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This summary is provided by the STA:
Coronavirus daily case count up to 2,217, record 40 deaths reported
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 2,217 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, more than double the figure the day before, and a record 40 fatalities as Health Minister Tomaž Gantar reiterated his call for tighter restrictions. The latest statistics were first revealed by Gantar on Twitter, with the minister wondering ahead of Thursday's government session dedicated to the restrictions if anyone still doubted the need for stricter measures. A near record 7,515 tests were performed in line with re-expanded testing, which puts the positivity rate at 29.5% after 24% on Monday. Government spokesman Jelko Kacin argued the trends continued to improve despite higher absolute numbers.
Covid-19 on rise in elderly care homes
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is once again seeing an increase in coronavirus cases in elderly care homes, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Family and Equal Opportunities Janez Cigler Kralj said. There are currently 1,551 active cases among the total of 19,000 residents, and 718 active cases among nearly 12,300 members of staff, he said. Since the the pandemic reached Slovenia in the spring, 277 care home residents died, he said. Total death tally was at 645 on Tuesday. Out of the total of 40 deaths reported for Tuesday, six were in care homes, he said. The virus has made its way into about 80% of care homes in Slovenia.
Govt adopts sixth coronacrisis package
LJUBLJANA - The government has adopted the sixth legislative package meant to alleviate the impact of the coronacrisis on businesses and residents, extending once more the furlough scheme subsidies, measures to help liquidity and help with funding of fixed expenses. The government adopted the package, valued at around EUR 1 billion, late on Tuesday in a correspondence session. One of the most awaited measures in this package, and one that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek highlighted as the key measure, is the compensation of fixed expenses to businesses whose revenue declined significantly due to the epidemic. Details
Logar says relations with US at highest level so far
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar told the Foreign Policy Committee that Slovenia's relations with the US were at the highest level so far as he rejected criticism by the opposition that Prime Minister Janez Janša's Twitter posts on the US election had jeopardised the relations. While opposition MPs spoke of Janša - who endorsed Donald Trump and stated it was pretty clear he was the winner as votes were still being counted - bringing shame on Slovenia and conducting "suicidal foreign policy", Logar told them not to "reduce the debate on Transatlantic relations to one tweet". He said relations with the US "practically did not exist" before he became minister in March.
Makovec to take over high-level EU diplomatic post
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian diplomat Marko Makovec has been appointed deputy managing director for Western Europe, Western Balkans, Turkey and the UK at the European External Action Service. Foreign Minister Anže Logar described the appointment as a great accomplishment of Slovenian diplomacy. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed Makovec's appointment last Friday, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said, adding that Makovec would take over a senior position dealing with issues key for Slovenia, especially in light of its upcoming EU Council presidency. Makovec, an ambassador at the Slovenian Permanent Representation to the EU, is currently Slovenia's representative in the EU's Political and Security Committee.
Group of opposition MPs proposes abolishing electoral districts
LJUBLJANA - A group of MPs from the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left and Social Democrats (SD) has filed a motion that would abolish electoral districts and introduce a preference vote after the current system was declared unconstitutional in 2018. In March, the same proposal was three votes short of the needed two-thirds majority, with the coalition Democrats (SDS) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) rejecting it. An attempt is under way to redraw the districts, but SAB feels that a preferential vote is the only viable way of implementing the top court ruling. President Borut Pahor has been warning that formal democracy in Slovenia might be in danger if there is no reform before the next general election.
Stepping up productivity and digitalisation seen as key to prosperity
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's future development and prosperity will depend of the country's ability to step up its productivity growth and digital transformation with a report drawn up by the government's economic think-tank suggesting the current trends are not encouraging. This year's productivity report, drawn up by the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD), was presented at an online debate hosted by IMAD and the European Commission Representation in Slovenia. As a key message of the report, IMAD's Peter Wostner emphasized the need to attain a much higher growth in productivity in order to catch up with the advanced economies, taking into account the current level of employment and expected demographic change.
Majority in Delo poll blame populace for fast coronavirus spread
LJUBLJANA - More than 45% of respondents in a poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo believe the second wave of coronavirus had caught Slovenia unprepared and more than half blame the fast spread of infections on people themselves. Only 28% of those questioned believe that the country awaited the second wave prepared with the poll showing that respondents' position on the matter depends on their political preferences. Among those who vote for the ruling Democratic Party (SDS) as many as 72% believe the country was well or even very well prepared for the second outbreak, while there are 56% who think so among the voters of junior coalition party New Slovenia (NSi). By contrast, three out of four supporters of the opposition Social Democrats (SD) and Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) believe the country was ill prepared and as many as 79% among the voters of the Left believe the same.
NGO warns against restricting exercise
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Heart Foundation NGO has urged decision-makers not to restrict people's movement and thus their ability to exercise because of coronavirus, warning that this could have harmful consequences for people's health. Children and adults, especially the elderly, must be allowed to get enough of exercise, the NGO said. The call comes after the Covid-19 task force at the Health Ministry proposed restricting people's movement to a radius of one kilometre from their home as the epidemiological situation in the country remains poor. According to the head of the Slovenian Heart Foundation, Matija Cevc, such a restriction would affect people living in city centres and in apartment buildings the most.
Springwater Capital new owner of Kompas
ZAGREB, Croatia - The new owner of Kompas, Slovenia's oldest travel company, will be Springwater Capital in line with a contract signed between the Madrid-based investment fund and the Croatian group Fortenova, the current owner of Kompas. The signing of the contract on the sale of Kompas Ljubljana and Kompas Poreč comes after the new owner had already notified the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency on the planned takeover days ago through its Luxembourg affiliate Special Sits General Partner. The regulatory approval is the only formal condition still pending for the transaction to be finalised.
Slovenian organisations very successful in Creative Europe
LJUBLJANA - In the last seven years, Slovenian organisations have obtained EUR 24 million in support funds to implement projects from the Creative Europe programme for 2014-2020, and created more than 1,000 international connections. More than 130 organisations, including NGOs, have participated in the programme. In the seven years, the European Commission's programme for the culture and audiovisual sectors supported almost 400 international projects implemented by Slovenian project managers or partners, the Motovila Institute said.
Wood discussed as major part of Slovenia's green future
LJUBLJANA - The main event of the Slovenian wood processing industry heard that the numerous positive features of wood may play a major role in a green future of the country's economy. The state intends to encourage greater use of wood by changing public procurement rules, and to support the national industry with tens of millions of euros. The first day of the Day of the Slovenian Wood Industry event, entitled Wood - Our Green Future, was held on-line and hosted by the trade promotion agency SPIRIT Slovenia, the Economy Ministry and the Wood Industry Cluster.
Entrepreneurs not so pessimistic in second coronavirus wave
LJUBLJANA - Entrepreneurs in Slovenia are not as pessimistic about their businesses in the second wave of coronavirus as they were in the first, the AJPES agency for legal records has said. In October, much fewer private entrepreneurs were deleted from the business registry than in March and much more new businesses were founded. In October, 1,274 small businesses closed down, which is 39% fewer than in March. Meanwhile, more new businesses opened, as 2,009 people decided to start their business, which is 8% more than in September. In March, only 1,285 new businesses were founded.
Employers project 1.3% growth in jobs for first half of 2021
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian employers appear to be upbeat about employment prospects in the first half of next year with a survey conducted by the Employment Service projecting a 1.3% growth in employment. The survey, conducted in October among 2,853 companies employing ten or more staff, suggests the most sought after will be labourers in manufacturing, builders, retail staff, welders and lorry drivers. Meanwhile, the biggest decline in employment is projected for the hospitality industry. Considering their responses, employers will be looking for about 26,000 employees over the next six months, most of which to fill for replacements and temporary jobs, and to a lesser extent these will be new jobs.
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