DeSUS

Ljubljana – The Credentials and Privileges Commission proposed that the National Assembly appoint to the programme council and supervisory board of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija five candidates each who had been proposed by the coalition, the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS) and the opposition National Party (SNS) much to the chagrin of the centre-left opposition.

Ljubljana – The Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS) elected Ljubo Jasnič, a former secretary general of the party, the new party head at a congress in Ljubljana on Saturday. He received 54 out of 117 votes.

Ljubljana – Three MPs of the opposition Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS) are upset about statements by interim party head Brigita Čokl about them in the media. They are particularly bothered by her saying that a stick would be needed to deal with MPs because the carrot approach does not work. They hired a lawyer demanding she revoke the statements.

Ljubljana – Former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar has left the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS). Gantar, who also served as a party vice-president, announced the decision at a session of the DeSUS executive committee on Thursday. He told the STA he had been waiting for a proposal to consolidate the party, but given the developments he realised he had enough.

Maribor – Five and a half months after resigning as the leader of the Pensioners’ Party amidst an ethics scandal, Aleksandra Pivec, a former agriculture minister, has retuned as the leader of a new party, Our Land.

After months of preparations and speculations about her return to politics, she was elected party leader at a mostly online founding congress on Saturday.

Ljubljana – Karl Erjavec, the leader of the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS), announced on Wednesday he was stepping down as president. He is no longer a member of the party either, saying that this was no longer the party he led for 15 years.

Ljubljana – The National Assembly will vote Monday on a motion of no confidence in the Janez Janša government. The opposition seems unlikely to muster the required majority, but the vote is expected show the relative strength of the opposition and coalition and end weeks of strife on the political stage.

Ljubljana – The executive committee of the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS) said on Thursday it expected DeSUS MPs to back a vote of no confidence in the Janez Janša government and DeSUS head Karl Erjavec as candidate for prime-minister designate.

Ljubljana – The ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) continues to lead the field in the latest poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo, but has lost ground for the second month running. The LMŠ party of ex-PM Marjan Šarec and the DeSUS of the aspiring PM-designate Karl Erjavec have likewise slipped back amid growing voter discontent.

Brdo pri Kranju – Prime Minister Janez Janša expects his government to continue business as usual after 15 January when the centre-left opposition plans to file a vote of no confidence. Janša as well as other two coalition leaders expect the government will successfully complete its term.