STA, 10 October 2020 - The opposition Social Democrats (Socialni demokrati - SD) elected Tanja Fajon, an MEP and the party's interim head so far, its new leader at an online congress on Saturday. A total of 276 delegates of the party voted for Fajon, the first woman to take over the top post at the SD, whereas 107 were in favour of her rival MP Jani Prednik.
Fajon was elected for a full term at the helm of the party, that is until the party's next congress, which must take place half a year after the next general elections at the latest, according to the party's statute.
In her address after being elected the SD leader, Fajon said that she was proud to be the first woman to lead the party. She added that today's online congress had demonstrated that the party was not brought to a stop in the face of challenges, such as Covid-19, but was brought further together to make a change for the better within its own ranks and in Slovenia.
According to her, the time has come to decide whether Slovenia will take a path of the disintegration of all values or whether it will opt for progress in the next decade. She stressed the role of trust and personal responsibility of every individual for the state of mind in society and the party.
Fajon also urged the party to let go of any potential grudges and show a united front to citizens, who expect clear answers and realistic strategies.
Speaking to the press after the congress, she said that recent months were difficult, however the party showed determination to further close ranks.
In her address prior to voting, she said that the SD was the strongest link among Slovenian centre-left parties and set a target of the party winning the next parliamentary election.
When it comes to the party's programme, she deems it key to protect citizens' social security and public systems as well as steer Slovenia away from a group of "problematic countries", which is, she believes, a direction the country is taking at the moment at an increasingly faster pace.
The SD presented its key future projects at the congress, including building high-speed railway, coming up with an effective housing policy and boosting public services, particularly in healthcare, long-term care, research and development and investments in efforts for environmental conservation and a sustainable society.
Fajon was again critical of the government, reiterating allegations about its attacks on media, judiciary and the police, about political staffing and unacceptable repression, which was demonstrated at the most recent Friday anti-government protest, according to her.
The rally saw police officers removing from the site or detaining a number of protesters after Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced stepped up IDing of protesters earlier in the week as the government adopted stricter public assembly measures to contain the coronavirus.
Prior to the result of the election congress, Fajon's challenger Prednik wondered why the SD was describing itself as a party to lead the government only to then back an idea of an alternative government spearheaded by a technocrat prime minister without having secured enough votes to bring down the current government.
