Slovenia implements budget rebalance and rare disease fund

The Slovenian government has proposed a budget rebalance aimed at maintaining a fiscal deficit below 3% of GDP. This measure responds to changing economic conditions and new legal obligations, including increased defense spending, minimum wage hikes, and the recovery and resilience plan. While the government emphasizes the need to strengthen public finance sustainability, the Fiscal Council has noted that net expenditure growth remains higher than permitted, with the deficit projected at approximately 2.9% of GDP.

In a separate legislative development, the National Assembly's Health Committee approved a proposal to establish a public fund for the advanced treatment of rare diseases in children. The fund would be financed using unallocated income tax funds, a move that has drawn criticism from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) concerned about the potential reduction of resources previously used to support the non-profit sector. Legal experts have also raised concerns regarding the age-based restriction of the fund to children, suggesting it may be constitutionally problematic.