Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina was in Zagorje ob Savi municipality on business today. He met for a personal interview with 11 complainants who estimated that their rights had been violated and that he and his colleagues could help them in asserting them. The Ombudsman also discussed concerns for citizens' rights with Zagorje mayor Matjaž Švagan.

In a statement to the media, Svetina said that the complainants came from various places, not only from Zagorje. His colleagues dealt mainly with issues in the field of spatial planning, some of them in the field of social conditions, and some in the field of justice. Two complaints related to the functioning of the Municipality of Zagorje ob Savi have already been scrutinised by the Ombudsman and mayor Matjaž Švagan, and the municipality is already examining the issues and looking for solutions.

The Ombudsman also visited the Slavko Grum Elementary School, which has a customised programme, where he talked with the school representatives, mainly about the lack of space that plagues schools with this type of programme in Slovenia. The Ombudsman expects the Ministry of Education to respond to the Ombudsman's recommendations and approach the solution of the mentioned problem. He recalled that at the consultation in Portorož, individual experts had already indicated possible ways to solve this problem, which should be taken into account.

The director of the Zagorje health centre, Aleš Šabeder, introduced the Ombudsman and and colleagues to their work and presented solutions related to the shortage of paediatricians. "The new law, or the announced amendment to the law on health care, raises questions about the position of concessionaires in the public health care institution. Otherwise, there is good energy and the will to solve the accumulated problems in health care," said the Ombudsman.

The Mayor of Zagorje ob Sava, Matjaž Švagan, assessed that there is positive energy in Zagorje ob Sava as a local community and that they are a municipality with many successes. He highlighted the municipality's work in the area of ​​caring for the most vulnerable as an exemplary example of good practice in Slovenia. He said that he talks to the citizens of Zagorje, listens to them, and helps if he can.

Ombudsman Svetina also opened four new Ombudman’s corners in connection while on business in the area, namely in Zagorje, Hrastnik, Šmartno pri Litiji and Litija.