Parliament endorsed nine ministers in the government of Prime Minister Robert Golob on Tuesday, completing a reshuffle that Golob intended since the start of his term but was thwarted in past months.
The government will now have twenty ministers, of which one without a portfolio, just as Golob envisioned at the outset of his term, before his plan became bogged down in political infighting.
“After eight months, not just of waiting but also of fighting, we have come to a point where the winners of the election can assert our legitimate right to shape the government in line with our preferences,” Golob told parliament.
There are only three new ministers, whereas the briefs of six more have been reshuffled, which required a new formal confirmation by parliament.
Two erstwhile government offices, for the digital transition and cohesion policy, have been elevated to ministries.
Golob said the three new ministries will be “the engines of three important reforms” in a year that the government has designated as a year of reforms that will “transform our country”.
The new Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future will be tasked with reforming long-term care and housing policy.
The newly formed Education Ministry, which will cover preschool, primary and secondary education, will set the foundations to reform the educational system, according to Golob.
And the new Climate and Energy Ministry will be tasked with drawing up measures to avoid an energy crisis like the current in the future while working on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
“Climate and energy have two seemingly incompatible goals, but in reality, they go hand in hand. Long-term zero-carbon measures are the only way to cover energy needs and not destroy the planet,” Golob said.
The debate leading to the vote saw the opposition reiterate previous arguments that the enlarged government would be bloated and ineffective.
In contrast, the coalition argued that the reorganisation is necessary for the implementation of the many reform efforts on the government’s table.
(Sebastijan R. Maček | sta.si)
Source: euractiv.com
