WEBVTT

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Greetings. The decisions
from today's session

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will be presented
by Deputy PM Matej Arčon.

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Greetings. Today
I would like to share with you

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two bits of information
regarding healthcare.

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The government
has adopted a decision

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to establish the Public Agency
for Quality in Healthcare.

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This is part
of the healthcare reform

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and in line with the already
adopted Quality in Healthcare Act.

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This is an independent body.

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The aim of the institution
is to systematically monitor

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the quality and safety
in patient treatment.

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The most important thing
is that our patients,

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our citizens receive services
of the highest quality.

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Secondly,
the government decided

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that the new hospital for the
Gorenjska region will be in Kranj.

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The decision was unanimous.

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We know that Gorenjska
urgently needs a new hospital,

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there is no doubt about that.

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Several locations
were suggested.

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There have been several studies
and analyses conducted in the past,

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and the last one assessed
the advantages and disadvantages

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of two locations,
Kranj and Radovljica.

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Both locations
were found suitable,

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but I must say
that the analysis

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gave a slight preference
to Radovljica.

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Ultimately, the coalition
unanimously decided on Kranj,

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ending the uncertainty.

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We took into account
the broader aspects

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of Kranj's development
as a regional centre.

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It also has a higher
population density

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and the support of the local
community and mayors.

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Very importantly,
the Municipality of Kranj

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has committed itself,
in writing,

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to realise all of the required
activities in a timely manner,

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so construction can begin
as soon as possible.

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That includes tackling
the challenges at this location,

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archeological excavations,
moving the power line,

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buying land
and adopting a spatial plan.

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The Mayor has written
a letter of commitment

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to realise this
within the given timeline,

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and is, of course,
responsible for this.

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Thank you,
we will now take questions.

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Please introduce yourselves,

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state your full name
and media.

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Greetings,
Katarina Bulatović, STA.

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Mr. Arčon, could you please
comment first on today's topic,

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when will the Agency for Quality
begin operating,

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how many
employees will it have

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and sourced
from which HR pool?

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Secondly,
could you please comment

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on the signatures
thath the SDS party gathered

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for calling a referendum.

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Please also tell us
how actively

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your party will participate
in the referendum. Thank you.

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Thank you. The purpose
of my press conferences

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is to tell you what we adopted
and why, so to provide a framework.

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The specific contents
are provided by the ministries.

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I will tell you what I know about
the establishment of the Agency.

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Namely, a large part
of the Agency's personnel

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will consist
of the competent authorities

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of the Ministry of Health,
and some additional ones.

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The Minister said that the Agency
will have about sixteen employees

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and will begin operating
immediately.

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What was your second question?
-The referendum.

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We believe that this referendum
is not only aimed

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at the Minister or Ministry
of Culture, or the government,

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this referendum
is against culture.

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It is against the preservation
of the Slovenian language

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and culture as a whole.

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We think it underestimates

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all of those
deserving cultural workers

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who have,
through their life's work,

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more than earned
their reward.

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They get a certain
pension supplement

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and are only eligible to receive it
when they retire.

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Compared to sports,

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cultural laureates
receive significantly less

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than athletes do
for their work.

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I should also point out that,
if this referendum is approved,

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this law
will no longer be in force.

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The old law from the 1970s
will remain in effect,

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continuing to allow the awarding
of these prizes as it has to date.

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This new law just defines
the legislation anew,

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including the conditions
under which

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the laureates
get the pension supplement.

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Will the
Freedom Party participate?

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Of course we will
participate in the campaign,

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because we know
that it is our resposibility

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to clearly tell our citizens

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why a certain party
wants to get them to a referendum.

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I think that this issue
in no way belongs in a referendum,

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because it is actually just
manipulating people, voters,

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as it solves
absolutely nothing.

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It keeps the old law
and abolishes the new one.

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Luka Černe, POP TV.

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I have a few questions,
but first,

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what is your party's position
or rather comment

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regarding the latest situtation
with the Filipino workers in Kranj?

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And how will the coalition respond
regarding Minister Tanja Fajon,

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who published a photograph
on a social media platform

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of herself with the
CEO of the agency

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that brought
those workers to Slovenia?

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Today, as always, I am here as the
official government spokesman,

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not a party spokesman.

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We did, however,
also discuss this topic today.

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I can say that we ministers
all in agreement.

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We do not
condone such actions,

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even with
possible acquaintanceships.

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No one in this day and age
deserves such treatment.

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An industrialist
paving the way for his career

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by prioritising
some sort of profit

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before any human element

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does not deserve to continue
carrying on with their work.

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That is undoubtedly
a short-run course.

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If you remember,
there was a similar case

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with Vegrad
a couple of decades ago,

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and we know how that ended.

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If it were up to me, I would
take their licence away at once.

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Did you perhaps
also talk about

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Mrs. Fajon
associating with this person?

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No. Look, a person's actions
in the business world

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have to be separated
from their friendship.

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She even said herself that
the same rules apply to everyone.

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The competent minister
and inspector

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will issue a statement
for the press today.

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On a different topic, the Commission
for the Prevention of Corruption

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has found irregularities
in the appointment

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of the Director General
of the Police

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and instructed the government
to take measures.

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How do you comment
this decision?

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I admit that I only saw the title,
I do not know enough to comment.

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If there are recommendations,
we will review them

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and take appropriate measures.

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The Commission's stance
is quite severe.

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Certain instruments
are too poorly defined,

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which can lead
to inconsistent decisions,

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unequal treatment
of candidates,

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abuse of powers
of decision-makers,

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and consequently
the public losing confidence

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in state institutions and the rule
of law. You did not discuss this?

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No, we did not,
as this is today's news.

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We have to review the situation
and their recommendations,

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and, if they are reasonable,
comply, of course.

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Lastly, have you been
following the case

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of the
sheltered workshop CSS?

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The Ministry of Finance
and the government

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have already issued a decree

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on changing the strategy
of state investments,

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which also went through
the Finance Committee.

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How do you
view this development?

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It is going in the right direction.
It is important

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to safe this company
in the short-term.

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It has a new
management and plan.

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We want the company
to keep functioning

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and with the new strategy,

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we are protecting companies
that employ people with disabilities

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and are owned by the state.
-Next question.

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Vitomir Petrović, Planet TV.

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According to what you said
about the new regional hospital,

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I assume you
already have a location

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and you know

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approximately
when it will be built?

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We do not have a date, but it is
a part of the strategy until 2030.

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It depends on the local community
to fulfil the commitments

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necessary
for the building to begin,

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from the spatial plan,
moving the pylon

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to the archaeological excavations.
They also have to buy the land

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they do not own yet.

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From there,
the process can start.

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It is a medium-term project. -This
is not connected to today's topic.

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It looks like the state
prosecutor's office will investigate

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the President of the Parliament
because of abuse of power.

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Could you finally tell us

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who is paying for her videos?

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Her office denied everything

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and said the payer
is listed at the end,

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but there, we only find the logo
of the Freedom Movement.

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Is your party paying
for the videos?

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I saw the title and was told

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that she is supposed to be
investigated. I want to wait

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if she will
actually be charged.

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Then we will read it
and respond.

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The Freedom Movement
has been paying for advertisements.

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We are a political party
and promote our activity

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and our members,
the President,

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the President of the Parliament,
MPs and ministers.

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This is a part
of our activity.

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But I can't give you any answers
about specific videos at the moment.

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I will continue
on this topic anyway.

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Let us take the example
of last year's address to the people

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on Statehood Day.
It was filmed in Villa Podrožnik,

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which is a strictly
protocol building.

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It was booked

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by the office of the President
of the National Assembly,

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but nowhere in the entire video
does this function appear,

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it's solely and exclusively her name
and the Freedom Movement.

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Look, I don't know the specific
example that you've given.

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I can give you an example,
when I appear in a video

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for a confrontation, the party takes
extracts from that confrontation

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and, of course, then
promotes it on social networks.

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I don't see the point
of your question.

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Do you think
that we should not pay this?

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You shouldn't be filming there
on behalf of the party.

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So you're saying
the party filmed there?

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I really can't answer that
at the moment,

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because I really
don't know the details.

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Do we have any other questions
on Government activities?

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About the regional hospital,
if you have any information on that.

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Where exactly in Kranj it will be,
how big it will be,

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how many employees
it will have

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and what it will combine.
It has been rumoured

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that the Golnik Clinic
and the Kranj Maternity Hospital

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are to be moved there.
And about the employees,

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some people pointed out
that the employees

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of the Ljubljana University Medical
Centre were going to go there.

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What are your answers?
-These are all questions to follow.

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The Ministry knows exactly.

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According to my information,
there will 600 beds,

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it will combine the two institutions
that you've mentioned.

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The Ministry will be able
to give you all the details.

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Before the press conference,
we received a question by e-mail.

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Is it true that the Government
replaced its representatives

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on the psychiatric clinic
institute council,

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that is, dismissed the previous
members. And if so, why?

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All I can say is that
this information is correct,

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four members were replaced on the
proposal of the Ministry of Health,

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in accordance with the law
and the regulation.

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I don't know the names off the top
of my head. Please read them.

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All the other information will be
answered by the competent ministry.

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We're answering
the question by N1.

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Tomaž Subotič, Simon Zore, Žiga
Barbarič and Dragica Vrkič Kozlan

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have been replaced by
Savo Tatalovič, Vesna Marinko,

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Miha Resman
and Boštjan Kavčič.

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The replacement takes
effect today, 20 March.

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Any other questions?
-About the referendum, if I may.

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At the moment,
various calculations are being made

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as to the financial consequences.

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What are the figures on how high
the benefits will be

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and how much it would cost?

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Today at 2.30 PM
the Minister of Culture

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will give a statement
on this referendum.

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She knows these figures
more precisely.

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According to my information, it's
about 600 to 700 thousand a year

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for all the previous
award-winners

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who have received
these awards so far.

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As I said, the Minister will answer
this question in more detail.

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But we know how much a referendum
costs, between 4 and 5 million.

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Any other questions?
Thank you,

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this concludes the press conference.
-Thank you, good luck. -Goodbye.