NEWS

Prime Minister's press conference held after the Government’s 111th regular session

At today’s session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, alongside several other resolutions, was acquainted with the proposal for the Development Strategy of Gambling in Slovenia. The responsible minister presented the proposal for the strategy and Prime Minister Pahor answered many topical questions.

   

At today's session the Government opened the discussion on the proposal for the Development Strategy of Gambling in Slovenia which is planned to be concluded at one of the future sessions.  The strategy will provide an overview and analysis of the situation in the area of organising gambling in Slovenia in the last eight or ten years and an overview of the European market of gambling and competitiveness.

  

Moreover, the strategy defines the mission, vision and strategic goals of the development of gambling in Slovenia. It also defines priority areas in gambling and general development goals applying to the entire area of gambling as well as specific goals for individual priority areas.  The Development Strategy of Gambling presents strategic definitions of individual systemic issues of organising gambling such as: different types of gambling, ownership structure of concessionaires, gambling levies, division of gambling levies, supervision, policy of granting concessions and socially responsible gambling operation. Furthermore, the strategy defines a framework of the state functioning and provides basic guidelines for its operation in the area of gambling.

    

In his introduction, Prime Minister Pahor addressed the voters to cast their votes at the Sunday referendum on the new Radiotelevizija Slovenija Act and not to underestimate this decision. The new Radiotelevizija Slovenija Act is namely an important Government reform leading toward more openness, tolerance, independence and autonomy of the public media house. In the Sunday referendum, the citizens will decide on »whether we wish a more professional and autonomous public television than the previous one.« The new Radiotelevizija Slovenija Act will allow an introduction of a high degree of professionalism and independence, in particular towards politics. Under a new law, the Government wanted to allow autonomous journalism at RTV Slovenia that would be serving the public interest and offer all other various new content-related perspectives of public service as RTV Slovenia should offer. However, Prime Minister Pahor underlined that during the two years of leading the Government, there was no attempt to change the RTV Slovenia management which had been appointed under the previous government.

  

Speaking at the press conference following the Government's session, Prime Minister Pahor said that the Government supported the eventual change to a lesser extent of the Treaty of Lisbon in such a manner that criteria of financial discipline might be introduced with a view to recovering the European economy.  There are no current sanctions for those countries which do not follow economic policies agreed upon, whilst Slovenia is in favour of these sanctions for these countries.   Prime Minister Pahor is further committed to applying criteria for financial discipline. Slovenia carries out reform measures and expects other countries to do the same.

   

If other euro area countries do not respect them, then it is not fair that Slovenia, as a consequence, should bear a larger burden as a result.
 “Similarly, it would not be fair, if other countries within the common currency area bore a larger burden because of Slovenia’s decision not to adopt the necessary reforms," added Mr Pahor.

    

The question related to Adria Airways, was answered by Prime Minister Pahor saying that Slovenia did not want to lose the company. However, a question is raised whether, in this heavy and tough competition in the sky, it holds out alone or it needs a foreign investor.  In the near future, it will be necessary to take some decisions in this respect together with those who are responsible for this assessment. Prime Minister Pahor further said that some discussions were held in the last year in his office where the financial difficulties of Adria Airways were discussed and short-term and long-term solutions were sought. “That we found some short-term solutions is obvious from the fact that Adria-Airways still flies in spite of the cancelled New Year Party which was the right decision", said the Prime Minister adding that a decision about an eventual foreign investor will have to be made in order to find long-term solutions.