Paper says solidarity day will not be useful
Koper, 11 August - The newspaper Primorske Novice argues in Friday's commentary that solidarity day, 14 August, will mostly not be useful, as masses of volunteers could only cause additional problems in the flood-stricken areas.
The paper says in the commentary Solidarity Day Yes, But Not This Way that experts are clear in their messages that nobody should go to the hotspots unannounced but only based on agreement with the authorities and in line with the needs and the accessibility of required equipment.
"Let's not beat around the bush: Most citizens will get an extra day off on Monday, while employers will get a headache, as work processes take time and money."
A much more useful solidarity day would be one spent at work, especially if employees contributed a part of their earnings to help those in the affected areas and if volunteers who help out got a day off along with those working in the regions affected, Primorske Novice says.
So far, the government has been handling the flooding situation flawlessly. Could the extra day off be a populist move by the PM to improve the government's ratings which had been plummeting due to delays in reforms and the influence of his partner Tina Gaber, wonders the paper.