"It's a historic project," said the Prime Minister, Janez Janša, after today's meeting of leaders of parliamentary parties and groups, where they primarily discussed draft legislation on provinces. According to the PM, the coalition again showed the political will to finally decentralise Slovenia, thus giving a boost to the faster and more uniform development of the whole country.

(Photo: Office of the Prime Minister)

At today's meeting, the coalition went through the second round of negotiations on harmonising the most important acts in the province legislation package, which has also been agreed upon with other parliamentary parties. The PM stressed the coalition largely stands unified on the proposed solutions. The relevant minister will inform other parliamentary parties and the draft will then go through government procedures and then on to a reading by the National Assembly. "In this way we will meet all the necessary deadlines and finish the very demanding and technically comprehensive preparations for the introduction of provinces in Slovenia," stressed the PM.

Representatives of the coalition parties also discussed a report on the implementation of the coalition agreement in the first half of the governments’ term of office.  According to the report, the coalition has completed more than half of the tasks from the coalition agreement. The leaders of parliamentary parties and groups are convinced that they will continue at the same pace, and consequently carry out practically all tasks during this term.

The coalition also discussed a proposal to amend the Protocol on the Work of the Coalition Parties in the National Assembly with a provision stipulating that coalition parties will not support votes of no confidence against cabinet ministers or obstruct sessions of working bodies or the National Assembly. "Actually, this is something which is implicitly assumed – at least according to the three largest coalition parties – while the smallest party disagrees and has a different view," stressed the PM, who decided that the proposal should be withdrawn from the coalition procedure, adding that they would adjust their activities accordingly.

Representatives of the coalition parties also harmonised a few minor discrepancies with regard to the act on the ownership transformation of insurance companies. This must be passed so that the ownership transformation of Zavarovalnica Triglav insurance company can continue. After today's meeting, a normal formal procedure can begin on the basis of which all procedures will meet the given deadlines.