Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.
A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
This summary is provided by the STA:
EU court advised not to hear Slovenia vs Croatia suit
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg/LJUBLJANA - Advocate General Priit Pikamäe proposed the EU Court of Justice rule Slovenia's case against Croatia over its failure to implement the border arbitration award inadmissible. He argued the case was an international border dispute outside the scope of EU law and thus not under the court's jurisdiction. While the opinion came as a surprise and some think it does not bode well for the fate of the procedure, it does not prejudge the court's final decision on admissibility. Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said Pikamäe's reasoning is weak and had "absolutely no effect on the validity of the arbitration award". Legal experts likewise said the opinion did not change much, but they indicated Slovenia might have to look for a solution beyond the courts.
Chinese foreign minister expected in Slovenia on Saturday
LJUBLJANA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, the first visit by a Chinese foreign policy chief since 2008. The focus of talks will be on economic cooperation, Slovenia Foreign Minister Miro Cerar told the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee. Wang will be received by Cerar, President Borut Pahor, PM Marjan Šarec and Speaker Dejan Židan, as part of a visit that Cerar said "rounds off the foreign policy strategy" of completing talks with all members of the UN Security Council in the early stages of the government's term.
Environment minister praises European Green Deal
LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc welcomed the European Green Deal, a new growth strategy unveiled by the European Commission today, saying it is "bravely leading us into the only possible future - a carbon-neutral future". The strategy ensures a just transition to facilitate a green shift in the most vulnerable sectors and regions, including Slovenia's mining regions, he was quoted in the Environment Ministry's press release. The European Green Deal aims for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, with its key part being the EU Just Transition Fund.
Minister underlines need for cooperation at COP25
MADRID, Spain - Paris Agreement implementation will require the cooperation of everyone, Slovenia's minister in charge of the environment Simon Zajc said at the annual UN climate change conference, or COP25, on Tuesday. He believes adapting to climate change will require stronger international cooperation and expects COP25 to produce an implementation rulebook, the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry said in today's press release. It added Slovenia was part of a group of six small ambitious European countries that advocated raising environmental issues in international relations.
Slovenian, Macedonian interior ministers discuss migration
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and his Macedonian counterpart Oliver Spasovski discussed migration on the Western Balkan route and bilateral cooperation in interior affairs and police matters as they met in Ljubljana. The ministers agreed joint policy and cooperation of all Western Balkan countries was needed for the effective management of migration, exchange of information and fight against organised crime, with Poklukar saying this cooperation was "key". Spasovski added it was important the relevant agreement between Turkey and the EU remained in force.
Top officials meet to discuss election law, provinces, climate
LJUBLJANA - Election legislation, provinces and climate change ranked prominently as the country's top four officials met for an end-of-year reception, with President Borut Pahor saying changes to election legislation should be ready for parliamentary procedure at the start of 2020. Turning to provinces, he said that a task force of the National Council had done an excellent job in preparing guidelines for legislative changes. The president, prime minister and the presidents of both chambers of parliament agreed the finance minister should get involved in the drawing up of a bill on the financing of provinces in the next two months.
Govt criticised for poor management of telecoms incumbent
LJUBLJANA - The government heard sharp criticism from the opposition as the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Public Finances debated the management of the state's stake in national telco Telekom Slovenije. The opposition-controlled commission thus asked the government to order Slovenia Sovereign Holding (SSH) to draw up a report on the management of the stake and a report on Telekom's conduct concerning a loss-making media joint venture with Grece's Antenna Group. SSH chairman Gabrijel Škof dismissed the criticism, saying Telekom's performance was good, even compared to its competitor A1 Slovenija.
Erjavec attends inauguration of NATO aircraft training centre in Zadar
ZADAR, Croatia - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec attended the inauguration of an aircraft training centre set up in the framework of NATO's Multinational Special Aviation Programme, saying the centre was very important for the strengthening of interoperability. The project implements last year's agreement between Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia on the setting up of a training centre for helicopter crews for special military operations. "We know that all our countries have similar capabilities and it is good that we are working together and see how we can join forces when it comes to special helicopter units," Erjavec told the STA.
Mercator group expects EUR 2.3 billion in revenue in 2020
LJUBLJANA - The group around the Slovenian retailer Mercator plans to generate EUR 2.3 billion in revenue in 2020 and EUR 110 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), figures higher than those expected to be posted this year, shows the 2020 business plan. The group's investments in 2020 are budgeted at EUR 44 million, of which 57% will be allocated to projects in Slovenia. Mercator plans to open 28 new shops next year and refurbish 65 shops in all its markets. The group also is planning further deleveraging. While the net debt to EBITDA ratio in 2016 was at 14.1, the plan is to slash this ratio to 4.5 by the end of 2020.
Supervision of intel agency hiring to continue
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will continue digging into hiring at the intelligence agency SOVA, having detected "a systemic problem" in recruitment practices after looking into the employment of a friend of PM Marjan Šarec. It also plans to interview Šarec himself and his State Secretary Damir Črnčec, a former SOVA boss. The decision was announced a day after the commission conducted several interviews after the Public Sector Inspectorate found irregularities in recruitment policies and practices but declared them minor infringements that did not merit sanctioning.
Paedophile priest convicted in Church criminal procedure
LJUBLJANA - A priest from the Murska Sobota diocese has been found guilty of sexual violence by the Vatican's top doctrinaire body and ordered to undergo therapy, in the latest chapter of a case that has caused a rift in a rural parish in eastern Slovenia, several media reported. Andrej Zrim, a priest at the Murska Sobota parish, has been "found guilty in an out-of-court criminal procedure of sexual violence against minors and adults in accordance with the instructions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith", according to a notice carried in the diocese bulletin in Murska Sobota. The case against him was brought by three families, who decided to use Church channels instead of going to the police.
Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here
If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here
