Prime Minister Golob: The number 114 epitomises the very best of the public administration

During his visit, Prime Minister Golob said that the idea for the toll-free number 114 came about when Slovenia was facing one of the most difficult times in its history, the aim being to provide people with as much information as possible in one place. "A trained professional team was tasked precisely with that – providing information. At the time, this proved to be a virtually indispensable link in the response to people's distress. One of the results of this is the title of Golden Ambassador for Children with Cancer, awarded by the Golden Ribbon Institute. It was through the number 114 that these children from the affected regions were able to connect with each other and with other children in the country," said the Prime Minister.

When the first rush for information about the floods subsided, it turned out that people had taken the number for their own. "That is why we decided to expand the range of information we can provide to citizens on this number. This is information on the most topical reforms, which affect mainly the elderly population, but are important for all of us," continued the Prime Minister. "The decision to provide the information on long-term care, which is one of the biggest organisational challenges faced by this government, through 114, has proved to be a very good one." It has become evident that there is an urgent need for information in precisely that area and that people trust this number.

"This number has become the face of the country. It is the number you can call at any time – when you are uncertain or unsure of what the future holds. I am convinced that, also thanks to the very dedicated and compassionate operators at the 114 call centre, many people’s lives are easier and better because they can communicate with the state," added the Prime Minister. Calls to this number are always answered, and if the waiting time is too long, they will call you back.

"We want to help people who call this number and resolve their uncertainties as quickly as possible. So that people know they can count on the state and on the public employees who are there for them," said Prime Minister Golob. He also expressed his conviction that this number epitomises the very best of the public administration, the levels of the welfare state and prosperity for all.

Minister of Solidarity-Based Future Simon Maljevac stressed that the reform of long-term care is the biggest change in the field of social protection since the 1970s. "It is like rebuilding the healthcare system from scratch, which is why the long-term care reform is a major challenge for this Government. But we are also the first government to have started this reform and begun putting it into action. The phone number 114 is very important for our citizens in this story," said Minister Maljevac. "Anyone can call this number with questions about long-term care, what the law brings, what rights we have, how much we will have to pay for individual services, and which services will be free of charge," added Minister Maljevac, thanking the entire team working in the call centre. "The energy in the call centre is really good and positive. Thank you to all the staff who do this important work."

Luka Mesec, Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, said during the visit that the Government was completing the promised projects in the pre-election year. "We have tackled challenges that other governments have put aside for 10 years or more.  Besides long-term care, the pension reform is a similar story, which previous governments discussed since 2017, but this Government has brought to completion," Minister Mesec stressed. He added that changes also bring concerns.  "Today, it is not difficult to access information, but it is often hard to get reliable and credible information and information that you can trust to be verified and true. At the number 114, there are top advisors, a team of people who really know the field. Anyone with questions regarding long-term care or the pension system can call 114, where they will receive accurate and reliable information," added Minister Mesec, who also thanked everyone working at the call centre.

In May, the 114 call centre took on important additional tasks of answering citizens’ questions about the pension reform and the new contribution for long-term care. By doing so, the 114 call centre contributes to greater accessibility and quality of information in these two areas, which are particularly crucial at the moment. In just over two weeks since taking on these new responsibilities, they have answered approximately 1,000 calls from citizens on these new topics.

Matjaž Florjanc Lukan, head of the 114 call centre, added that everyone can call the number 114. "Call us for information, questions, initiatives, clarifications, or guidance. At 114, you will find an excellent professional team of advisors who believe that good information, delivered on time, is essential for making good decisions," Florjanc Lukan said.

The 114 call centre was initially established as the Call Centre for Reconstruction after the 2023 floods. When the call centre was set up in September 2023, Prime Minister Golob emphasised that the number 114 would become synonymous with state assistance for all those who need it. He also expressed his conviction that the state and public administration will prove to be of immense value to people when they are accessible to them.

In September 2024, the 114 call centre received a prize in the "Premik naprej 2024" competition, awarded by the Faculty of Public Administration of the University of Ljubljana. In February 2025, the 114 call centre also received the Golden Ambassador for Children with Cancer plaque, recognising its role in connecting children from vulnerable groups through the call centre. The plaque was intended to highlight the importance of connection, cooperation, and inclusion as fundamental values of society.  The award was also presented to Mr Andrej Šter, the former head of the call centre.

On 5 September 2023, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision to set up a Call Centre for Reconstruction after the 2023 Floods at phone number 114. The initiative came from the Prime Minister’s Office with the aim of centralising the provision of up-to-date, reliable and comprehensive information about reconstruction after the floods that affected nearly two-thirds of Slovenia in August 2023. The call centre was originally launched to assist all residents affected by the natural disaster, with the aim of providing reliable and fast information in one place. The call centre is staffed by employees from ministries and government offices who wanted to help residents affected by the floods. The call centre was led by Andrej Šter from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MFEA) until December 2024, when he was succeeded by Matjaž Florjanc Lukan, also an MFEA employee.