Janez Janša: Negotiations over personnel continuing
The representative bodies of the four coalition parties have passed the content and procedural parts of the Coalition Agreement, while negotiations over personnel are still continuing, stated Prime Minister-elect Janez Janša. Janša hopes that he will be able to sign the Coalition Agreement within one day, or by the end of the time limit on Wednesday.
How many ministries will each individual party receive?
No party will receive any ministry, since it would be very unfortunate if the parties were to divide the competencies and then perform the staffing as they see fit. The Coalition Agreement also will not include any provision that any ministry will belong to this or that party; it will include only the names of the people who are agreed on. This will not mean that if a minister leaves office, the competencies will per se be given to his party. We are searching for the best possible people for the given positions.
Are the positions of the state secretaries and the heads of offices and directorates also a part of the coalition negotiations?
The state secretaries now perform a different function. They are in essence deputy ministers. But I will not force any names on any minister which that minister doesn’t agree with, even if there is a great deal of pressure from the coalition. The state secretaries are now the only deputies which the ministers still have, and therefore they have to have parallel viewpoints about how to implement the ministry’s programme, and on a personal level they have to be at least somewhat compatible. With regard to the directors of the directorates, the term which is now beginning is bringing changes, since it will introduce the reform of the public administration, according to which these are now professional positions. The ministers can choose only among those who pass through the net of the Council of Officials, and these will have to fulfil all of the criteria, i.e. the ministers will have to make their selections from among good people. “Therefore, staffing similar to what went on to a great degree in the past will be for the most part formally prevented by this.”
What do you expect from the strong parliamentary opposition?
I expect it to be similar to that which they are already saying they will be: determined, but also constructive. “According to what they have shown so far, even though there is formally no division between the coalition and the opposition yet, I would say that they are now doing a great deal of what they used to accused us of.”
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