The exchange programme, led by Portugal, aims to exchange middle managers in public administration dealing with innovation, digital transformation of public administration and international relations between EU Member States.

Minister Boštjan Koritnik expressed Slovenia’s support of the EU Leaders Exchange Programme and its readiness to participate in a pilot project with Portugal, France and Spain in 2022. “The role of leaders is extremely important for the effectiveness and capacity building of civil servants. Their importance was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they had to quickly adapt to new forms of communication and develop crisis communication skills. Therefore, this can further contribute to a change in the culture of leadership," said Minister Koritnik.

The Minister also pointed out the outstanding issues regarding the funding of the programme and proposed the creation of an online platform where all applications would be published, as well as the needs and best practices of each country.

In addition, Minister Koritnik presented his Portuguese counterpart Alexandra Leitão the priorities of the Ministry of Public Administration during the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, where we will focus on population ageing and talent management in the public administration. “Solutions and approaches need to be found for older employees to make a gradual transition from working life to retirement, making the most of their experience and know-how while ensuring effective knowledge transfer to younger generations,” Koritnik said.

As part of the meeting, Mr Peter Pogačar, Director-General of the Public Sector Directorate at the Ministry of Public Administration, met yesterday with Ms Gertrud Ingestad, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security of the European Commission. They discussed their EUPAN cooperation, the Slovenian Presidency’s programme and the Commission’s human resources management strategy.