Golob speaks about flood devastation in Slovenia for CNN
London, 9 August - Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob spoke for CNN International on Tuesday evening about the consequences of the severe floods in the country, rejecting hints that Slovenia is dealing too slowly with the climate crisis. He noted that the unity and solidarity in the EU and NATO had shown in the ongoing flood relief effort.
Ljubljana
Prime Minister Robert Golob.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA
File photo
In an interview with the multinational news channel, as part of which footage of the destruction in Slovenia was shown, Golob first described the magnitude of the disaster.
The prime minister noted that tens of thousands of homes were flooded, hundreds of bridges were wiped out, and hundreds of kilometres of roads totally destroyed.
"Most of the homes have been reached, but not all. Our teams are still fighting on the ground to reach the most distant homes and people who are waiting for rescue. We established a helicopter bridge to provide them with food and generators," he said.
The prime minister confirmed that the day after the floods, Slovenia triggered the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, asking for heavy equipment, and the fast response mechanism of the NATO alliance to get help in the form of helicopters.
Golob expressed gratitude to the allies and friends, saying that this showed what the EU and NATO are all about - solidarity and unity. He said that aid was also coming from the most unusual places, mentioning that Ukraine sent a helicopter.
The host asked whether the disaster could have been prevented, as she noted the latest State of the Global Climate report from the UN, which says that Slovenia has not responded to the climate crisis with sufficient urgency in the energy sector.
Golob rejected this, saying that greenhouse gas emissions were coming from the energy, transport and agricultural sectors, and that Slovenia would close thermal power plants in seven years and move towards zero net emissions in the energy sector.
He noted that catastrophic phenomena, such as the floods in Slovenia, could not be prevented at the local level, and that something could only be done at the global level. He added that everyone would have to play their role in this.