Janša after falling competitiveness: We have difficult work ahead

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša has acknowledged that strengthening the country's economic competitiveness will be a "difficult job." His comments came as Slovenia fell three places to 49th out of 70 countries in the latest IMD competitiveness ranking.

“

And the first condition for a successful Slovenia is that we strengthen the competitiveness of our economy and here we have quite difficult work ahead of us.

Janša noted that Slovenia's best performance was in infrastructure, while its weakest was in business efficiency. He specifically pointed to government efficiency as an area where the country's ranking had deteriorated the most. This drop serves as a significant warning, according to the Managers' Association, which views the decline as expected but a serious call for national change to maintain prosperity.

“

But despite this, we must not forget that Europe must be economically strong.

Speaking at an EU summit, Janša argued that competitiveness and the internal market are not receiving enough attention. He emphasized that while Europe faces two military conflicts, one being a "European war" in Ukraine, the continent must not neglect its economic power. He also highlighted that increased defense spending can only be sustained by a robust economy.

“

The fall is expected. However, it represents a serious reminder of what we should change as a country if we want to continue to ensure or improve the level of prosperity in Slovenia.

Economic organizations in Slovenia have reacted to the ranking's decline. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia sees the fall as an alert signaling the need for a development agreement and immediate measures. They propose immediate tax relief for labor and businesses, more competitive energy prices, accelerated hiring of foreign workers, and streamlined procedures.

“

The fall is seen as a warning that we need a development agreement and immediate measures.