The New Government's Main Challenge Is to Bring Slovenia out of the Crisis
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02 ISSN 1854-0805 February 2012 The latest from Slovenia The new Government’s main challenge is to bring Slovenia out of the crisis • INTERVIEW: Matjaž Vipotnik and Jože Snoj • ART & CULTURE: Prešeren awards 2012 • OUR EXCELLENCE: Krka • SPORTS: Rebirth of ski jumping • PEOPLE: Marko Pavlinec • SLOVENIAN DELIGHTS: Gostilna Na gradu contents editorial 6 In focus New Slovenian Government takes oath of office 8 Showcasing Slovenia – Milano 2012 10 Interview The designer Matjaž Vipotnik and the writer Jože Snoj are this year’s Prešeren Laureates 14 Vesna Žarkovič, Editor Business 16 The new Government’s main challenge – Before and after In focus Interview to bring Slovenia out of the crisis It was a pioneering time 20 Slovenia now has its tenth Government, the second under Janez Janša. This is A letter actually an anti-crisis government and team, the new Prime Minister, Janez Janša, Mitja Čander, Bernarda Gradišnik explained at the appointment of the new Government. Certain issues, which 22 would in other more normal times perhaps have been at the top of the agenda, Art & culture will just have to wait, although we will make every effort to ensure that noth- ing is left forgotten. The Government will first deal with budget revision and fiscal Prešeren awards 2012 consolidation, and then it will be the turn of structural reforms. This sequence is 27 very important, said Mr Janša who emphasised that it would be of no help if the Our excellence pension reform is adopted within the next three months – the effects of which will Krka ranks among the world’s best companies only show in the public finances much later – when no solutions are adopted for 30 the interim. Green corner Green corner The award ceremony of the highest national awards in the field of culture – the Seed Library Prešeren Award and the Prešeren Fund Award – took place on the eve of the Slove- 32 nian Cultural Holiday. This year’s recipients of the Prešeren Award were the writer, People Jože Snoj, and the designer, Matjaž Vipotnik, who are introduced in more detail Aesthetics + functionality = Marko Pavlinec in our interview. The poet, writer, essayist, critic, journalist and editor, Jože Snoj, contents 36 presents images from his poetic world in a unique language with original words, Sports new word meanings and unfamiliar sentence structure. The designer, Matjaž Vi- potnik, has made his distinctive and far-reaching influence felt on the develop- Rebirth of ski jumping ment of graphic design in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia since the 1970s. He People 38 has undoubtedly been instrumental in making the high standard of Slovenian de- Slovenian delights sign known throughout the world. Through his originality, he has influenced the- Gostilna Na gradu then often stereotypical perception of the profession and set the standards for the 42 expansion of visual communications in Slovenia. Society We publish the memoirs of some Slovenian diplomats on Slovenia’s interna- Carnival – a time for celebration and joy tional recognition on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary: International rec- 44 ognition brought great joy, relief and honour — That evening, after hearing about Heritage all the dead and injured, I realised that Yugoslavia – even as a loose federation – The castle which marks the city was no more. — There was no way back. The opening day of the European Culture Capital 2012 in Maribor was marked Art & culture by an ambitious staging of the opera Black Masks by the Slovenian composer, Marij Kogoj. Less than a week after the opera’s premiere, which can be counted SINFO – SLOVENIAN INFORMATION Editorial: Government Communication Office, among the greatest projects undertaken by the Capital of Culture, the Slovenian Director: Anže Logar, Gregorčičeva 25, 1000 Ljubljana, theatre-going public was able to see a glamorous performance of a lesser known tel. +386 (0) 1 478 2630, fax + 386 (0) 1 251 2312, www.ukom.gov.si Editor-in-Chief: Valerija Obu play by Brecht: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. The European Capital of Culture Executive Editor: Vesna Žarkovič, [email protected] staged a daring performance, which holds a mirror to the face of Europe – to its Our excellence Editorial Board: Mateja Malnar Štembal, Jože Osterman, Polona Prešeren, Hana Souček Morača, Nataša Marvin, Manja Kostevc increasingly arrogant capitalism on one side and its progressively helpless democ- Photo Editor: Janez Vidrih racy on the other. Production: Nuit d.o.o., Translation: Amidas, DZTPS, Government Translation and Interpretation Division The London Olympic Games present a fantastic opportunity for the promo- Printed by: Collegium Graphicum d.o.o., Slovenia, Number of copies: 4600 tion of Slovenia’s sport, landscape and location, politics, strategies, business and Available also at: www.ukom.gov.si/eng/slovenia/publication/sinfo Cover photo: Borut Peterlin tourism. The Olympic Games are the biggest sports event in the world, bringing together practically all the countries of this planet in a city that feels close to us Government Communication Office:www.slovenia.si Government Communication Office:www.ukom.gov.si and in a country that is favourably inclined towards Slovenia. Slovenia simply had Government of the Republic of Slovenia: www.vlada.si to seize this opportunity to present itself, not only through sport, but also through Slovenian Tourist Board: www.slovenia.info Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.gzs.si the Slovenia House. The Slovenia House will bring together athletes, members of Slovenian Chamber of Craft: www.ozs.si Team Slovenia and sports enthusiasts. It will promote Slovenia in the field of sport, Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments: www.japti.si Ljubljana Stock Exchange: www.ljse.si economy, tourism and culture under the following themes: Sports of Slovenia, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia:www.stat.si Green Slovenia, Taste Slovenia, Culture of Slovenia, Business with Slovenia and State Portal of the Republic of Slovenia: http://e-uprava.gov.si Visit Slovenia. Society Slovenian delights Heritage Sinfo – Slovenian information 3 : in focus : : : Vesna Žarkovič, photo:STA The basis for the function- growth and the creation of economic growth, which have JANEZ JANŠA’S NEW ing of the new Government new jobs are fundamental. not yet been implemented. GOVERNMENT is the coalition agreement Fiscal consolidation means ‘This task still needs to be ad- which may, if necessary, also making adjustments, which is dressed’, added Janša. NEW SLOVENIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES OATH OF OFFICE – LAUNCHING NEW ECONOMIC CYCLE Vinko Gorenak be amended, provided that all imperative if the country is Because in the current (Slovenian Democratic Party – five partners give their con- to preserve the functioning situation, many things can SDS), Minister of the Interior sent to this effect. ‘For us, the of vital systems and sub-sys- only be achieved on the basis coalition agreement is the law tems that provide for a nor- of good cooperation between Žiga Turk Janez Janša’s second Government and on which the Government mal life. According to Janša’s various institutions, this as- (Slovenian Democratic Party stands or falls. However, it is prognosis, the adoption of pect was a point of particu- th – SDS), Minister of Education, not inflexible to the point that this year’s supplementary lar emphasis in the coalition the 10 Slovenian Government Science, Culture and Sport it cannot be re-shaped. There budget will have to involve a agreement. Within its pow- will be situations when cer- 10% reduction in public ex- ers, the Government will do Andrej Vizjak tain things will need to be up- penditure. While drafting a its utmost to ensure that co- On 10 February 2012, Janez Janša’s second Government took the (Slovenian Democratic Party – graded. When we reach that supplementary budget, the operation between Slovenian oath of office, with 50 votes cast in favour of its appointment. SDS), Minister of Labour, Family point, we’ll do that by con- Government will also prepare institutions will be at the de- and Social Affairs sensus’, said Janša. a social agreement aimed at sired level and for the benefit Following his appointment, Janša said that Slovenia’s political Former Prime Minister redistributing the burdens of of all. ‘We have all taken an crisis had thus ended, while the first challenge would be the Zvonko Černač Borut Pahor transferred his the crisis. Moreover, it will of- oath that we will work for the adoption of a supplementary budget. Public expenditure will (Slovenian Democratic Party – duties to Janez Janša on the fer a partnership for coopera- welfare of Slovenia, and our have to be reduced by 10%. ‘This cannot be done linearly, because SDS), Minister of Infrastructure same day. ‘As a citizen and tion to both opposition par- Government takes this com- there are no reserves in some places; we’ll therefore have to cut and Spatial Planning as a political leader still ac- ties. Structural reforms will be mitment very seriously,’ con- deeper where the reserves exist’, announced Janša. tive in Slovenian public and addressed later. cluded Prime Minister Janša. Aleš Hojs political life, I look to the fu- (New Slovenia - NSi), Minister ture and see many questions. MEASURES TO BOOST CONSTRUCTIVE OPPOSITION of Defence I am completely sure about ECONOMIC GROWTH one thing, however, and that Both opposition parties Ljudmila Novak is that together, we can suc- Fiscal consolidation is represented in the National (New Slovenia – NSi), Minister ceed’, said Pahor during the only the first step to bring Assembly, i.e. Positive Slove- without Portfolio for Relations handover ceremony. the country out of the crisis. nia and the Social Democrats, between the Republic of According to the new Prime have announced their stance Slovenia and the Autochthonous PUBLIC EXPENDITURE TO Minister, merely reducing ex- of constructive opposition.