By: Vida Kocjan
The Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) has started meetings at the regional level. The first meetings with members and sympathisers took place on Saturday in Posavje and Dolenjska, including Bela krajina.
In Posavje, the meeting took place in Leskovec pri Krškem, and was organised by the Posavje Regional Coordination of the SDS. A meeting of the Dolenjska-Bela Krajina regional coordination of the SDS took place in Novo mesto, more precisely in Gornja Težka Voda.
Both meetings were attended by President Janez Janša, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, and the President of the EU Council, as well as the party’s two vice-presidents, Romana Tomc, MEP, and Aleš Hojs, Minister of the Interior.
Members of the National Assembly from each region were also present at the meetings. In Posavje it was Tomaž Lisec, and in Dolenjska there were Anja Bah Žibert and Franci Kepa. State councillors and some mayors were also present, and in Posavje also Minister Andrej Vizjak. They were also joined by Dominik Štrakl, president of the party’s SDM youth wing.
The meetings were extremely well attended and so space ran out. They were enriched by rich cultural programmes, prepared by the regional municipal committees of the SDS. The latter also provided catering, the stalls with home-made delicacies were more than covered.
The SDS party has been preparing meetings for many years, but last year they were cancelled due to the covid-19 epidemic. Therefore, this year’s are even better attended, taking into account the evidence of PCT (sick, vaccinated, tested).
At both meetings, the participants were first greeted by the hosts, i.e. the chairmen of the regional committees, and then by Romana Tomc and Janez Janša.
Romana Tomc: The EU is not planning migrant corridors
Among other things, Romana Tomc emphasised the differences between how the resolution of the covid-19 crisis is perceived abroad and at home. While all countries are facing an epidemic and directing their efforts to maintain economic activity, such efforts abroad are rewarded, but in Slovenia it is different. She warned against the coming migrant crisis, which we will most likely have to face. However, the European Union does not plan to introduce so-called humanitarian (migrant) corridors, although some media in Slovenia report differently. She said that no such decision had been made and that her political colleagues were not in favour of such decisions. The participants especially welcomed the news.
Tomc also highlighted three tasks that await the European Union, namely: to overcome the covid-19 epidemic together, to preserve the potential of the European economy and to preserve the sovereignty and values we share.
Janez Janša: The SDS does not exclude anyone, but it will set four substantive conditions
The reception of President Janez Janša in both regions was extremely emotional, rewarded with loud applause. In his address, Janša said in the introduction that the country was still struggling with the epidemic, for which he thanked all participants for complying with the terms of the PCT. He then pointed out that the vaccination of the population is still not at the desired level, as some do not want to be vaccinated. “It is hard to listen to those who make fun of the measures, saying, it will not hurt me. Because of them others die or become seriously ill,” he said.
He then focused on the upcoming election year. He said a lot of work has been done so far, despite the fact that the country has faced and is still facing an epidemic. At the same time, the government has encountered criticism from the opposition, which has not done much in recent years. “Due to poor governance with the state, not much has been done and a lot of money has been spent. Today, we hear that those who did not build a single home for the elderly or a single hospital will do things differently.”
He highlighted the changes in the field of de-bureaucratisation, investments in education and sports, and the law on long-term care, which the government has submitted to the National Assembly and is expected to be adopted this autumn, as the most important measures adopted by the government.
This was followed by a part of the speech in which President Janša announced the conditions for the entry of the SDS party into future coalitions, adding that the SDS does not exclude anyone, but that it will set the following substantive conditions:
- It is necessary to work for the common good and not for one’s own interests.
- The interests of the Slovene people must be brought to the fore, so there can be no talk of open borders and migrant corridors.
- The values of the Slovenian Constitution must be strictly respected.
- The parties that will cooperate with the SDS in the future coalition must say in advance that they will support the European Parliament’s resolution condemning all totalitarian regimes.
President Janez Janša concluded his speech with encouraging words. He called on those gathered to take an active part in the upcoming elections.