Slovenia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that doctors working in public medical institutions should be permitted to practice privately during their free time. This decision overturns a government health reform provision that restricted public doctors from engaging in private practice, aiming to boost efficiency in the national healthcare system. The Trade Union of Doctors and Dentists Fides contested this ban, expressing concerns that it could lead to doctors leaving public institutions, further straining the public health sector.
The court’s ruling emphasized that the ban infringed on doctors’ constitutional right to pursue economic activities freely and has instructed parliament to revise the law within a year. Bojana Beovic, the president of the Medical Chamber of Slovenia, hailed the ruling as beneficial for the country’s citizens and patients. This ruling poses a challenge for Prime Minister Robert Golob’s government, especially with the upcoming general election, as healthcare reform has been a key focus of its political agenda.
In a separate update, Slovenia’s economic sentiment indicator climbed to 0.6 points in December, marking the highest level since June 2022, according to the Statistical Office. This positive shift in the indicator, turning positive for the first time since December 2022, reflects improved confidence in various sectors including manufacturing, services, construction, and among consumers. The rise in economic sentiment is attributed to expectations of increased production in manufacturing and anticipated demand growth in the service sector.
The Slovenian government anticipates economic recovery in 2026, supported by enhanced investments and exports. Projections suggest economic growth to accelerate to 2.1% in 2026, up from an estimated 0.8% this year, as per the government’s September forecast.
