The visit of the “spitzenkandidat” of the European Greens, Bas Eickhout, to Slovenia was, according to VESNA, a strong signal of the support enjoyed by the Slovenian Green political party (VESNA) within the family of the European Greens as the sole Slovenian party. During this symbolic visit, Eickhout, accompanied by VESNA candidates Dr. Vladimir Prebilič, Urša Zgojznik and others, visited the Šaleška and Zgornja Savinjska valleys. The visit was placed under the central theme entitled “a fair green transition”, particularly important in the former coal region.

The delegation, accompanied by several mayors of the affected municipalities, also visited the areas of the upper Savinja valley that were most damaged by last year’s devastating floods, which show the unimaginable consequences of climate change and inadequate and untimely adaptation to it.

Bas Eickhout, vice-president of the Greens group in the European Parliament and main candidate of the European Greens in the European elections, said:
“It is clear that climate change has had considerable consequences on these Slovenian regions: both on people’s lives and on the economy. a problem that will not go away by ignoring it. We need decisive political action. We must transform our economy from a fossil-based, polluting industry into a sustainable and equitable green industry. My visits to Slovenia show the country’s potential to achieve this. For this, we need a strong green and social agreement. VESNA – the Green Party has the vision and courage to implement the necessary changes in Slovenia. Most importantly, it works with the population, in villages, towns and outlying regions. with them, we will fight for a just transition in the European Parliament.”

VESNA, in light of its program that emphasizes a just green transition and recovery, took advantage of Eickhout’s visit to visit a specific region in this context. The delegation first went to Šoštanj and presented to Eickhout the failure of the TEŠ 6 project, as well as the consequences of long-term coal mining and the vast degraded areas it left behind. They were accompanied by the Mayor of Šoštanja, Boris Goličnik, and the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Velenje, Aleksandra Vasiljević, who presented the plans for the reconstruction of the region, where the key will be the use of all mechanisms available for a fair recovery for the green transition. VESNA card holder, Dr. Vladimir Prebilič, stressed during this visit that once again as a member of the European Parliament he will strive to work towards coherent regional development and a greater role for local communities in decision-making at European level.

The delegation also visited the Rihter company, which deals with the development, design, production and construction of unique low-energy, passive and energy-free prefabricated houses. The company, which is already successfully recovering from last year’s floods, is a true inspiration story, proving that the green concept and the economy go hand in hand and that this represents a great competitive advantage and added value .

Together with the mayors of the most affected municipalities in the upper Savinja valley – Franjo Naraločnik (Ljubno) and Klavdi Strmčnik (Luče) – the delegation noted the consequences of last year’s floods. At the same time, Eickhout drew attention to the problem of non-adaptation to the consequences of climate change, an area often “managed by no one”, which unfortunately also applies to Slovenia.

The visit ended on a positive note – that of Camp Menina, which was extremely affected by the floods, but is recovering successfully and which is a testament to perseverance, determination and also entrepreneurship people. At the time of the floods, a large group of Dutch tourists were also staying in the camp, including a Green MP, so their story is particularly close to that of Eickhout, himself from the Netherlands. The mayor of Rečice ob Savinja, Majda Potočnik, and the owner of the camp, Jure Kolenc, presented the story of the exceptional response of the local population as well as the wider assistance provided in the region.

Billy Omeonga

Billy Omeonga graduated in Journalism and Creative Writing. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I am currently pursuing an MBA at the University of the People in the United States of America. I love activities that involve ideas and critical thinking. I am passionate about nature and protecting the environment. I believe in protecting our planet and its natural resources. I hate dishonest and pessimistic people. Honesty is an integral part of my view of the world and it is a value in which I strongly believe. I speak French and English fluently. In my free time, I like to read and play the piano. Also, I disapprove of the unreliability. I am a reliable person, so I expect a certain level of reliability from those I am reliable to.

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