Logar condemns retaliatory sanctions by China
BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar condemned sanctions imposed by China in retaliation for the EU's sanctions for its treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. China introduced sanctions against EU individuals including a member of Slovenia's permanent representation to the EU, according to Logar. "We find this action completely unacceptable and not favourable for future relations between the EU and China."
Janša says Sputnik vaccine in short supply
LJUBLJANA - Appearing in questions time in parliament, Prime Minister Janez Janša said that even if Slovenia opted to register the Sputnik V vaccine past the European Medicines Agency (EMA), a domestic registration procedure would take longer than EMA's. And given that the Russian vaccine is in short supply, there is no guarantee the country would get it. As for Sputnik's potential production in Slovenia, he said it would probably not have an impact on stopping the epidemic in the first half of 2021.
PM Janša to hold virtual meeting with von der Leyen on Thursday
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša will speak to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen virtually on Thursday, it was decided after the EU summit in Brussels was shifted online due to the worsening coronavirus pandemic. Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti meanwhile not take part in a discussion on the media scheduled in the European Parliament either.
290 coronavirus cases on Sunday for 7-day average of 820
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 290 coronavirus cases yesterday, the highest Sunday case count since early February, to push the 7-day average up to 820 from 808 the day before, government data show. Four patients with Covid-19 died. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose to 494 with 94 now in intensive care. Data released by the National Institute of Public Health put the Covid death toll at 4,258. Out of a total of 206,317 coronavirus cases, 10,617 are estimated to be active.
Two regions see easing of restrictions
LJUBLJANA - Bars and restaurants in the Primorsko-Notranjska region are allowed to serve customers outdoors from today, having been promoted to tier yellow to join Posavje and South-East Slovenia, but only a few in fact opened due to fear of new closures, a possibility recently mentioned by the head of the government Covid-19 advisory group, Mateja Logar. Stores in Obalno-Kraška, which moved from red tier to orange, are allowed to reopen provided staff get tested weekly.
Govt to check EU prosecutor appointment procedure
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša told MPS that the procedure to select and appoint candidates for delegated EU prosecutors was "unusual" and that it relegated the government to the role of "mail carrier". He said the government was examining the procedure and did not exclude the possibility of changing the law since the Constitution determines Slovenia is represented externally by the government, and not by the State Prosecutors' Council or the Justice Ministry.
Slovenia joins non-paper on Bosnia-Herzegovina
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia and five other EU member states presented at a session of the EU foreign ministers a non-paper on Bosnia-Herzegovina urging the EU to retain a focus on the country. The Foreign Ministry said Slovenia had joined the initiative on Bosnia-Herzegovina and its progress towards the EU on 9 March. The Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Greek foreign ministers have also sent a letter, with the non paper enclosed, to High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell.
Slovenia supports EU's strategic autonomy concept
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is in favour of the concept of strategic autonomy in the EU as an opportunity to reduce the bloc's reliance on third-country suppliers, but this must be balanced against the need for an open economy and compliance with the rules of free trade, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek told an informal session of EU ministers for competitiveness. "If we wish to introduce targeted and proportionate measures to eliminate such dependence, it is also necessary to strengthen dialogue with industry," Počivalšek said.
Left with new initiative for military investments referendum
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left is working on a new referendum initiative for purchases for the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) after the top court stayed a EUR 780 million military investments law pending its final decision. The Left believes the government is trying to bypass the Constitutional Court's decision with amendments to the 2021 and 2022 budgets implementation act which would allow for long-term financing of SAF investments in line with the long-term programme of army development and mid-term defence programme.
Janša rejects criticism regarding government communication
LJUBLJANA - The head of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) deputy group, Janja Sluga, said during questions time in parliament that the anti-coronavirus measures would have been more efficient if government representatives had been able to communicate them better. PM Janez Janša replied it was "a little bit off to listen to advice on communication from the chair of the deputy group of a party with a one-percent approval rating to the prime minister and the president of a party that has thirty times higher ratings."
Pahor meets ethnic minority reps from Italy
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor met representatives of the Slovenian minority in Italy to discuss the progress in the restitution of National Hall in Trieste to the minority and the minority's efforts for political representation at the national level. The representatives believe that all events held on 13 July 2020 have had a very positive impact on relations between the majority population and the minority, his office said.
World Water Day hears calls for protection of watercourses
LJUBLJANA - On World Water Day, experts and officials stressed the importance of waters and the need to protect Slovenia's abundance of water sources for future generations, especially in the light of proposed changes to the waters act that would loosen the rules for water protection areas. President Borut Pahor, parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič and Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina were among those who called against rash solutions that could jeopardise the constitutional right to clean drinking water.
Beekeepers against EU lowering bee protection standards
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Beekeeper's Association urged the government to reject any EU proposal to lower protection standards for honey bees or other pollinators. The beekeepers fear this could happen as part of the EU's revision of guidelines on risk assessment of pesticides, which will be examined by the standing committee for plants, animals, food and feed at the European Commission this week.
Science institute worried about attacks on STA
LJUBLJANA - The ZRC SAZU, the Scientific and Research Centre at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, expressed concern about escalating attacks on the STA, urging by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) to stop threatening and financially starving the wire service. It noted the significance of the STA's reporting on science and research, as commercial media treat science as marginal because they do not attract many readers, viewers, listeners or clicks. UKOM denied the allegations and rejected the notion the government had ever interfered with the agency's editorial independence.
Hisense Gorenje hiring additional workers as orders grow
VELENJE - Household appliance maker Gorenje, a part of the Chinese group Hisense, is reporting increasing orders and is hiring additional workers, mostly at the newly opened TV plant. The plant in Velenje, where production of TV sets was launched in January, already has 750 employees, and an additional 50 will be employed in April. The company said it was also hiring additional workers for the household appliance plant.
Ljubljana Castle funicular up and running again
LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Castle funicular resumed operation after a five-month break. For a ride passengers need to produce a negative coronavirus test taken within the past seven days, a certificate of vaccination, or a certificate of having recovered from Covid-19 not older than six months. One of the city's most popular sights, Ljubljana Castle saw its visitor numbers fall by 77% to 314,000 last year due to lockdown and the funicular saw a 83% fall in passengers to 97,600.
