Govt Adopts Six Major Bills to Break Deadlock (adds)

Ljubljana, 12 January (STA) - Faced with a deadlock in parliament after

the failed appointment of a new prime minister, the outgoing government

adopted on Thursday six bills it deems necessary to $protect the

national interest$. $It is now up to parliament to decide what to

do with them,$ Prime Minister Borut Pahor said.

The government adopted new bills on public finances and development

planning, and amendments to the acts on the energy sector, takeovers,

financial transactions and mortgage bonds.

$These are laws we

deem urgent considering the financial, economic and social situation,$

Pahor said. He plans to meet the presidents of all parties in the coming

days to muster support.

$The government...is convinced that it

would be useful for interests of the state to pass this package,$ said

the outgoing prime minister, who believes the laws create better mechanisms

for the management of public finances, for improving the economic

environment, and for aligning energy market rules with EU

regulations.

Assessing Slovenia's position following the failure of

Positive Slovenia leader Zoran Jankovic to secure a majority in parliament,

Pahor said Slovenia was still financially and economically sound but its

political ability to overcome the crisis is questionable.

$The

world is spinning faster and faster but Slovenia remains stuck in place

even more firmly,$ he said. The legislative package proposed today is

something, but it is $not enough to change the opinion of rating

agencies, the European Central Bank or the European

Commission.$

Despite the reforms that failed under the outgoing

government, Slovenia was $at the edge of the healthy core...But if

this situation continues, we will slip to the financial margin of the

eurozone,$ he said.

Development and European Affairs Minister

Mitja Gaspari, meanwhile, stressed that Slovenia had a credibility problem

rating agencies notwithstanding.

$If you say you will adopt a

measure worth EUR 300m but end up adopting one worth EUR 65m, it will be

difficult to convince anyone you did it in good faith,$ he said about

the recent passage of the public sector austerity bill.