“Whenever one returns to the affected areas, on the one hand one is shocked by the extent of the damage, but on the other hand, the working construction sites, the work that has been done, and the enthusiasm of the Koroška people to get back on their feet as soon as possible bring hope. This is also the motive and impetus for us to speed things up and respond to the needs,” the Prime Minister said on his arrival in Carinthia.

Golob began his visit in Prevalje, where he said that a regional technical assistance office would be set up in Črna na Koroškem to steer flood recovery measures and focus primarily on damage to municipal infrastructure.  The Mayor of Prevalje, Matija Tasič, briefed the Prime Minister and the ministers on the situation on the ground and on the progress of the reconstruction of the main water pipeline damaged by the raging Meža River. After the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed that the existing legislation does not allow for quick and effective results, which is why the Government is focused on systemic solutions to make Slovenia safer and more resilient to natural disasters. According to him, the act governing renewal could be adopted before the end of the year.

The Government’s priority before the autumn rains is to regulate and clean up watercourses and riverbeds and ensure the safety of people made homeless by floods. “People must survive this winter in safety,” the Prime Minister stressed, recalling that municipalities must first acquire land for replacing buildings. The municipality of Prevalje, for example, has already done so. Decisions on the possible relocation of residents from at-risk areas will be made on scientific basis. The new facilities will be either built or financially supported by the state.

On the ground, the Prime Minister reiterated that people have not been and will not be left alone: “In the coming weeks, the technical offices will be calling the people most affected. This is absolutely necessary.” An estimated 600 property owners will receive individual treatment and assistance in creating a new home. The 222 families whose damage in the storm exceeded €150,000 can therefore expect a call and an invitation to discuss the situation as soon as possible. In the meantime, all individuals can contact the Government call centre on 114. “The entire public administration is at your disposal to provide you with the right answers,” added Prime Minister Golob.

Later in the visit, he and the ministerial team took part in a consultation with Koroška's mayors, businesspeople and other development stakeholders in the region. He said that the Government was working to reduce bureaucratic barriers and speed up the transfer of already approved state funds to municipalities. “We have been given a lot of specific initiatives by mayors as to how to overcome the current liquidity crunch so that the money ends up in the accounts of municipalities and contractors as soon as possible.” Mr Golob announced that they would reinforce the worksites and speed up the remediation work in the coming week, as more construction machinery and 30 new teams were arriving.

The Prime Minister and his team concluded their visit to Koroška with a government session at the Municipality of Slovenj Gradec.