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Slovenia Reduces Government Ministries to 14 Following Law Change
🇸🇮 Slovenia /Elections & Politics

Slovenia Reduces Government Ministries to 14 Following Law Change

From Delo · (14m ago) Slovenian

Translated from Slovenian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Slovenia's National Assembly approved a government bill reducing the number of ministries from 19 to 14.
  • The bill, proposed by SDS, consolidates several portfolios, including merging economy and labor, and education, science, and youth.
  • While proponents cite efficiency and rationalization, critics, particularly from the left, raised concerns about merging economy and labor and the elimination of the Ministry for Solidarity Future.

The Slovenian National Assembly has voted to significantly restructure the government, reducing the number of ministries from 19 to 14. This move, driven by the SDS party's proposal, aims to streamline state administration and enhance efficiency in response to current geopolitical conditions.

The reshaped government will feature 14 ministries, with several key portfolios being consolidated. Notably, the areas of economy and labor will be merged under a single ministry, as will education, science, and youth. New ministries will be formed for demography, family, and social affairs. The proposed structure also includes ministers without portfolio, one responsible for relations with Slovenians abroad and up to two assisting the prime minister.

Every government must have a free hand to shape its ministries as it sees fit.

— Svoboda and SD partiesThese parties abstained or were absent during the vote, indicating a stance that allows the government flexibility in its organization.

This reorganization has not been without its critics. Parties like the Left and Vesna have voiced strong opposition, particularly concerning the merger of the economy and labor sectors. They also expressed dismay over the dissolution of the Ministry for Solidarity Future. In contrast, parties such as Freedom and SD emphasized the prerogative of any government to structure its ministries according to its vision, suggesting that the effectiveness of the individual departments will be the ultimate measure of success.

Supporters of the bill, predominantly from SDS, NSi, SLS, and Fokus, argue that the reduction in ministries will lead to greater efficiency and cost savings within the state administration. They believe this rationalization is crucial for navigating the complexities of the current geopolitical landscape. The proponents also assert that the changes will not have any direct financial impact on the state budget, a claim that will be closely scrutinized as the new structure takes effect.

The goal is to establish an effective organizational structure for ministries, reduce state administration costs, and increase its efficiency.

— SDS partyThis statement outlines the primary objectives behind the proposed government restructuring.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delo in Slovenian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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