Slovenia Bulletin: New government takes office

četrtek, december 09, 2004

New government takes office

On 3 December, Slovenia’s new government led by Prime Minister Janez Janša finally took office, exactly two months after parliamentary elections brought sweeping changes to the country’s political landscape. The new coalition is led by Janša’s Social Democratic Party (SDS), joined by New Slovenia (NSi), the Slovene People’s Party (SLS) and the Democratic Party of Pensioners (DeSUS). The coalition parties control 49 of the 90 seats in parliament.

The government was approved by a parliamentary vote of 51:37. The 49 coalition MPs were also supported by the representatives of the Hungarian and Italian minorities [SN / 03.12.04 / Parliament Appoints Jansa Centre-Right Government].

The new government has 15 ministers:

1. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food: Marija Lukčič (SDS)
2. Minister of Culture: Vasko Simoniti (SDS)
3. Minister of Defense: Karl Erjavec (DeSUS)
4. Minister of the Economy: Andrej Vizjak (SDS)
5. Minister of Education and Sport: Milan Zver (SDS)
6. Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning: Janez Podobnik (SLS)
7. Minister of Finance: Andrej Bajuk (NSi)
8. Minister of Foreign Affairs: Dimitrij Rupel (SDS)
9. Minister of Health: Andrej Bručan (SDS)
10. Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology: Jurij Župan (NSi)
11. Minister of the Interior: Dragutin Mate (SDS)
12. Minister of Justice: Lovro Šturm (NSi)
13. Minister of Labor, Family and Social Affairs: Janez Drobnic (NSi)
14. Minister of Public Administration: Gregor Virant (SDS)
15. Minister of Transport: Janez Božič (SLS)

For biographies and additional information, cf. SBW / 06.12.04/ Janez Jansa Government Appointed.

In the 3 October elections, Janša’s Social Democratic Party (SDS) managed to win the most votes for the first time in independent Slovenia’s history. Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS), which has led nearly every government since independence, came in second place, and will now lead the parliamentary opposition.

This new government is Slovenia’s eighth since independence in 1991.

According to Janša's acceptance speech, the new government's goals are to be: tax reform, improvements to public administration and the educational system, privatization and anti-corruption efforts [TOL / 06.12.04./ Promoting Accountability].