By: Alenka Jeraj
This time, the results are visible at every turn. When you walk or drive around our municipalities, something is being built, renovated, roads are being repaired, bypasses, roundabouts and bike paths are being built. Sections of the railway line on which new trains run are being renovated, investment is being made in cultural facilities (castles, archives, museums) and tourist infrastructure. There are a lot of environmental projects, rehabilitation of watercourses and landslides.
The 2018-2022 parliamentary term is coming to an end, and when I look back on the work done, I am proud of everything we have done. When you make laws sometimes you do not see the result right away and this can be a little demotivating. This time – the results are visible at every step. When you walk or drive around our municipalities, something is being built, renovated, roads are being repaired, bypasses, roundabouts and bike paths are being built. Sections of the railway line on which new trains run are being renovated, investment is being made in cultural facilities (castles, archives, museums) and tourist infrastructure. There are a lot of environmental projects, rehabilitation of watercourses and landslides. Water supply systems are being rehabilitated and sewerage and treatment plants are being built. Energy rehabilitation of buildings is being carried out with European funds. There is co-financing of the construction of kindergartens, schools, and extensions in the amount of 127 million euros, which is the highest in the history of Slovenia.
There are 108 ongoing projects in the field of social services and homes for the elderly. In two tenders, concessions were awarded for 2,300 new beds in the DSO, i.e., 22 new homes for the elderly. The state will also build, upgrade, and add facilities in the state DSO. Day care centres and temporary accommodation for the elderly are being built, and 18 investment projects are being co-financed by the Recovery Fund, including the replacement of a home for the elderly in Ajdovščina, the construction of an outdoor unit in DSO Ptuj and the renovation of a home for the elderly in Murska Sobota and Velenje.
In two years, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia visited all regions and solved the problems of individual regions on the ground and checked how projects are being implemented and proposing new ones. They analysed the situation and, together with mayors and entrepreneurs, adopted plans for the future. A huge number of projects were prepared, but they could not be realised because there were no funds, no attention from civil servants and other obstacles that we tried to effectively eliminate in these two years. We have been effective in this. With the right measures under the ten anti-corona packages and by investing in various projects, we have accelerated the economic cycle, which has resulted in very high economic growth, 8.1%, which is one of the highest in the EU.
The government has prepared a map on which everyone can find their municipality and check which projects are being implemented or have been implemented during this time. Only when things are so put together can we figure out how much is being done and how many projects are underway. That is why my column is entitled Slovenia of projects. If things had gone like this in the past, Slovenia could be more developed today and we would not be dealing with basic things in some places.
You can see the map at the link: https://www.gov.si/zbirke/projekti-in-programi/pregled-vladnih-projektov-za-razvoj-obcin/
I invite you to compare the two years of Šarec’s government with the two years of Janša’s government and see for yourself who is an effective leader and when things are moving. It matters who heads the country. Whether that is a statesman who knows the problems of his country as well as other countries. A leader who is proactive has ideas and suggestions. Or it is someone who has no ideas and is waiting for Slovenia to follow others, not to stick out too much and wait somewhere on the outskirts for how things will turn out. He also cries about smallness and insignificance.
Slovenia currently has a Prime Minister who knows what he wants, knows where Slovenia should be in 10 years and will do everything to get there. Because he knows history well, he also understands the problems of the European Union and has answers to these problems. After a visit to Kyiv, where he went with the Prime Ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic, others are following the example. Before visiting Kyiv, the President of the European Parliament visited Janez Janša in Slovenia. This says a lot about who has the answers to the questions facing the EU and Slovenia. If we want a successful and developed Slovenia, it must be led by a statesman like Janez Janša. And in fact, they know that on the left as well.
Alenka Jeraj is a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, president of the Fran Govekar Ig Association, mother, poet, director, volleyball player, skier, optimist 🙂