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This summary is provided by the STA:
Govt ordered to check justification of restrictions on movement every week
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ordered the government to immediately verify the justification for restrictions on the movement of persons put in place to contain the spread of coronavirus, whereupon it must examine the justification every week. The decision refers to the most far-reaching government decree to combat the crisis, which was adopted on 29 March and put the entire country into lockdown. The court suspended Article 7 of the decree, which determines that the measures will be in place "until the cessation of the reasons". The suspension will remain in place until the judges reach a substantive decision, until which time the government must check the justification weekly.
Coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia seen as under control
LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia is believed to be under control allowing public life to gradually re-start, said the government's chief medical adviser for the coronavirus epidemic, Bojana Beović. "The curve has now turned downwards and we can therefore start talking about a gradual relaxation of measures and steady normalisation of life," she said. Beović presented estimates by several groups of researchers showing that the reproduction rate, which shows how many people one patient infects on average, had dropped to below one, which epidemics experts see as a point at which an epidemic starts to subside.
MOT tests and some forms of public transport to resume Monday
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to further ease lockdown restrictions by allowing annual vehicle roadworthiness tests and other procedures associated with registration of motor vehicles, and some forms of public transport to resume from Monday. Such transport can be organised by businesses or local communities in order to get people to work. The number of passengers will be limited to up to a third of the seating capacity.
Govt discussing new stimulus measures
BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government started discussing amendments to improve the first, EUR 3 billion stimulus package designed to help businesses and people cope with the impact of the coronavirus epidemic. It also started debating a draft of a planned second package. "One of the key goals of the second package is to secure liquidity for companies once restrictions start to be relaxed," Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek told reporters, promising the government would try to help all the affected companies. The legislation is to be rushed through parliament.
Pahor also sympathising with France over Covid-19 emergency
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor has expressed his and Slovenia's solidarity with the French nation in the joint fight against the novel coronavirus in a video message to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. The message, posted on Pahor's Twitter account, was made in French. Pahor already made similar messages of solidarity via Twitter to the Italians and their President Sergio Mattarella, Britons and Queen Elizabeth II and the Spanish nation and King Felipe VI. He addressed all of them in their languages.
Officer initially tipped for army chief appointed to PM's office
LJUBLJANA - The government appointed three new state secretaries to the office of Prime Minister Janez Janša, including Brigadier Bojan Pograjc, who media reported had been Janša's favourite for the new chief of the general staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, a job that went to Brigadier Robert Glavaš instead. Pograjc is to be responsible for the military and NATO in the prime minister's office. Also appointed to the office was former SMC MP Marjan Dolinšek and Katja Triller Vrtovec, who was replaced as acting head of the Government Office for Legislation by jurist Miha Pogačnik.
Govt urged by EBU to refrain from pressurising RTV
LJUBLJANA - The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) called on the Slovenian authorities to refrain from exerting undue political pressure on the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija in the challenging times of the coronavirus epidemic. In Thursday's statement published on the EBU website and cited by RTV Slovenija on Friday, the organisation said that "RTV Slovenija is playing a critical role in helping the state fight the Covid-19 pandemic and is currently stretched to its limits."
Covid-19 prompts cancellation of national exams for primary schools
LJUBLJANA - As schools are closed due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Education Ministry cancelled nation-wide primary school exams for the first time since they were introduced for sixth and ninth grade students 20 years ago. Headteachers welcomed the decision, which Education Minister Simona Kustec said was taken on the basis of an assessment made by key education stakeholders. The head of the Association of Primary and Music School Headteachers, Gregor Pečan, said he was "grateful that common sense has prevailed".
Prosecutors challenge 30% pay cut in court
LJUBLJANA - The Association of State Prosecutors and individual state prosecutors are filing requests for constitutional review of the part of the anti-corona legislative package which temporarily cuts prosecutors' salaries by 30%. They argue that the move undermines the fundamental constitutional values and the functioning of criminal justice. The association argues the cut encroached upon the constitutional law relationships between the branches of power.
Port fees reduced by 50% to help Luka Koper
KOPER - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec approved a 50% reduction in port fees for Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's only sea port, to make it more competitive. Talking to the press as he visited the port, Vrtovec said the "discount" would remain in place until September and would be extended if necessary. He also announced subsidies for railway transport in short, similar to other countries. Meanwhile, Luka Koper announced it had selected Kolektor Koling and its partners Adriaing and Grafist to extend pier 1 at the cost of EUR 45.66 million.
Pipistrel helps secure 100,000 masks from China
AJDOVŠČINA - Ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel helped secure a donation of 100,000 medical face masks from China through its Pipistrel Asia-Pacific subsidiary and the city of Jurong where it is located. A total of 30,000 medical masks and 300 thermometers, donated by Jurong, were symbolically handed over by China's Ambassador Wang Shunqing to Ajdovščina Mayor Tadej Beočanin. 60,000 masks donated are already in Slovenia, 10,000 more are expected in coming days along with 1,100 testing kits.
Pahor thanks Novartis for humanitarian aid in coronavirus crisis
MENGEŠ - President Borut Pahor visited a Novartis facility in Mengeš, where the pharma giant is producing a sanitizing preparation that it is donating to health centres, care centres and local communities. Pahor thanked the company for its humanitarian assistance to Slovenia, said the president's office and Lek, part of Novartis. Novartis has so far donated over 8,300 litres to more than 35 institutions in the country.
Prison sentences in Taiwanese call centres case
MARIBOR - Five suspects charged with running illegal call centres operated by trafficked Taiwanese were found guilty of human trafficking by the Maribor District Court. The Slovenian ringleader Allen Cvek was sentenced to four years in prison and the rest to two months less. Allen and Tomislav Cvek and Taiwanese nationals Chen Wei Chung, Tzu Hsiang Hsu and Peng Syuan Hong were found guilty of unlawfully detaining at least 63 people, mostly citizens of Taiwan, in several underground call centres in Slovenia and Croatia between 2015 and 2018 when they were arrested.
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