Slovenian Government Plans to Invest Seven Billion Euros in Flood Recovery

(Patria) - The Slovenian government intends to invest around seven billion euros in recovery after the catastrophic floods that hit the country almost a month ago, Prime Minister Robert Golob said in parliament in Ljubljana on Thursday.

"The damage, according to the current estimate, should amount to 4.7 billion euros," he added.

Heavy rains caused rivers and other bodies of water to overflow in early August, particularly in northern and central Slovenia. The floods and landslides caused enormous damage.

Villages were evacuated, roads and railways were submerged, hundreds of bridges were washed away by the torrents, and numerous companies were destroyed.

The recovery will not be limited to restoring the previous state, but will aim for better protection against future natural disasters. We want to achieve greater resilience in the event of such occurrences, Golob said.

The EU has pledged 400 million euros to Slovenia from its solidarity fund. In addition, the country could also draw money from other EU funds to which it is entitled for reconstruction.