NEWS
Prime Minister's press conference held after the Government’s 117th regular session
At today's press conference, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, outlined the major resolutions and decisions adopted by the Government at its 117th regular session. Prime Minister Pahor first presented his decision relating to the Court of Audit's call to dismiss the Minister of Finance, Franc Križanič, on the ground of serious violation of due care and diligence at the Ministry of Finance, stemming from transactions with state-owned shares in Splošna plovba, International Shipping and Chartering Ltd. After having received explanations from the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister decided that the Minister would remain in his office, since the answers were satisfactory. He said that he was not "being disrespectful of the function of the Court of Audit," and explained that he exercised the discretion of prime minister "to decide on the matter by himself."
The Government adopted a negative opinion on the proposed Act amending the referendum and public initiative act, submitted to the National Assembly by the group of deputies led by Jože Tanko. By way of a decision, the Government instructed the Ministry of Public Administration and the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Legislation to present, at the beginning of February, an initiative to amend the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia in the part relating to arrangements for referendum.
The Ministers also agreed on the text of the Act amending the Documentary and Archival Material Protection and Archives Act. A substantial amendment has been made to the provision – which has been deemed constitutionally disputable by the Government – giving legal basis to access archive material containing intelligence and security services data, which are considered sensitive from the viewpoint of protection of human rights and national security. Premature disclosure of some data can not only endanger essential national interests but also directly expose to prosecution or put under undue stress those individuals (Slovenian or other nationals), who were, for example, engaged in collecting intelligence information abroad for sake of national interest. In the existing legislation, these persons are unjustifiably afforded a different or even adverse position compared to those who performed identical activities after 17 May 1990; the legislator has disregarded the constitutional requirement ensuring that the interventions into the rights and legal position of an individual are in compliance with the principle of proportionality and also overlooked the reasons arising from the fundamental right to equality before the law (Article 14 in relation to the first sentence of the first paragraph of Article 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia).
At the press conference after the Government's session, Prime Minister Pahor said that he had not easily decided to refuse the call of the Court of Audit to dismiss Minister Križanič. He added that he had consulted several independent experts; they virtually all maintained that Minister Križanič is engaged in remedying some of the irregularities from the past, while at the same time he has to deal with topical problems. Prime Minister Pahor added that "today, I am neither able nor willing to tell what my next decision will be if I am again called to dismiss a minister. I will then consider the reasons and decide whether to comply or not."
Prime Minister Pahor also presented the draft Government's priorities by the end of its mandate; he stressed that they were more difficult and stringent and would be even less popular than the existing ones. Prime Minister Pahor called on his ministers to draft decisions, regardless of all risks arising from the circumstances, and submit them for adoption by the Government; afterwards, the legislative branch would decide how to proceed. "Eventually, we will probably witness some more referenda," noted Prime Minister Pahor. The Government has agreed on six sets of priority measures to be implemented by the end of its term of office, namely the consolidation of public finance, promotion of favourable business environment, improvement in payment discipline and labour market performance, more effective prosecution of economic crime and introduction of structural measures and institutional adjustments.