Welcome, everyone. Our shortened term is coming to an end.
Our government took over the executive power
the day after the epidemic was declared.
Although the epidemic
was our main opponent during this time,
our development has not stopped.
Soon, the campaign will start
for the next parliamentary election, so the government summed up
the projects that have been carried out in this time,
those that are ongoing and those that have been approved.
This means they are included in national development programs
and financing has been provided for them.
Slovenia consists of 212 municipalities
and the projects have been dispersed throughout the country.
The government has also visited all regions
or, to be exact, 11.5 out of 12.
We will visit the southern half of the Central region
at the beginning of April.
The list of projects,
their values and timelines are available on our website.
These are some of the biggest investments
since our independence.
On this virtual map, you can find hundreds of projects.
If we add the ones that have not been listed yet
and combine investments
from the budget, different European funds
and municipal budgets, than we can talk about thousands of projects
that are being or will be carried out
since the money was provided.
Slovenia is building and will be building
kindergartens, schools, sports halls, nursing homes,
hospitals, health centres,
roads, bypass roads, bike paths, plumbing and sewage networks,
energy facilities. Energy renovation of public buildings
is going on, flood prevention facilities are being built.
We are preparing everything to build
the second reactor at the nuclear power plant. Last year,
we granted additional money
for agriculture and forest industry. Apart from the European funds
from the first and second pillars of the rural development policy,
we granted additional €300 million over the next five years
for agriculture and rural areas. The war in Ukraine
brings danger
because the food supply
has already been disturbed.
We had granted funds already before that and Slovenia
will become self-sufficient over the next couple of years.
We will also have our own energy sources when we build
power plants that are planned.
Before the deputy PMs will speak,
I would like to explain this map.
You name a municipality.
Grosuplje.
I see you are moving there. Let' check Grosuplje.
First, there are projects financed from the budget.
In the second part, there are projects financed from the EU funds.
Sometimes, projects are also included
where more municipalities participate,
like the modernisation of railways
or renovation and building
of regional roads.
The numbers written there
are the numbers for the whole project,
but this is taken into consideration in the total sum,
so that the numbers are not being doubled.
This is the total value of projects on the map, but not everything
has been listed yet because some projects are still being placed
in the national development programs.
The tenders for the primary healthcare system
have been published
and that has not been listed yet. What has been listed
is together worth almost €8 billion.
Almost €1.5 billion has come from the EU funds.
This is by far the biggest investment boost
that Slovenia has been capable of providing.
In a couple of years, this next step in our development
will be the basis for our welfare.
We will have higher wages and pensions,
better jobs, more investments, a better business environment.
The four priorities we will talk about
at the economy summit are based
on the realisation of these projects. Some things
need to be done. If you go to Koroška or Bela Krajina
and you talk about the information highway, they will say
they need it, but they need the usual highway too,
so they will not drive two hours to the centre
if they could come there in one.
We have taken these priorities into account
and you can check them.
All the information is publicly available
and you can check every municipality. But I want to stress
that the map is not final because some projects
are still being verified.
The number will grow for €100 million or more in the next month.
Now, I give the floor to Mr. Tonin.
Thank you. Hello, everyone. I have learnt
that elections are not Thanksgiving
and voters do not need to thank us for the things we have done.
It was our duty to do it. We have done a lot
and those are the things that will define our development
and put a new foundation for the next 10, 20 years.
We have made the best out of the pandemic, which was a challenge
for everyone, not only for us, but also for other countries.
We are using all of the EU funds that are available
and we have also used our own money well.
With the investments, we contributed to
the increase of domestic consumption and this means
a record high employment rate and a record low unemployment.
But what is most important is that the projects
will change Slovenia for the better.
The infrastructure will be better
and the economy will develop more easily.
Our work is best described
with a story from the Ministry of Labour and Family,
where three left-wing governments spent
€70 million for different studies,
but they have not built a single nursing home.
We have been building them with high speed
throughout Slovenia. This example
clearly shows the difference between our government
that has been very efficient, and the previous governments.
We have been fighting way less. You have not heard from us
that after a government meeting, the coalition partners
would be talking about what we had agreed on
and where we disagree. We understood
that we are a football team. We can score goals
if we cooperate and pass the ball to each other.
We have managed that and you can see the results.
You can see them on the map.
There is something going on in every municipality
and I am happy about it. I am satisfied
that although at the beginning of our term,
everybody thought we would not last long,
after two years, we can say
that we have done a lot for Slovenia, but the important projects
are still waiting for us in the future
and at the beginning of the campaign, we wish
for the people to see what we have done and judge us by that.
We have started a lot of good projects
that we need to finish and we are ready to do that
and do some good for Slovenia.
Thank you. Now, I give the floor
to the Minister of Economy Zdravko Počivalšek.
Dear journalists.
In terms of economy, we have been very successful.
We have proven that it is right to invest in people and businesses.
Although the pandemic sent shockwaves through the economy,
we have come out of it as winners. We are ready
for the challenges of digital and green transformation
and we have the opportunity to continue our work
on rising the added value of our economy.
I want to stress that our goal during the crisis has been
to protect the health and lives of people
and to make sure the economy and people
could function and live as normally as possible.
With development incentives,
we supported economic recovery and growth
and an equal development of all regions.
We passed ten anti-corona packages to alleviate its consequences.
We gave the economy €2.3 billion,
a billion to tourism. With different measures,
we kept jobs
and provided liquidity for the economy.
According to the IMAD,
we prevented the decrease of economic activity for 4%
and everyone was able to use tourist vouchers.
I hope you have as well.
Over the past two years,
3.7 million vouchers have been cashed
in the total sum of €391 million
out of the €549 million available.
Despite a difficult situation,
we have secured between 10 and 12 thousand jobs in this industry.
We also took development measures and published tenders for funds
to help businesses adapt to new challenges.
In this term, the ministry
gave €1 billion and 14 million
of development refundable and non-refundable funds
and supported 24,500 projects throughout the country.
I am talking about modernisation and increase of production,
building industrial parks and tourist facilities
and other infrastructure. You can find these projects
on the interactive map of projects in different municipalities.
Within the scope of the law to support regional development
and the law to support investments, we have supported 33 investments
worth €73 million. These investments
will have an impact on our economy
through creating new jobs and a higher added value.
I will mention three best known examples,
but there are 33 projects.
Co-financing of the new production facilities at BSH in Nazarje
in the Savinja region, expansion of the production facilities at ELAPHE
and the investment in a smart company at TPV Brezina.
In the scope of the Agreement for the Development of Regions,
we supported projects worth €502 million,
64 projects worth €151 million
in the Western cohesion region and 154 projects
worth €326 million in the Eastern cohesion region.
We also helped with higher energy prices.
We gave €70 million to businesses
and 30 million to farmers.
We helped businesses with lower energy prices
and farmers with mineral fertilizers.
We also limited motor fuel prices
which benefits people and the economy, which was happy about it.
Hard government work and cooperation with the economy
are bringing good results. The economy is in good shape
and last year, the GDP growth was 8.1%,
the second highest in Europe.
We also had a record employment rate
and the lowest unemployment rate. Foreign investors
see us as a stable and trustworthy country
and therefore, we can borrow money at low interest rates.
They recognize our success abroad too.
Today, our economy is stronger than before the crisis.
We want to use this moment
and boost business growth.
This year, the ministry
will give €935 million to the economy
from the Recovery and Resilience Facility,
European cohesion funds and national funds
and funds from operating organizations.
We will boost investments for the green and digital transformation.
We want to increase productivity and added value
and support equal development of all regions.
We have published the first 11 tenders, worth €262 million.
At the end, I want to mention two laws
we passed recently.
The first is the Income Tax Act.
With this law, the best employees will stay here
and have higher wages without businesses having higher expenses.
The second law is the De-Bureaucratisation Act
which will reduce administrative obstacles
and strengthen a stronger competitive environment.
Thank you for your attention. -Thank you.
I want to say that financial sources for the projects are real.
We have not just imagined them
without having the money first. The money is guaranteed
in the budget or in the EU funds
where we negotiated for it.
Yesterday, the EU Commission Vice President
in charge of macroeconomic stability
congratulated our Finance Minister.
Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis congratulated our Finance Minister
because Slovenia is among the countries
that lowered their debt the most in the last year
and we had record macroeconomic results.
Yesterday, the last rating agency
rated Slovenia with an A
and as stable in the future.
All four agencies have rated Slovenia with an A
and as stable,
which means that this map
is not just wishful thinking, but we will do it.
During the last government's visit in the Central Slovenia region,
we heard that Ljubljana is neglected, so let's look at projects
that are being in progress
or are planned there. You will see that also in Ljubljana,
there have never been as many investments as now.
It has the most projects because it is the biggest municipality.
The list is extremely long.
When we were in the next room with all Slovenian mayors,
after negotiating significant European funds,
discussing how to allocate the negotiated billions,
Ljubljana's deputy mayor praised our co-operation.
If you want, we can listen to him.
I don’t know if we have sound.
Otherwise, you can click on it and you will hear his statement.
There are statements by many other mayors
who talked about these projects.
Of course, you can also call each one individually
and ask them if they have ever seen so many investments
in the history of Slovenia. All over Slovenia, without exception.
Now we have time for a few questions,
before we start the Slovenian Economy Summit. Please.
Anže Božič, Pop TV. I have a question for you,
Mr. Prime Minister, and for you, Mr. Tonin.
The most topical issue is probably the one you announced on Twitter.
The diplomatic mission in Kyiv.
To begin with, what will it look like, when will the government decide on it,
what is the procedure? Is this a special mission?
Is it true that the mission will be led by Mr. Bojan Pograjc,
your state secretary?
Will people from the Ministry of Defence join the mission, Mr. Tonin?
If so, will this be an armed mission, what exactly will it look like?
How does this coincide with the Slovenian representative body,
which is not physically in Ukraine, but it exists?
Isn't that some kind of duality? Maybe for a start.
We will answer this question,
but by far the most important topic for the future of Slovenia
is what you see on the map. I suggest that we speak on this topic first,
other things can wait until the end. Please.
Jernej Šmajdek, STA. From what you said and from the map,
it's clear that in this and in the coming years
public investments will be in the forefront.
However, warnings are coming from the construction sector
that price pressures are enormous, the prices of energy, raw materials,
problems with the supply of certain materials.
And that annexes are inevitable if we want to finish ongoing projects.
For the new ones, of course, there are price increases.
Have you, at the ministerial level, already talked about
how to address the issue of increasing prices for these projects,
possible annexes for ongoing projects
and repeating public procurements if price differences are too high?
In general, have you addressed the price aspect?
What does this mean for
the difference between the possible contract value and the estimated value?
This problem partly exists, there is a real problem.
In Slovenia, we had problems with annexes even in times
when there was no price pressure
for various other reasons.
We are aware that a gap can arise in some places
between the estimated value of the investment and the actual final costs.
Partial reserves are already in the projects themselves.
We will look for partial reserves on a case-by-case basis,
this is impossible to predict in advance and across the board.
On the domestic and foreign scene, we are working
on keeping the precarious situation to a minimum,
on stabilizing things.
After the Slovenian Economy Summit, Deputy PM Tonin and I
are leaving for Brussels for the NATO and European Union summits.
In addition to Ukraine, one of the important topics
will be the stabilization of energy prices.
The European Commission has drawn up plans
which will have a significant impact on price moderation in the coming months.
Given that the price pressure when it comes to certain raw materials
is partly due to broken logistics links
and speculation in this uncertain climate,
we expect that some of these risks will disappear over time,
that other paths will be established
and that this will reduce the price pressure.
Of course, it is very important
that peace is established in our eastern neighborhood.
Currently, this is by far the biggest risk factor
when it comes to the price pressure.
If the Minister of Economy wants to add anything.
The price pressure is definitely the result
of the war in Eastern Europe,
which has three direct impacts on the Slovenian economy.
A direct impact through our trade with both countries.
With one we have a 1.35 billion turnover,
with the other almost 300 million.
An indirect impact through the European economy,
which also trades with both countries, is even greater than direct.
The last one is the pressure of the impact of energy prices,
especially of gas and of petroleum products.
As you know, this is fortunately calming down.
It is therefore essential that these matters be solved as soon as possible.
If we want the great platform on which our economy stands today,
also in connection with the European economy,
to move forward in the direction of growth.
Otherwise, we will also have a chaotic economic situation.
Thank you very much. Next.
Go ahead. First on this topic.
Gregor Drnovšek, TV Slovenia. As you mentioned,
the official election campaign starts tomorrow,
today is the presentation of the results.
Will these be the main topics of your election campaign?
How important a role could the situation in Ukraine
play in the election campaign?
I would not speculate on the second part of the question.
War in the immediate neighborhood affects everyone.
As far as we are concerned, speaking on behalf of our party,
we had the election campaign ready,
it was built on the results so far, views and plans
on how Slovenia will develop in the next seven years,
up to 2030.
Now, of course, this is less relevant
given that we must also deal with the direct influence
of the Russian aggression on Ukraine.
There is very little time for a classic campaign,
I'm afraid the coming weeks won't be any different.
As for the plan
or the map of the ongoing projects, those already implemented
and those that have a realistic financial basis for the future...
This is not pre-election material, this is a fact.
This was done in the two years of our mandate.
At the end of this period, we are making a balance sheet.
Everyone can form their own opinion
and compare what has been done in the last two years,
what has been put into realistic plans,
with what was happening before.
I said at the beginning that...
Elections have never been Thanksgiving,
so I don’t expect the voters to be thankful.
It was our duty to do these things.
But this is a testament to how effective a government can be.
I believe that all the results,
all the achievements gathered in one place,
can above all show voters what you can do if you want to.
That is the key message.
Regarding the preparation for the election campaign,
I can say that New Slovenia envisioned
that the main electoral content would be the Income Tax Act
and the future taxation of Slovenian wages.
We also shortlisted
the future strengthening of the Slovenian public healthcare system
which will have to be accessible to all,
further strengthening of the economy and more joy in life,
so we can face the demographic winter.
This was the plan before the war in Ukraine.
Because of the war, we are facing a new reality,
which our party adapted to. This brings new challenges.
In the future, it will be necessary to deal with the energy crisis
and increase food self-sufficiency.
In short, this crisis has changed the priorities
and content of the election campaign.
I don't see anything wrong with that,
merely the ability of our party to adapt to the current situation.
Some say voters are looking at promises of what we will do.
Today, we have summarized our two years of work.
I can say that I am proud of the work of the entire government.
I presented the results in the economic field.
The Connect Slovenia movement is betting on six points.
First of all, everything is based on what is good for the economy,
what is good for people and what is good for nature.
This is why our election campaign will be focused
on the operating conditions of the economy,
on enabling the welfare state through the economy,
on a green, digital transition to a circular economy.
You see this is the end of the period when we exported garbage
and imported cheap energy.
De-bureaucratisation is an important point.
I think all members of the coalition agree on this.
And, of course, harmonious and balanced regional development.
With the addition of chapter six, demography,
which is the point on which we will need a broader consensus
if we want to ensure
a good and progressive development of our country.
Thank you. Next, please. -Can you answer my question?
We will, at the end.
Vitomir Petrović, Planet TV. For the Minister of Economy.
I will touch two points that you mentioned yourself.
Tourism workers are reiterating
that there is another crisis in tourism,
this time due to the Ukrainian war, and that they expect state aid.
How do you assess these facts? Did the tourist vouchers spoil them a bit?
The second area is the regulation of motor fuel prices.
Recently, we have witnessed the closure of smaller petrol stations
due to difficulties in the supply of motor fuels.
A comment on this and what will you do to help? Thank you.
Thank you for the question. First, regarding tourism.
I have said loud and clear that during the pandemic, we allocated
to the economy 2.3 billion euros, almost half of it to tourism.
Tourism was affected even before the pandemic
and was the most closed industry in the last two years.
So I believe we did the right thing
when we took additional measures for tourism,
with which we enabled it to survive.
In deciding whether to give money to all companies
that weren't working, we decided to give
this amount to all residents of Slovenia
and keep the tourism industry active.
Of course, it must be said
that even without the war between Russia and Ukraine,
we would have problems rebuilding markets
tied to air connections.
This is making matters in the field of tourism worse.
But tourism needs to be aware, and we will help them do that,
that they need to intensify promotion in the markets
which are available to us.
We have everything we need for the survival
and a moderate development of Slovenian tourism
in an area of 500 km around Slovenia,
which means we can be reached in four, five hours by car.
This is a circle between Milan, Munich,
Vienna, Budapest and Belgrade. This is the area
in which our country will be active in terms of promotion
to provide our tourism with enough guests.
The fact is that Slovenian tourism cannot survive and live
only with domestic tourists. You know that before the pandemic,
over 70% of all guests came from abroad.
Recovery will be slow, so the state
will definitely continue to help this industry.
Of course, I expect the tourism industry
to focus on the safety and health of our guests,
which can be our advantage.
As for the second question, I can repeat
that the government set a temporary maximum price
of diesel and 95-octane unleaded petrol,
because we needed to calm the motor fuels market
for the benefit of the people and the economy.
The economy and the people welcomed the government's move.
This measure is temporary, it will only last 30 days.
I can say that the ministry is monitoring the market situation.
We noted that in the last period after the limitation of sales prices
the market price first fell,
it has grown a little now, but still not above that.
Based on the movement of all 30 days,
we will respond and, if necessary, help traders.
We told them this directly.
Now, barely the first week of those 30 days is behind us.
Of course, it must be said that the reason for the problems
some smaller traders are having
isn't a shortage of petroleum products on the market,
but the business relationships
between major suppliers and smaller traders.
Each trader arranges their own sources of supply.
Terms, method of payment, prices
are set out in their mutual short-term and long-term contracts.
The ministry is not familiar with these contracts
and their business relationships,
nor is it competent to interfere in these relations.
Of course, we are monitoring the market,
we know that deviations are happening in this area.
I believe the big traders
will take their obligations to those they supply seriously,
because they have assurances from the state
that we will take into account both sides,
sales and purchases.
But on a basis of one week
we can't intervene in the market with additional measures.
But I want to say something else.
Since there is no shortage of fuel,
we will not and cannot take action
by tapping into commodity reserves,
because they are only there for physical fuel shortages.
I believe that things will be settled
also in terms of supply among the three big traders
and a few small ones,
as you mentioned, in the west and east of the country.
Let me add that the state has not tapped into reserves,
they are still intact, there is no reason to panic.
To answer the question not related to the topic of the press conference.
I’m glad that as soon as the public call was made
we received applications from volunteers
for a diplomatic mission returning to Ukraine.
These are people from different departments.
They have experience because they have worked there in the past,
also within various international organizations.
We also have candidates for the European Union mission.
If the European Union finally decides to take this step,
because the matter is still under discussion.
They will have full powers during the time of emergency.
At the level of charge d'affaires. Thank you very much.