Slovenian Opposition Wants Prime Minister to Resign

Ljubljana, Slovenia (Pixabay)

The Slovenian opposition believes that a decision by Slovenian voters to reject changes to the country's water management act in a July 11 referendum was a sign of considerable lack of confidence in the government, which should therefore step down, the Hina agency reported.

The turnout was surprisingly high for a referendum, as was the rate of rejection to the government's bill, with 675,000 votes against, and a mere 105,000 for the new law, blocking its implementation. For the ruling coalition, the result was clearly suggesting a big defeat.

The president of the opposition Social Democrats, Tanja Fajon, said that the government's defeat in the referendum was a sign that the voters wanted changes. "A lack of confidence in the government is striking. Prime Minister (Janez) Jansa should resign, and if he doesn't, the opposition can request a motion of no confidence, nominating its own candidate for premiership," Fajon said.

President Borut Pahor confirmed that he had voted against the controversial law in the referendum, but that his vote was "neither for nor against the government," and that he regretted that a debate preceding the adoption of the law was not more comprehensive and professional, so that the public could have had a better understanding of what it was about.