On Friday, the Slovenian Parliament initiated official proceedings to introduce the right to use cash into the country's Constitution.<\/p>\n
The decision was supported by 61 MPs, i.e. the necessary two-thirds majority, based on an initiative submitted in 2023 by more than 56,000 citizens, according to the Slovenian news agency STA.<\/p>\n
MPs also supported the proposed draft amendment to the Constitution drawn up by the Constitutional Commission and a group of experts.<\/p>\n
The text, according to the draft, reads: \u2018In Slovenia, the use of cash as a means of payment is guaranteed by law. Everyone has the right to use cash in legal transactions. The right to conduct cash transactions is also guaranteed by law in banks.\u2019<\/p>\n
Digital currencies<\/p>\n
The new law independently stipulates the possible future introduction of digital currencies.<\/p>\n
According to the plan, during the procedure that began on Friday, the Constitutional Commission will refine the text to be introduced into the Constitution, and Parliament will seek the opinion of the European Central Bank (ECB), as it did last year when considering the initiative.<\/p>\n
The government warned that the amendment, as well as any subsequent legal regulation on this issue, must be consistent with European Union legislation in order to eliminate the risk of legal proceedings against Slovenia.<\/p>\n