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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 calls on Turkey to end military operation in Syria
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia called on Turkey to end its military operation in north-eastern Syria, protect civilians and respect the international humanitarian law, and also expressed deep concern over the operation. The Foreign Ministry pointed out in a press release that the operation could jeopardise the stability of the region, and the progress achieved in the battle against Islamic State and other terrorist organisations. President Borut Pahor meanwhile labelled the operation unacceptable and said the international community must do everything it can to deter Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan from using force against Kurds.
Unofficial: Constitutional judges annul disputed aliens act amendment
LJUBLJANA - According to unofficial information obtained by the weekly Mladina, constitutional judges have annulled a controversial clause of the aliens act that would allow the country to take steps to suspend asylum law in the event of mass migration. The court meanwhile told the STA that procedures in the case are still ongoing. The amendments were passed in parliament amid major controversy in January 2017 and took effect on 4 February. They introduced the option for the government to shut its borders to migrants in exceptional circumstances by imposing special, temporary system of border checks that would need to be endorsed by an absolute majority in parliament.
Mixed Slovenian reactions to Nobel prizes in literature
LJUBLJANA - Jana Unuk, the translator behind most of the Slovenian translations of the work of Olga Tokarczuk, hailed the Nobel prize winner, while Peter Handke translator Brane Čop described how taken he was by Handke's Storm Still. Philosopher Slavoj Žižek on the other had dismissed Handke as an "apologist of war crimes". He had nothing good to say about the Nobel prizes in general or for Handke, who has Slovenian roots on his maternal side. "This is Sweden today," Žižek was quoted as saying by the Guardian, "an apologist of war crimes gets a Nobel prize while the country fully participated in the character assassination of the true hero of our times, Julian Assange. Our reaction should be: not the literature Nobel prize for Handke but the Nobel peace prize for Assange."
Protestors rally for equality before law, against corruption
LJUBLJANA - Right-wing parties organised a rally, headlined Save Slovenia. Filling the Prešeren Square, the protestors called against corruption and expressed their dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. Organised by the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) and former Maribor mayor and upper chamber member Franc Kangler, the rally was also backed by the Democrats (SDS), the biggest opposition party, as well as several non-parliamentary parties and civil initiatives. The SLS said it was attended by 5,000 people, while the police refused to provide an assessment.
Janša demands resignation of intelligence agency head
LJUBLJANA - Democrats (SDS) president Janez Janša called for the resignation of SOVA head Rajko Kozmelj in the wake of the intelligence agency's decision not to give the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission information on the agency's staffing. The call came as SOVA decided to deny the Oversight Commission access to information on the agency's staffing, requested in the wake of allegations that Prime Minister Marjan Šarec had intervened to secure a job to a female friend of his.
Brexit in centre of talks as Pahor meets Irish president
ATHENS, Greece - President Borut Pahor expressed solidarity with Ireland in the face of Brexit as he met President Michael D. Higgins ahead of the Athens Democracy Forum, saying that Slovenia supported efforts for an orderly Brexit, which is in the interest of the EU and the UK. The pair talked about the future of the EU and other topical global issues, but special attention was given to Brexit. Pahor also underlined that Slovenia was fully supportive of the approach adopted by the EU and its head negotiator Michel Barnier.
Slovenian, N Macedonian PMs praise bilateral relations
SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Relations between Slovenia and North Macedonia were in focus as Prime Minister Marjan Šarec met his counterpart Zoran Zaev. He reiterated Slovenia's support that North Macedonia be allowed to launch EU accession talks, expressing hope that the EU summit next week would make a positive political decision. The prime minister's office said in a press release that Šarec and Zaev talked about bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them additionally. They shared the view that the countries nurture a very good relationship of partners at virtually all levels. They expressed satisfaction with regular political dialogue between the countries at all levels and with interest for intensive cooperation in the future.
Govt approves guarantees for two key infrastructure projects
LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a bill on state guarantee for the loans taken out to fund the planned Koper-Divača rail expansion, and an expressway connecting the north and south of the country, two major infrastructure projects in Slovenia. Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek said the guarantee for the rail project was restricted to EUR 417 million, and for the Third Development Axis at EUR 360 million. The bill will enable the state-owned companies 2TDK and DARS to negotiate on much lower interest rates for the planned loans, the government said. The move seems to have appeased a group which announced a protest for 17 October over delays with the implementation of the expressway project. The group suspended the protest until parliament takes a vote on the bill.
Coalition bury the hatchet over pensions amendment
LJUBLJANA - The coalition agreed to adopt the Pensioners' Party's (DeSUS) amendment for an exceptional adjustment of pensions in 2020 as the coalition-sponsored amendment, while pledging not to submit any new amendments to budget documents. DeSUS upset coalition partners last week by submitting an amendment to the bill on public wage measures in 2020 and 2021 proposing a 1% indexation of pensions in case of economic growth exceeding 2.5%, rather than 3% as proposed in the government bill. Brane Golubović of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) said the adjustment of pensions would only cost between EUR 5 million and 6 million because it would only apply in December 2020.
Coalition to push its own top-up health insurance abolition plan
LJUBLJANA - The coalition announced it was temporarily suspending talks with the Left on the opposition party's plan for the abolition of top-up health insurance and would instead pursue its own proposal. Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) deputy group head Brane Golubović said that the coalition-backed proposal would likely already be on the table at the start of November. The idea is to abolish the current scheme in two steps, the first being to transfer the collection of all contributions to the public health insurance fund ZZZS. The second step would be drawing up a scale for the collection of health insurance contributions in a progressive manner, which could happen next summer.
Government's proposal to subsidise flights voted down
LJUBLJANA - A bill that would allow the government to subsidise air links vital to Slovenia after the carrier Adria Airways ended in receivership was defeated by the parliamentary Infrastructure Committee. The rejection is an irreversible decision and the National Assembly will now be merely acquainted with it. Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek said the bill was only meant to create a possibility to be applied if foreign airlines did not establish crucial links with Slovenia's capital. However, the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) and Left argued that the proposal was detrimental, in particular because it contained no estimates how it would affect the state budget.
Potential buyers invited to bid for Adria Airways
BRNIK - The official receiver of Adria Airways published an invitation for bids for all remaining assets of the insolvent airline, with interested parties having until 10 November to express their interest. "With the invitation for non-binding bids I would like to check the interest of potential buyers," receiver Janez Pustatičnik said. The remaining assets include the plot of land on which the office building stands, the building title, claims to buyers, aircraft spare parts, equipment and two flats. Initial estimates indicate the mortgaged plot and the building right could be worth EUR 5 million, and there are EUR 1 million worth of claims for repayment of receivables.
Slovenia faces natural disaster due to bark beetle
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is facing a natural disaster due to an overpopulation of the bark beetle, which has caused EUR 10.5 million in damage so far this year, according to a report by the Slovenian Forest Service, discussed by the government. All conditions have been met to declare a natural disaster, the Forest Service said, while the government tweeted that funds to mitigate the consequences are available in rural development programmes of the current financial perspective of the EU. The increase in bark beetle population was expected after large areas of forest were damaged by strong winds in 2017 in 2018. More than 677,000 cubic metres of trees need to be cut down.
Exports in August up 4.9% year-on-year, imports up by 4.3%
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia exported EUR 2.32 billion worth of goods in August, which is 4.9% more year-on-year, while imports were up by 4.3% to EUR 2.3 billion, according to preliminary data of the Statistics Office. Trade surplus thus stood at EUR 20 million in August, for an exports-to-imports coverage of 100.88%. August was the second month this year in which the value of trade with the EU member states decreased. It was down by 2.5% compared to August 2018 to EUR 1.65 billion. Exports from the EU countries meanwhile reached EUR 1.73 billion, or 1.7% less than in the same month last year, largely because of a drop in trade with Germany as the largest partner to Slovenia.
Industrial output slowing down
LJUBLJANA - The value of industrial output in Slovenia in August was 2% down compared to July and 0.8% higher year-on-year. This was the biggest drop in industrial output at the monthly level this year and the smallest growth at the annual level, the Statistics Office said. Industrial output in August in manufacturing and electricity, gas and steam supply was down compared to July by 1.9% and 0.6%, respectively, while in mining and quarrying it was up 0.5%. Sales revenue in industry was up by 0.7% compared to July, while it was up by 3.4% at the annual level.
Marine Biology Station celebrates 50th anniversary
PIRAN - Slovenia's only institution studying the sea and monitoring its quality is celebrating is 50th anniversary, with the festivities culminating with tonight's ceremony in the coastal town of Portorož. The Piran Marine Biology Station was set up as an independent research centre of the University of Ljubljana's Institute of Biology, the main public research institution for natural sciences in the country. Its main mission is studying the biodiversity of the Slovenian part of the Adriatic Sea, while it is also engaged in a number of other projects.
Marinka Štern wins theatre lifetime achievement award
MARIBOR - Marinka Štern is the recipient of this year's Borštnik Ring for lifetime achievement, the highest accolade conferred in theatre acting. The stage and screen actor, born in 1947, graduated from the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) and then worked at the Mladinsko Theatre (SMG). The 72-year-old has also performed in television and radio productions and cooperated with other national and independent theatres. The winner was announced by the organisers of the 54th Maribor Theatre Festival, to be held between 14 and 27 October. Štern will receive the award at the conclusion of the festival, which will feature more than 40 performances.
Triennial of Contemporary Slovenian Arts kicks off
LJUBLJANA - The U3 Triennial of Contemporary Slovenian Arts will kick off at the Moderna Galerija museum of contemporary art today, exploring three contradictory states - the living and the dead conceptualism, the analogue and fluent material world, and the subconscious as the battlefield of cognitive capitalism. A total of 26 artists and groups coming from five countries are presented at the exhibition, which will be open until 12 January.
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