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This summary is provided by the STA:
All pupils switching to distance learning
LJUBLJANA - After an extended two-week holiday, primary school pupils will not return to schools on Monday due to the coronavirus situation in Slovenia, as the government decreed that distance learning will be introduced once again for primary schools as well. This is after secondary schools switched to remote teaching this week. Kindergartens remain closed as well, but childcare will continue to be available to parents who work in vital services.
Lockdown restrictions extended, new exceptions added
LJUBLJANA - With the coronavirus situation remaining serious, the government extended restrictions on movement outside municipalities and gatherings for another week, while it allowed some more services and businesses to reopen from Friday. These are pedicure services, and specialised shops selling baby, childcare and mother care items, technical goods, cars, bicycles, furniture, photographic and photocopying services, watch and jewellery shops. Only one customer per 30 square metres is allowed.
All of Austria, Croatia, Hungary on Slovenia's quarantine list
LJUBLJANA - The government amended the coronavirus status of several countries as a result of which the whole of Croatia, Austria and Hungary plus Serbia will be on Slovenia's quarantine list starting from Monday, as will almost entire Italy with the exception of Calabria. Also moved to the red list were the whole of Serbia, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria, the Vatican and San Marino. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the government advised against all non-essential travel outside the country.
Coronavirus cases down slightly but deaths and hospitalisations record high
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's daily coronavirus infections fell to 1,685 on Wednesday from over 2,000 the day before, however, the number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients and those in intensive care increased to new highs of 979 and 161, respectively. So did the daily death toll rise to a record 30. The share of positive tests decreased by four percentage points to 28% and the rolling 14-day average per 100,000 residents fell to 1,114, which government spokesman Jelko Kacin said was a good sign. The R0 fell to 1.11.
Violent protesters clash with police
LJUBLJANA - A violent protest originally organised by Anonymous Slovenia in Ljubljana saw protesters clashing with the police, using flares and throwing granite pavement cubes at the riot police. The police used a water cannon for the first time since 2012. Several persons were injured, including a photojournalist who had to seek medical assistance, and several police officers sustained light injuries. Ten of some 500 protesters were apprehended. Prime Minister Janez Janša tweeted support for the police officers. The organisers of Friday bicycle protests disavowed the protest beforehand.
Brussels projects Slovenia's GDP to contract 7.1% this year, rebound by 5.1% in 2021
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission forecast for Slovenia's economy to contract by 7.1% this year, roughly on par with its previous estimate. A rebound of 5.1% is expected in 2021, a percentage point lower than the forecast in July. The economy is expected to return to pre-coronavirus levels in 2022, when GDP growth is estimated to be at 3.8%, according to the Commission's autumn report. Job losses have been smaller than expected and the measures taken have avoided a surge in bankruptcies thanks to public policy measures, the commission said.
Centre-left coalition says Janša no longer fit to serve
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), the recently formed initiative of four centre-left parties, said that PM Janez Janša lost all credibility in the international arena with his tweets on the US election. Such a person is not fit to serve as PM and even less so to lead the EU presidency next year, KUL wrote, saying that Janša has absolutely no regard for the values of democracy, coexistence and harmony that took decades to build.
Anti-graft commission detects corruption risk in PPE purchases
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has detected multiple corruption risks concerning the purchases of personal protective equipment in spring as part of a focused review of these purchases. It will launch its own inquiries as early as this month and inform the competent authorities of suspected wrongdoing that it not within its purview. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, a key official responsible for the procurement, responded by saying he had followed all rules and that the report would help improve proceedings in the future.
Govt approves aid for countries hit by pandemic
LJUBLJANA - The government approved humanitarian aid for developing countries and countries facing humanitarian crises during the coronavirus pandemic. EUR 45,000 will be allocated to the World Food Programme for the global Covid-19 response plan, and EUR 50,000 to address humanitarian needs in North Macedonia. Slovenia has so far contributed a total of EUR 1.22 million for response to Covid-19 in developing countries.
Slovenian MEPs welcome deal tying rule of law to EU funds
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Half of Slovenia's eight MEPs welcomed the agreement of the member states and the European Parliament tying the rule of law to states' access to funds. "The EU will no longer be a cash machine while its basic values are being trampled in some member states," Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) tweeted. Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) labelled the agreement historic and so was the agreement welcomed by MEPs Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj (both Renew/LMŠ).
Judicial Council backs Ilešič, Brkan for Luxembourg posts
LJUBLJANA - The Judicial Council unanimously endorsed the bids of Marko Ilešič and Maja Brkan for the country's two spots at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg. This time, the council issued its opinion on the candidates in a shorter procedure, without interviewing them, and without assessing the other candidates that applied for the job. Slovenia's efforts to fill the two spots on the EU's General Court in Luxembourg began in June 2018, but so far no candidate got further than the vetting committee.
For unions, legislated minimum wage rise non-negotiable
LJUBLJANA - Trade unions are strongly against the possibility of freezing the 1 January 2021 rise in the minimum wage, as demanded by businesses and supported by the economy minister, with ZSSS confederation head Lidija Jerkič saying that the unions won't negotiate on it. Opposition was also expressed by the KSJS confederation of public sector trade unions, and the opposition Left. From 2021, the minimum wage is due to rise above the minimum cost of living.
Telekom revenue, profit down slightly in Jan-Sep
LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the majority state-owned telecoms incumbent, saw net sales decline by 4% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2020, to EUR 440 million. Net profit declined by 7% to EUR 27.4 million. Operating profit was up 7% to EUR 40.1 million and profit before income tax, amortisation and depreciation was down 1% to EUR 144.6 million. The figures exclude the media arm Planet TV, which has already been sold to TV2 in Hungary, and the Kosovo subsidiary Ipko, which was supposed to be sold by now but has not been after the sales procedure was terminated.
Slovenia's 2019 gross R&D spending record high
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) amounted to a record EUR 989.3 million in 2019, up 10.8% from 2018 and 5.8% more than the previous high in 2013, preliminary data released by the Statistics Office show. Last year thus saw the second consecutive rise in R&D spending - that of more than EUR 90 million in nominal terms and that of 10% in relative terms. R&D expenditure was higher in all sectors. Businesses accounted for 61% of the spending.
Banks at low to moderate risk to climate challenges
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank's report on climate risks in Slovenia shows that banks are not greatly exposed to climate-related risks in the most climate-sensitive sectors, such as manufacturing, electricity production, transport and construction, or in relation to households. Their exposure shares range from 36% to 44%. Financial systems are faced with a new kind of risk stemming from climate change, which reflects in higher costs of natural disasters, which bring more physical risks.
Watchdog suspects collusion among four LPG providers
LJUBLJANA - The Competition Protection Agency said it had launched an investigation into potential collusion among energy companies Butan Plin, Ina Slovenija, Istrabenz Plini and Plinarna Maribor. They are suspected of having secretly agreed to only accept the returns of their own liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, to parcel up the LPG cylinders market. This could constitute orchestrated action that aims to prevent, hamper or distort competition in Slovenia and in a substantial part of the EU's internal market.
Metronik named Delo Business Star of the year
LJUBLJANA - Metronik, a Ljubljana-based company specialising in automation and digitalisation of production, critical infrastructure and smart buildings, was declared the 2020 Delo Business Star by the newspaper publisher. The company convinced the jury with its business results, success on foreign markets and sustainability. The readership choice award went to prefabricated house maker Marles Hiše Maribor.
Dismissed NBI head fails with motion to halt appointment of successor
LJUBLJANA - A court in charge of labour disputes has reportedly rejected the motion by the lawyer of Darko Muženič, the dismissed director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), to halt the call for applications for his successor. According to a report by the newspaper Dnevnik, the reasoning is that although the Administrative Court found Muženič's May dismissal to have been illegal, it did not determine that he needed to be reinstated to the post.
Canada extradites Slovenian charged with sex trafficking
LJUBLJANA - Canada has extradited to Slovenia Sergej Racman, who was wanted on international arrest warrant on sex trafficking charges. Slovenian police said Wednesday evening the man had been handed to police after being deported from Canada and taken to the Koper prison. The former owner of the cinema chain operator Kolosej had been wanted under an Interpol Red Notice alert for his alleged role in a prostitution ring that was allegedly operating in the Marina Sauna Club near Nova Gorica.
First image by Slovenian satellite Nemo released
LJUBLJANA - SPACE-SI, the Slovenian Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies, posted the first images made by their satellite Nemo HD, which was launched into space in early September. The microsatellite, launched together with another Slovenian satellite on 3 September, will circle the Earth for the 1000th time this weekend, says SPACE-SI's website. The centre posted what it termed "the first, historic image" the microsatellite made above eastern Slovenia on 18 September.
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