By: Spletni časopis, C. R.
The increase in public sector wages and the announcement of a mandatory Christmas bonus are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rising government spending during the pre-election period. The promises, growing in scale and cost, are putting pressure on the budget and the economy, and could lead to a downward spiral that the country has already experienced in the past. This warning comes from SBC – the Slovenian Business Club, in response to the proposed national budgets for the next two years.
This warning about a dangerous trajectory was issued in a public statement regarding the national budgets for the next two years:
“We do not in any way support the irresponsible increase in government spending and the resulting rise in the budget deficit, which is undermining Slovenia’s public finances. Robert Golob’s government is playing with fire. In the current strained economic climate, marked by declining competitiveness across Europe, the deficit and public debt could grow to the point where we once again find ourselves in the kind of trouble we faced during the debt crisis years ago.”
Next year, spending is projected to rise to €17.7 billion, and the year after, it will exceed €18 billion. The deficit will amount to €2.1 billion in 2026, or 2.9% of GDP, and the same in 2027, representing 2.8% of GDP. It is worth noting that in the first eight months of this year alone, the government has already generated a €1 billion deficit, whereas the budget was nearly balanced during the same period last year.
Instead of following a business-minded logic of saving for difficult times, government spending is increasing in the pre-election period, and the promises, ever larger and more expensive, are straining both the budget and the economy. The rise in public sector wages and the announcement of a mandatory Christmas bonus are just the tip of the iceberg.
Slovenia is unnecessarily overborrowing, rather than improving spending efficiency and creating conditions for economic growth. Due to the deficit, the government will burden each citizen with more than €3,000 in debt over the next three years. As the statement notes, every citizen can calculate how many electricity bills or grocery trips that amount could cover.
SBC, led by Joc Pečečnik, is therefore calling on the government to ensure responsible fiscal policy and to direct tax revenues toward projects with clear developmental impact, rather than pre-election giveaways. Slovenia needs a stable economic environment, not ever-growing promises and rising public spending, which is already approaching the limits set by European fiscal rules.
It is worth remembering that Pečečnik supported the Freedom Movement ahead of the last elections and was also present at the wedding of Tina Gaber and Robert Golob.