STA, 4 September 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša dismissed at the annual meeting of Slovenian diplomats on Friday concerns Slovenia is drifting away from the EU's core countries, saying the "saga about a core Europe" was a false dilemma that testified a lack of confidence. However, Slovenia does not have an inferiority complex, added Janša.
"When we were deciding on EU accession in the referendum, we did not vote for an EU that would feature first- and second-class countries," Janša said in his address at Brdo pri Kranju.
Slovenija drugih članic #EU, svojih partnerjev, ne deli na prvo in drugorazredne. To bi bilo v nasprotju z našimi interesi ter s črko in duhom Lizbonske pogodbe. ?? nima kompleksa manjvrednosti, v EU se počuti povsem enakopravno. Obstoječih delitev ne hranimo, ampak jih blažimo.
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) August 26, 2020
"We believed in equality and equal standards for everybody," Janša added in the wake of debates that have included President Borut Pahor expressing concern over an emerging east-west divide in the EU and opposition criticism about Slovenia deepening ties with countries accused of regressing in terms of democracy, human rights and media freedom.
The prime minister said Slovenia was looking for various alliances in the EU, since the EU "is an alliance of compromises". Excluding certain alliances in advance would be imprudent, he argued.
Janša pointed out that Slovenia unsuccessfully backed the idea of so-called eurobonds to help finance Europe's recovery after the coronacrisis. The idea had strong support in Italy in Spain, hit the worst, he added, while stressing Slovenia would never forget that it was the Czech Republic that first came to Slovenia's aid with a shipment of face masks.
Continuing on the topic of the Covid-19 pandemic, Janša expressed hope a vaccine or cure would come soon. The forecasts are upbeat "but we are in for few more difficult months".
Pogovor s predsednikom največje evropske stranke #ELS @donaldtuskEPP o izzivih #Koronovirus in političnih razmerah v #EU. pic.twitter.com/WwmLitOdZW
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) September 4, 2020
He hopes for a more harmonised EU approach to measures aimed at containing the virus, even though countries are again acting in a fairly individual fashion.
Janša was critical about the EU failing to coordinate reactions to the pandemic even at the level of experts. This is already happening the second time in a year. "But neither Slovenia nor other European countries can afford another lockdown of public life," he said.
Janša argued some time had been bought at the July EU summit and praised the fast reactions of European financial institutions as well as the IMF.
Europe is meanwhile also facing a tough future because of Brexit, which Janša labelled a strategic disaster that will hurt the EU for a long time to come. "We who are staying on will have bigger problems than those who are leaving," he added.
New balances are now being sought in the EU, but the coordination and search for joint decisions has not become easier because there is one member fewer, Janša argued.
Slovenia meanwhile remains a proponent of European coordination and a deepening of integration. It supports the expansion of the Schengen and euro areas.
It moreover supports enlargement to the Western Balkans. The stability of the region is of strategic importance for both the EU and Slovenia and EU membership prospects remain the best method in this respect, Janša said.
In the coming days the EU also faces discussions on Belarus and the oil- and gas-related territorial tensions between Greece and Turkey.
Janša said that given Slovenia's EU and NATO memberships there could be no dilemma as to which side Slovenia will take. It is necessary to share both the benefits and problems, while compromises must be sought too," he said.
