Slovenia's conflict with Croatia: Is the dispute over the Adriatic Sea escalating?
Created: 2022-06-21Updated: 2022-06-21 10:41 am
By: Aleksandra Fedorska
After its brilliant election victory, the new Slovenian government promises that everything will get better.
But an unresolved conflict with Croatia could become a problem.
Ljubljana – The newly elected left-liberal governing coalition has been in office in Slovenia since May 25.
The formation of the government was preceded by a spectacular election victory for Robert Golob's left-liberal freedom movement (“Gibanje svoboda”).
Golob, who was elected Slovenia's new prime minister, chose to govern alongside the social democrats and the left.
The leader of the Social Democrats, European politician Tanja Fajon, was given the important foreign and European ministries.
Slovenia: Robert Golob wants to regain lost confidence
During his election campaign, Golob promised to dissuade Slovenia from the conservative, partially populist and Eurosceptic course of his predecessor Janez Jansa.
The new government wants to win back the trust in state institutions that has been lost.
Equally important to the governing coalition is building a strong civil society and pursuing climate policy goals.
Slovenia and Croatia have been at odds over Piran Bay for decades.
© IMAGO/Tom
“The new Slovenian government led by Robert Golob wants to advance the country’s climate policy transformation and strengthen the private sector with the announced reduction in VAT.
The country's good budget situation makes such measures possible.
On the other hand, rising energy prices, persistent inflation and international uncertainties are forcing the government in Ljubljana to prepare a package of interventionist measures, especially in relation to the energy and food markets,” Slovenia expert Jan Muś from the Institute of Central Europe (IES)
told FR.de
by
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
Slovenia's new government is committed to climate neutrality and economic development
Social policy, climate policy and innovation are the most important issues for the new government.
The Prime Minister promised more social justice, cheap housing, clean energy, more spending in the cultural sector and the rebuilding of independent media.
Despite a good budgetary situation, these goals are likely to pose a challenge for the three-party coalition.
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During his election campaign, Golob spoke out in favor of building a second nuclear power plant unit in Krško.
For the liberal politician, nuclear power is an appropriate solution for saving the planet because it produces no emissions.
However, Golob would like to have the use of nuclear power technologies and processes checked by an independent international institution before a decision is made.
"Only then will we confirm such a proposal in a referendum," he promised.
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Slovenia in conflict with Croatia: Is the Piran Bay dispute escalating?
The dispute over the Bay of Piran has shaped neighborly relations between Slovenia and Croatia for decades.
At the time of Yugoslavia, no precise borderline between the two republics was defined.
After Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence in 1991, Croatia proposed drawing the border right in the middle of Piran Bay.
This solution would have fatal consequences for Slovenia, as the country would lose access to the Adriatic Sea.
For this reason, an international arbitral tribunal awarded a large part of the bay to Slovenia.
Croatia considers the verdict unfair.
To date, this conflict has not been finally resolved.
It is still not really clear how the new government intends to shape relations with Croatia.
Croats fear that Slovenia could now cause them problems with Croatia's upcoming accession to the Schengen area.
Tanja Fajon and the Slovenian Prime Minister said in advance that they insisted on the recognition of the arbitral tribunal's verdict.
When they took over government responsibility, they changed their attitude and since then they have been much more forgiving towards neighboring Croatia.
“Despite previous announcements, new Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon will not attach any conditions to support for the southern neighbor's Schengen area accession process.
The new Golob government seems to be trying to maintain good relations with Zagreb and not let the Piran Bay dispute escalate,” said Muś.
(Aleksandra Fedorska)