Upon their arrival in Črna na Koroškem, Prime Minister Golob and President von der Leyen were greeted by the Mayor of Črna na Koroškem, Romana Lesjak.  Together, they visited the town’s Cultural Centre, where they were given a tour of an exhibit of pictures taken by photojournalists from several Slovenian media houses and photographers capturing the devastation caused by the floods in August 2023. Then they took a walk through Črna, along a stretch of road that had been rebuilt with funding from the Solidarity Fund. The Prime Minister and the Commission President also greeted pupils in front of the Črna na Koroškem Primary School on the first day of school.

At the end of the visit, Prime Minister Robert Golob, President von der Leyen and Mayor Lesjak issued a press statement.

Prime Minister Golob expressed his satisfaction that he and President von der Leyen had revisited Črna together after a year. He thanked the Mayor and her team, along with the people of Črna, for the tremendous work they have done. "You have got back on your feet and have shown Slovenia how solidarity is returned, not only in the form of hope, but also by showing us how quickly life can get back on track after such devastating floods," he said, adding that today's visit was special. "We had the opportunity to meet the youngest children at school and to see that children's joy is back in Črna and that the future of the town is really in good hands."

"Slovenia responded quickly to last year's floods, but so did the European Commission," said the Prime Minister, thanking the President, who already visited Črna on 9 August last year, a few days after the floods. She had already said then that Europe would be by our side and that no one would be forgotten, the Prime Minister added. "Today is the best proof of that. Not only because of the money that has already been transferred from the Solidarity Fund, but because we have seen first-hand how this money has been spent and how it will be spent. We all want the reconstruction pace to be faster. Unfortunately, it is sometimes the case that funds are not the biggest obstacle, because they are guaranteed. The biggest challenge today is to prepare the relevant documents and plans so that the reconstruction and recovery can proceed in the way we promised," said the Prime Minister. "We want the infrastructure, when it is built, to be more resilient than it was in the past. So that in the future we can face weather events, which unfortunately happen and happen again, with greater calm and adequate preparation," he added. In this way, the consequences of weather events will also be less severe.

"I want Črna to become a positive example for the whole of Slovenia, not only in terms of first response, but also in how we will rebuild it together, make it more resilient, give it back hope and a bright future," the Prime Minister said.

He added that two thousand kilometres of roads and four thousand kilometres of water infrastructure were damaged in the floods. The first works were fully completed, except for eight kilometres, by this July. He stressed that the Solidarity Fund was not intended for individuals, nor for economic or agricultural interests, but for the reconstruction of infrastructure. "Transparency and intended use are important. But it is also important that we are all aware that Europe gives solidarity money for restoring the most essential infrastructure, while the State is responsible for improving upon that. And these funds are also guaranteed," he said. The Prime Minister added that, by July this year, the State had allocated EUR 830 million for the most urgent measures, in addition to EUR 100 million in European funding.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen began her statement by saying that this was a very emotional visit for her as she vividly remembered last year's devastation and destruction caused by the floods and horrible mud that was covering everything. "Debris on the road and in the river, destroyed bridges. It was just a nightmare. There is a second thing I remember, vividly, this is the amazing solidarity of the people of Slovenia. You really stood together, fought against the floods, and worked together for reconstruction and recovery. This was amazing to see," said President von der Leyen and expressed her satisfaction at the recovery she had seen.

"I said a year ago, 'Europe is by your side'. And this is what I came back to reconfirm. We had immediately released EUR 100 million pre-financing from the Solidarity Fund. This was in December last year. Last week, in the European Commission, we agreed on additional EUR 328 million from the Solidarity Fund to be invested. This is mainly for infrastructure," said President von der Leyen. She added that it was very important for her to be informed about the progress, to see the roads and bridges. "One thing is for sure, I've seen that hope is back in Črna. You can count on me," she said, adding that she felt very honoured to be invited to Črna.

President von der Leyen also thanked Prime Minister Golob for excellent cooperation, as he made sure that the money had been spent effectively, which requires good cooperation. She highlighted the effective and transparent absorption of funds, as there are reports made on everything. "The good news is that, after being granted, the funds can be used in one and a half year, because we know that reconstruction takes time. We are aware that sometimes when you have such massive destruction, it is difficult to find all the experts you need to rebuild," said the Commission President. 

Mayor of Črna na Koroškem Romana Lesjak said that it was a great honour and a source of pride that President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Golob visited Črna together again. "This shows that they have not forgotten us and we are grateful that they are following up on the reconstruction. We wish that works had been carried out more quickly, as we would like to finish the reconstruction in two years. Particularly because of the people who are waiting and in some places are still afraid of the coming autumn and the new storms it will bring," sad the Mayor. She added that Koroška has the most difficulties with finding contractors. The distance often proves to be a big problem, as it causes additional costs. "We would like this meeting to become traditional," said Mayor Lesjak. "We will certainly invite the President every year and I believe that she will come back to Črna if she is somewhere near." The Mayor also said that today's visit of President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Golob took place in a very convivial atmosphere. "We see that they feel with us and we wish that solidarity of Europe becomes the value of us all." 

After the visit to Črna na Koroškem, the two leaders held a meeting. They focused on the priorities of the new European Commission, the enlargement process and the situation in the Western Balkans. They also touched upon the situation in Ukraine and Gaza. After the meeting, they will attend the Bled Strategic Forum.