The Slovenia Times

Fiscal Rule Implementation Bill in Focus of Parliament Session

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The fiscal rule implementation bill, which needs a two-thirds majority, will expectedly get sufficient backing to pass the first reading, although several opposition parties have been objecting the proposal.

The government wants Slovenia to introduce the fiscal rule gradually over the course of a few years, a position very different from that of the opposition Democrats (SDS), who want to implement the rule immediately.

To ensure sufficient support Prime Minister Miro Cerar and Finance Minister Dušan Mramor met the representatives of the SDS, New Slovenia (NSi) and Bratušek Alliance (ZaAB) in Friday.

Leaving the meeting, party representatives indicated that positions had been brought closer together. The parties are expected to make a final decision on whether to support the proposal before the parliamentary debate in Wednesday.

Apart from the fiscal rule implementation bill, the National Assembly will discuss four legislative proposals filed by the SDS.

While most of them are not expected to get passed, a bill that aims to ban unpaid internship could make it into an act, as it enjoys the support of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Anja Kopač Mrak.

Support for the bill, which is to be discussed at first reading on Friday, was also expressed by the youth wing of the coalition Social Democrats (SD).

The SDS moreover wants to see Slovenia introduce a system of apprenticeship by changing the vocational training act. The proposal does not enjoy the government's support, because the cabinet is working on similar legislative changes of its own.

The SDS moreover wants to change the national symbols act so that the entire song "Zdravljica", a part of which is Slovenia's national anthem, would be played at national holiday ceremonies. The party also wants to ban totalitarian symbols from the public.

The biggest opposition party also wants to changes the media act so as to increase the amount of Slovenian music played by radio stations from the now stipulated minimum of 20% to at least 40%.

The National Assembly is moreover expected to launch a parliamentary probe into the construction of a new generator at TEŠ thermal power plant in which cost has more than doubled to some EUR 1.4bn.

The proposal tabled by the United Left (ZL) enjoys the support of MPs from the ranks of the ruling SMC, the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), NSi, SD and ZaAB.

If the probe is launched on Friday, a commission is to look at the events surrounding the TEŠ generator construction since 2003, when build talks were launched.

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