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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
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This summary is provided by the STA:
Pahor, Steinmeier say peace in Europe must not be taken for granted
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier repeated their call to EU citizens, especially the youth, to turn out for the upcoming election as they addressed the press after a meeting. The pair discussed the challenges faced by the EU, from Brexit to migration, with Pahor saying that the EU's successful solving of these issues would be the basis of a more successful EU after the election. They warned against taking the EU for granted. Steinmeier believes that now, in the light of the upcoming EU election, it is time to review the situation the bloc is in at the moment. He said that he and Pahor had agreed that a debate or even a dispute was a part of political discourse aimed at setting the course for the future.
Abduction suspects remain in detention, minister says border situation under control
LJUBLJANA - The investigating magistrate in the case of the abduction of a man by illegal immigrants has ordered that all three suspects arrested on Wednesday remain in detention. A 25-year-old Morocco citizen and two 18-year-olds from Algeria are accused of abduction, theft and car robbery, prosecutor Srečko Hočevar told the media. Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar meanwhile said the police were in control of the situation on the border with Croatia and that "there is presently no need for protest rallies".
SDS accuses Erjavec of abusing spy agency, lying
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) submitted a motion to oust Defence Minister Karl Erjavec, alleging he abused the army intelligence service, unlawfully dismissed the army force commander, lied and misled the public. The motion was presented by MP Žan Mahnič, the deputy chair of the Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services, which last month established that Erjavec had abused the intelligence service to spy on Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc before sacking him. Just as Mahnič was presenting the motion, the office of PM Marjan Šarec said the explanations provided by Erjavec in response to the allegation of abuse by the parliamentary commission were satisfactory.
Puigdemont tells Ljubljana audience his aim is strengthening Catalan democracy
LJUBLJANA - Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who was invited to Slovenia by former Slovenian President Milan Kučan and MEP Ivo Vajgl (Alde/DeSUS), said in Ljubljanathat the aim of the Catalan independence movement was to strengthen democracy at the Catalan and EU level. Puigdemont and two former Catalan councillors have chosen Ljubljana as one of the first destinations for their EU election campaign since according to them Slovenia is Catalonia's friend and serves as an inspiration, demonstrating that small countries and democratic values can thrive in Europe.
National postal operator acquires 72% of logistics company Intereuropa
LJUBLJANA - The state-owned postal operatorPošta Slovenije has acquired just over 72% of logistics company Intereuropa from a consortium of six Slovenian banks pending clearance from anti-trust authorities. The news, revealed by Intereuropa, caps months of negotiations after Pošta Slovenije and British logistics company Xpediator, submitted binding bids in a call for expression of interest that was published in June 2018. The value of the deal has not been disclosed, but the business daily Finance has reported the transaction being in the EUR 100 million range together with debt. On the Ljubljana Stock Exchange the 72% stake was worth roughly EUR 30 million today.
Army intel service alleges MP divulged classified info
LJUBLJANA - Žan Mahnič, the deputy of the opposition Democrats (SDS) deputy who has accused Defence Minister Karl Erjavec of abuse of the military intelligence service appears to have been charged with divulging classified information. The Defence Ministry said its intelligence arm, the OVS, had notified the police of a potential criminal act committed by Mahnič. According to unofficial information obtained by the STA, the charge refers to disclosure of classified information. The move comes after Mahnič, the deputy chair of the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services, on 26 April accused Erjavec of having abused the OVS. Mahnič said he had not revealed classified information, wondering why the OVS did not file a criminal complaint.
Committee rejects SDS proposal on alleged cases of judiciary abuse
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee rejected the proposal of the opposition Democrats (SDS) to have the National Assembly ask relevant bodies to analyse what the SDS labelled "publicly known cases" of abuse and pressure in the judiciary. The committee's coalition members said the proposal interfered in an open case, referring to the debate about Ljubljana District Court judge Zvjezdan Radonjić indicating he had been pressured to convict Milko Novič for the December 2013 murder of the Chemistry Institute boss. The rejection of the SDS's proposal by the committee means the National Assembly will not take a vote on it at Monday's plenary, but it will still discuss it.
SDS submits bill to compensate minor bailed-in holders
LJUBLJANA - An MP for the opposition Democratic Party (SDS), Jože Tanko, tabled a bill to pay compensation to junior share- and bond-holders who were wiped out in the 2013 bank bailout. "The goal of the bill is to repay the damages suffered by non-qualified investors," reads the proposal. The damages for the wiped out shareholders of NLB and NKBM banks would be calculated by multiplying the number of shares they owned on 17 December 2013 with the book value of the bank's share as of 31 December 2012. The damages per shareholder would be capped at EUR 10,000.
Slovenia's exports up 8.7%, imports 8.5% in Q1 year-on-year
LJUBLJANA - After a slowdown at the end of 2018, trade picked up again in the first quarter of the year. Year-on-year, Slovenia's exports in the period grew by 8.7% to nearly EUR 8.2 billion, while imports were up 8.5% to just over EUR 8 billion. Trade surplus was at EUR 169 million, the Statistics Office reported. In March, exports reached EUR 2.86 billion, up 2.9% year-on-year. The figure was also higher than the EUR 2.65 billion generated in February. Imports amounted to EUR 2.83 billion, up 6.2% from March 2018, as well as from the month before (EUR 2.58 billion).
Pivec presents World Bee Day project in Serbia
BELGRADE, Serbia - Agriculture Minister Pivec presented the World Bee Day project during as part of her visit to Belgrade. She expressed her gratitude to Serbia for being one of the first countries that have supported the Slovenian initiative. Pivec met with her Serbian counterpart Branislav Nedimović on the first day of her visit and highlighted the successful long-term cooperation between the two ministries during the meeting, her ministry said.
New lorry entrance accommodates Koper port's growth
KOPER - A second lorry entrance to the Koper port was inaugurated in an investment valued at EUR 5 million, expected to alleviate congestion at the current single entrance and in the city. Around 1,000 lorries enter the port every day, 40% of which will gradually be diverted to the new Sermin entrance. The number of lorries increased by 40% in the past decade to 325,000 last year. Addressing the ceremony, port operator Luka Koper chairman Dimitrij Zadel labelled the investment as a new step in the port's development, announcing a new lorry terminal within two years.
