Mramor said that in Europe, the leading indicator of economic recovery is usually GDP growth, while in the UK, Ireland and the US the leading indicator is job growth. In less than a year, 9,301 new jobs have been added, but the figure is likely to surpass 10,000 in September. "In plain English, people have been able to find jobs," Mramor said.

He stressed that foreign and domestic confidence in the Slovenian economy has played a key role. This is also reflected in the country's sovereign credit ratings upgrade. The minister said that retirement funds and other investors can now safely invest their assets in Slovenian bonds.

Slovenia's credit rating is comparable to Italy's. According to Mramor, this means that both Slovenia and Slovenian companies can now borrow funds on the cheap. Gorenje and Petrol have already taken advantage of the situation.

Mramor said he was satisfied with the economic growth rate in Slovenia, which will probably surpass initial projections. He also praised his government's efforts to stabilize public spending.

Regaining financial sovereignty
According to Mramor, Slovenia has regained its financial sovereignty, but this does not mean that the country could now rest on its laurels, as there remain many external risk factors, including the refugee crisis, China, Russia, Ukraine and Greece.

G. C.; translated by D. V.