President Pahor on the state of affairs in Slovenia

At his first press conference following his assumption of office, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, commented on current political developments in the country. In so doing, he pointed out that Slovenia is confronted with severe political uncertainty, owing to a change in the Government's composition. Moreover, he emphasised that he will cooperate with the current or any other government appointed by the National Assembly to the best of his ability. While mentioning his own experience as a former prime minister, he added that it would be reasonable that a government that has lost a coalition partner seek legitimacy in the National Assembly by proposing a vote of confidence.

Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA

The president also announced that at the beginning of February, he would hold a meeting with the leaders of political parties in order to establish whether there is a will to reach an agreement on a joint action to overcome the crisis and what the content of such an agreement would be. According to him, the current situation, characterised by extreme political uncertainty, no longer allows any potential agreement on a joint action to resolve the crisis to be considered 'added value', but a basic precondition for the functioning of the state.

Furthermore, President Pahor called for tolerance and respect for the country's institutions and the rule of law, as well as for efforts necessary to restore confidence in the state. 'Even the smallest problems will remain insoluble, should intolerance and hate speech prevail. In such a situation, the crisis cannot be tackled, let alone resolved,' he added.

In connection with the preparation of a memorandum on the arbitration agreement regarding the border dispute with Croatia, President Pahor expressed his belief that Slovenia has one of the best team of lawyers in the world. He called on the Government to manage the relevant documentation so as not to miss the prescribed deadlines.