A 30-day campaign began in Slovenia on Friday in which political parties and associations will state their position on a border arbitration agreement with Croatia ahead of a referendum scheduled for June 6.
The referendum will cost EUR 4 million. Parties and associations will spend another EUR 100,000 during the campaign.
Some associations opposing the agreement will also take part in the campaign, such as Zavod 25. Lipnja, which is led by Marijan Podobnik of the Slovenian People's Party.
Parties and associations may apply for the campaign to the state election commission by May 12.
According to poll findings published a week ago, the majority of Slovenians will say "yes" to the referendum question, "Are you in favour of the arbitration agreement between the Slovenian and Croatian governments becoming valid?"
The latest issue of Mladina weekly quotes Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar as saying that he thinks the referendum will be successful and that, as he has told the government, he will succeed in convincing citizens that they should vote for the ratification of the agreement.
"If we reject the agreement at the referendum, there would be no new negotiations and Croatia wouldn't be interested in the settlement of the matter," Zbogar says, adding the rejection would weaken Slovenia's position in internationally and in the EU.
He adds, however, that the government will not become too involved in the campaign, as it is primarily led by political parties, but the government will say why it thinks the border arbitration agreement is good.
