Government Wins Vote of Confidence

Ljubljana, 20 November

The government of PM Janez Jansa won a vote of confidence in the parliament on Monday with the support of a united coalition in 51-to-33 vote, ending speculation about whether the cabinet would be ousted only weeks before Slovenia assumes the EU presidency.

Presenting the motion in a two-hour address, Jansa said he had come to check support due to the broken consensus on Slovenia's upcoming stint as EU president. He said the government was being impeded in tasks related to the presidency, while Slovenia's image was being tarnished from within. As a prime example of this he pointed to the petition signed by 571 journalists against government interference in the media, which he branded lies that have hurt Slovenia. Jansa indeed had cited in his address foreign assessments of the state of the press in Slovenia, including by the think tanks Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders, which he said showed there was no cause for alarm.
The coalition rallied firmly behind the prime minister, praising the government's achievements.
Jansa also denied that the government owned any digital media outlets in Slovenia. He said that a close look at the ownership structure in the media instead showed that two members of the opposition parties controlled the key daily and weekly print media.
Jansa also used his address to offer an olive branch to the opposition on one of the most contentious issues in recent times, legislation on the funding of primary and secondary schools envisaging full funding of private schools. He said the government would cross controversial provisions in the act that the opposition has threatened to put up for a referendum.

Government Wins Vote of Confidence

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