STAznanost

Former politicians set up research institute

Ljubljana, 22 February - A group of former politicians of the Slovenian left has established a new research institute that is to focus on research in human and social sciences.

The Institute for Modern Sustainable Development was in November set up by former PM Anton Rop, former Minister Patrick Vlačič, former SocDems officials Milan M. Cvikl and Uroš Jauševec, and lawyer Rado Bohinc.

Rop served as prime minister between 2002 and 2004, and has been Slovenia's member of the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) since 2013.

Vlačič was transport minister in 2008-2011 and vice-president of the Social Democrats (SD), while Bohinc is the son of the dean of the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences, Rado Bohinc, who served as science and technology minister (1993-1996) and interior minister (2000-2002).

Cvikl served as a SocDems MP and the government secretary general before being appointed a member of the European Court of Auditors (2010-2016), while Uroš Jauševec was the SD's secretary general for three terms.

After the establishment of the institute was made public by the online tabloid Požareport on Tuesday, Jauševec confirmed the news for the STA, pointing out that the institute would not serve as a platform for a new party, but would focus on research.