STA, 22 February 2022 - Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković has taken issue with the ruling Democrats (SDS) noting in a series of posts about its achievements that Ljubljana has been assessed as the safest city in Europe, saying that he does not know what SDS president and PM Janez Janša has to do with it.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, Janković said that he was happy that Janša "finally realised that Ljubljana is the most beautiful city in the world", but that he did not know what Janša had to do with it.
The statement refers to the Slovenian capital being named at the beginning of the month as the best destination in Europe in 2022 as part of the European Best Destinations project.
"This is how travellers from all over the world voted," the Ljubljana Urban Municipality said on its website, noting that as many as 92% of all votes intended for Ljubljana had come from other countries.
On that occasion, the SDS published a picture of the Triple Bridge in Ljubljana on Instagram, accompanied with the visual identity that the party uses on pre-election posters and a slogan.
Under the post, the SDS said: "More than half a million travellers from 182 countries voted for the best and safest European destinations in 2022. Our beautiful Ljubljana is in the first place!"
Janković took exception to this, wondering how the SDS could even imagine taking credit for Ljubljana being declared the safest city.
He noted the role of the ruling party in fencing off the parliament building during anti-government protests and using tear gas and water cannon on people, also in Tivoli Park.
Janković said that "Janša is afraid of the election, as he has no better ideas than copying the ideas of the Ljubljana municipality", in reference to the SDS allegedly appropriating a slogan six years ago.
He noted that when he had taken office as mayor during the first Janša government, Ljubljana had been stripped of EUR 57 million in budget funds a year, or EUR 800 million in the 15 years of his mayorship. "But the election will show the true result."
