The new Free Movement of Slovenia focuses on the green transition, an open society
STAMarch 19, 2022 – Freedom Movement (Movement Freedom)the newly formed party, which ranks at or near the top of most polls a month before the election, confirmed its candidate list on Saturday with an electoral platform focused on green transition, a modern welfare state and a free and open rule-driven society.
“The party is offering a new social deal … that will leave no one behind and will stand the test of time,” party president Robert Golob said.
The chapter on the green transition of the program says that Slovenia must give up fossil fuels and significantly expand renewable energy sources, while paying attention to low energy prices. This should be linked to the promotion of the circular economy.
As far as the economy is concerned, the party intends to make Slovenia more attractive to investors in green and digital companies, encourage investments in future technologies and help companies reduce their carbon footprint.
In the field of healthcare, which is a prominent place in the programs of almost all clients, the plan is to shorten waiting times with emergency spending, digitize health services and maintain prices.
There are several ideas for reforming the political system, notably a stronger role for the President of the Republic to appoint judges and the introduction of preferential voting in general elections.
Foreign policy plans include a stronger role for Slovenia in the Alpine, Adriatic, Danube and Mediterranean regions, the modernization of the armed forces and the removal of the fence on the border with Croatia.
The party also intends to pursue fiscal policy by reforming corporate income tax, strengthening the Slovenian capital market, activating dormant capital and promoting employee ownership in companies.
Stronger family policy includes universal child allowance, state guarantees for young people buying their first home, accelerated housing construction and the promotion of housing cooperatives.
Decent pensions and the possibility of returning pensioners to work after retirement are also mentioned, as well as the reform of media legislation and the modernization of the cultural sector.
Golob compared the party’s platform to the current government’s policy, which he said led a “policy that hides fear of its own people with words of contempt”, prompting people to rebel.
The Freedom Movement and its assessment in polls have been the subject of criticism from the right for weeks, with experts questioning how a party without a program can be so popular.
Golob denied this, saying the party now offers more than a program, offers a vision of what the country should look like in 2030, as well as concrete projects that are immediately feasible.
This two-step approach suggests that the team that wrote the program would take responsibility for implementing it. “We’re here to improve things, not for our own benefit,” he said.
The candidate list includes high-ranking members of the party, including Golob, current MPs Janja Sluga and Jurij Lep, and former center-left MPs Mirjam Bon Klajnšček, Tamara Vonta and Borut Sajovic, who is currently the mayor of Tržič.
Other well-known names include nuclear expert Miroslav Gregorič, charity worker Tereza Novak, former rector of the University of Ljubljana Igor Papic, former president of the Port of Koper Dimitrij Zadel, former boxing champion Dejan Zavec and doctor Danijel Besic Loredan.