Achievements in 2019 and Priorities in 2020 under the Šarec Government
Slovenia is ending 2019 on a good footing. Despite the uncertainties in the international arena, it is posting stable growth figures, at nearly three percent, and in terms of development it is catching up to the level of the EU countries. Employment trends remain positive, and all of the Big Three credit rating agencies gave Slovenia a higher rating this year.
A great deal of effort has been invested over the past few months in maintaining this position, which serves as the basis for future development. The main starting point at the beginning of the year was maintaining social order, and therefore the agreement on wages with the public sector trade unions was all the more important, particularly because it also helped us achieve the objective of a balanced state budget.
Slovenia acquired a few significant foreign investors, the first international artificial intelligence research and development centre under the auspices of UNESCO will be located in Ljubljana, work on the construction of the second track on the Koper-Divača line will proceed after all, and the construction of Development Axis 3 was initiated.
Quality of life in Slovenia is undoubtedly affected by its sense of security, to which Slovenia dedicates a great deal of attention, both in the area of managing migration and in the increasingly important area of cybersecurity, which is the focus of the Information Security Administration, established this year.
The regulation of long-term care will also undoubtedly be on the list of priorities in 2020. The same goes for the regulation of the area of municipal waste, and shortening wait times and staffing issues in Slovenian healthcare.
And of course we cannot overlook Slovenia’s Presidency of the EU Council, which will contribute significantly to improving Slovenia’s standing in the international community over the next two years. Slovenia already held the Presidency of the EU Council a few years ago, but the challenge is no smaller for it, and the preparations, which will continue to ramp up in 2020, are no less intense.