Upon his appointment to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Janez Janša announced that all opposition parties would receive an invitation to join the partnership during the Government’s first week in office. The initiative aims to involve the opposition in the drafting of key systemic solutions at the earliest stages of their development. Through this approach, the new government seeks to enable broader participation in shaping measures important to the country’s future development, while providing more space for substantive debate and the search for common solutions.
“We are sending all parties a proposal for the Partnership for a Successful Slovenia agreement. Through this document, we are inviting opposition parties to participate in shaping legislation that will be drafted during this term. Political parties may participate in the drafting of legislation prior to the adoption of a specific act by the Government, which does not entail any obligations on their part. We are also offering opposition parties the opportunity to draft their own acts, which we will forward to the competent ministers and, subsequently, to the Government. The document has been sent to all coalition and opposition parties as well as to the representatives of the national minorities,” said the State Secretary.
The proposed document is based on the assessment that Slovenia will face significant constitutional amendments, systemic reforms, the strengthening of economic development and improvements in the country’s public finances in the future. It also highlights the importance of cooperation during a period of global instability.
The agreement envisages the establishment of a Partnership Council, comprising leaders of the parliamentary groups that have signed said agreement and the State Secretary responsible for coordinating relations between the Government and the National Assembly. The purpose of the body would be to coordinate legislative proposals before being adopted by the Government.
After the proposal, ministries would provide partners with draft acts, subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, at least ten days before they are considered by the Government. Opposition parties would then be able to submit comments or express support for the draft acts, and, in the event of outstanding issues, a session of the Partnership Council would be convened.
The document also enables opposition parties to draft their own acts, upon which the Government would take a position and, where necessary, supplement them with amendments. At the same time, the agreement preserves the existing mechanisms for cooperation with social partners, non-governmental organisations and other interested stakeholders.
The proposed agreement has been sent to all parliamentary parties as well as to the representatives of the Italian and Hungarian national communities.
