacks on the media, and Slovenia's closer relations with Hungary and Poland. The government is also at a loss for solutions about the coronavirus epidemic.
However, DeSUS alone joining KUL will not be enough to form a new government coalition. In response to Erjavec's announcement today, Zdravko Počivalšek, the head of the junior coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), which has also been wooed by KUL, again rejected the possibility of leaving the coalition.
He said he wanted to finish what the coalition had started and reiterated the party's position that a constructive vote of no confidence would be an irresponsible and destructive move at a time when the country is amidst an epidemic.
The opposition Left meanwhile welcomed Erjavec's announcement, also expressing hope that a part of SMC MPs would leave the party in the wake of news that Počivalšek is being investigated by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption over personal protective equipment purchasing.
Meanwhile, Marjan Šarec, the head of the namesake opposition party LMŠ, said he would endorse Erjavec for prime minister.
Erjavec returned as party leader in early December after an eight-month hiatus and has since made several steps seen as an attempt at a break with the coalition, including by declaring he did not wish to be a minister in a Janez Janša government.
Last week Erjavec reportedly proposed to the DeSUS deputy group that the party should leave the coalition, but his effort was thwarted after four of the five DeSUS MPs rejected the move.
Indeed, deputy Robert Polnar, an outspoken critic of Erjavec, said four MPs were willing to quit the party and go independent unless "things calm down".
Now, Erjavec said the party's council would vote on a motion to exclude Polnar, which he said should mean he would also be ejected from the deputy group.
Erjavec says the motion came from the municipal unit of the party of which Polnar is a member, with allegations ranging from inappropriate statements to insulting the party.
Polnar decried Erjavec's premiership ambitions as an experiment, likening the recent meeting with him to "a surrealist German film" in which the protagonist does not know whether or not he is in a dream.
In today's response for the STA, the MP said this was not an important issue for him at the moment as he was preoccupied with the latest anti-coronavirus legislative package as the chair of the parliamentary Finance Committee.
"It seems to me that this is much more important for the country than me dealing with Karl Erjavec," he said, adding that he had a seat in parliament in line with the constitution.
"I'm not bound by any instructions and I will not be bound by any instructions in the future," Polnar concluded.
STA, 14 December 2020 - School will continue remotely at least until the end of the year given the demanding epidemiological situation. This is to protect the health of teachers as well as children, Education Minister Simona Kustec said on Monday.
Kustec said remote learning was generally going well and without major problems, and in the current circumstances it is the best possible way to ensure the right to education.
When the epidemiological situation improves, the priority will be to open schools, first for children in the first three years of primary school and for special-needs children.
Children with special needs will return to school as soon as experts give the green light. "We don't have this assessment yet," she told reporters on the margins of a National Assembly session.
After almost two months of severe restrictions, the government decided to relax some measures starting tomorrow. Schools are not included in the relaxation package.
The president of the Slovenian Headmasters' Association, Gregor Pečan, told the STA the decision was expected but expressed concern that industries with strong lobbying power might disrupt the course of restriction easing as laid out recently by the government.
He said that some of the easing planned for tomorrow caused confusion and uncertainty among teachers. "If this is only about the ability of individual lobbies to influence, this is unusual, at the very least, while I personally believe it is bad for citizens."
Even though he supports the efforts of the industrial chambers, Pečan is worried that the scheme of restriction easement will indeed work the way it has been set out. In case of lobbying, Pečan doubts the relevance of declaring the five epidemic stages that lay the foundation to restrict or impose different restrictions.
Commenting on Kustec's position that remote schooling was going without major issues, Pečan said: "It's definitely going better than in the first wave".
There are however still some technical issues, and parents find it harder to help their children because many more are working now than in the spring, he said.
