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This summary is provided by the STA:
Slovenia to receive nearly EUR 286m less in EU recovery grants
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will receive EUR 1.49 billion in grants from the EU post-Covid recovery mechanism, which is almost EUR 286 million less than the initial allocation, show recalculations by the European Commission. The lower amount is a result of more favourable economic trends in 2020 and 2021 than originally estimated. Due to a lower grant allocation, the country will now have to make up the gap with loans. Even before the latest developments, the new government coalition said it will strive to make use of the entire spectrum of possible funds through changes to the national recovery plan, and it has until the end of August 2023 to do this. Prime Minister Robert Golob said the previous government was responsible for that because it had signed an agreement which contained provisions to this effect.
Slovenia's annual inflation accelerates to 10.4% in June
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate accelerated to 10.4% in June, up 2.3 percentage points from May, driven by rising prices of petroleum products, food and electricity, the Statistics Office said. The monthly rate stood at 2.7%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points on the back of higher prices of electricity, vacation packages and food. The annual inflation in June is the highest since 10.7% were recorded in July 1996. The last time annual inflation exceeded 10% was in September 1997. Prime Minister Robert Golob announced new measures to fight the cost of living crisis, some of which could be taken at tomorrow's government session.
Slovenia warns NATO not to ignore Western Balkans
MADRID - Prime Minister Robert Golob warned NATO not to overlook the Western Balkans as it strengthens its presence on its eastern flank as part of a new deterrence and defence posture. It is important "not to overlook our soft underbelly, the Balkans," he said, noting that this is a region where Slovenia is present and for which it is trained. In the framework deterrence and defence, Slovenia is thus willing to "act primarily where it can contribute the most", he told the press after the NATO summit in Madrid.
Slovenia keen on Croatia entering Schengen zone, but dilemmas remain
MADRID, Spain - Slovenia wants Croatia to enter the Schengen zone as soon as possible, but numerous dilemmas must be resolved since the Schengen zone does not currently work, Prime Minister Robert Golob said. "Our position is quite clear. Schengen does not work today, this is its main problem. After all, we feel this ourselves on the border with Austria." "Schengen formally exists but it is not implemented," he said about Austria's ongoing police checks on the border with Slovenia.
C-bank governor says high inflation demands swift response
LJUBLJANA - The current inflation trends demand a resolute response of monetary, income and fiscal policies, central bank Governor Boštjan Vasle said. Inflation has been driven by the lingering consequences of the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, said Vasle, adding that historically speaking such circumstances are rare. In terms of monetary policy, he believes it is sensible to continue the existing path toward normalcy, both via completion of the purchases of securities and gradual increase in interest rates which is already in the works at the EU level.
Parliament launches inquiry into financing of "party propaganda in media"
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly launched a parliamentary inquiry into suspicions of illegal financing of "party political propaganda in the media with funds of state-owned companies, state institutions or foreign institutions or entities" targeting media owned by or linked with the SDS. The inquiry, requested by the coalition and covering the period from 13 March 2020 to the present, will investigate the suspicion of illegal financing of campaigns of political parties for the 24 April general election.
Slovenia's general government deficit down to 3.1% of GDP in Q1
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded a general government deficit of EUR 405 million or 3.1% of GDP in the first quarter, less than half the deficit from the first quarter of last year, the latest Statistics Office figures show. General government revenue rose by 8.3% to EUR 5.65 billion on the back of an 11.7% increase of tax revenue and social security contributions that rose by 4.7%. Overall expenditure meanwhile amounted to EUR 6.05 billion, down 1.3% year-on-year. Consolidated gross debt stood at EUR 40.22 billion or 75.1% of GDP, up by EUR 1.37 billion over the end of 2021 due to fresh government borrowing.
Fajon and Šarec talk NATO's southern neighbourhood and W Balkans
MADRID, Spain - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended on Wednesday a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO's southern neighbourhood held on the sidelines of the alliance's summit in Madrid. She stressed the importance of cooperation with partners in the region, especially in light of the changed geopolitical situation, her ministry said. Defence Minister Marjan Šarec meanwhile discussed the Western Balkans with his counterparts, stressing the importance of a Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region, reads a tweet by his ministry.
NIJZ director resigns, acting director appointed
LJUBLJANA - Milan Krek, the director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) handed in his resignation citing "unbearable political pressure" by the new government. The decision comes after Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan made it clear he did not trust Krek with leading the top institution for pandemic measures after a two-year stint during which Krek has often been the target of criticism due to misguided messaging, fear-mongering and deference to government wishes. The council of the NIJZ appointed Branko Gabrovec, who has been with the NIJZ since 2014, acting director.
Minister, two EU commissioners back EU measures for Ukrainian students
LJUBLJANA - Together with two European commissioners, Margaritis Schinas and Mariya Gabriel, Education Minister Igor Papič expressed support for EU measures dedicated to helping Ukrainians students, the Education Ministry said. The three officials showed their support in a letter noting that joint efforts by the European Commission and EU member states have the same goal of ensuring education for all students, whether in the EU or in Ukraine.
Foreign direct investment in Slovenia up by 10% last year
LJUBLJANA - Foreign direct investment in Slovenia totalled EUR 18.4 billion last year, a EUR 1.7 billion or 10.4% increase year-on-year, the central bank said. Almost a quarter of all foreign direct investment came from Austria, followed by Luxembourg and Switzerland. Last year EUR 1.1 billion in profits was paid out to foreign investors, a more than 50% increase compared to 2020. Meanwhile, Slovenia's direct investment abroad totalled EUR 7.8 billion last year, up 11.8% on 2020. Companies abroad paid out EUR 175 million in profits to Slovenian owners in 2021, almost double the amount in 2020.
Survey unemployment rate inches down to 3.9% in May
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's ILO-compatible survey unemployment rate was at 3.9% in May, down by 0.1 percentage point on April and 0.6 percentage point year-on-year, the Statistics Office said. Their estimate shows there were some 40,000 unemployed people in Slovenia last month. The survey unemployment rate stood at 3.7% for men and 4.2% for women. Slovenia's registered unemployment figures are higher with the jobless total dropping to some 55,850 in May in what was the lowest figure since 1990.
Nearly 1,000 Covid cases confirmed on Wednesday
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 996 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, up by almost 30% on the week before, as hospital numbers rose slightly following more than two weeks of rapid case growth. The 14-day case notification rate stood at 414, up by 25 over yesterday.
Photo exhibition by Uli Weber opens at Ljubljana Castle
LJUBLJANA - An exhibition by world-renowned photographer Uli Weber will open at Ljubljana Castle this evening showcasing photographies of horses, celebrities and cars under the title Moments. His work has been featured in some of the most prominent museums worldwide and he is best known for his celebrity portraits. The exhibition will be on display until 4 September.
