Bratušek: If I don't have party support, the government will have to be formed by somebody else. Foto: BoBo
Bratušek: If I don't have party support, the government will have to be formed by somebody else. Foto: BoBo

"Nobody should have the illusion that they could use the party election congress as a way to subordinate the president of the Slovenian government or accomplish a goal they haven't been able to in the past."

Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek

"The president of the government is a political post. That is why I announced my candidacy for party president a couple of weeks ago. There is no doubt that anybody can make the decision for such a candidacy – but it is also true, that all decisions have their consequences. And the consequences of my decision are not so simple – that is why I have given everyone enough time for consideration.

Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek

"If I don't have enough support, the government will have to be put together by somebody else," is the reaction of the interim leader of Positive Slovenia (PS) and PM Alenka Bratušek, to the announced candidacy by Zoran Janković for PS president.

"Nobody should have the illusion that they could use the party election congress as a way to subordinate the president of the Slovenian government or accomplish a goal they haven't been able to in the past," wrote Alenka Bratušek and added: "It is clear that some important decisions for us will coincide in the coming days: regarding Slovenia the party's decision seems less important as more difficult and more important decisions for the state and our citizens await. And those decisions are and will be my biggest concern in the coming days: how to efficiently restructure the banks, how to pass an endurable budget, how to kick-start the development and investment cycle, how to move Slovenia towards the future … And that's what me and my co-workers will dedicate all our energy and attention to in the coming weeks."

The time for playing games is over!
"It should be clear to everyone: the time for playing games is irreversibly over! We have all had enough time to reflect and to make a well-weighed decision on what benefits Slovenia the most at this moment and in this situation," she continued to write, adding that "in the coming days, from different more or less well-intentioned reasons the Positive Slovenia congress will be subject to speculation. And all that will be happening at a time which will require my full concentration on other matters".

She took upon the challenge, when nobody else wanted to
She also reminds that in early spring she took over the government under very difficult circumstances. "With his extreme policy of exclusion the previous PM tore up his own government and sent crowds out on the streets. Because of that neither he nor the then president of Positive Slovenia, due to reports from the anti-corruption commission, enjoyed the trust of the other political parties in parliament. I took upon the exceptionally demanding task at a time when nobody else was ready or even dared to accept the challenge, although even I personally put in a lot of effort to find a mandator who would be ready to lead a government."

All decisions have their consequences
"The president of the government is a political post. That is why I announced my candidacy for party president a couple of weeks ago. There is no doubt that anybody can make the decision for such a candidacy – but it is also true, that all decisions have their consequences. And the consequences of my decision are not so simple – that is why I have given everyone enough time for consideration. But the inevitable consequence of my decision is that after October 19th, the posts of Positive Slovenia president and PM will be – as almost everywhere in democratic Europe - held by one person," foresees Bratuškova.

"Nobody should have the illusion that they could use the party election congress as a way to subordinate the president of the Slovenian government or accomplish a goal they haven't been able to in the past."

Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek

"The president of the government is a political post. That is why I announced my candidacy for party president a couple of weeks ago. There is no doubt that anybody can make the decision for such a candidacy – but it is also true, that all decisions have their consequences. And the consequences of my decision are not so simple – that is why I have given everyone enough time for consideration.

Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek