NEWS

Prime Minister's statement to the press after the meeting of the Government Co-ordination Group for drafting and implementing measures related to the international financial crisis

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today convened the meeting of the Coordination Group of the Slovenian Government for drafting and implementing measures related to the international financial crisis. During the meeting, the participants particularly focused on the necessary measures for the exit strategy to be integrated by the Government into the stability programme and sent to the European Commission. In his statement to the press after the meeting, Mr Pahor emphasised the importance of the stability programme and the exit strategy being prepared by the Co-ordination Group, and said that "whether we will be among the countries which in the following years will be considered victors in overcoming the crisis largely depends on these two actions".
 

(Foto: Tina Kosec/STA)

 
Prime Minister Pahor went on to say that in eliminating the budget deficit and promoting national competitiveness "we must establish the limits of welfare state sustainability, as the burden of the crisis cannot and may not be carried by those people who are socially most affected." Moreover, he especially highlighted the importance of the support to proposals prepared by social partners and members of the National Assembly. "Our proposals, for which I assume full responsibility and which have been drafted by the Government in a timely manner, will be crucial for the first half of 2010. They include practical and structural measures which will enable us not to remain below the average EU development level," added Mr Pahor.
 
In his statement to the press, Minister Mitja Gaspari said that today's talks were particularly intended for the determination of priorities regarding the reduction of public expenditure and the method of achieving this goal, without frustrating the competitiveness of companies and social cohesion. "Alongside basic premises to be ensured in order to bring public finance in line with the envisaged goals in the next three years, the Government is also coordinating measures which, on the one hand, will secure social cohesion and, on the other, will not hamper the Slovenian corporate sector in its efforts to re-organise and provide for greater competitiveness."