Slovenia needs a clear definition of the objectives

Slovenia needs clear definitions of its goals, according to Dr. Andrej Umek, who argues that the country’s economic direction under former Prime Minister Dr. Janez Janša has led toward increasing dependence on left-leaning policies and away from free-market principles. The decline in Slovenia's Economic Freedom Index, maintained by the Heritage Foundation, throughout the tenure of this government serves as one of several indicators of this shift. Many measures taken by the previous administration have been perceived as favoring the public sector over the private, with wage increases intended to elevate public-sector salaries above those in the private sector. This has created discrepancies, particularly compared to Germany, where public-sector wages are significantly lower than private-sector ones, sometimes by as much as 30 percent. Exceptions exist in areas crucial to competitiveness and economic success, such as research, education, and healthcare. The government under Dr. Janša has also contributed to a substantial budget deficit, which could have implications for future governance. While the author does not question whether someone should be held accountable for this, the focus is on how Slovenia can return to a path of progress and catch up with the most developed European economies. The new government has begun addressing these challenges through an intervention law, which the author views as a positive start. However, further refinements and expansion into other areas will be necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of a successful and free market economy. The author emphasizes that there are more than enough areas requiring definition and implementation, making it impractical to cover them all in a single column. Therefore, attention is focused on infrastructure, specifically the physical components that support economic activity. Given the need to keep the discussion within reasonable bounds, the author narrows the focus to logistics. Slovenia, as a relatively small country, relies heavily on equal cooperation with other EU member states, especially key partners such as Germany, France, and Italy. This economic collaboration depends on modern logistical connections among nations. In evaluating current logistical links and planning new ones, it is essential to consider the concept of connecting the EU through high-speed rail networks. There is already a goal to eliminate all flights shorter than 500 kilometers. While future projections suggest this distance might increase to 700 or even 1,000 kilometers, the time required for travel via rail and air would remain roughly comparable. According to the author, the balance still slightly favors high-speed rail. Additionally, major economic partners such as Germany, France, and Italy have already made significant strides in developing their high-speed rail networks and have interconnected themselves. Countries like Spain and Hungary are also working to close the gap, with Hungary constructing a high-speed rail link between Budapest and Vienna and participating in projects such as Salonika, Belgrade, Budapest. From this analysis, the author concludes that Slovenia must integrate itself into the network of European high-speed railways to ensure the development and international competitiveness of its economy. Although this is a costly and long-term project, the author believes it is worth every euro invested. For such a project to be managed effectively, both the final and intermediate goals must be clearly defined. The first year of the mandate is considered the appropriate time to establish these objectives. This column aims to serve as a catalyst for precisely this effort.