Prime Minister Golob: We are the only ones who can ensure our own security

SLOVENIA, March 19 - The Prime Minister began by expressing his satisfaction that, after three years of war in Ukraine, a glimmer of hope for a ceasefire and renewed hope in Ukraine had finally emerged. "However, this does not mean that the geopolitical situation in the world has changed. The very ceasefire in the Middle East that we pinned so much hope on months ago and welcomed with enthusiasm has, unfortunately, taken on a new dimension this week due to actions by the Netanyahu government – an escalation into a political confrontation with political opponents from the other side," the Prime Minister said. "This reminds us that even when we hope for and welcome peace, it does not mean that peace is guaranteed or should be taken for granted."

In this light, he warned that Slovenia, too, cannot assume that its safety and resilience are assured – nor can it rely on close neighbours with friendly intentions or distant allies to ensure its security. "We are the only ones who can ensure our security," noted the Prime Minister, welcoming today's discussion on building a more resilient Slovenia. "This is what we owe our citizens. Not just today, but for generations to come." 

For this reason, Slovenia’s positions within both the European Union and NATO remain consistent.  "Whatever we do must be done with the aim of preserving lasting peace. We must encourage others to follow the same path in defending human rights," the Prime Minister said, calling for a simultaneous strengthening of resilience at home. 

In the context of the expected debate on increasing defence funding, Prime Minister Golob reiterated Slovenia's position, which he had already presented at both informal meetings of leaders and the formal European Council meeting. "We believe that defence is not just about weapons, it is much more than that. We believe that defence must have both a security component and a resilience component. And in doing so, we have succeeded in widening the circle of countries within the European Union that believe in the power of the armistice. It is not just about deploying peacekeeping troops to crisis areas, but first achieving a ceasefire in those areas and only then considering sending troops."

He went on to express his great pride in the unique character of Slovenians. For decades, Slovenia has been building a distinctive system of civil protection, as well as a protection and rescue system. "This is one of the reasons why, according to a recent European survey, we ranked at the very top of European nations in terms of our ability to respond to disasters, both natural and man-made. It is our duty to safeguard this system and further strengthen it in difficult times," the Prime Minister emphasised, adding that this would allow Slovenia to continue setting an example for Europe. 

The Prime Minister also noted that the challenges in the coming weeks and months would not be easy. However, by focusing on resilience, increasing our spending on defence, security and resilience, by making improvements in security, Slovenia will build a more just society and be better prepared for the challenges of the future. "In this way, our citizens will also benefit directly and immediately. And that is what I will continue to strive for." 

He added that we are not turning away from reality. "We know that our defence capacity will also need to be strengthened more quickly. In parallel, we want to make the population aware of the direct benefits of such dual-use investments, including in other systems – from healthcare, infrastructure, cyber security to people, space, and civil protection – where Slovenia already sees direct and immediate benefits," the Prime Minister said, adding: "The commitment we can make is that in the years to come these increases will not come at the expense of cutting the existing rights for any group, least of all the most vulnerable, or in this case, social transfers."

Prime Minister Golob added that we must find a way to realise the increase in defence, security and resilience spending in other ways by securing additional resources. He concluded that a new draft resolution is being prepared to address defence expenditure, which will seek to build a broad national consensus. "This is the right approach, this is the right path for Slovenia to move forward proudly and confidently," concluded Prime Minister Robert Golob.