NEWS

Prime Minister's press conference held after the Government’s 142nd regular session

Following today's 142nd regular session, Prime Minister Pahor first emphasised that the Government had managed to improve payment discipline and provide a new legal framework for a more effective prosecution of white collar crime, while being less successful in implementing structural measures, social modifications and the consolidation of public finance. 'Given that I lead a minority government, one would expect us to undertake fewer tasks. However, we will continue to adhere to our philosophy that, in the current situation — which bears the hallmarks of a global economic war — we must pursue appropriate activities on all fronts. We do not expect to be successful in all of them, but we must breach this encirclement and this breakthrough is public finance consolidation,' added Mr Pahor at the press conference held after the Government's session.

 

In order to ensure the stability of the public finances, the Government will therefore adopt a supplementary budget; however, it must be realistic. This will be accompanied by the adoption of other relevant measures. 'I believe that Slovenia will not end up in a precarious position. Despite the pension reform's failure to pass the referendum, it will indeed remain in a less favourable situation, but nonetheless still on the safe side'. He went on to say that the pension reform would once again take its place on the social partners' agenda, since he intends to propose that at their first meeting to be held next week, they resume coordination discussions. Prime Minister Pahor also noted that we are witnessing the beginnings of a potential new financial and, consequently, economic crisis. Certain indicators within the international community show that, following the recession, the world has been unsuccessful in eliminating the main causes of the crisis, merely making some cosmetic corrections to certain obvious mistakes, while sticking to the same mechanisms. 'Indicators from the US financial industry which date back to the end of 2007 and the spring of 2008 are entirely identical to those that can now be observed in the European financial sector, with one exception: the US pursues a single fiscal policy, whereas Europe has a common currency on the one hand and a variety of fiscal policies on the other. Today, it is clear to everyone that euro-related policy cannot be conducted on the basis of 17 different fiscal and tax policies,' pointed out Mr Pahor and added that this is the reason why the financial crisis is also a political crisis. Moreover, he emphasised that everyone should learn lessons from the past. 'While observing domestic problems and searching for adequate solutions, we must not overlook developments on the international stage, where a new financial and economic crisis can be witnessed,' reminded Prime Minister Pahor.

 

At today's session, the Government took note of the draft version of the '2011–2015 Strategy for the Management of the Capital Investments of the Republic of Slovenia' prepared by the Capital Investments Management Agency, and instructed the Agency to include three possible scenarios in the draft document for establishing a list of Slovenia's strategic capital investments, accompanied by an assessment of the financial implications of achieving the targeted level of strategic capital investments. All three scenarios must be prepared so as to facilitate fiscal sustainability and to enable the Government and the National Assembly to take a position on them. This material must be submitted to the Government for discussion, to be held at its session on 14 July 2011.

 

Today, the ministerial corps also adopted the texts of two Acts in the area of the Police, namely the Tasks and Powers of the Police Act and the Organisation and Work of the Police Act. The purpose of the first Act is, first and foremost, to provide for the systemic and statutory regulation of Police powers, since until now, certain powers and provisions related to the use of coercive means were also covered by implementing Acts; the second purpose of the Act is to ensure that there is a further improvement in the level of the legal and personal safety of people and their property; and thirdly, the purpose is to harmonise the Act with other system-related instruments (e.g. the Penal Code and the Classified Information Act). The aim of the Organisation and Work of the Police Act is to improve the organisation of the Police, to clearly delineate the competences of the Ministry and the Police, as well as to regulate specific relationships within the Police governed by labour law, the status and protection of police officers, in addition to training, education and research activities. The new Act also provides for the increased autonomy of police directorates, the closer involvement of the Police in the activities of local communities and improved cooperation between the Police and other entities. In this way, the Police will be able to respond effectively to various security challenges. The new Act will fully and legitimately regulate only specific matters pertinent to the profession of a police officer (as is the case with the Defence Act, the Service in the Slovenian Armed Forces Act, the Customs Service Act, and the Enforcement of Criminal Sanctions Act).