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.
This summary is provided by the STA:
Schools closing again on Monday in two regions after spike in infections
LJUBLJANA - The government decreed that schools and kindergartens in Zasavje and Obalno-Kraška will have to close again on Monday after their average 7-day coronavirus case count pushed them back among black-tiered regions. This was only two days after schools reopened for first three grades in nine of Slovenia's 12 administrative regions following more than three months of distance schooling. In response to the decision, the opposition Left said it would bring a motion to dismiss Education Minister Simona Kustec.
1,516 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, 23 deaths
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw 1,516 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday from 13,597 tests, a slight increase in weekly comparison in what is a continuation of a once again rising trend, fresh government data show. An additional 23 Covid-19 patients died to push the death toll to 3,448. Some 23% of the PCR tests performed yesterday came back positive. Covid-19 hospitalisations dropped by 38 to 1,106 on the day before and the total of those requiring intensive care decreased by one to 171.
Slovenia ratifies legal basis to draw EU recovery funds
LJUBLJANA - The government ratified the EU's "own resources decision", the legal basis to allow drawing post-Covid recovery funds. In 2021-2027, Slovenia should be able to tap on EUR 1.6 billion in grants and up to EUR 3.6 billion in loans. The draft national recovery and resilience plan is to be debated by the parliamentary EU Affairs Committee behind closed doors tomorrow. The government is expected to adopt it after the legal basis is adopted at EU level, which should happen in February.
Janša invites managers to help improving business environment
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša expressed his belief in an address to the virtual annual meeting of the Manager Association that the first half of 2021 would be similar to 2020 in terms of the epidemic and economic recovery, while the second half should be much better. Accepting the association's offer of cooperation to improve productivity, Janša said business executives's support was vital in the government's bid to tackle red tape, which he sees as the main obstacle to improving productivity.
Hojs allows possibility of mandatory migrant redistribution in crises
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs allowed for the possibility to reach an agreement at the EU level on mandatory redistribution of migrants in crisis situations, but only if a threshold for the number of migrants to be accepted by an individual member state is determined in advance. Talking to reporters after a virtual meeting of EU home ministers, he expressed pessimism about progress in the debate on redistribution of migrants as part of the new migration pact.
State Secretary Anton Olaj appointed police commissioner
LJUBLJANA - The government relieved Anton Olaj of his duties as a state secretary at the Interior Ministry and appointed him new police commissioner for a five year term starting on Friday. Olaj served in the police force between 1981 and 2012. He is the third police commissioner since the Janez Janša government was sworn in March 2020 when it dismissed Tatjana Bobnar. She was replaced by Anton Travner, who resigned in June. Andrej Jurič has been serving as acting police commissioner since.
Slovenia makes no headway in Corruption Perception Index
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has made no headway in the 2020 Corruption Perception Index compiled annually by Transparency International (TI). Like in 2019, it ranked 39th among 180 countries surveyed. With a score of 60 points, it once again fell short of the EU average of 64 points and the OECD average of 67 points. TI Slovenia said the lack of headway reflected slow progress in anti-corruption reforms and the absence of measures to enforce existing rules. The anti-graft watchdog said improvement could not have been expected considering the pandemic, but was not the only reason for stagnation.
Logar calls for Europe's green and digital recovery
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar addressed the fifth annual forum of the macro-regional strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian region held online, stressing that a green and digital recovery of Europe after the Covid-19 pandemic would be possible only in cooperation. Slovenia has initiated new forms of cooperation within the macro-region, especially in light of the EU's enlargement process. New countries expressing interest in joining the EUSAIR proves the strategy has become an extremely important instrument of cooperation in the region, Logar said.
Govt moves to set public sector pay reform in motion
LJUBLJANA - The government tasked the Public Administration Ministry to draw up by 5 February a draft blueprint to reform the public sector pay system. The government also adopted positions to start talks with one of the two police trade unions that is on strike and on negotiations with public sector trade unions on the elimination of the remaining austerity measures affecting pay. It is also proposing the pay day be moved from the 5th in the month to 15th in the month at the latest.
Slovenia donates EUR 40,000 in aid for migrants in Bosnia
LJUBLJANA - The government donated EUR 40,000 in aid to Caritas for migrants in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the charity said in a press release. The Slovenian Caritas is collecting donations for the migrants who are spending the winter in Bosnia after they had to leave their homes due to war, prosecution, climate change and extreme poverty.
Krka ups sales 3%, net profit 17% to EUR 286.6m last year
NOVO MESTO - The pharmaceutical group Krka generated EUR 1.53 billion in revenue last year, up 3% compared to 2019, with net profit estimated at a record EUR 286.6 million, up 17% year-on-year, show the unaudited preliminary results. CEO Jože Colarič noted that even though the pandemic had hindered marketing-and-sales activities, the Krka group recorded "best sales results ever". Product and service sales were up in all regions except Slovenia (-8%) and the overseas markets (-6%).
Manager Association honours NEK head
LJUBLJANA - Director of the Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) Stane Rožman is this year's recipient of the Manager Association award for lifetime achievements in management for leaving "a permanent mark in Slovenian business with his work, professional career and personality". Under his watch, NEK became one of the top ten best rated power stations in Europe, the association said in explaining its decision. He will receive the award at a virtual annual meeting of the association tonight.
Courts to return to business as usual on Monday
LJUBLJANA - Starting on Monday, all Slovenian courts will again operate as usual, albeit under anti-epidemic recommendations from health authorities. The suspension of procedural deadlines and deadlines related to the exercise of rights of parties in court proceedings will also be lifted. From next week, all courts in the country will again be able to conduct hearings, declare rulings and hand out court decisions in all matters.
Prosecution dismisses criminal charges against former culture minister
LJUBLJANA - The state prosecution has dismissed criminal charges of abuse of office and mobbing against Dejan Prešiček, a member of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), during his term as culture minister in the Marjan Šarec government, the SD said a day after Prešiček reported this on social media. He said the decision of the prosecution to throw out his case confirmed his conviction that he had done nothing illegal while serving as minister.
Dachau-themed works by Borčić go on digital display
MARIBOR - A virtual exhibition of prints and drawings about the Dachau concentration camp by acclaimed artist Bogdan Borčić (1926-2014) opened at the Maribor Synagogue today as part of a project supported by the Maribor municipality and the Israeli Embassy to Slovenia. The In principio erat Dachau exhibition presents a series of eight graphics and seven prints, made in 2014 by one of the most important Slovenian painters at the commission of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.
If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here
