The parliament in Slovenia gave a vote of confidence to the new Minister of Agriculture

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According to a report by the Slovenian public television, 45 members of the 90-member legislature supported the ministerial appointment of the largest government party, the Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda). Calusic took the place of Irena Sinko, who was replaced in the government last October. Prime Minister Robert Golob lost his trust in the previous minister after the Animal Health and Food Safety Office did not respond properly to the importation of fruits and vegetables containing prohibited plant protection agents and did not inform the public. Sinko refused to leave voluntarily, so Golob asked the parliament to dismiss the minister.

At his committee hearing, the new minister said that among his main priorities are sustainable agriculture and food safety

He believed that the sector should focus on promoting innovation and putting knowledge into practice. He added: Self-sufficiency in vegetables and fruits is particularly low in Slovenia. In 2022, the former accounted for 36 percent, the latter 29 percent, while in the case of meat it was 89 percent, he pointed out. He singled out the insufficient income of agricultural producers as the main reason for the underdevelopment of Slovenian agriculture, which is why the proportion of young farmers is also very low. The prime minister believed that Calusic can show his potential in several areas. “He is a representative of the new generation of politicians who do not live in the past, politicians who understand what community means,” said the prime minister before the election of the new minister in parliament.

MTI