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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:
Šarec welcomes Brexit deal, urges start of accession talks for N Macedonia
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Arriving for a two-day EU summit, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec welcomed the deal on an orderly Brexit reached by EU and British negotiators and expressed the hope that the deal would get support in the UK, as "time is really running out". Šarec said he was happy with the deal. He warned that unless EU leaders gave North Macedonia the go-ahead to start EU accession talks, the situation there would get unpredictable. He said a positive decision was being legitimately expected in Skopje.
Two proposals for electoral reform on govt table
LJUBLJANA - The government got acquainted with two draft proposals for electoral reform after the current system was declared unconstitutional a year ago. Now it is up to the parliamentary parties to state their opinion, said Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved. Under one proposal, electoral units would remain roughly the same, while electoral districts would be scrapped, so parties would run with 11 candidates in each electoral unit, and voters would have the option of a relative preferential vote. The other solution envisages changing the borders of electoral districts in line with the decision of the Constitutional Court to have approximately the same number of voters in every district.
Tax bills finalised
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee finalised a package of tax bills that slightly reduce the taxation of labour in favour of higher taxes on capital, after adopting last-minute amendments to counter criticism that the legislation amounted to a generous handout to the rich Wednesday evening. Under the legislative package slated for passage at the National Assembly plenary next week, the thresholds for all five brackets will be slightly increased and the general tax credit will rise. In the second and third tax brackets, which cover mostly the middle class, the tax rate will drop by a percentage point. Those on the minimum wage will see their earnings rise only marginally, while those on average pay can expect roughly EUR 150 more per year.
MPs point to lengthy court proceedings and number of unclosed cases
LJUBLJANA - The Justice Committee discussed a report on courts' efficiency in 2018, mostly agreeing with the assessment by the Supreme Court president that courts were successful. The MPs were meanwhile critical of lengthy court proceedings and the number of unsolved cases, with the latter affecting courts' reputation. Presenting the report, Supreme Court President Damijan Florjančič said courts managed the inflow of new cases and continued to reduce the backlog.
Chemistry Institute inaugurates new NMR spectrometer
LJUBLJANA - The Chemistry Institute and the National Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Centre inaugurated a new 600 MHz NMR spectrometer. The inauguration ceremony was attended by representatives of the Japanese and US embassies to Slovenia, including Japanese Ambassador Masaharu Yoshida. The funds for the EUR 1 million investment have been secured through the centre's commercial projects. Its economic partners and co-founders are pharma companies Krka and Lek as well as coatings group Helios.
Foundation stone laid for first Ikea shop in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - The construction of the long-awaited first Ikea shop in Slovenia officially started as the foundation stone was laid in the BTC shopping district in Ljubljana. The 31,000 square metre shop, which is expected to employ around 300 people, is to be completed in a year's time. The ceremony was attended by Ikea South East Europe CEO Sara Del Fabbro, who said that the company was looking forward to the opportunity to cooperate with Slovenian suppliers and local communities.
Govt strikes jackal from protected wild animal list
LJUBLJANA - With the population of the jackal in Slovenia stabilising, the government struck the species from the decree on protected wild animal species, setting a transitional period until 1 May 2020 for the relevant rules to be adjusted. The population of the jackal in the country will now be sustainably managed under the legislation governing hunting. The EU law does not require strict protection of the jackal, and expert studies have shown there are no reasons to protect the animal in the national legislation.
Slovenia seeing record number of HFRS cases
LJUBLJANA - More than 230 cases of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) have been recorded in Slovenia so far this year, a record since monitoring started in 1983, according to the government's response to a question raised by Left MP Franc Trček. The figure stands out markedly, with the last outbreaks in 2008, 2012, and 2017 seeing 45, 185 and 76 cases respectively. The government said it would back the introduction of continuous monitoring in case the relevant ministries received professionally-backed and financially sound proposals that would "prove this measure cost effective".
Speculum Artium brings insight into virtual consciousness
TRBOVLJE - The Speculum Artium festival of new media art opened, offering a number of art projects and lectures which deal with virtual consciousness. The three-day festival will showcase Tree, an award-winning virtual reality experience of US-based Serbian artist Milica Zec and designer Winslow Porter which traces a tree's growth from the seed to a full-grown plant, and Digital Shaman, a collaboration of Japanese artist Etsuko Ichihara, company Yaskawa Slovenija and Ljubljana's Jožef Stefan Institute which explores new forms of mourning for the deceased in a digital era.
Ljubljana Marathon aiming for new women's record
LJUBLJANA - After posting a new record in men's category last year, Ljubljana Marathon will now strive for a record in the women's category. The most popular running event in Slovenia will be held on 27 October, with several thousand runners expected to hit the streets of the capital. The organisers are hoping not just to set the women's record below 2:22:00, but also to turn around the dwindling numbers of participants by introducing new sign-up policies and organisational strategies taking into account global trends.
Gymnastics great Cerar celebrates 80th birthday
LJUBLJANA - Former gymnastics great Miroslav Cerar, who will turn 80 at the end of October, is still active in sport, having recently been appointed the head of the Slovenian team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. An exhibition on his achievements is on display at Ljubljana Town Hall. Cerar describes his successes as a piece in the Slovenian sports mosaic. He speaks bout Slovenian athletic achievements in superlatives, saying they are the most effective promotion of the country possible.
Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here
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