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This summary is provided by the STA:
MPs vote down motion to oust Erjavec
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted down a motion to oust Defence Minister Karl Erjavec in a xy to xy vote. In the marathon session the opposition accused him of abusing the military intelligence service for an unlawful dismissal of the force commander, but the coalition rallied behind him. Erjavec has insisted all that he had not abused the intelligence service and even said during the session today that "If I do make a mistake, I will resign myself." Another alleged transgression of Erjavec is lying about late-night shooting at Poček training grounds, which Erjavec denied.
Critical of talks, Šarec says top EU posts still open
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Marjan Šarec criticised the summit talks on top posts in the EU as poorly organised. With the leaders having failed to reach a deal, he said that everything was still possible. "We'll see how the process unfolds in the coming days," he said when quizzed whether Manfred Weber, Frans Timmermans and Margrethe Vestager were still in the game. Šarec, who feels the talks should be conducted "via one channel, not multiple channels", said all the key players now needed to take a step towards compromise.
Erjavec says US-Iran clash would have global consequences
LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec said that a potential clash between the US and Iran would have consequences for the whole world, including Slovenia. "And this is not only about the price of oil - we saw what happened when we had the war in Syria, we know we faced a refugee wave. I don't want things to escalate there," Erjavec commented on the situation in the Gulf on the sidelines of a parliamentary session at which he faces an ouster motion.
New tax reform blueprint unveiled
LJUBLJANA - Four months after outlining its tax reform ideas, the government has now presented a consolidated blueprint for tax changes that follows the original philosophy of reducing taxes on labour and increasing the taxation of capital. However, the taxation of capital will not increase by as much as originally planned. In general, the changes are designed to increase take-home pay, which will be achieved with a higher general tax credit that all taxpayers are entitled to, by EUR 200 to EUR 3,500. Capital gains will be taxed at 27.5%, up from the current rate of 25%. The original proposal was to raise the rate by a full five points to 30%. Corporate income tax is planned to go up by a point to 20%, a significant change from the 22% originally proposed
Home price growth continues
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian home prices grew at an average rate of 0.8% in the first quarter of the year and were up 8.9% on the year before, a sign that rapid price growth is slowing but at a very sluggish pace, show Statistics Office data. The rates are lower than in previous quarters, when annual prices grew at double-digit rates, as the shortage of housing that has lasted for years after the crisis slowly eases with the arrival of new developments on the market.
Počivalšek and Croatian counterpart discuss ways to deepen cooperation
MOKRICE - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and his Croatian counterpart Darko Horvat met at Mokrice Castle in eastern Slovenia, near the border with Croatia, to discuss economic cooperation, investment opportunities, strategies and the labour market situation. The meeting was hosted by the Slovenian-Croatian business club and the local Krško chamber of trade crafts and small businesses to mark the upcoming Statehood Days of both countries.
Bertoncelj attends debt management forum in Tokyo, meets counterpart
TOKYO, Japan - Attending a forum on public debt management in Tokyo, Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj met his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso and delivered the keynote address at the forum, the Finance Ministry said. Bertoncelj and Aso met on Thursday to exchange views on their countries' fiscal and monetary policies as well as global developments. Bertoncelj, who is visiting at the invitation of the IMF, also met representatives of some of the biggest banking groups in Japan, among them Daiwa and Miziuho.
Business sentiment deteriorates
LJUBLJANA - The sentiment among Slovenian businesses deteriorated in June, dropping by 2.3 percentage points on the month before to its lowest level since mid-2016, the Statistics Office said. Manufacturing in particular saw a strong decline, with the indicator dropping 2.5 percentage points. In retail it was down marginally, while remaining almost flat in services and among consumers. At the annual level the decline was even more pronounced, as the headline indicator dropped 8 percentage points.
Contentious proposal questioning Slovenian dialects in Italy shelved
TRIESTE, Italy - A proposal that would have reduced funding for Slovenian minority organisations and undermined the status of Slovenian dialects in Italy was withdrawn in the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional council following protest by the minority. Member of the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional council Pierpaolo Roberti of Liga gave up on a proposal to expand the list of organisations eligible for minority grants to include groups that claim the region's local dialects are not Slovenian.
Forum of Slavic Cultures marks 15th anniversary
LJUBLJANA - The Forum of Slavic Cultures, a Slovenia-based international institution promoting ties among Slavic nations and cultures, has marked its 15th anniversary. The jubilee was celebrated in Ljubljana on Thursday as its management board, consisting of culture ministers from member states, met for a ceremonial session. The event was held under the auspices of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, while Russian President Vladimir Putin sent in a letter of congratulations, saying that "in a decade and a half, the Forum of Slavic Cultures has fully justified its existence".
Left leader does not regret calling far-right politician fascist
LJUBLJANA - Luka Mesec, the leader of the Left, expressed no remorse in court as he pleaded not guilty to defamation charges brought by Bernard Brščič, leader of the far-right Homeland League. "Describing Brščič as a fascist was not defamatory, it was a political description of his actions," Mesec said. The MP said during a debate in parliament in November that Brščič "used to be a radical neoliberal" but was now "a fascist". The case will be closely watched as Slovenia, much like other countries, grapples with trying to balance the right to free speech with the desire to curb rampant hate speech online.
Photon Gallery hosts exhibition of photo collage
LJUBLJANA - To honour the famous German art school Bauhaus upon its centenary, the Photon Gallery will launch tonight an international group exhibition of photo collage. A New Vision of Debris will explore the role of photo collage in a time when every-day reality is saturated with fragments of images and immersive digital technologies. The show, running until 19 July, will feature Alexandra Baumgartner, Caroline Heider, Herbert Hofer, Marko Lipuš, Lilly Lulay, Iosif Kiraly, Kensuke Koike, Zuzana Pustaiova, Anita Witek and Metka Zupanič.
Ulissi wins Tour of Slovenia stage 3
IDRIJA - Italian Diego Ulissi (UAE Emirates) won the third stage of Tour of Slovenia, also taking the overall lead two stages before the end of the race. Ullissi crossed the finish line after the 170 kilometres from Žalec to Idrija 12 seconds before Russian Aleksandr Vlasov (Gazprom). Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) was the best Slovenian, taking fifth place today and sixth overall.
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