By: C. R.
SDS President Janez Janša, following the success in the referendum on pension supplements for artists, stated that the result was a victory of reason and “of that part of the Slovenian electorate which is aware that the country is heading in the wrong direction during the term of the current coalition.” He assessed that the reasonable part of the Slovenian electorate had clearly said no to such a direction.
When it became clear that the rejection quorum had been reached in the referendum, cheers of joy could be heard from the top floor of the building on Trstenjakova Street, home of the SDS party.
“Today, Slovenia has taken a big step toward reclaiming our stolen country,” said SDS leader Janez Janša in his first statement following the success in the referendum.
He believes the governing coalition received two slaps in today’s vote. The first, because “a shameful law that sought to grant unjustified privileges to a select few based on the decision of a political body” was rejected. The second slap, he said, was directed at members of the executive branch who had called for a boycott.
According to Janša, this is the first time in the history of independent Slovenia that those who had committed in a coalition agreement to encourage participation in elections and referenda had instead called on voters to boycott. “They were counting on the fact that the very high quorum required for a valid referendum would be hard to achieve. But not only was it achieved – it was or will be significantly surpassed. More than 400,000 Slovenian voters chose reason,” he emphasised.
“Any government would resign after such a double slap. Though I doubt they will come to that realisation,” Janša said. He added that it is now up to the Slovenian electorate to respond to such (in)action in the next election, “which in any case will be held in less than a year.”
Voters overwhelmingly reject the law in all electoral districts
Today, voters decided in a referendum on whether to enact the law on pension supplements for exceptional achievements in the field of art. According to partial unofficial data from the State Election Commission, more than 92 percent of voters voted against the law. At the same time, opponents of the law managed to reach the quorum required for its rejection, as more than 400,000 voters voted against it.