“The reign of the unelected: all four female ministers of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia together did not get as many votes in the elections as a single Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) MP,” the President of the largest opposition party, Janez Janša, pointed out, adding, “So much for legitimacy.” At a recent meeting, the Government of Robert Golob confirmed nine ministerial candidates and, among other things, appointed several state secretaries in new ministries.
It is true that ministers in Slovenia do not have to be elected – but the low number of votes certainly tells us who the voters do not want to see in the National Assembly. Alenka Bratušek received 715 votes at the spring elections to the National Assembly, Dominika Švarc Pipan got 741, Emilija Stojmenova Duh 783 and Tanja Fajon 1133 in total. These are not exactly numbers that a politician can be proud of, nor are these numbers that would be enough to win any of them a parliamentary seat. Even Marjan Šarec did much better than they did, with 2740 votes. By comparison, Janez Janša got 7698 votes in his district.
At a recent meeting, the Government of Robert Golob confirmed nine ministerial candidates and, among other things, appointed several state secretaries in new ministries. The oaths of office were also made by the new Minister of Infrastructure, Alenka Bratušek; the Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Han; the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Igor Papič; the Education Minister, Darjo Felda, the Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Bojan Kumer; the Minister for Natural Resources and Energy, Uroš Brežan; the Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development, Aleksander Jevšek; the Minister for a Solidarit-Based Future, Simon Maljevac; and the Minister for Digital Transformation, Emilija Stojmenova Duh, the Slovenian Press Agency reported. The list of state secretaries in the newly created ministries is summarised below.
The Government has appointed Andrej Rajh as the new State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure. The Government appointed Tanja Šarabon as Acting Secretary-General at the Ministry of Infrastructure as of the 25th of January 2023, until a new Secretary-General is appointed following the appropriate procedure, or for a maximum period of six months, meaning until the 24th of July 2023 at the latest. At the same time, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia issued declaratory decisions on the termination of the previous positions of Alenka Bratušek, MSc, as the State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Tina Seršen as State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, and Teja Božovič Holc, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Ivo Vajgl’s son joins the new ministry
Matej Skočir has been appointed State Secretary at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, having left his post as State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning – and the same goes for Uroš Vajgl, who has been appointed State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, together with Tina Seršen. At the same time, the Government also issued a decision appointing Teja Božovič Holc as the Acting Secretary-General at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, until a full appointment of a State Secretary, following the appropriate procedure, but for a maximum period of six months, or until the 24th of July 2023 at the latest.
Maljevac is now a Minister
Klemen Ploštajner has been appointed as the new Secretary of State at the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future, with the responsibility for housing, and Luka Omladič has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for long-term care. Andrej Vrhunc has been appointed by the Government as Acting Secretary General at the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future, until the new Secretary-General is appointed after a full competition procedure, but for a maximum period of six months, or until the 24th of July 2023. At the same time, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia issued a declaratory decision on the termination of the current position of Simon Maljevac, State Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
The Government appointed Boris Černilc as State Secretary and Jasna Rojc as State Secretary at the Ministry of Education. The Government appointed Bruno Rednak as Acting Secretary-General at the Ministry of Education, while at the same time, the Government issued the declaratory decisions on the termination of the previous positions of Darja Felda and Matjaž Krajnec, State Secretaries at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, and of Rebeka Koncilja Žgalin, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Boris Černilc, Director-General of the Directorate for Early Childhood and Primary Education, and Jasna Rojc, Director-General of the Directorate for Secondary and Higher Education and Adult Education at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.
Former Minister of Justice has become the Secretary of State
The Government has dismissed State Secretary Sebastjan Zbičičnik from the post of State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice and appointed Valeria Jelen Kosi to the post. Jelen Kosi is a senior judge at the Ljubljana High Court, in the Commercial Division, who was assigned to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia to manage the project on Improving the Quality of the Slovenian Judiciary and has previously worked at the Ministry of Justice as the Director of the Centre for Judicial Education. The Government also appointed State Secretaries and Acting Secretary-General at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development. Andreja Katič became the new State Secretary in charge of Regional Development. The previous State Secretary, Marko Koprivc, who already covered cohesion in the Development and European Cohesion Policy Service, will continue his work in the new ministry. The Government has appointed Simon Švarc as Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development. The Government also gave its consent to the Act on the Temporary Internal Organisation and Systematisation of Posts in the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development.
Židan is going to the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport
With the Government’s recent reorganisation, the Government Office for Digital Transformation got upgraded to the Ministry for Digital Transformation. At the recent meeting, the Government appointed State Secretary Aida Kamišalić Latifić, joined by the new State Secretary Miroslav Kranjc. Ksenija Klampfer has been appointed as Secretary-General. The Government appointed Matjaž Krajnc as the new State Secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. Rebeka Koncilja Žgalin became the Acting Secretary-General at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. The approval of the reorganised Government also changed the name of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which brings sport under its umbrella. On the proposal of the Minister, the Government appointed the former State Secretaries of the former Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Matevž Frangež and Dejan Židan, MSc. At the meeting, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia gave its consent to the Act on the Temporary Internal Organisation and Systemisation of Posts at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Act on the Temporary Internal Organisation and Systemisation of Posts at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, and the Act on the Temporary Internal Organisation and Systemisation of Posts at the Ministry of Solidarity for the Future, the gov.si web portal reported.
Sara Kovač
