While the EUR 109m won in a blending call will remain frozen pending the repetition of the referendum on the act governing the project's funding, the government managed to renegotiate with the European Commission on Tuesday the terms for an extra EUR 44.3m meant for the preparation works.

Infrastructure Ministry Jure Leben explained that an annex had been signed that extends the rights for the execution of the works from 2TDK, the company incorporated by the government to manage the project, to the Infrastructure Agency. While 2TDK could not access the EUR 44.3m, the Infrastructure Agency can.

This means that work on the project will be able to begin before what the government hopes will be the clearing of the financing act in a new referendum.

The public vote, via which the act has once already been upheld, needs to be repeated after the Supreme Court agreed the first referendum campaign had been unfair as a result of government campaign funding.

Leben argued the deal showed that the government as well as the Commission cared about the project. The Commission in effect stated that it sees Slovenia as a credible partner and that it wants the project to continue, the state secretary added.

He believes the original plan to start with work at the end of April remains realistic, the details will however be presented next week.

Asked what the current situation meant for the planned cooperation of Hungary in the construction of the track, Leben said that while the idea was for the negotiations to continue, the caretaker government was not in a position to initial an agreement.

It can draw up a report after the talks for the next government, which would then decide how to proceed, he added.