Janša proposes meeting over third wave measures ASAP

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša has proposed that President Borut Pahor call a meeting of the heads of parliamentary parties and deputy groups with the Health Ministry and its Covid-19 advisory group as soon as possible. Pahor meanwhile said that he had sent out invitations for Sunday morning.

The call from Janša came as the government is preparing to take additional measures by the end of the week due to a growing number of infections.

According to Janša’s office, the Health Ministry proposes additional measures to stop the third wave of the epidemic at the proposal of its Covid-19 task force.

Janša said that because of the “worryingly rapid growth of infections and Covid-19 patients”, the government would be forced to discuss and adopt additional measures by the end of the week at the latest.

Based on the agreement from the last meeting of medical experts with the heads of parliamentary parties that any measures adopted by the government should be discussed by them first, Janša asked Pahor to call such a meeting as soon as possible.

“Representatives of the opposition stressed at the first meeting that they wanted to be acquainted with measures in more detail before they are adopted by the government, so now the government is taking the opposition’s calls into account with the call to the president,” Janša said.

He also proposed that the meeting be public, “so we can all get acquainted with the proposals and dilemmas we must face”.

Janša proposes for the meeting to be held on Friday evening or on Saturday or Sunday, stressing though that the government must reach a decision on Sunday evening at the latest.

Pahor said in the afternoon that he called a meeting for Sunday at 10am, saying that all stakeholders wished the government take timely action at the start of the third wave. Participants will decide before the meeting whether it will be public, as proposed by Janša.

It seems, however, that several opposition parties would not be attending. The Left and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) said they will not come to the meeting, while the Social Democrats (SD) demand changes to the way restrictions are adopted and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) sees no point in attending unless parties are provided access to key information.

SD head Tanja Fajon said in a letter to Pahor that the government was ignoring proposals by experts as well as the opposition and was only seeking to legitimise its actions with these meetings.

She also said Pahor should think about calling on Janša to resign, noting that this had been done by Slovak President Zuzana Čaputova when the public lost trust in the government.

The Left meanwhile called on Pahor to call a meeting to discuss an early election. “This is the only possible response to the unbearable situation in the country.”

Some media have reported that the Covid-19 group could propose a full lockdown from 1 to 12 April due to the growing number of infections and hospitalisations.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar said today he did not wish to prejudge the decision, noting it would be a political decision. “I’m counting on us taking a constructive position, which we will then present to the public.”

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