NEWS

Prime Minister Pahor considers decision to hold referendum detrimental to Slovenia

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today responded to the initiative to call a legislative referendum on ratification of Croatia's NATO accession protocols. "The decision to hold a referendum is bad and detrimental to Slovenia," stressed Prime Minister Pahor, who then appealed to Slovenian citizens not to sign the invitation for a call for a referendum.

 

(Photo: Srdjan Živulovič/Bobo)

 

According to Mr Pahor, the decision to hold a referendum will no doubt significantly stir up political emotions. This will certainly affect relations with neighbouring Croatia and Slovenia's position, as the implementation of a referendum would also aggravate Slovenia's negotiating position. "If we have had, and still do have, well-founded reservations about Croatia's process of integration into the European Union and could accordingly persuade the international community with arguments, then a possible referendum will give Croatia, in an international context, an argument that Slovenia is opposing Croatia's aspirations without good reasons. For us, this would be a bad situation," added the Prime Minister.

 

He went on by recalling that the National Assembly had in a sovereign manner and by a significant majority decided to adopt Croatia's NATO accession protocols, thus preventing a political issue from turning into a major foreign policy crisis, which could move homeward and upset Slovenia's efforts to tackle the current financial and economic crisis.