Slovenia: EU ministers debate public finances

Finance ministers from the EU convened for the second day of proceedings at Brdo pri Kranju on Saturday. They came to debate the quality of public finances, a priority of the consecutive presidencies of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. Slovenia: EU ministers debate public finances "I hope we'll have a very interesting debate on social expenditure, on how to deliver good social policies and services without putting at risk the public finance position," European Monetary and Financial Affairs Commissioner Joaqin Almunia said on arrival. The second day of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting is being accompanied by a trade union protest in Ljubljana of some 30,000 unionists from across Europe. The unions aim to bring the increasing differences in wages and profits, as well as the falling purchasing power of workers, to the attention of EU the finance ministers. Almunia said that having been chief economist at a labor union, he understood the demands of the unions. "At the same time I'm aware that union members understand very well the need to accompany wage increases with productivity increases," he said. "This is the way not to put at risk inflation targets".

Slovenia: EU ministers debate public finances

"I hope we'll have a very interesting debate on social expenditure, on how to deliver good social policies and services without putting at risk the public finance position," European Monetary and Financial Affairs Commissioner Joaqin Almunia said on arrival.

The second day of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting is being accompanied by a trade union protest in Ljubljana of some 30,000 unionists from across Europe. The unions aim to bring the increasing differences in wages and profits, as well as the falling purchasing power of workers, to the attention of EU the finance ministers.

Almunia said that having been chief economist at a labor union, he understood the demands of the unions. "At the same time I'm aware that union members understand very well the need to accompany wage increases with productivity increases," he said. "This is the way not to put at risk inflation targets".