Slovenian Government Declares August 14th a Day of Solidarity

The Slovenian Government has decided to declare August 14th a Day of Solidarity, when citizens will receive a day off to help with flood recovery.

Announcing the decision, Prime Minister Robert Golob stated that the country wants to end a difficult period in the spirit of solidarity, STA reports.

He added that people will receive a day off "to help a acquaintance, a neighbor, a friend, and everyone affected by the severe floods".

In a video address published on his Instagram profile, Golob stated that many initiatives and proposals from citizens have arrived in recent days regarding the catastrophic floods, and one of them was to declare August 14th a day off so that "everyone can show those affected by the disaster that they are not alone".

- The government has decided that August 14th will be a day of solidarity, a day when the whole of Slovenia will join forces and each of us will give our maximum - said Golob, emphasizing that he is convinced that Slovenia can do it.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) expressed criticism, saying that a day of solidarity would create additional costs for companies in other parts of the country.

Furthermore, a non-working day will also affect companies affected by the floods that have managed to repair the damage and plan to restart. This will increase their costs on top of the flood damage they are already dealing with.

The GZS believes it would be better for the government to order that the daily cost of labor be donated to flood relief instead of a day off.