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This summary is provided by the STA:
Slovenia's EU commissioner-designate given crisis management portfolio
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Janez Lenarčič, the Slovenian EU commissioner-designate, was assigned the portfolio of crisis management in the next European Commission, as President-elect Ursula von der Leyen announced the distribution of posts. The job assigned to Lenarčič would correspond to the portfolio of humanitarian aid and crisis management in the outgoing commission. Crisis management is a significant but demanding field of the EU's work, involving the saving of lives and helping people in need, Lenarčič, so far Slovenia's ambassador to the EU, said in his first reaction. First political reactions indicate the majority perceive the portfolio as lightweight.
Russia expects Slovenia to help Agrokor restructuring
MOSCOW, Russia - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suggested Slovenia should help in the restructuring of Croatian conglomerate Agrokor and its Slovenian subsidiary, the retailer Mercator. "It would be good if we agree how to proceed," Medvedev said at the outset of talks with Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. In a brief statement, Medvedev lauded the fact that Šarec had arrived with a business delegation and emphasised that bilateral economic relations were good, with many joint projects under way. However, he said the relations were strained by the Agrokor situation. He said he had talked to Croatian leadership but indicated he was not satisfied with the results, and stressed that the Russian owners of Agrokor, were providing for the stability of Agrokor's operations.
Bill on recourse over bank bail-in passes second reading
LJUBLJANA - A government-sponsored bill designed to provide legal recourse for holders of subordinated bank liabilities who were wiped out in the 2013 bank bailout was endorsed on second reading at the National Assembly, albeit with many amendments and the prospect of additional changes at the plenary. The Finance Committee completed the second reading after a two-month recess, having in June started the session dedicated to the belated bill, which should have been adopted by May 2017 under a Constitutional Court decision that held that subordinated creditors and shareholders did not have sufficient access to recourse under existing legislation.
Slovenia's employment prospects among strongest in the region
LJUBLJANA - The employment prospects in Slovenia in the final quarter of the year remain favourable, according to the latest employment forecast by temping agency Manpower. Seasonally-adjusted net employment forecast stands at 17%, which is one of the most optimistic forecasts in the region. The employment prospect for the final quarter is two percentage points lower in quarterly comparison and remains level year-on-year. The upbeat hiring prospects are a result of the strongest demand for labour in mining and quarrying, and the public sector and social services since the survey started nine years ago. They stand at +20% and +19%, respectively.
Industrial output rises again
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial production rose again in July after it fell by over 1.5% in June. It increased by 5.1% year on year and by 2.7% over June, the Statistics Office said. The more robust industrial output was a result of strong performance in manufacturing, which grew by 3.5% in July over June. Meanwhile, the sectors of mining and of electricity, gas and steam supply dropped by 10.3% and 4% at the monthly level, respectively. Industrial revenue grew as well, rising by 3% on the previous month and by 2.7% over July 2018.
Slovenia still below OECD average in spending on education
LJUBLJANA - Education at a Glance 2019, a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), shows that Slovenia earmarked in 2016 the same share of its gross domestic product (GDP) for education as in the year before, 4.3%, which is below the OECD average. According to the report, which contains data for between 2005 and 2016, Slovenia is near the top when it comes to the share of persons aged between 25 and 34 who are included in education. A majority of Slovenian secondary school graduates enter university, but 12% of them drop out after the first year, which is a higher share than on average in the OECD. An additional 12% of university students drop out at a later stage.
Celje trade fair presenting 1,500 exhibitors
CELJE - The 52nd International Trade Fair (MOS) opened, hosting more than 1,500 exhibitors from over 30 countries and almost all continents until Sunday. The partner country this year is Montenegro. The main fields presented are home construction, camping and caravanning, tourism and food, equipment and material for crafts and industry, business services and consumer goods.
Slovenia still above EU suicide rate despite fewer cases
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is marking today's World Suicide Prevention Day under the slogan Preventing Suicide Together for the second consecutive year. The country recorded a drop in the number of deaths by suicide in the past few years. However, its suicide rate is still above the EU average. The campaign raises awareness about the importance of early prevention and support. According to data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Slovenia's suicide rate has decreased by as much as 30%, with the downward trend being present in all age groups.
Artist Tanja Pak presented at the Venice Glass Week Hub
VENICE, Italy - Slovenian designer and artist Tanja Pak is presenting her latest works at the main exhibition of the Venice Glass Week Hub until Sunday. Her installation dubbed Between focuses on the search for intimacy and explores the sensitivity of relationships. Pak was invited to take part in the Glass Week, featuring 107 international exhibitions and more than 100 accompanying events in Venice and the Murano island, by curator Rosa Barovier Mentasti.
Slovenia beat Israel for third Euro qualifier win in a row
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian national football team scored a third win in a row in the qualifiers for the 2020 Euro by defeating Israel at home on Monday 3:2 to advance to second place in Group G behind the leading Poland. After beating Latvia on the road in June and defeating Poland in Stožice Stadium on Friday 2:0, Slovenia followed it up with a come-from-behind win against Israel to leapfrog Austria in the standings. Slovenia will have a one-month break before the qualifiers continue on 10 October against North Macedonia and against Austria on 13 October.
Maribor Festival wiping out boundaries, overcoming divisions
MARIBOR - The Maribor Festival of classical music, featuring eight concert nights until 19 September, kicked off with a performance by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra led by German-French cellist and conductor Nicolas Altstaedt. According to the organisers, the Narodni Dom Maribor arts centre, the festival in Slovenia's second largest city will be about wiping out boundaries, getting out of the box, overcoming divisions and bringing together the virtually incompatible.
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