“Janković as President of PS Would Mean Coalition Disintegration”

Virant: If he is elected, we will react fast

2. oktober 2013 ob 19.24 • Ljubljana - MMC RTV SLO

Alenka Bratušek and Gregor Virant Foto: MMC RTV SLO

The decision of Zoran Janković, Ljubljana’s mayor, to run for the president of the ruling Positive Slovenia (PS) political party prompted predictable responses, as first statements from its coalition partners suggest: we agreed upon cooperation on condition that Janković does not return as the leader of PS.

The Gregor Virant’s Civic List (DL) coalition party repeated its firm stance: “DL does not and will not cooperate with political parties led by individuals suspected of corruption. If Zoran Janković is elected president of PS, DL’s reaction will be fast and decisive,” pointed out Virant, the president of DL.

Another member of DL, Marko Pavlišič, posted on Twitter: “Which coalition coordination? Which coalition?” Katarina Hočevar, also from DL, argues in a statement for the Slovenian press agency that these events are a bad signal for the government and international financial markets, as well as a sign of political instability in the country. If Janković wins the elections for the president of PS, that would spell the end of this government, she says.

Party group leader of DeSUS hoping for an agreement
DeSUS, another coalition party, shares DL’s opinion. Franc Jurša, the leader of the party group, pointed out in a stetement for MMC that Janković’s decision had not been a surprise. But there’s still quite some time until the congress takes place, and “a lot can happen until then. I hope Janković and Bratušek will reach an agreement on how to split things up between themselves,” he notes.

He added that in the discussions leading up to the coalition agreement, the representatives of the coalition parties debated the terms of their cooperation and agreed that Jankovič must not return as the leader of PS, which is why “re-electing him president of PS means a disintegration of coalition and, as a result, pre-term elections”, believes Jurša.

Lukšič: I wish PS much wisdom
Igor Lukšič, the president of Social Democrats (SD), a third coalition party, does not consider Janković’s candidacy to be a problem on its own. “The problem might arise from the party of Positive Slovenia if he is elected its president at the congress. I wish the congress of PS much wisdom statewise. When it’s time to cast their votes, the members should have Slovenia in mind, and not their private interests,” he adds.

PS party members remain silent
We called a few members of PS, yet no one wishes to comment on the decision of the party’s former president Janković. “The candidacy on its own does not mean anything yet in terms of the country and the coalition,” says Janja Klasinc from PS.