“Thank you to the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and congratulations on your successful work.” “This was the main message of European Commissioners Stella Kyriakides, Valdis Dombrocskis, and Adina Văleana regarding Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union,” said the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. A message that is light years away from what we have been hearing for months now, from the public broadcasting television RTV and the biggest commercial television station POP TV, as well as in other mainstream media outlets. This is also in complete contrast to what the members of the so-called Constitutional Arch Coalition, which is actually just the left-wing part of the opposition (meaning Tanja Fajon and her companions), have been telling us. This is proof that fake news on Slovenia’s foreign policy image originates from the transitional left.
In the first short video clip, we hear the opinion of the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides: “I very much welcome the political agreements on strengthening the powers of the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. This is a positive development, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Slovenian Presidency for its successful work and Slovenian Minister for Health himself for all of his dedication.” The praise, of course, refers to the Minister of Health, Janez Poklukar.
European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, praised the efforts of Slovenia in keeping important dossiers: “First of all, thank you, Minister, thank you, Andrej Šircelj, for all the hard work done by the Slovenian Presidency – I want to congratulate you and your team on all the work that you have done, as well as on your efforts to keep a number of important dossiers.” European Commissioner on Transport, Adina Ioana Vălean, said: “First of all, I want to thank the Slovenian Presidency for such great progress in the Fit for 55 package. Noticeable progress has also been made in some dossiers.”
Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, said the following: “Thank you very much. First of all, congratulations to you, Aleš, for a successful Presidency (she was, of course, referring to the Slovenian Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, here). You have a few more weeks ahead of you, but this was our last meeting. I believe that you have achieved a lot during your Presidency, and today has also been an important achievement, as we were able to unanimously accept the position that Croatia is ready to join Schengen.”
European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, believes that progress has been made on several important issues. Namely, he said: “First of all, I would like to thank the Presidency for guiding us through the last six months. Due to dedication, dear Marjan, progress has been made on many important issues in the field of justice (the congratulations were directed at Slovenian Minister of Justice, Marjan Dikaučič). Among them is also an interim agreement reached between the legislators earlier this week, on the e-code of ethics.”
Irish Minister of Justice, Helen McEntee, said the following: “First of all, I would like to thank the Presidency for its constructive approach to the negotiations on the electronic evidence package, and the Commissioner and his team for their work. I believe that finding negotiating options that reflect the views of the Member States is challenging, but extremely important…”
“The Slovenian Presidency has done an incredible job. Incredible!”
According to the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, the Slovenian Presidency has done an incredible job. “Incredible. Especially you two, Boštjan and Mark Boris (referring to Slovenian Minister of Digitalisation Mark Boris Andrijanič and Slovenian Minister of Public Administration Boštjan Koritnik). What you have achieved in the last six months is extremely important. Thank you and congratulations.”
And the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmidt, said: “I want to thank you and your team for the amazing work you have done (referring to Slovenian Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Janez Cigler Kralj), and also for the very good presentation of the reached compromise. I very much appreciate the determination of the Slovenian Presidency to achieve this general approach, which is a very, very important step.”
The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which began on the 1st of July this year, is slowly coming to an end. Despite the fact that throughout the Presidency, members of the so-called Constitutional Arch Coalition tried to give the impression that the government is incapable of leading the European Union and that its methods of governing cast a bad light on the country’s reputation, the European Commissioners’ statements show that the left’s exporting of the false claims has had no effect. Namely, we have heard nothing but praise from the European Commissioners, which shows that having previous experience in presiding over the European Union definitely counts. “Well, one will find it hard to hear about this from the national media outlet RTV Slovenia or from the commercial TV station’s news show 24ur, so it is almost necessary for you to follow comprehensive reporting on what is happening on the website of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia,” said Director of the Government Communication Office, Uroš Urbanija.
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said that excellent organisation and cooperation with the European Union had been apparent since the beginning of Slovenia’s Presidency. “And therefore, I want to thank you, Simona, for your commitment to what you believe in. Thank you for your energy and your visionary approach,” she said to our Minister of Education, Science and Sport, Simona Kustec.
And European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, expressed her approval of the way the Slovenian Minister of Infrastructure, Jernej Vrtovec, and his team, work. “First of all, I would like to thank you, Jernej, and your excellent team, for leading the work for the Council in the last six months,” she said.
Even Fajon’s friend, Timmermans, noticed the amazing achievements of the Slovenian Presidency
Apparently, the Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans himself, is also very satisfied with the way Vrtovec’s team and the entire Slovenian Presidency worked. “At this point, I would like to commend the Slovenian Presidency. Because of the Slovenian Presidency, I was able to negotiate on behalf of the entire EU.”
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also congratulated Slovenia
However, Slovenian MEP and president of the Social Democrats party (SD), Tanja Fajon, in collaboration with the public RTV Slovenia and the show Odmevi (which is financed by all taxpayers), simply could not give up slander completely – even at the very end of the Slovenian Presidency: “The Presidency is a great task, especially for such a small country. As for the technical work, we did very well – thanks to diplomacy and administration. Unfortunately, Slovenia wasted an opportunity when it comes to the political part of the Presidency.” Andrej Hoivik, vice-president of the Slovenian Democratic Youth, which is the youth section of the ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), responded to her controversial statement with a touch of humour: “The Presidency is a great task… As for the technical work, we did very well – thanks to diplomacy and administration. Unfortunately, due to the export of imaginary problems, which we produced with the proof-readers from the SD party, Slovenia wasted an opportunity when it comes to the political part of the Presidency.”
Despite the fact that the national media outlet is not used to reporting on congratulations and praise for the current government, as they prefer to push criticism to the forefront, the national television’s web portal MMC surprisingly wrote that “President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, thanked Slovenia for a successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union. She highlighted the negotiating achievements related to the pandemic and digital package.”
Domen Mezeg
