Brussels "Persuaded" PM Bratušek on the Introduction of a Fiscal Rule in 2015
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But Bratušek also indicated the implementing law would be framed so as to allow Slovenia to defer balancing the budget, after diplomatic sources in Brussels said today that Slovenia would be given two more years to eliminate its excessive deficit.
The implementing act will have to define the manner and execution of fiscal consolidation, how compliance with the fiscal rule will be monitored and who will oversee it, she said.
"2017 is still the realistic year...but we decided otherwise because of a lack of political will on the other side," Bratušek said as she addressed reporters after Wednesday's EU summit.
A meeting of party heads dedicated to the fiscal rule is scheduled for Thursday while the National Assembly will be in session Friday to debate the rule.
Additionally, Bratušek said she would propose that parliament hold another session on Friday to tighten referendum rules.
There has been broad consensus on the need to amend the Constitution with a fiscal rule, but Bratušek's Positive Slovenia (PS) long argued that 2015, the year proposed and fiercely advocated by the opposition Democrats (SDS), was unrealistic given the current trends.
The SDS has also insisted that the fiscal rule needs to be put in place before parliament votes on changes to the Constitution that will make it much more difficult to call referenda, which had been successfully used in the past to bring down reforms.