Today, the leaders of parliamentary parties and deputy groups met to assess the implementation of the coalition agreement, particularly with reference to economic and social reforms. As stressed by the PM after the meeting, the coalition partners agreed that the coalition had been successful in implementing the coalition agreement.

(Photo: Primož Lavre/Salomon 2000)

 

At the meeting, the coalition partners discussed an evaluation and statistics with regard to 702 concrete tasks stipulated in the coalition agreement. Almost a half of the tasks has been carried out, while 40 per cent are currently being realised, and the remainder should be completed by the end of this year or in the next. They also discussed the implementation of a key part of the coalition agreement regarding measures for the modernisation of Slovenia and the implementation of Slovenia's Development Strategy. "The coalition looked at the assessments of the European Commision, the World Bank and a few other European business institutions on the pace of reforms and development. Slovenia's average grade is between four and five, so we are one of the top European countries with regard to the speed of the implementation of the reform measures necessary for the realisation of the Lisbon Strategy. The coalition is satisfied with this grade," said the PM.

 

The partners also discussed other outstanding issues, particularly in connection with the new distribution of powers in the National Assembly following the disintegration of the largest opposition party, which caused some problems. "The coalition agrees that these outstanding issues should be resolved in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, and we are also prepared to guarantee the opposition a majority in the supervisory bodies of the National Assembly," stressed the PM, adding that in accordance with today's agreement this motion would be referred to the parliament and should be approved together with other amendments to the Rules of Procedure which are in the final phase of coordination.

 

According to the PM, the Rules of Procedure wiil have to regulate the legislative and supervisory functions of some working bodies which have recently caused many problems and differences of opinion. "With regard to the supervisory role, no-one in the coalition has anything against implementing a rule according to which the opposition will have the majority in and be at the helm of the supervisory working bodies," stressed the PM, adding that this was what the incumbent coalition demanded when the current opposition was still in the plurality. "Then, the former coalition was not prepared to accede to the proposals for amending the Rules of Procedure. Now, when the situation is reversed, the current coalition is prepared to do this in order to establish and formalise certain democratic standards which will also apply in the future," concluded the PM.