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This summary is provided by the STA:
Officers from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland to help police border with Croatia
LJUBLJANA - Police officers from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland will join Slovenian officers in patrolling the border with Croatia from Monday, the Interior Ministry announced. Five officers from Estonia, six from Lithuania and ten from Poland will initially arrive under memorandums of understanding that Slovenia has signed with these countries. The joint patrols will be led by Slovenian police. The ministry said preliminary briefings had been organised at which the guest officers were acquainted with the current situation on the border and their powers in accordance with the law.
Janša says best social policy is job creation
PORTO, Portigal - PM Janez Janša said as he arrived at the Porto Social Summit, where EU leaders debate the European Pillar of Social Rights, that the best social policy was the policy of creating new, well-paid jobs. Such a social policy demands an education system that not only gives the young a lot of know-how but foremost teaches them what to pick from the knowledge available today and how to use this knowledge in an innovative way, he said. EU leaders will hold an informal summit on Saturday to adopt a special statement, in what is the first live summit of EU leaders since the December 2020 summit.
Tonin meets Stoltenberg to discuss defence investments
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Matej Tonin presented to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Slovenia's defence reforms, plans to raise defence spending, and investments into the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) with the focus on meeting the country's commitments towards NATO. Tonin told Stoltenberg in Brussels that SAF can count on EUR 780 million in 2021-2026 for investments to get modernised, the Defence Ministry said. He outlined Slovenia's plans to increase defence spending to 1.5% of the country's GDP in 2024. Stoltenberg welcomed the ministry and government's achievements over the past year, stressing the role of continuing with the positive trends in meeting obligations and sharing burdens. The pair also discussed NATO-EU cooperation and the priorities of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency in defence.
Logar, Kaiser talk current topics, future cooperation projects
KLAGENFURT, Austria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Governor of Carinthia Peter Kaiser met to discuss a number of topics, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the situation of the Slovenian minority in Austria and the German-speaking community in Slovenia. They also talked about the priorities of the upcoming Slovenian EU presidency. Kaiser described the meeting as a friendly talk oriented towards the future, and Logar added that Slovenia and Austria were "partner countries with significant trade in goods and services".
Speaker yet to decide on resignation amid speculation about hung parliament
LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič expressed surprise after the ruling coalition voted against his proposal for the vote on their proposal for his dismissal to be held as early as next Wednesday, which would be the first possible date. The three coalition parties put forward a motion for Zorčič's dismissal on Thursday after presenting him with an ultimatum the day before that he resign or be dismissed, but rejected his today's proposal to put the motion to vote next week. Zorčič also said he had not yet decided whether he might step down himself as there was more than enough time for him to do so.
Constitutional Court upholds Sunday shopping ban
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ruled the legislative amendments that ban most shops from being open on Sundays is not in contravention of the constitution as claimed by several retail companies. In a unanimous decision, it held that the right to free enterprise invoked by the petitioners may be limited if a public interest such as protection of health is proven. The court also threw out a petition to examine provisions on fines of between EUR 1,000 and 100,000 for companies and sole proprietors that violate working time rules. The decision was welcomed by the opposition Left, which had petitioned the court, with the Chamber of Commerce (TZS) saying it will be respected.
STA director announces legal action against prime minister
LJUBLJANA - STA director Bojan Veselinovič announced legal action against PM Janez Janša after he implied on Twitter that Veselinovič had been involved in the "murder" of a former STA editor-in-chief more than a decade ago. What Janša wrote exceeds all boundaries, Veselinovič told the TV Slovenija current affairs show Tarča on Thursday evening. The decision comes after Janša wrote on Twitter: "Incredible for 21st century EU that an accomplice in the murder of a journalist still leads the STA and gets EUR 8,500 per month." Veselinovič will press criminal charges as a private plaintiff and lodge a civil defamation suit, an announcement to which Janša responded by tweeting: "Finally. Bullying a journalist who then died must get a closure in court."
Energy sector facing huge challenge in green transition
LJUBLJANA - As debate continues in Slovenia on a coal phaseout strategy, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said it will be a huge challenge for the Slovenia energy industry to make up for the loss of key sources of energy while having to meet growing needs. The debate, hosted by the upper chamber of parliament, comes amid growing concerns that due to rising costs of emission coupons, Slovenia could be forced to close down coal-fired power station TEŠ even earlier than in 2033, while the Krško nuclear power plant will close in 2023 if it does not get an environment permit for a 20-year extenstion. "This means we'll lose more than two-thirds of the production sources. At the same time we must set off those losses and increase our production by 50% due to increased consumption," he said.
Motion to impeach Janša on parliament's agenda in 10 days
LJUBLJANA - MPs will vote on an impeachment motion against PM Janez Janša at a parliamentary session starting on Monday, 17 May, the college of deputy leaders decided. The motion was filed in early April by the centre-left opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), which accuse Janša of violating several articles of the constitution and laws, pertaining to healthcare, media, prosecution and human and constitutional rights.
Pahor proposes Ilešič for another term at Court of the EU
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor proposed that the National Assembly appoint Marko Ilešič the Slovenian judge at the Court of the EU in Luxembourg for another term. The president's office said Ilešič was a "respected long-serving justice of the Court of the EU". A public presentation of the candidacy is scheduled for Monday.
Zorčič and Lenarčič highlight European values, media freedom ahead of Europe Day
LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič and European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič spoke about the importance of common European values, democracy, the rule of law and media freedom as they marked Europe Day. Zorčič pointed out that the ideas that led to the unification of Europe, particularly solidarity, are still important today. Lenarčič stressed that being European means belonging to a community based on shared values, especially democracy, human rights and the rule of law, but also solidarity.
606 coronavirus infections on Thursday, three deaths
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 606 coronavirus infections for Thursday, a drop of 36% on the same day a week ago, to push the 7-day average down further to 680. Three Covid-19 patients died. Government data show that 4,029 PCR tests were performed yesterday, of which 15% came back positive. The situation at hospitals keeps improving after 52 Covid-19 patients were discharged yesterday, reducing hospitalisations by 13 to 538. But ICU cases rose by two to 141. The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is at 440.5.
UKC Maribor hospital gets new head
MARIBOR - The council of UKC Maribor, the country's second largest hospital, appointed Anton Crnjac as the hospital's new director. Crnjac, who has already served as the medical director, was the only candidate for the post. If endorsed by the government, he will succeed Vojsko Flis, whose term ends on 19 June and did not run for another term. Crnjac was backed in a 10:1 vote. The council's head Kazimir Miksić said Crnjac was a top expert and a manager who knew the hospital's problems and possible solutions.
Mladina under investigation for running classified recovery plan
LJUBLJANA - The weekly Mladina has been been asked by police to provide information on how it got hold of classified documents revealing the content of the draft National Recovery and Resilience Plan which the magazine published on its website in February. It was after this that the government decided to declassify the document in late February, something the opposition had long been calling for. Mladina considers the investigation an attempt to intimidate it.
Slovenia below EU average in reducing CO2 emissions
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia was below the EU average in terms of its reduction in CO2 emissions last year. Preliminary data show that the EU average was at 10%, whereas Slovenia managed to cut CO2 emissions by 6%, Eurostat has reported. The overall reduction in the EU and in member states is attributed mostly to measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, which significantly slowed down economic activity.
Slovenia's Uroš Seljak wins Gruber Prize in Cosmology
NEW HAVEN, US - Uroš Seljak, a Slovenian physicist, cosmologist and astronomy professor at the University of California, Berkeley is among the recipients of this year's Gruber Prize in Cosmology. Seljak will share the US$500,000 prize with his colleagues Marc Kamionowski of Johns Hopkins University from Baltimore and Matias Zaldarriga of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. The accolade honours their contribution in developing methods of key importance for studying the creation of the universe which date back to 1997, when the trio worked on the cosmic microwave background and radiation from the primordial plasma.
