SLOVENIA: Slovenians vote for a new government with the centre-right opposition set to return to power on a pledge of painful reforms to halt the European Union member's slide back into recession

Record ID: 327638

  • Title: SLOVENIA: Slovenians vote for a new government with the centre-right opposition set to return to power on a pledge of painful reforms to halt the European Union member's slide back into recession
  • Date: 5th December 2011
  • Summary: LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA (DECEMBER 4, 2011) (REUTERS) PARLIAMENT BUILDING EXTERIOR SLOVENIA AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS ELECTION POSTER FEATURING CANDIDATE ZORAN JANKOVIC SLOVENIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (SDS) ELECTION POSTER WHICH READS: "FOR A DIGNIFIED LIFE IT IS SMART TO CREATE JOBS" CLOSE OF SDS ELECTION POSTER PEOPLE GETTING ON BUS PEOPLE ENTERING POLLING STATION SLOVENIAN FLAG PEOPLE QUEUING INSIDE POLLING STATION PEOPLE IN VOTING BOOTHS PEOPLE CASTING THEIR BALLOTS (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) LJUBLJANA STUDENT, JUS KOREN SAYING: "I hope something will change for the better. The economy, more jobs, but I don't expect too much." PEOPLE ENTERING POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) LJUBLJANA RESIDENT, JOZICA BOHINJC SAYING: "The most important thing is jobs for the youth, to have progress." LEADER OF "POSITIVE SLOVENIA" LIST, ZORAN JANKOVIC, GIVING HIS ID/TAKING BALLOT PAPER JANKOVIC HOLDING BALLOT PAPER CLOSE OF JANKOVIC HAND WITH BALLOT PAPER JANKOVIC WITH HIS WIFE MIJA JANKOVIC, CASTING BALLOT JANKOVIC TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) LEADER OF "POSITIVE SLOVENIA" LIST, ZORAN JANKOVIC SAYING: "After seven weeks of hard work, with a great team, we managed to achieve almost the impossible (to take second place in opinion polls). I am a huge optimist. I am convinced Slovenian citizens will recognize that we are offering an economically successful country. Competitive in the world and that we are also offering a country which is socially sensitive and unified. We guarantee public education and health care. I am sure that we will put smiles back on people's faces."
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Slovenia, Slovenia
  • Country: Slovenia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA31ILQZWZUZOVTDXUSPCYQG3LM
  • Story Text: Slovenians voted for a new government on Sunday (December 4), with the centre-right opposition set to return to power on a pledge of painful reforms to halt the European Union member's slide back into recession.
    Prime Minister Borut Pahor's Social Democrats look likely to be the latest casualty of the euro zone crisis, punished over rising unemployment and the threat of a credit rating downgrade.
    Ljubljana residents said they hoped the new government will focus on economic recovery.
    "I hope something will change for the better. The economy, more jobs, but I don't expect too much," said student Jus Koren.
    "The most important thing is jobs for the youth, to have progress," added another resident, Jozica Bohinjc.
    Centre-left Ljubljana mayor Zoran Jankovic is seen as Jansa's closest challenger for the premiership.
    After casting his vote Jankovic said he remained optimistic.
    "After seven weeks of hard work, with a great team, we managed to achieve almost the impossible. I am a huge optimist. I am convinced Slovenian citizens will recognize that we are offering an economically successful country. Competitive in the world and that we are also offering a country which is socially sensitive and unified. We guarantee public education and health care. I am sure that we will put smiles back on people's faces," he told journalists after exiting a polling station with his wife Mija in the capital Ljubljana.
    However, polls suggest Jansa will regain the premiership but will need the support of smaller parties to secure a majority.
    Jansa, who was prime minister of the former Yugoslav republic from 2004 to 2008, is eyeing a return to office, promising to cut the budget deficit, create jobs and raise the retirement age.
    "I hope for a high turnout, because, if turnout is higher, the legitimacy of the outcome is higher. We wish that Slovenia gets a strong new government and that the new parliament will change the ratifying procedure, regardless of who is in it, so that the new government is in place already in two weeks rather than in two months. I hope the result will be convincing," said Jansa shortly after casting his vote in the town of Velenje in eastern Slovenia.
    Pahor's government lost its majority in May amid internal policy squabbles and was ousted by parliament in September.
    Euro zone member Slovenia, once a model of successful post-communist transition, is facing renewed economic contraction.
    An Alpine state of two million people, Slovenia was the fastest growing euro zone member four years ago, but its export-driven economy was badly hit by the global crisis and contracted by eight percent in 2009.
    After a modest recovery, data released this week suggest another recession is on the way after the economy shrank 0.5 percent in the third quarter of 2011.
    Jansa's Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) has pledged to cut Slovenia's deficit by trimming public administration and accelerating privatisation. He proposes to ease a credit crunch by establishing a "bad bank" that would take over state-owned banks' non-performing loans.
    The party would selectively raise the retirement age, currently among the lowest in the EU at 57 for women and 58 for men.
    Polls close at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT). Preliminary results are expected by 2100 GMT.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register