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This summary is provided by the STA:
Constitutional Court turns to EU court over 2013 bail-in
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court, deliberating on an act providing recourse to investors who lost their investments during the 2013 banking sector bailout, has turned to the Court of Justice of the EU with multiple questions, including regarding the payment of compensation by the central bank and release of data. The procedures related to the case are thus suspended pending a reply from the EU court. The central bank said it had proposed this in its request for a constitutional review given that the matter concerns legal issues that are relevant wider in the EU. Meanwhile, the VZMD association of small shareholders is not as happy with the move, saying it takes the matter further away from a solution.
PM says no major easing can be expected in coming weeks
LJUBLJANA - No major easing of anti-epidemic restrictions can be expected in the coming weeks, PM Janez Janša said, adding that the government would stick to the plan of easing adopted earlier this month, which meant that schools and businesses might have to close again if the situation deteriorated. Janša said Slovenia was likely entering a third wave of the epidemic due to the presence of the British strain of the virus, but he is optimistic that owing to vaccination, this will be the last wave. He added that in-person education would take place in the red-tiered regions on Monday after it was said that this would not be possible due to testing of staff.
Govt without go-ahead for uni application process for now
LJUBLJANA - The government has not yet okayed this year's call for applications to enrol in university courses in what the Slovenian Student Organisation (ŠOS) sees as an encroachment upon tertiary education autonomy. According to PM Janez Janša, the issue is of strategic nature because it concerned youth employability, and will have to be discussed by the relevant committee prior to the government's decision. The news of the developments comes as a shock to the chancellors of Slovenia's public universities, who warned that the entire enrolment process hinged on the 1 February deadline. The higher education trade union addressed a letter to Education Minister Simona Kustec, voicing concern over the developments and highlighting it would oppose any potential attempts to destabilise public tertiary education institutions.
SD announces motion to oust Culture Minister Simoniti
LJUBLJANA - Former Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček from the Social Democrats (SD) announced that a motion to oust Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti would be filed before 8 February, Culture Day. The opposition party blames Simoniti for failing to enter into a dialogue with culture workers, for making unilateral moves regarding the self-employed in culture, and for failing to pay out funds for Slovenian film despite the contracts already been signed. The Culture Ministry meanwhile said that the motion, which is supported by three left-leaning parties, would enable it to present all its achievements in the past ten months. It argued that the situation in culture had actually improved under Simoniti, primarily in terms of funding.
Four opposition parties push for remote secret ballot
LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties proposed legislative changes to the parliamentary rules of procedure that would allow MPs to take part in secret ballots when they cannot be present in parliament in person. The goal of the changes, according to the head of the LMŠ deputy group Brane Golubović, is to enable MPs to fulfil their rights and duties in the extraordinary "Covid-19 circumstances". The parties propose that the motion be fast-tracked through parliament. They need a two-thirds majority for the changes to be passed, but based on statements by deputy groups this will be hard to reach.
1,294 new coronavirus infections confirmed on Thursday, 20 die
LJUBLJANA - A total of 12,033 coronavirus tests were performed in Slovenia on Thursday, with 1,294 coming back positive. The positivity rate for PCR tests was 22.3%, somewhat lower than in the previous days, while the positivity rate for rapid tests was 3.8%. A total 1,082 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, down from 1,106, of whom 169 required intensive care, down by two. Twenty people died, increasing the death toll to 3,468.
PM to nominate health minister when DeSUS MPs decide on their support for govt
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said that he would nominate a new health minister once the MPs for the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), which recently left the government coalition, decided whether they would support the government or become opposition MPs. He said they had until Wednesday's coalition meeting to do it. DeSUS deputy group head Franc Jurša said that the deputy group and leadership of DeSUS would meet on Tuesday to discuss the future work of the party and deputy group, but he did not want to predict the conclusions. He added that he hardly saw himself in an "extreme opposition" in any parliamentary term.
Slovakia's Skytoll to set up e-vignettes system in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Slovakia's Skytoll has been selected to set up a system for electronic tolling of cars, which is to become operational in December, the state-run motorway company DARS announced. Skytoll offered to set up the system for EUR 15.7 million and its bid was the only one meeting the criteria among the three bids sent to DARS. Skytoll also set up a system for electronic tolling in Slovakia in 2010 and has been running it since. Appeals to DARS's decision are still possible.
Tourist arrivals halved in 2020
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded slightly over three million arrivals of domestic and foreign tourists in 2020, down by almost 51% on 2019, as a surge in domestic tourism failed to offset the collapse in foreign tourist arrivals. Slovenian tourist accommodation facilities saw a 21% increase in domestic arrivals, whereas the arrivals of foreign tourists were down by 74%.
Slovenia's budget deficit at EUR 3.5bn last year, show preliminary data
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had a budget deficit of EUR 3.5 billion last year, according to preliminary data from the Finance Ministry, which is considerably below the deficit predicted in the annual budget. Total budget revenue declined by just over 10% year-on-year to EUR 9.08 billion, whereas expenditure surged by nearly 27% to EUR 12.56 billion.
Taxes and levies down 7% in 2020 due to epidemic
LJUBLJANA - The Financial Administration (FURS) collected EUR 16.3 billion in taxes and other levies last year, according to preliminary data, which is EUR 1.3 billion or 7.3% less than the year before. Virtually all types of revenue were down, mainly because of measures related to the epidemic.
Petrol group expects to nearly double its 2019 profit by 2025
LJUBLJANA - The supervisors of energy company Petrol approved the group's strategy for 2021-2025. By the end of the period the group expects earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to stand at EUR 336 million, and net profit at EUR 180 million. The group plans to invest EUR 698 million by 2025, with more than 35% of the funds intended for energy transition.
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