Marjan Šarec

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša said in parliament on Monday as the debate started on a motion of no-confidence in the government that the initiators of the motion, a group of opposition parties known as the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), were wasting taxpayers’ time and money.

Ljubljana – The five left-leaning opposition parties have filed again a motion for a constructive vote of no confidence in the government of Janez Janša, with Karl Erjavec, the president of the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS), as candidate for prime-minister designate.

Ljubljana – Education Minister Simona Kustec said she had expected the motion to oust her filed by four opposition parties today. “I accept it as an opportunity to again explain the activities of the Education, Science and Sports Ministry in my term.”

Ljubljana – Two of Slovenia’s nine parliamentary parties have declined President Borut Pahor’s invitation to a joint meeting aimed at reaching a consensus on the need for the country to focus the epidemic, a post-pandemic recovery and the country’s EU presidency. Nevertheless, he has high expectations for the meeting.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor has expanded his initiative for cooperation among political parties with a call for a meeting of leaders of all parliamentary parties. He would like to measure support for his proposal that parties reach a consensus on focusing on the fight against the epidemic, on post-pandemic recovery and Slovenia’s EU presidency.

Ljubljana – The parliamentary Labour Committee is discussing the eighth economic stimulus bill, worth around EUR 320 million. Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said that with the bill, the government wanted to find the middle ground with social partners by taking into account their proposals as much as possible.

Koper – Rallies were held across the country on Sunday as parents protested closure of schools after two regions slipped back into black tier last week. The government decided schools should return to remote teaching and kindergartens close on Monday in the two regions after pupils in grades one to three were allowed back in nine of 12 regions last week.

Ljubljana – Former Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček from the opposition Social Democrats (SD) announced on Friday that a motion to oust Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti would be filed before 8 February, Culture Day. He said this would probably be one of the biggest presents to Slovenian culture for the holiday.

Ljubljana – Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS) leader Karl Erjavec has withdrawn his bid to become PM-designate until all MPs are able to vote in person, after an opposition MP was confirmed to have the coronavirus and several others still waited for the results of their tests.

Ljubljana – An informal coalition of centre-left opposition parties has filed a motion of no confidence in the Janez Janša government with the backing of 42 of the 90 deputies of the National Assembly. The crux of their argument is the government’s failure to cope with the coronavirus epidemic.