This afternoon, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša, took part in a consultation of mayors of Slovenian municipalities organised with a view to debating regional legislation. After a thorough and lively debate, the majority of mayors supported the suggestion that the Government should resubmit the proposal for a law on the establishment of regions but, this time, partially amended since, as PM Janša pointed out, the prevailing opinion is that establishing regions is a project Slovenia needs as soon as possible in order to ensure faster and more uniform development.

 

(Photo: Bor Slana/Bobo)

 

Based on today’s debate, the Prime Minister expressed his conviction – also shared by a number of mayors – that the earlier rejection of the proposed law by the National Assembly was not directed at any specific solution in the law on the establishment of regions but was rather an expression of political opposition. In his view, the proposal had been overturned without a genuine alternative solution being proposed. “None of those saying there were too many regions had the courage to specify which of the regions should be deleted from the map,” said the Prime Minister.

 

The Prime Minister announced that the Government would draw up the amended law on the establishment of regions and on the basis of that proposal, the standard procedure would follow, including consultation with the opposition. In this, he hoped that the cooperation would be more appropriate and that promises made earlier by a political party, president or head of a group of parliamentary deputies would ultimately be kept.

 

At the end, the Prime Minister said that, at today's consultation, particular emphasis had been placed on the fact that, if fundamental laws on the establishment of regions were not voted through in this term of office, the whole procedure would have to be started afresh in the new term of office of the National Assembly. This, however, would mean that Slovenia’s regionalisation project would theoretically not be completed until the local elections in 2010. “In realistic terms, the date set for the establishment of regions is possible only if the fundamental legislation has already been adopted in the current term of office,” was the Prime Minister’s opinion.