Although statistical data are not the only indicator, the 21% increase in handled cases cannot be overlooked, the Nussdorfer stressed, presenting the report on the work in 2012 when the office was still led by her predecessor Zdenka Čebašek Travnik.

Moreover, the increasing trend in number of initiatives continues this year due to the crisis and different other reasons, and the number of calls and reports reached last year's level already in September, the ombudsman said.

In 2012, the three biggest fields with human rights issues in Slovenia were social security, judicial and police procedures, and respect of constitutional rights.

The welfare state is being eroded and social security is declining, she explained, noting that existing control mechanisms were inefficient and listing among the reasons for the situation past political mistakes, insatiable greed, corruption and unacceptable and often unpunished theft of public property.

Nussdorfer further pointed out that the rule of law was at a test, with the right to legal remedy often being violated, with long appeal procedures and with court procedures that are still too long despite notable progress.

In the area of constitutional rights, she meanwhile underlined the issue of hate speech and warning concerning issues that have been the same for years, like the rights of the Roma, court backlogs, overcrowded prisons and unfinished denationalisation procedures.

Agreeing that the increasing number of cases handled by the ombudsman's office was problematic, deputies focused in their debate on their blame game in the social issue.

Addressing different issues, the debate also stopped on ethics of public speaking and hate speech, where deputies themselves stressed that the National Assembly was often a bad example.