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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
This summary is provided by the STA:
Slovenia's GDP forecast for 2019 downgraded from 3.4% to 2.8%
LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development has downgraded Slovenia's GDP growth for 2019 and 2020 by 0.6 points to 2.8% and by 0.1 points to 3%, respectively, compared to its spring forecast. Since the 2019 supplementary budget was based on the spring forecast, Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj already announced some austerity measures. "I have called on the ministers to save money and abolish non-essential measures," said Bertoncelj. He will also reduce the amount of the planned expenditure in the 2020 budget by EUR 100 million to EUR 10.35 billion.
NATO's top military officer starts visit to Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, started an official visit to Slovenia, commending the country and its armed forces on their 15 years of contribution in support of the alliance's values and mission. He was formally received by the chief of the general staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), Major General Alenka Ermenc, after which he delivered a lecture to senior SAF staff. He was also received by President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. On Friday and Saturday, the British air chief marshal will chair a conference of the NATO Military Committee hosted by Slovenia.
NSi shadow cabinet bets on digitalisation
LJUBLJANA - The shadow cabinet formed by the conservative New Slovenia (NSi) released a document termed A Year of Missed Opportunities criticising the government record in its first year in office, and calling for a new national consensus centred around digitalisation. Party and shadow cabinet leader Matej Tonin argues Slovenia needs a new national consensus to make a breakthrough after the country gained independence and joined the EU and NATO. The party will discuss its new agenda as it seeks to move towards the centre of the political spectrum at Saturday's conference #smartSlovenia - Partnership for Breakthrough.
Slovenia remains 67th in economic freedom rankings
LJUBLJANA - Despite slightly improving its economic freedom, Slovenia has remained 67th among 162 countries in the latest Economic Freedom of the World report, compiled by the Canadian libertarian Fraser Institute. "We have taken a few steps forward and a few steps back. The positive change relates to the shrinking of the scope of para(state) mainly through decreasing state ownership in companies," said the head of the Ljubljana-based Visio Institute, Tanja Porčnik. The report again placed Hong Kong at the top of the rankings, at 8.91 points, followed by Singapore, New Zealand, and Switzerland as the best ranked European country.
Speaker Židan receives senior Chinese official
LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan received Yang Chuantang, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, for talks that focused on bilateral parliamentary cooperation. The officials highlighted good bilateral relations that have grown stronger in recent years with the increased frequency of visits, the National Assembly said in a press release. Acknowledging that cooperation has been particularly intense in agriculture, Židan and Yang said ties could be deepened in other fields as well, in particular in education and culture.
Prosecution appealing to top court over Kangler inquiry
LJUBLJANA - The Supreme State Prosecution is reported by the newspaper Dnevnik to have asked the Constitutional Court to examine whether the parliamentary inquiry into prosecution of former Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler may be in breach of the constitutional provision of division of power. The prosecution argues it is unacceptable for the legislative branch of power to interfere in the judiciary. The lower chamber of parliament launched the inquiry in July upon request of the upper chamber, a member of which Kangler is now. The National Council would like the matter to be examined since Kangler has been acquitted in most of the many cases brought against him. The Judicial Council also announced its plan to petition the court to examine the matter.
Govt tables draft climate policy bill
LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning unveiled a draft climate policy bill whose principal aim is to make Slovenia carbon neutral by 2050. The legislation provides a framework for climate policy action, with more specific actions to be defined in the climate strategy and operational documents. Overall, the bill pursues the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement, which Slovenia has ratified and which will enter into effect in 2021. The unveiling of the bill marks the start of a one-month period of public consultation.
Cohesion minister relieved after IT system fixed
LJUBLJANA - Minister of Development and Cohesion Policy Iztok Purič was relieved as he talked to the press nearly a week after the IT system used by Slovenia to distribute EU cohesion funds was deemed adequate following more than a year of serious problems. Purič believes Slovenia will be able to draw all of the funds at its disposal during the 2014-2020 financial perspective. In this budgetary period, EUR 2.52 billion, or more than 80% of available funds, have already been assigned to individual ministries, contracts have been signed for more than EUR 2 billion and more than EUR 800 million have been paid out by the state budget.
Calls for insolvency law changes in aftermath of Janković case
LJUBLJANA - The opposition-controlled parliamentary Commission for the Oversight of Public Finances urged the government to reform insolvency law after the debt restructuring of a company owned by the family of Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković caused uproar. The debate was prompted by news that Electa Holding had secured a restructuring deal under which EUR 29 million was written off whereas creditors will only get 5% of their claims repaid, despite suspicion that one of the companies voting for the deal was a fictitious creditor helping the Janković family business. Justice Minister Andreja Katič said insolvency law reform was in the works notwithstanding this particular case because of a Constitutional Court decision.
Katarina Štrukelj full-fledged boss of office for migrants
LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Katarina Štrukelj a full-fledged director of the government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. Štrukelj's appointment comes after she has served as acting director since late June, while she has worked for the office since its inception in 2017. She is an expert on migrations, especially international protection, and holds a master's degree in sociology. She was appointed for five years, with the option of a five-year extension.
Environment Inspectorate head dismissed, interim successor appointed
LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed the chief inspector at the Inspectorate for the Environment and Spatial Planning, Dragica Hržica, replacing her with Dragan Matić, a former MP of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), as acting boss. He will assume the office on 16 September to head the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry's inspection service until Hržica's successor is found, but no longer than 15 March 2020. Hržica's dismissal had been proposed by Minister Simon Zajc, who was not pleased with the work of the inspectorate.
Former NFD head pleads not guilty in abuse of office case
LJUBLJANA - Stanislav Valant, the former CEO of the asset management firm NFD Holding, pleaded not guilty of abuse of office charges, reportedly related to two loans worth EUR 4.3 million taken from the hotel operator Hoteli Bernardin for NFD, at a pre-trial hearing at the Ljubljana District Court. Prosecutor Marjana Grašič, who will present the charges to the public at the next hearing, said Valant was charged with abuse of office in a case from 2010. This is not the first trial for Valant. In July 2018, he and another three defendants were acquitted in a high-profile trial concerning dodgy share purchases of publisher Mladinska Knjiga in 2004.
Cargo-Partner opens new logistics centre at Brnik airport
BRNIK - Austrian logistics company Cargo-Partner inaugurated a new, EUR 28 million logistics centre near the Jože Pučnik Airport Ljubljana. Boasting 25,000 square metres of storage space, the facility is one of the largest logistics centres in the region and will service Cargo-Partner's clients in Central and SE Europe. However, the company believes it will have to expand it in a few years' time. Cargo-Partner owner Stefan Krauter said the company had decided to build in Slovenia due to its geostrategic position between Asia and Central Europe and because of trust in the country's political and social environment. The company says its market share in Slovenia is 21% in air cargo transport and 15% in naval transport.
Ptuj poultry group reports higher 2018 profit and sales
PTUJ - Perutnina Ptuj, the poultry group that was taken over by Ukrainian Holding MHP earlier this year, saw its net profit rise by 43% to EUR 16.1 million last year, as sales increased by 5% to EUR 271 million. Its EBITDA for 2018 was at EUR 29.2 million, and net debt at just over EUR 35 million. Slovenia's largest meat-processing group employed 3,677 people at the end of last year, of whom 1,833 in Slovenia. In his observations in the annual report, CEO Enver Šišič labelled the company's performance as enviable, calling Perutnina a financially sound and successful company.
Sašo Berger new AmCham Slovenia president
LJUBLJANA - Sašo Berger, the CEO of S&T Slovenija, has been appointed AmCham Slovenia president for two years, replacing Nevenka Kržan from KPMG, as the chamber of commerce promoting US companies' interest in Slovenia met for its annual general meeting. Berger is looking forward to entering dialogue with companies, the government and the civil society to improve the business environment in Slovenia, AmCham Slovenia said in a release.
POP TV journalist arrested over migrant smuggling
LJUBLJANA - A sports journalist of the commercial broadcaster POP TV was arrested last Sunday by police on the border with Croatia under suspicion of smuggling illegal migrants to Slovenia. Reporting on the incident today, POP TV condemned and distanced itself from the actions by the journalist, who has already been sacked. The broadcaster regretted the incident, reiterating its determination to continue to report extensively on the "abuse of the distress of refugees and of the victims of smuggling" as smuggling and assistance in smuggling migrants across the border with Croatia was on the rise.
Room at Presidential Palace named after Ivan Oman
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor named one of the rooms at the Presidential Palace after the recently diseased Ivan Oman, one of the key players of Slovenia's independence. Previously, he has also named halls after Oman's late contemporaries Jože Pučnik and France Bučar, and the late president and prime minister Janez Drnovšek. The Ivan Oman Hall was inaugurated nearly a month after his death in a ceremony attended by Oman's family and political contemporaries.
Skubic wins award for best youth and children's book
MARIBOR - Andrej E. Skubic has won this year's Večernica Prize for the best youth and children's book written in the past year, convincing the jury with his book Grandma Does's Have Phone Any More from his book series Trio Golaznikus. The second book from the four-part series Trio Golaznikus, published by Mladinska Knjiga, was illustrated by Tanja Komadina. Skubic will receive the award, given out by the Maribor-based newspaper Večer, at a ceremony in Murska Sobota on 19 September.
Slovenia confident as co-host of European Volleyball Championship
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia are one of the three host nations of the Men's European Volleyball Championship, which began in Slovenia with a match between Turkey and defending champions Russia. The remaining four countries in group C are Slovenia and Belarus, which will play their opening match tonight, and Finland and North Macedonia. Slovenia hope to win the tournament, which would be an improvement on the country's best result at European championships, the silver in 2015.
Slovenians happiest with personal relations
LJUBLJANA - Slovenians are very happy with their relations with family members, friends and neighbours, while they are also quite happy with their jobs. The financial standing of their household is on the other hand something they are not so thrilled about, the Statistics Office said Personal relations received an average 8.6 mark on a 1-10 scale, followed by jobs (7.5), life in general (7.3), spare time (7.2) and finances (6.3). All five indicators have increased compared to 2013, shows the survey which the statisticians introduced in 2012.
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