Ljubljana - Organisations of prosecutors have welcomed the new justice minister's decision to clear the appointments of 13 state prosecutors. As a result, the new government appointed on Thursday the state prosecutors, who had been endorsed by the State Prosecutorial Council, ending a blockade that started under the previous government.

The Association of State Prosecutors looks forward to additional appointments, and the State Prosecutorial Council expects proactive action by all those who decide on appointments of prosecutors.

In Friday's statement for the STA, the council urged swift action citing the complexity of appointment procedures and stressing that many prosecutor vacancies are empty.

The council drew attention to the critical shortage of prosecutors in its opinion on the 2021 report on the work of state prosecutors, saying the alarming understaffing is worsening year by year.

While 83% of all the planned posts were filled in 2017 and 2018, the figure was gradually falling to reach last year 75%, which translates into 203 posts.

This affects working conditions and increases the workload on the prosecutors, which can affect the quality of the performance of state prosecutors.

The appointments were also welcomed by the Association of State Prosecutors, which had long warned of a staff shortage in its ranks.

The association is confident that the remaining seven prosecutors that have already been vetted by the council, will also be appointed shortly.

The government appointed the new prosecutors a day after it was sworn in upon the proposal of Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan.

Two prosecutors were appointed at the supreme state prosecutor's office, and eleven at district prosecutor's offices, in Ljubljana, Celje, Koper, Maribor and Kranj.