Ljubljana, 14 March 2014 – Slovenian People's Party (SLS) President Franc Bogovič, New Slovenia (NSi) President Ljudmila Novak and Member of the European Parliament Lojze Peterle announced at today's news conference that the leaderships of both parties had decided to run in the European parliamentary elections this May with a joint party-list. The parties' leaderships will take this suggestion to the parties' committees to make the final decision. The committees will assemble in the next few days. The parties' leaderships both agree to make current Member of EU Parliament Lojze Peterle the top candidate on the joint party-list. Their common message was_ »Our parties, that have similar programmes, can form a good list, that can get at least three Members of Parliament at the European Parliament elections. We are certain we are going to win!«
NSi President Ljudmila Novak said that SLS and NSi party leaderships agreed on running for EU Parliamentary elections with a joint party-list. »This weekend NSi Council will decide whether we will run on a joint party-list,« said Ljudmila Novak and explained that the joint party-list will have four candidates from each party. The first name on the list will be Lojze Peterle and the presidents of both parties will take the last two places on the list. She expressed a certainty that cooperation of the familial parties on the EP elections project is a good thing, because they are running in the same political group, the EPP. »Both parties have similar programmes based on common values of the EPP. That is why in our opinion such a cooperation on a mutual project is sensible and appropriate,« she added.
SLS President Franc Bogovič said that it pleases him that this initiative, that started a few months ago, reached a point of mutual understanding about running for EP elections together. He explained that the Executive Committee of SLS and Main Committee of SLS will make their final decisions on Monday. »Myself and the party's leadership believe in the joint list. We believe it is crucial that there is room in Slovenian political space for two political parties to sit at the same table and prepare a programme together. We had no problems with that. Both parties are members of EPP, last week we accepted the EPP Action programme, which is very straightforward. We are already submitting suggestions based on the programme's goals to the Slovenian Parliament. We are certain that we can succesfully pursue the programme's goals as a joint parliamentary group, as part of the EPP Group, and also transfer the positive experience of our cooperation back into Slovenian political space,« predicted Bogovič and added that he is certain this cooperation proves that it is possible to work together in Slovenia. »I have been saying for a long time, how important it is that political forces start working together on projects instead of just watching new initiatives pop up again and again. I have to emphasise that we are not discussing merging the two parties. However, we are discussing the project of European parliamentary elections, which will help future cooperation between our parties. There has been enough separation,« emphasised Bogovič.
Member of European Parliament Lojze Peterle thanked the parties' leaderships for the trust they have demonstrated by making him the top candidate. »I believe I will be able to fulfill their expectations,« he said and added that this joint list represents a welcome challenge to him. Peterle is also glad that political culture of cooperation is finally developing in a country where there has been so much polarisation until now. He is certain that voters as well as Brussels and EPP will accept this new approach with open arms. »I am very pleased that I was there for the final negotiations. I was able to see first hand that our parties share common values. Today, we have written in the cooperation agreement that the values of Slovenian independence represent our foundations even when we are talking about Europe, because we would not be in Europe today had it not been for those values,« said Peterle.
You can watch the videos from the news conference below.
NSi President Ljudmila Novak said that SLS and NSi party leaderships agreed on running for EU Parliamentary elections with a joint party-list. »This weekend NSi Council will decide whether we will run on a joint party-list,« said Ljudmila Novak and explained that the joint party-list will have four candidates from each party. The first name on the list will be Lojze Peterle and the presidents of both parties will take the last two places on the list. She expressed a certainty that cooperation of the familial parties on the EP elections project is a good thing, because they are running in the same political group, the EPP. »Both parties have similar programmes based on common values of the EPP. That is why in our opinion such a cooperation on a mutual project is sensible and appropriate,« she added.
SLS President Franc Bogovič said that it pleases him that this initiative, that started a few months ago, reached a point of mutual understanding about running for EP elections together. He explained that the Executive Committee of SLS and Main Committee of SLS will make their final decisions on Monday. »Myself and the party's leadership believe in the joint list. We believe it is crucial that there is room in Slovenian political space for two political parties to sit at the same table and prepare a programme together. We had no problems with that. Both parties are members of EPP, last week we accepted the EPP Action programme, which is very straightforward. We are already submitting suggestions based on the programme's goals to the Slovenian Parliament. We are certain that we can succesfully pursue the programme's goals as a joint parliamentary group, as part of the EPP Group, and also transfer the positive experience of our cooperation back into Slovenian political space,« predicted Bogovič and added that he is certain this cooperation proves that it is possible to work together in Slovenia. »I have been saying for a long time, how important it is that political forces start working together on projects instead of just watching new initiatives pop up again and again. I have to emphasise that we are not discussing merging the two parties. However, we are discussing the project of European parliamentary elections, which will help future cooperation between our parties. There has been enough separation,« emphasised Bogovič.
Member of European Parliament Lojze Peterle thanked the parties' leaderships for the trust they have demonstrated by making him the top candidate. »I believe I will be able to fulfill their expectations,« he said and added that this joint list represents a welcome challenge to him. Peterle is also glad that political culture of cooperation is finally developing in a country where there has been so much polarisation until now. He is certain that voters as well as Brussels and EPP will accept this new approach with open arms. »I am very pleased that I was there for the final negotiations. I was able to see first hand that our parties share common values. Today, we have written in the cooperation agreement that the values of Slovenian independence represent our foundations even when we are talking about Europe, because we would not be in Europe today had it not been for those values,« said Peterle.
You can watch the videos from the news conference below.