Šarec's support for new N-reactor causes upset in Austria
GRAZ/KLAGENFURT, Austria - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's support for the construction of a second nuclear reactor in Slovenia caused upset in Austria. Michael Schickhofer, deputy governor of the federal state of Styria, urged the federal government to intervene to prevent plans for a new reactor replacing the exiting one at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant beyond 2043 to go ahead. Meanwhile, Gernot Darmann, the leader of the Carinthia Freedom Party (FPÖ), announced "massive opposition" to the project. The Slovenian Infrastructure Ministry said that no decision on a potential new reactor has been taken yet.
Totalitarian regimes start with intolerance, president warns
LENDAVA - All totalitarian regimes started with small displays of intolerance and to defend a minority is to defend peaceful coexistence, President Borut Pahor said on the eve of European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian Regimes at a ceremony in Lendava. Nobody should forget bitter history lessons, said the president, warning that everyone belongs to a minority so intolerance to one could affect anyone.
Higher court upholds compensation for wiped-out investors
CELJE - Media reported that the Celje Higher Court had upheld a ruling under which Abanka has to fully refund two clients whose subordinated bonds were wiped out in the December 2013 bailout, interest included. The decision makes the Celje District Court's ruling from June 2018 final, so it must be implemented even if Abanka appeals at the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs are two well-known Celje lawyers who claimed the bank failed to properly inform them about the risks involving the bonds.
Slovenia and Turkey agree further cooperation in agriculture
HOČE/PTUJ - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec and her visiting Turkish counterpart Bekir Pakdemirli attended on Thursday the signing of a document laying down the guidelines for future cooperation as part of the Slovenia-Turkey Management Committee for Agriculture and Forestry. Pivec and Pakdemirli also agreed to have an action plan drawn up that will define concrete cooperation. The pair also attended a ministerial conference in Ptuj today featuring farm ministers from EU and candidate countries discussing the transfer of knowledge in agriculture into practice.
New environmental issue on horizon
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Chamber of Public Utilities said that the Hungarian government had decided to ban imports of sewage sludge, a move that could spell serious trouble for Slovenia, which exports around 70,000 tonnes of sludge from its municipal wastewater treatment plants to Hungary a year. From September onwards, Slovenia could be left with 120 to 140 tonnes of sludge a day, while an alternative solution would have to be found by the end of the year, as all existing permits will expire by then.
Koper port among best connected in the world
KOPER - The Koper port placed 80th on this year's list of 900 best connected container ports in the world, published by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The port ranks the highest among all Adriatic Sea container ports since the first such ranking in 2006. The first place went to the Shanghai port, while Antwerp was the highest placed port in Europe, having placed 6th in the world. Koper has a 40% share of all container transport in the north Adriatic and the biggest terminal in the region.
Trojanow criticises EU for protecting only own interests
PTUJ - Award-winning author Ilija Trojanow, a special guest of this year's Days of Poetry and Wine, read out his Open Letter to Europe at the opening of the festival on Wednesday, likening the EU to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Europe is involved in atrocities, such as against migrants, but avoids guilt because it is also trying to be democratic, he says. He told the STA that European democracy was in great crisis. Not because of right-wing populists, like many believe, but because most people are too impassive.
Begunje resounding with Avsenik music
BEGUNJE NA GORENJSKEM - Begunje na Gorenjskem, the home town of the legendary Avsenik brothers, is hosting the fifth annual festival of polka music centred around their heritage until Sunday. More than 4,000 visitors, mostly from German-speaking European countries, are expected at the festival, which will hear more than 150 pop folk songs created by the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble, set up by Slavko Avsenik (1929-2015) and Vilko Ovsenik (1928-2017).
Maribor closer to Europa League after draw with Ludogorets
RAZGRAD, Bulgaria - After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Slovenian football champions Maribor are well on track of making it to the second-tier Europa League. They squeezed out a 0:0 draw with Ludogorets Razgrad in Bulgaria in the first leg of the last qualifying round on Thursday evening. They believe their fans will be able to celebrate their entry into the Europa League next week at home.
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