Today, 22 January 2025, the Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina was in the Municipality of Kidričevo on business and opened Ombudsman's Corners in the municipalities of Kidričevo, Poljčane, Makole, and Majšperk. In total, he has now opened 113 corners. The Ombudsman and his colleagues talked to nine people who contacted them because they believed that their rights had been violated by local community authorities, state authorities, or holders of public authority. He also spoke with the mayors in all the municipalities about the realisation of the human rights of citizens and the options they have if they turn to the Ombudsman with their problems.

With the Mayor of Poljčane, Dr Petra Vrhovnik, he touched on, among other matters, the concern for a clean environment and the issue of safe routes for schoolchildren. They agreed that excluding local communities from deciding on their development future is not expedient and may mean a violation of people's rights. They also talked about the accessibility of facilities for the disabled, which, according to the Ombudsman, can be problematic not only in terms of access to services, but can also be an obstacle in the recruitment of disabled people to certain jobs or functions in institutions and bodies. They agreed that accessibility processes should be accelerated and that modern technological solutions should also be relied upon when implementing accessibility.

The mayor of Poljčane, as well as the mayors of Makole, Majšperk, and Kidričevo, Franc Majcen, Sašo Kodrič, and Anton Leskovar, as well as Ombudsman Svetina, are experiencing poor responsiveness from state authorities and lengthy decision-making. At the same time, the Ombudsman informed the interlocutors about the violation of the principle of good governance according to the Human Rights Ombudsman Act as one of the most numerous violations of people's rights in Slovenia. He regretted that the situation is not changing and emphasised the importance of personal responsibility of all public administration employees who are at the service of citizens. The mayors agreed that greater efficiency in the management of work processes at all levels is also necessary.

At the four new and 109 already established Ombudsman's Corners, residents can find information in printed form, as well as in easy-to-read format, about the responsibilities and work of the Ombudsman institution, and can contact the Ombudsman with a pre-printed complaint form if their rights are violated by state authorities, local community authorities, or holders of public authority.