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This summary is provided by the STA:
Janša, Macron discuss cooperation during EU presidency
PARIS, France - Prime Minister Janez Janša met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the countries' successive presidencies of the Council of the EU. Macron said coordination was needed because of the extraordinary circumstances in which the two countries will hold the presidency. Janša said the countries shared views on most issues within the EU, noting the two countries had signed an agreement on strategic partnership ten years ago. Bilateral relations and regional issues were also on the agenda, especially in the Western Balkans and the EU's neighbourhood.
EU Commission approves EUR 2.5 million state funding for STA
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission announced it had approved, under EU state aid rules, EUR 2.5 million granted by Slovenia to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) in compensation to fulfil its public service mission. Margrethe Vestager, the Commission vice-president for competition policy, said the decision would enable the STA to continue deliver its important public service, while Vera Jourova, the Commission vice-president for values and transparency, urged for the funding for the STA to be "unlocked as soon as possible for the agency to continue its public service". PM Janez Janša said the decision referred to the funds that had already been paid out, which STA director Bojan Veselinovič described as a lie. The STA has been without state funding for its public service since the beginning of the year.
Černač says recovery plan will focus on most affected segments
LJUBLJANA - Presenting the national recovery and resilience plan, Development Minister Zvonko Černač noted that the focus would be on kick-starting the activities and social systems that have been restricted and affected by the crisis. The plan envisages EUR 2.5 billion worth of measures, with Slovenia counting on EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 666 million in loans. 43% or more than EUR 1 billion is intended for green goals and 20% or more than EUR 330 million for digital goals. As for the lower than available amount of loans, he assured the public that funds would be secured elsewhere. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said it wanted to see more grant funds. The opposition is meanwhile critical of the plan, saying it lacks environmental investments.
SAF Force Commander being promoted to maj-gen
LJUBLJANA - The government gave its go-ahead on Wednesday for Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc, the force commander of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), to be promoted to the rank of major general. He will be formally promoted by President Borut Pahor as the commander in chief. Chief of the General Staff Robert Glavaš was promoted to the rank of major general in December 2020, to join another two active generals in the Slovenian army, both ex-chiefs of the general staff.
Govt proposes compensation for relatives of independence war victims
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted changes to three acts dealing with war victims on Wednesday, proposing, among other things, EUR 100,000 lump-sum compensation be paid out to around 20 children who lost a parent to the 1991 independence efforts. Amendments to the acts on war disability, victims of war aggression, and special rights of victims of the 1991 Slovenian War of Independence are proposed to be fast-tracked in parliament to provide legal protection to those who lost a parent, spouse or descendant in the 1991 war.
Slovenia to host conference on population ageing during EU presidency
LJUBLJANA - Marking the European Day of Solidarity between Generations, the Labour Ministry announced that Slovenia would host a conference focussing on population ageing during its coming presidency of the Council of the EU. The conference will particularly stress the importance of intergenerational solidarity and cooperation, the ministry said. Slovenia is projected to become one of the countries with the highest share of the elderly in Europe in the coming decades, which is why it plans to host the conference.
Memorial marks 30th anniversary of key DEMOS meeting
BRDO PRI KRANJU - A memorial marking the 30th anniversary of a key meeting of the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS), at which its members committed to realising the will expressed in the Slovenian independence referendum, was unveiled on Wednesday at the Brdo estate. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Janez Janša, former Prime Minister in the DEMOS government Lojze Peterle and former Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, among others.
Over 900 coronavirus cases reported for Wednesday
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its daily coronavirus count tick up again week-on-week after declining on Tuesday bank holiday. It logged 918 new infections on Wednesday, and six deaths, government data show. The positivity rate was 23.3%, the highest rate since 9 April. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 15 to 636 despite 59 patients being discharged yesterday. The number of patients in intensive care rose by two to 157. The 7-day average of new cases rose to 632. According to the NIJZ, there are now 9,284 active cases in the country.
Slovenia supports plans for EU's future financial development
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a meeting of ministers in charge of development cooperation, discussing the EU's future financial development architecture. They called for more cooperation among financial institutions, noting that no major systemic changes were necessary, the Foreign Ministry said. According to Raščan, enhanced cooperation among all development stakeholders of the EU law is the way to a more efficient development policy of the EU.
Survey unemployment down slightly to 4.8% in March
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's survey unemployment rate stood at 4.8% in March, down 0.1 of a percentage point from February and up 0.3 of a point compared to the same month last year. The Statistics Office estimates that around 50,000 people aged between 15 and 74 were jobless in Slovenia in March, of whom 48% were men and 52% women. Among men, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, and for women it was 5.4%.
Iberia to fly between Madrid and Ljubljana in August
MADRID, Spain - Spanish airline Iberia will operate a Ljubljana-Madrid route this summer, after its social media followers chose Ljubljana in an online campaign. In August, it will be flying between Spain and Slovenia twice a week. This was the first time that Iberia asked its social media followers about their preferences. The users of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter chose Ljubljana from among seven destinations, with the Slovenian capital receiving 38% of the votes.
AGRFT finally almost fully under one roof
LJUBLJANA - The Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) finally has most of its departments under one roof, having recently relocated to the former building of the Faculty of Chemistry in Aškerčeva Street in an EUR 18 million refurbishment project that is just about to be finalised. The academy will also keep the premises in Trubarjeva Street. Spanning 4,000 sq metres, the new premises feature several theatre halls, a dance hall and a room for theatre singing classes.
Beti Bricelj featured in Royal Scottish Academy's exhibition
EDINBURGH, UK - Slovenian visual artist Beti Bricelj has been selected to participate in the 195th annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. Bricelj is being featured with a piece from her FlatCube series, which she has been working on since 2017. The most extensive modern art and architecture exhibition in Scotland is being held this year in the digital form. It opened on 2 April and is on display until 30 May.
Balcony art campaigning for live culture events
MARIBOR/NOVA GORICA - Brief balcony performances were held at five minutes to noon in a pro-culture campaign initiated by the Narodni Dom Maribor arts centre in Maribor, Nova Gorica and some other towns to point to the dire situation in culture because of coronavirus restrictions. The organisers of the campaign, which featured 25 cultural institutions, want to stand up to what they see as measures that have been proven to make no sense, and ad-hoc solutions intended only to mislead the public while increasing the distress of the cultural sector.
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