On 16 September, Slovenian ALDE Party member Stranka Modernega Centra (SMC) hosted its fourth party congress in Celje, Slovenia.

After a difficult and challenging period for the party, SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek wants to put the social and economic development of Slovenia at the centre ahead of next year’s elections. The difficult circumstances have not made it easy for the party to be part of the current government, but in his speech, Počivalšek underlined the huge work his party delivered:  

“This government faced one of the most difficult challenges of our generation and, instead of cooperating, they crippled our government in all activities to contain the consequences. We bled in that fight, but in the end we survived. Not only did we survive, but we also consolidated,” he said.

SMC wants to tackle the main threats of the coming years and during the congress adopted a manifesto, titled ‘Slovenia – 2030’, that is focused on these crucial topics:

• Green and digital transition of the economy, society, and state
• Continuation of de-bureaucratisation
• Regional development
• Housing policy

ALDE Party acting co-President Ilhan Kyuchyuk MEP sent his wishes to the congress audience through a video message.

You can re-watch the speech of Zdravko Počivalšek here (in Slovenian) and view photos from the congress on SMC’s Facebook page.

Photo credit: Stranka SMC