Hello. Matej Arčon will present you
the decision from the Government's session
where they talked about the candidate for the European Commission.
Go ahead. -Thank you. Dear journalists,
the guessing is over. Today, the Government
unanimously confirmed,
without a vote against,
to nominate Marta Kos for our European Commissioner.
We sent the nomination to the Parliament
that will give its opinion, which is not binding,
and then the Government will again, at the correspondence session,
confirm the candidacy.
Now, you can ask questions. First here.
Raise your hand and introduce yourself.
Anže Božič and then Aleš Gaube.
Go ahead.
I am interested in two things.
Considering the complications with Mr. Vesel,
do you have any guarantee from Brussels that this time,
with a female candidate, which the Commission President wanted,
things will go more smoothly? And about the department.
The Department for Enlargement is being mentioned.
Is this what Slovenia wants?
We have no guarantee. The President makes the decision
and she can refuse the candidate
and does not send them into procedure.
Then, the Parliament's departments need to confirm them
where it has already happened
that candidates were refused. We have no guarantee
of the end result, but the talks
between the parties have been going on.
We will know which department we got on Wednesday when the President
will announce them.
Do you expect enlargement?
We expect a good department.
We would be happy with enlargement.
Aleš Gaube, Dnevnik. To the microphone, please.
How did you present
the candidacy to your coalition partners
and why was it necessary?
The Prime Minister was leading
the procedure of finding a candidate
and he also met with the coalition
on Friday. Until today, we have been thinking about candidates.
The Prime Minister informed the other two presidents
of Marta Kos's candidacy
and that she agreed to it.
Today and tomorrow, she will be available
for a personal presentation.
Rok Šuligoj, TV Slovenija. -Rok Šuligoj, TV Slovenija.
I want to know the background.
How did you get to Marta Kos considering the history
between her and the Freedom Movement?
The candidate for the Commissioner
distanced herself from the party and its principles.
The interests of Slovenia
and the qualities of the candidate, which Marta Kos has,
should be put first. You cannot build your future
on resentment. We recognised and I am sure
most Slovenians will recognise that Marta Kos
is a good Commissioner.
Siol.
Gašper Lubej, Siol.net. You were not happy.
You said the situation is uncomfortable.
Why did you think so?
Probably because it was at the last moment.
How do you comment the criticism that this is a disgrace?
No. I do not know where you sensed
my dissatisfaction.
We were not happy that we found ourselves
in this situation, but when this happens,
you have to react appropriately and responsibly
which we did.
A disgrace for Slovenia.
I cannot agree with those
who call this a disgrace.
This is a normal procedure
for every candidacy for a certain position.
Tomaž Vesel is a decent human being and he showed
his greatness when he saw that his views
do not coincide with the President's
and Parliament's and he made it possible
for Slovenia to submit a nomination for a candidate.
Even though a candidate of some other country won't be approved
in the parliament, I don't see it as a failure,
but as a set of circumstances.
STA -Sonja Poznič Cvetko, STA.
I would like to know, what kind of experience has Ms. Marta Kos.
The President of the European Commission was critical,
because Tomaž Vesel doesn't have experience in politics.
How good a candidate is Marta Kos in your opinion?
I believe Marta Kos is a very good candidate,
she has all necessary skills that the President expressed
and announced. She knows Slovenian politics,
after all, she was the head of this office, UKOM.
She was also a successful diplomat in Germany and Switzerland,
which means she knows, how important it is to have connections
and establish relations in European Union.
We are moving to Zoom. Lucija Kavčič, Demokracija.
Go ahead.
Hello. I have a question, why the coalition
when selecting a candidate has not consulted with SDS
that was a winner of the European election in Slovenia.
It was pointed out that the candidate doesn't have enough experience
on the European stage
and she has a contentious past.
Wasn't it politically exclusive
that coalition hasn't consulted with SDS from opposition
regarding the candidate?
Okay. This is enough. Thank you.
The procedure is completely clear.
The Prime Minister proposes
a nomination at a government meeting and a candidate introduces oneself
to the opposition and individual political parties.
It can be done separately or within a competent committee.
I believe that Marta Kos can communicate well and decently,
which is important.
She was an ambassador in two important Member States
and she meets all the criteria of the President of the Commission.
Anže Božič. -Just a sub-question about this.
Do you expect that opposition will support the second candidate?
We saw, how it was the first time. The opposition didn't block
the nomination of Mr. Vesel. What do you expect now?
We expect positive opinions of most of the members.
I also expect the convening of a committee today or tomorrow,
so we can align the introduction of a candidate
and a department on Wednesday.
Mainly, because I find it important to be responsible
and that Slovenia accomplishes it on Wednesday or sends
the nomination of a candidate with opinions and validation
of the government.
I see your question: "What, if it's not so?"
On Wednesday we will just introduce the departments.
We can send a name after Wednesday as well.
The selection procedure in the European Parliament
will begin only when the President has the whole team.
Rok Šuligoj. I have a few sub-questions.
Have the Prime Minister and President of the European Commission
talked about this candidate?
After all, in the last place of Ursula Von der Leyen's conditions
was also the diplomatic aspect.
A prime minister, president, minister or a diplomat.
Have they talked about it?
How does this affect on it? It's quite late.
How does this affect the department that we will get?
In the beginning of April at the event of Svoboda in Zbilje,
when you introduced the candidate Tomaž Vesel,
it was said that this is a good basis for the best possible department,
because we are among the first, but now we are very late.
There are different opinions, which department is more or less important.
I think that every department is important.
It is important to propose a competent candidate
who runs a department responsibly.
The Prime Minister is in contact with the President of the Commission.
I believe he communicated this properly
and that they talk about a new candidate as well
and she will get a green light.
Let's look at the internet. Planet TV.
Via Zoom. Go ahead.
Hello. I'm Luka Svetina. The question is connected
with a quick change of a candidate for a European Commissioner.
Are you taking all that was going on,
even the President's visit, as a political pressure on Slovenia
to change a candidate. You have mentioned a selection of candidates.
Can you tell us, who else were you considering?
Tanja Fajon wasn't a candidate? How unanimous was coalition?
As I've said, the Ministers have confirmed
the nomination of Marta Kos without a vote against
and without votes through abstention.
It means that nomination goes into procedure.
I can confirm that my colleague Tanja Fajon
on a government's meeting explicitly stressed
that she wasn't a candidate for a European Commissioner
and that she will be happy to run the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She denied all speculation
and various insinuations
of the indications from Brussels that she should be a candidate.
She never wished to be a Commissioner.
Okay.
Are there any more questions?
I would like to thank you for coming to the press conference.
Have a nice day. -Thank you.