By: Nina Žoher / Nova24tv
“Will we follow the path we are moving forward now, with good economic development, caring for all people, not by exclusion, but by cooperation, or will we choose based on programmes, experience and, of course, based whether someone can achieve this in the programme,” said Romana Tomc, MEP, in the show Politično, adding that in two years so far this government has shown what it can do and knows and has led Slovenia among the winners of the crisis.
MEP Romana Tomc initially welcomed the election of the new President of the European Parliament. According to her, Roberta Metsola is the right choice for the President of the European Parliament. “Not only because she is a woman, this is the third woman in a leading position in Parliament, but mainly because of her abilities. She is an experienced, long-time centre-right politician with Christian values.” She said they know each other very well. “She was a member of our group and we worked together a lot. I can only confirm that she is a kind and determined person.” According to her, her first and most important task is, of course, to find a consensus in Parliament between the various political parties. “Of course, the fact that she was elected by an overwhelming majority shows that she is acceptable and knows how to connect and that she was warmly accepted and confirmed in other political groups,” Tomc added.
This is the direction of the European Union
Regarding the criticism, which was mostly received from the left pole, regarding Janša’s conversation for Indian television, Tomc reminded in the introduction that not long ago, specifically three months ago, we were in the European Parliament and made a kind of commitment to deepen cooperation with Taiwan with a convincing majority. According to Tomc, only 26 MPs voted against it. “The European Union has an orientation that China is our geostrategic, political, economic partner and that cooperation with Taiwan needs to be strengthened. This has already been done by Lithuania and the other 20 or 19 countries, which already have economic representations and cooperate with Taiwan. As I said, I emphasise once again that this is the direction of the European Union and therefore it does not seem special to me that Slovenia is also following this path,” she said.
MEP from the Social Democrats Milan Brglez, who confronted Tomc in the studio, said in opposition that the Prime Minister did not respect the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia with this position. “The EU is not above the policy of every country, every country is responsible for itself, for its foreign policy, the Constitution has an absolute advantage here. The Prime Minister did not respect the Constitution.” Tomc commented on this: “Once again, I claim that one is the internal political divisions that took place in Lithuania, for example, and serve primarily domestic purposes, and for these reasons are also triggered. The other is to undermine democratic calibrations that benefit economic cooperation.”
We remain in friendly and good relations with China as well
Host Tanja Gobec added that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had responded and claimed that the statement was very dangerous. “Does that not worry you?” Tomc asked. According to Tomc, the Chinese Ministry responded as expected, of course. “It will always respond to this, but we are also a good partner to China, we remain in friendly and good relations with China, but of course, this must not and cannot be an obstacle to cooperating with others. And economic cooperation with Taiwan, which is not a fact but a prediction of economic cooperation, is, of course, to be welcomed at most. The economic consequences that, for example, Lithuania has suffered because of China’s sanctions against their actions have also been offset by Taiwan, and this should be noted,” she said.
At the same time, the MEP added that our economists are not the only ones to decide whether these moves have already caused any damage or not. “Is it worth challenging a superpower?” Gobec asked. To this, Tomc replied that this did not affect this one-China principle in any way. “We are talking about economic relations, and we are talking about European policy, European orientation and support, of course, for democratically developed systems,” she said.
Regarding the upcoming elections, she emphasised that these elections will be very important because the future will be decided. “Will we follow the path we are moving forward now, with good economic development, caring for all people, not by exclusion, but by cooperation, or will we choose based on programmes, experience and, of course, based whether someone can achieve this in the programme.” In the end, she emphasised that this government has shown what it can do and knows in two years so far, leading Slovenia among the winners of the crisis. “Of course, we want to continue on such a path.”