Ljubljana - The opposition Left has called for Slovenia and the EU to join the US in the proposal to temporarily lift patent protections for vaccines against Covid-19.

"If the EU wants to assume a leading global role it claims for itself, it should take a stand in favour of free access to vaccines," it said in a written statement on Friday.

"Vaccines could not have been developed without substantial backing of public funds and infrastructure, and it is unfair they have been appropriated by pharma giants to make profits while people are dying," said the party, urging for vaccines to be made accessible to everyone across the globe regardless of where they live.

The party said it was aware President Joe Biden made the initiative at a time when the US is already well supplied with vaccines and that the path to making the proposal operational would be long.

Nevertheless, they are disappointed that the "EU and [Slovenian PM] Janez Janša should protect the interests of US multinationals much more fiercely and consistently than the US administration".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed willingness to discuss the proposal to waive patent rights on vaccines. Germany is opposed while France is in favour of the proposal.