The DL Citizen's List president Gregor Virant was the only one who spoke to the press after the meeting. He did not give a direct answer to the question whether the coalition is more harmonized now regarding the necessary cuts in the 2014/2015 budget. He did say though that PM Alenka Bratušek and Finance Minister Uroš Čufer will present a new package of measures in a very short time. He also stressed the need for a coalition compromise for the package and budget to be harmonized and adopted.

Before today's meeting Mr. Virant and the president of the DeSUS Pensioner's party, Karl Erjavec, stated that their parties had different views regarding the preparation of the budget. DL supposedly opposes raising taxes, while DeSUS strongly rejects cuts in the annual pension bonuses. But Mr. Virant expressed confidence that a compromise could be reached and that it was only a case of different party programs.

Once more, twice more, and then is that it?

However after the meeting he did not want to answer the question on how the harmonization process with Mr. Erjavec was coming along. The latter didn't give any statements after the meeting. According to unofficial sources, he did assure the other heads of the coalition that his party had no intention of backing down in regards to the potential pension cuts or cuts in the annual bonuses of pensioners.

Big differences arose at the meeting while harmonizing the needed measures. Erjavec is supposed to have said that if the coalition holds another meeting as the one held today, there would then be only one or two more meetings of that kind, and that would be the end.

Even before the meeting Mr. Erjavec said that if next year's budget needed such measures, it would only be right for the PM to tie the vote to a government confidence vote. He assured that DeSUS would in that case vote against and also expressed hope that the coalition was "sober enough to find the money somewhere else". In Mr. Virant's opinion the PM's decision on a government confidence vote was solely hers. He added that such a vote would be sensible only if she wished to strengthen the coalition majority and ensure bigger support for the austerity measures.

Will they persuade Europe?

By revising the 2014 budget the government wants to lower its deficit below 3% of GDP. This week the heads of the coalition parties are trying to harmonize themselves regarding the measures. A deep divide remains on the ways to implement the austerity measures.

Unofficially the measures include cuts in the annual bonuses of pensioners, lowering social benefits by 2% and slimming down the public sector. New taxes are not to be expected as there is no room for more tax burdens, except for the real estate tax.

In regard to the above mentioned measures, trade unions are already raising their voices, farmers are on their feet because of the real estate tax, feelings are running high in DeSUS because of the proposed pension benefits cuts, the Citizen's List DL is not backing down regarding its opposition to the introduction of new taxes, and the SD Social Democrats are not in favor of lowering social benefits. However time is running out as in October Alenka Bratušek's government has to present to Brussels what it has done from May until now.