Marjeta Cotman was appointed the new minister of labour, the family and social affairs in a 46:26 vote in parliament on Monday. After the confirmation Cotman, previously the state secretary at the ministry, was sworn in as the second woman in the cabinet of Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
The vote was split along party lines, whereas Cotman's predecessor on the ministerial post Janez Drobnic, now a deputy for the coalition New Slovenia (NSi), abstained.
Prime Minister Jansa told parliament that Cotman's previous work qualifies her for the post. Given her experience at the ministry, Cotman will need only a short time to settle in, which is crucial considering that she is taking over halfway into the government's term, he said.
Jansa said that Cotman's priorities would be drawing up legislation that implements the government's economic and social reform package as well as amendments to the labour relationship act and negotiations on the 2006-2009 social agreement.
Whereas Cotman mustered the support of all coalition parties, the opposition voiced a series of concerns, in particular that she would merely continue the current policies in the field.
Miran Potrc, the head of the Social Democrats (SD) deputy group, said he wished that her policy would be less restrictive and more active, in particular in the labour market.
Liberal Democracy (LDS) deputy Ales Gulic explained his opposition to Cotman with the statement that "there will be no enlightenment, we will remain where we are or even take a step back". She will merely be the "custodian of the plans of the previous minister".
Cotman succeeds Janez Drobnic, who was dismissed by parliament on 1 December at the behest of PM Jansa, ostensibly over his mismanagement of social dialogue. Jansa also said Drobnic had been responsible for unnecessary conflicts between the social partners and his proposals interfered in the domain of other cabinet ministers.
Jansa initially called on Drobnic to resign, but the minister defied the appeal saying that he had done a good job. The NSi also stood up for him, which left the prime minister no choice but to ask parliament for dismissal.
The NSi nominated Cotman for the post less than a week after Drobnic's dismissal and just a day after she filed her application for party membership. She survived her confirmation gearing at the parliamentary Committee on Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and the Disabled on 13 December.
While the nomination was welcomed by trade unions, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said it meant the labour market reform as envisaged in the government reform package was being scraped.
Cotman, born in 1956, became state secretary at the ministry on 3 December 2004. She graduated from the Ljubljana Faculty of Law in 1984.
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