And in other news…

Rupel out, Vajgl in

On 24 June, Prime Minister Anton Rop asked the National Assembly to strip Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rop of his duties and proposed that current Slovene ambassador to Germany Ivo Vajgl assume the post.

Rop reportedly made the decision in response to Rupel’s recent attendance at the conservative parties’ Assembly of the Republic, a sort of convention designed to forge a coalition of conservative parties for this fall’s parliamentary elections. Rop had advised Rupel not to attend even before the event, but Rupel went ahead.

Officially, however, the Prime Minister told the press that he wants a new foreign minister because Rupel has too actively supported the opposition in domestic politics and has criticized the government on several occasions. The main reason, according to Rop, is that he simply no longer trusts Rupel.

Speaking to RTVS, Dimitrij Rupel said that his dismissal is akin to the disciplinary tactics used by the League of Communists, and that the LDS today is in many ways similar to the old communist party. Rupel also stated he will leave the LDS, but did not comment on which party he will join. Rupel also took umbrage at the timing of the announcement – 25 June marked the 13^th anniversary of Slovene independence.

Members of the SDS and NSi told STA that Rupel’s dismissal will cast doubt over Slovene foreign policy at home and abroad. NSi leader Andrej Bajuk told a press conference that Rop’s decision is not only wrong but harmful to Slovenia. SLS leader Janez Podobnik told STA that the decision is a "sign of arrogance on the part of Prime Minister Rop and of the largest coalition party [Rop’s LDS]."

EuroParliament elections raise questions

Slovene voters went to the polls on 13 June to participate for the first time ever in elections to the European Parliament. Turnout, however, was shockingly low: only 28.25 percent. This is the lowest turnout rate for any election since Slovene independence in 1991 and is more similar to turnout rates for legislative referenda rather than elections.

Some 91 candidates were battling it out for seven seats allotted to Slovenia in the 732-seat European Parliament. Just four parties met the ten-percent threshold for entering the EuroParliament, with the conservative New Slovenia (NSi) surprisingly coming in first place.

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Several parties currently holding seats in parliament, including the Slovene People’s Party (SLS) did not meet the threshold and therefore did not win representation in Brussels.

Two seats each went to the NSi (affiliated in the EuroParliament with the European People’s Party – European Democrats EPP-ED), LDS and DeSUS (European Liberals ELDR) and the Slovene Democratic Party (EPP-ED). The ZLSD (European Socialists PES) won the seventh seat.

Pahor is currently the Speaker of Parliament, while Brejc is a vice-speaker. Since the Law on the Election of Slovene Representatives to the European Parliament states that one cannot be a member of the Slovene parliament and the EuroParliament simultaneously, they will have to resign from their posts in Ljubljana to assume their new posts in Brussels.

According to the rules of procedure of the National Assembly, the eldest vice-speaker assumes the post of speaker of parliament when that post is vacated. In this case, Valentin Pohorec (DeSUS) will now lead parliament. Alternatively, the National Assembly can elect a new speaker and President Janez Drnovšek would temporarily lead parliament in that instance.

Referendum will not decide the fate of the Izbrisani

On 31 May, the National Assembly turned down the fourth request to put the fate of the Izbrisani to referendum with a vote of 45:0. Speaker of Parliament Borut Pahor abstained from voting, while opposition members of parliament refused to participate.

The Constitutional Court ruled on 23 June to uphold a National Assembly vote to deny the previous, third, petitions for another referendum. The Assembly rejected that petition on 25 May and its sponsor turned to the Constitutional Court on 31 May.

The Izbrisani are citizens of other republics of the former Yugoslavia who were living in Slovenia at the time of independence who had permanent residency but who did not have, or otherwise qualify for, citizenship in the newly independent country. The government revoked their permanent-resident status and erased them wholesale from the registries.

The National Assembly had hoped to resolve the Izbrisani situation by two laws, the so-called "systemic law" and the "technicalities law," but the parliamentary opposition was successful in halting the laws’ implementation by insisting the laws be put before the electorate in referendum.

While the referendum on the systemic law was unable to be held because the Constitutional Court deemed the referendum question unconstitutional, voters shot down the implementation of the technicalities law on 4 April. Nearly 95 percent of votes cast were against the technicalities bill, but turnout stood at just about 31 percent.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there were 18,305 citizens of other Yugoslav republics living in Slovenia in 1992 who had permanent resident status. Of the Ministry’s figure, 12,937 applied for citizenship under procedures introduced later, and 10,713 got citizenship. But according to unofficial estimates, 3000 to 4000 people are still without formal legal status in the country.

Former Yugo republics agree on succession issues

On 3 June, the framework agreement on the succession of the former Yugoslavia entered into force. The agreement, signed by Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovenia, offers the basis for resolving outstanding issues stemming from the dissolution of the former joint state, including the division of that state’s debts and assets among the five successors.

The agreement was signed in Vienna on 29 June 2001, but could not enter into force until all parties had ratified it. Croatia was the last to do so, on 4 March.

A permanent committee of high representatives of the successor states will now begin its work overseeing the implementation of the agreement. The committee will meet formally for the first time in Skopje at the end of June. Slovenia will be represented by Rudolf Gabrovec.

On 2 June, the five countries finally agreed to the division of the gold of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, which was held in Credit Suisse, Banque de France and the French, British and US Committee on Gold. The former national bank owned some 8.5 tons of gold, valued at around USD 107 million and will be divided according to the succession agreement’s formula. Bosnia and Hercegovina will get 15.5 percent, Croatia 23, Macedonia 7.5, Serbia and Montenegro 38 and Slovenia 16.

GLBT reps meet with Pahor

Pahor suggested the bill could be on the agenda of the National Assembly’s July session, since he believes the political climate will be less charged by then. He heads the ZLSD, which supports the passage of a law on same-sex partnerships. The pensioners’ party DeSUS is also supporting the law. The law has been in preparation since 1997, but the initiative to legalize same-sex unions has been around since at least 1993.

The bill is being supported by an alliance of GLBT groups, including Legibitra, Škuc LL, Škuc Magnus and Škuc Roza Klub. They want to see the bill enter parliamentary process as soon as possible to ensure it will be passed before the next parliamentary elections, scheduled for this autumn.

In Europe, same-sex unions are currently legal in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

Ljubljana is a bargain

According to a worldwide cost of living survey released on 12 June by the research agency Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Ljubljana is the 82^nd most expensive city in the world in which to live. This ranks it among the least expensive cities in Europe. The city rose from 100^th place in 2003.

Many Euro Zone cities rose on the list in the past year, due to the strength of the euro against other currencies. Amsterdam showed the highest increase, jumping 26 places. London rose to second place worldwide.

At the same time, all of the cities in the United States fell on the list, thanks to the weakening of the dollar. The most expensive US city, New York, fell from tenth to twelfth place.

Tokyo remains the world’s most expensive city, followed by London and Moscow. Asuncion, Paraguay, is the cheapest.

The Mercer survey compares the cost of 200 indicators, including housing, food, clothing and transportation in 144 cities around the globe.

And in other news…

• Parliament passed several constitutional amendments in its 23 June session. Changes affect articles 14, 43 and 50 and introduce equality for the disabled, guaranteed equality of the sexes in elections and the right of citizens to a pension. This is just the fourth time that the constitution has been amended. Previous amendments were made in 1997, 2000 and 2003.

• The long-awaited agreement between Slovenia and the Vatican took effect at the end of May. The agreement entered into force when Prime Minister Anton Rop exchanged instruments of ratification with the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States Angelo Sodano on 29 May. The agreement was signed on 14 December 2001 but only ratified in Slovenia on 28 January 2004. It provides guidelines for relations between the Slovene state and the Holy See. While at the Vatican, Rop also met with Pope John Paul II.