NEWS

Slovenian PM Bratušek: Today’s decisions are a victory for everyone

“Today’s decisions of the National Assembly are a victory for everyone and prove that the only way to take the country out of the crisis is to overcome political blockades that have paralysed Slovenia for many years,” said the PM Alenka Bratušek when commenting on the decision of the MPs to support including the fiscal rule in the Constitution and amendments to the referendum legislation by a large majority. 

Fiscal rule: medium-term fiscal balance will not radically curtail social rights 

Slovenia has mulled over including the fiscal rule into the Constitution for over a year. Therefore, the PM stressed in her morning appearance before MPs, the decision to propose changing the Constitution to the National Assembly was not easy. According to the PM, there has been too much political scheming, games and blocking, which is why she sees her decision as “a responsible act overcoming the logic of party interests”. 

According to the PM, the Government is aware that a balanced budget in 2015 would mean radical cuts with reference to social rights. The fiscal rule which was adopted today determines that Slovenia must achieve fiscal balance in the mid-term. A more detailed definition of this concept will be included in the implementing act, which is already being drawn up. The PM added that Slovenian Constitution also says that Slovenia is a solidarity-based welfare state and she promised that it would remain so in the future. 

The fiscal rule will be implemented in 2015 when it will apply to drawing up the budget for the first time. Until then, Slovenia will carry out an appropriate budgetary policy.
Amendments to referendum legislation: adopted amendments are a step toward preventing the referendum being subject to political scheming and making them a tool of direct democracy

Although a major part of the Slovenian public opposes the changes to the Constitution, the PM believes that the amendments adopted today are a step toward preventing the referenda being subject to political scheming and making them a tool of direct democracy. The reason why Slovenia has not carried out crucial structural reforms, which were prepared already in 2011, is the rejection of legislation acts at a referendum. 

From now on, a request for a referendum can only be submitted by 40.000 citizens eligible to vote, while a third of MPs and state councillors can no longer submit such an initiative. In addition, legislation like laws on taxes, customs duties and other obligatory levies which are adopted in order to implement the budget cannot be subject to a referendum. 

Amendments also introduce the model of the so-called rejective referendum, where a legal act is rejected at a referendum if the majority of voters reject it provided that at least 25 per cent of all eligible voters have voted. In addition, the National Assembly would not be bound by the referendum outcome and could propose an improved act immediately after the rejection.