On 18 December 2024, the President of the Court of Audit, Jana Ahčin, met with the delegation of the Monitoring Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe during its three-day visit to Slovenia. The Monitoring Committee is responsible for monitoring the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law at local and regional levels.
The Monitoring Committee delegation was composed of Ulla Santti and Konstantinos Koukas, rapporteurs on local democracy, Prof. Angel Moreno, President of the group of independent experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and Svitlana Pereverten, Co-Secretary to the Monitoring Committee. During the visit, the Congress delegation focused on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Slovenia ratified in 1996.
During the meeting with the Congress delegation members, Supreme State Auditor, mag. Simona Majer, and Deputy State Auditor, Luka Ramovš, addressed key challenges and characteristics of local self-government in Slovenia, including financing, indebtedness, implementation of tasks of municipalities and control over operations of municipalities. Mrs Majer and Mr Ramovš also presented the latest audit reports examining the concerned field, namely addressing important systemic questions, and stressed the role of the SAI Slovenia in ensuring regularity and efficiency of municipal operations.
On behalf of the Court of Audit, Advisor to the President, mag. Irena Vodopivec Jean, and Advisor in the Cabinet of the President and Coordinator for International Relations, Boštjan Novak, joined the meeting as well. The members of both delegations also discussed financing of local self-governments, and recommendations proposed by the Congress in 2018 regarding local democracy in Slovenia.
Visit of the Congress delegation focused on monitoring the state of local and regional democracy and on establishing open and constructive dialogue. This visit served as the basis for the Congress to draw up a report and issue recommendations. Thus, the visit represents a significant opportunity for an in-depth dialogue about the state of democracy in Slovenia.