By: Mitja Grmovšek
We talked with Robert Tomazin, CEO of Slovenian state forests (SiDG) about Kočevje, forestry, and state issues. He is also a candidate for an MP on the list of the Slovenian Democratic Party.
Biography
Robert Tomazin is closely connected with nature. He attended the Postojna Forestry School Centre, acquired economic knowledge at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana, and the Novo mesto College of Management and Business, and legal knowledge at the Faculty of State and European Studies in Brdo pri Kranju, where he defended his master’s thesis in economic law. In his nearly thirty-year career, he has performed mostly managerial duties in labour-intensive industries. He spent most of his career in forestry and woodworking, the food industry, and cooperatives. He has gained extensive experience at the operational, professional, and managerial levels. He personally advocates correct cooperation, goal orientation, quality and efficiency, and solutions that work. He is the CEO of SiDG.
Demokracija: Mr. Tomazin, you come from Kočevje. What kind of municipality is Kočevje?
Tomazin: Kočevje is the largest Slovenian municipality, measuring 555 km2. The settlement is dispersed, with only about 16,000 inhabitants in 86 settlements, which puts us in 33rd place among Slovenian municipalities. The people of Kočevje are especially proud of the fact that Kočevje is one of the most naturally preserved parts of Slovenia and Central Europe. Therefore, it is fully included in the network of Natura 2000 sites. It is no coincidence that this part of Slovenia is called the Land of Forests. As much as 90 percent of the region is covered by forests, among which the Dinaric forests of fir and beech predominate, most forest areas are owned by the Republic of Slovenia. We are especially proud of the six preserved primeval forest remains, among which the Krokar primeval forest was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017.
Let me also mention that Kočevje is marked by a special history. The Kočevje Germans lived here for almost 600 years, representing a cultural and linguistic island in the middle of Slovenian territory. This area was also strongly marked by post-war events, including the massacres in Kočevski Rog in 1945, the creation of a large, protected area of special importance and underground facilities, which can also be seen today. We are extremely proud of Kočevje’s role in the war for an independent and sovereign Slovenia, as the Manoeuvre Structure of National defence was established here.
Demokracija: You are a forestry technician and since the beginning of 2021 you have been running the company Slovenian state forests (SiDG), which manages forests owned by the Republic of Slovenia. What kind of forests do we have in Slovenia? Do we appreciate them enough?
Tomazin: The forest is the central landscape and ecosystem building block in Slovenia, covering 58 percent of the country’s surface. The Slovenian forestry profession has played a pioneering role in sustainable forest management, and today the Slovenian forestry school is one of the most respected in Europe. Slovenian forestry is based on a commitment to the vision of sustainable forest development, the preservation of their biodiversity and the realisation of all its functions, in addition to production, also social and ecological. I assure you that Slovenian foresters treat the forest as our greatest natural resource with care for the good of nature and people. We certainly also have challenges, especially climate change, but I believe that we will be able to deal with them more easily than in many other places where forests are treated less carefully. The problem of Slovenian forestry is also the large dispersion of ownership; the average forest holding per owner measures only about 2.8 hectares, with a total of 413,000 owners. This dispersion poses a major challenge to ensure active forest management and the implementation of forest management plans. We also have great potential in the development of the wood industry, which has been severely affected in recent years. The beginning of the forest-timber chain is represented by forest owners, who must take care of sustainable development and sell timber to wood processing companies. To manage forests more successfully, given the ownership dispersion, it is necessary to connect owners and enter the market together. We can be happy that the volume of wood processing has been increasing in recent years, and I am convinced that forestry together with woodworking will be one of the foundations of the green economy in Slovenia in the future.
Demokracija: The SDS has two councillors in the city council. How do they work with the mayor?
Tomazin: According to my information, the cooperation is fair and constructive. It is in the interest of all of us that the municipality of Kočevje develops as much as possible and that we try to keep as many young people as possible so that they can see the future in life in their home municipality.
Demokracija: The government allocated as much as 86.6 million euros to Kočevje. How do you assess the work of this government?
Tomazin: Although the government has had to deal with the coronavirus epidemic since day one, it has managed to carry out many projects and decisions, maintain the country’s economic condition and, above all, preserve jobs. It seems even more important to me that it has managed to adopt important bases for the future development of Slovenia. Therefore, I also welcome the decisions that will lead to a development breakthrough in the municipality of Kočevje. There are many projects, but I must point out the plan for the construction of the 3rd development axis from Ljubljana to Petrina. Contrary to the previous plan, which provided for only minor changes to the existing road, the new plan is much more ambitious. As is well known, for the most part it envisages a completely new route. This will almost halve the travel time from our part of the country to the capital.
Demokracija: Considering that you are a recognisable Kočevje citizen, you like talking to people and you know the problems they have to face. What would you strive for if you were elected MP?
Tomazin: In the infamous first place of the problems of my compatriots is probably already critical health care at the primary level. I would do everything to attract doctors to Kočevje, which are necessary for people to have normal access to health services. As a Kočevje citizen, it also hurts me that a few thousand locals drive to work in Ljubljana every day. Their health suffers, their families suffer. I would therefore call for incentives for the state to create new jobs with higher added value and to speed up housing construction. In Kočevje, we are also threatened by Roma issues. I believe that the realisation has matured that systemic solutions will be needed, which will require a multidisciplinary approach of several state bodies and local communities.
Demokracija: What is your motto for the elections?
Tomazin: Respect, cooperation, professionalism are the fundamental building blocks of trust. Trust yourself and trust the SDS party.
Demokracija: How do you envision working with different policy options?
Tomazin: My basic guideline at work is to work based professionalism, respect, and cooperation. I believe that great challenges can only be overcome with the cooperation of all stakeholders, and by no means by harassing and putting a spanner in the works. I understand politics as the art of bringing seemingly impossible projects and people together.