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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 and Đukanović talk W Balkans, Montenegro's EU prospects
PODGORICA, Montenegro - President Borut Pahor met his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Đukanović as he started his official visit to the country. They talked about the situation in the Western Balkans and exchanged views on the progress of Montenegro's talks to join the European Union, the president's office said in a press release. He also met Speaker Ivan Brajović and Prime Minister Duško Marković.
Govt formally aborts Mura power project
LJUBLJANA - The government formally aborted plans to build hydro power stations on the river Mura in the north-east. The decision, expectedly inviting mixed responses, was taken after the former environment minister announced in January the project was not viable due to environmental concerns. The Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry said it examined three proposed options for the new facility, finding them all environmentally inappropriate. The local environmental initiative welcomed the decision, while the power utility Dravske Elektrarne Maribor (DEM), which was planning to build the facility regretted it.
Erjavec feels exonerated in arbitration scandal, calls Tonin notorious liar
LJUBLJANA - Former Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec suggested that interviews conducted by the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission had confirmed he had been in no way involved in the border arbitration incident with Croatia. He called that commission's chair Matej Tonin a "notorious liar" who is abusing his position and hurting Slovenia by saying that the testimonies by two former directors of Slovenian intelligence agency SOVA and that of arbitration agent Simona Drenik did not add up. Drenik assessed that the revisiting of the arbitration wiretap scandal was politically motivated.
Police union clashes with minister in Schengen border debate
LJUBLJANA - The emergency session of the parliamentary Home Policy Committee called to discuss policing the Schengen border saw a bitter exchange between a police trade union, jointed by the opposition Democrats (SDS), and Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar, who likened the union to para-police. The committee chair Zvonko Černač, a deputy for the SDS who initiated the debate, argued that the government was not doing enough to tackle the crisis on the south border. He argued that asylum legislation was being abused with illegal migrants coming from safe countries such as Pakistan, Algeria or Morocco, while police officers were getting burnt out.
State tourism firm taking shape
LJUBLJANA - The government took a key step towards the creation of a state-owned tourism holding by confirming an investment document facilitating the transfer of several tourism companies onto a special company. The confirmed investment document allows the Bank Assets Management Company to incorporate a special purpose vehicle onto which shares of Istrabenz Turizem, owner of six coastal hotels, will be transferred. This company will form the basis of the State Hospitality Fund, which is "key to the continued consolidation of Slovenian tourism," the government said.
Former PM aide new Environment Agency head
LJUBLJANA - Lilijana Kozlovič, who used to be secretary general of the Miro Cerar government, was named acting director general of the Environment Agency. The interim appointment is for a maximum period of six months or until a fully-fledged director general is appointed. The agency is a large government department with significant power in vetting major infrastructure and energy projects.
Survey unemployment rate at 4.8% in first quarter of 2019
LJUBLJANA - According to the Statistics Office workforce survey, unemployment was at 4.8% in the first quarter of the year, which was half a percentage point higher than in the last quarter of 2018 and 1.1 percentage point lower than in the first three months last year. The survey shows that there were some 50,000 unemployed people in the first quarter of 2019, an 18.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2018.
Managers' Association celebrated 30th anniversary
LJUBLJANA - Marking its 30th anniversary on Wednesday, the Slovenian Managers' Association said that the role of management had changed and become more employee-focused and committed itself to promoting responsible leadership. "In the knowledge economy, the power lies with those who have knowledge for development," said the director of the largest Slovenian association of managers Saša Mrak. The inaugural meeting of the association on 18 May 1989 was attended by some 250 people, while today the association has 1,200 members.
