Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the European Commission’s report on the rule of law in Slovenia due to the lack of financial and human resources in a number of independent bodies, such as the CPC and Akos, in Brussels today. He said that he is more concerned about the lack of resources for the Slovenian health care system than with resources for non-governmental and other organizations.
When asked about his response to concerns about the lack of financial and human resources in a number of independent bodies, such as the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (KPK) and the Agency for Communication Networks and Services (Akos), and about online harassment of journalists and threats to journalists, Janša replied that he had not yet read the report and therefore found it difficult to comment on it.
»I have to honestly admit that I haven’t read this report yet, and I would find it hard to comment on it as long as I only know individual fragments that have appeared on social media and we’ve seen them simultaneously,« he said. He added that no one had noticed this report in Brussels on Thursday and today, that it had therefore not been the subject of discussion and that it »probably cannot be anything special«.
»As for financial resources for various NGOs and other organizations, I must say that I am more concerned about the lack of financial resources for the Slovenian health care system and for all that is crucial. We are in a situation to which we all need to adapt, as we have a fall in GDP forecast close to seven percent for this year. So I think that within the given resources, the subjects you mentioned are well taken care of,« he pointed out.
The European Commission on Wednesday released its first report on the rule of law in all EU member states. In the chapter on Slovenia, it states, among other things, its concern about the lack of human and financial resources for the CPC, Akos, the Judicial Council and the State Prosecutor’s Council, and about online harassment of journalists and threats to journalists.