The Council’s key tasks are to prepare proposals for the formulation of structural reforms, public finance and other economic policies of the Republic of Slovenia, budget and development planning documents of the Republic of Slovenia, and expert guidance for effectively responding to unforeseen changes in the macroeconomic situation.

At today’s meeting, Council members set the work agenda and identified themes and prioritised work on short-term fiscal challenges and the preparation of the budget documents for the European Semester.

After the first meeting of the Strategic Council, Prime Minister Robert Golob stressed that we are moving from a time of crisis, when public finances were not at the forefront of policymaking, to a post-crisis era, when fiscal rules will be reinstated, for which the country needs to prepare accordingly. The establishment and functioning of the Council is therefore of paramount importance, as the decisions prepared and taken on the basis of the guidance provided by the Council’s experts will be the most appropriate. “As these are sensitive times, we must first define the public financial framework within which the planned reforms will take place,” said Prime Minister Golob. “I am very happy to listen to this recommendation of the Council members,” Golob said, adding that the macroeconomic framework would be ready by the next Strategic Council meeting. “Only then will we proceed with concrete solutions,” was his comment on the announced reforms.

According to the Chair of the Strategic Council, Marijana Bednaš, the coordination and management of macroeconomic policies is an important area that requires a lot of attention, especially in the light of the preparation of large-scale reforms and budgetary programme documents that will have to follow the new fiscal rules. She considered that the composition of the Strategic Council ensures a diversity of views, which, with a constructive approach, will lead to good and balanced proposals or orientations. “At the same time, it is very important that these proposals and opinions reach economic policymakers, that economic policymakers listen to the proposals, that they react to these proposals and that these orientations are taken into account in the documents,” Bednaš added.

The other Council members are:

• Velimir Bole,
• Mitja Gaspari,
• Bojan Ivanc,
• Matej Lahovnik,
• Igor Masten,
• Mojmir Mrak,
• Janez Prašnikar,
• Vasja Rant,
• Žiga Žarnić.

According to the Act establishing and appointing the members of the Strategic Council for Macroeconomic Issues, Council members may also invite external experts with specific knowledge and competences in various fields to participate and contribute to the debate. The composition of the Council may also be supplemented as necessary.