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This summary is provided by the STA:
President Pahor plans to call general election for 24 April
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced plans to call the general election for 24 April, the earliest possible date for a scheduled election. The presidential decree to that effect will be signed in February. Speaker Igor Zorčič welcomed the news but said that given the situation in the country, a snap election would be better. Similarly, the centre-left opposition parties would want the election to be held early, but the ruling coalition parties are happy with the date picked by Pahor.
Legal provision that formed basis for closure of businesses during lockdown struck down
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court struck down a provision of the infectious diseases act that formed the legal basis for the closure of businesses during lockdowns. It gave the National Assembly two months to amend the act in line with its decision. In the intervening time, a different provision of the act can be invoked. The court held that the challenged provision of article 39 of the act of gave the government too much leeway in deciding on when and how long to keep businesses closed, arguing that such decisions should be adopted on the basis of laws, not implementing regulations.
Parts of Judicial Council act declared unconstitutional
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ruled in a procedure initiated at the request of the Supreme Court that parts of the Judicial Council act are unconstitutional. The court held that the regulations on disciplinary procedure, when it is initiated by the Judicial Council, do not meet the standards of objective impartiality because members of the Judicial Council can act as members of the disciplinary court.
Pahor calls for EU unity in address to diplomats
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor addressed a meeting of foreign diplomats accredited to Slovenia, calling for strengthening the EU's unity and stability. Pahor also repeated his appeal for the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkan countries as soon as possible. The reception for the diplomatic corps was hosted by its doyen Jean-Marie Speich, the apostolic nuncio to Slovenia, to mark the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence and its second presidency of the EU.
Janša receives European church dignitaries
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša met with representatives of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the EU and the Conference of European Churches. They discussed the global role of the EU, religious freedom and the ongoing pandemic. They exchanged views on the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency, recovery from the pandemic, resilience in the light of possible future crises, values and religious freedom in the EU and beyond.
Over 3,770 new coronavirus infections confirmed on Thursday
LJUBLJANA - A total of 3,771 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday for a positivity rate of almost 38%. This pushed the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents up by 85 to 1,603. Government data shows the number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 increased to 761, with 177 of them now being treated in intensive care. Thirteen patients with Covid-19 died. To prepare for an influx of new patients, the Health Ministry and hospital directors agreed to increase the number of Covid beds to 1,200 regular and 300 ICU beds.
Long queues at Covid jab centres
NOVA GORICA/MARIBOR/BREŽICE - Long queues have been forming outside vaccination centres since the government gave the go-ahead to those who have been fully vaccinated using vector-based vaccines to get a booster dose at least two months after their latest jab. Some places have been faced with temporary vaccine shortages. The Ajdovščina Health Centre run out of the Pfizer vaccine, while the Nova Gorica Community Health Centre reported "enormous" demand for vaccination. UKC Maribor, the second largest medical centre in the country, also recorded growing demand for Covid-19 vaccines this week.
Party peer says up to Vizjak to clarify his statements
LJUBLJANA - Danijel Krivec, the head of the deputy group of the ruling Democratic Party (SDS), declined to comment on the statements made by his party colleague Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak, in a leaked 2007 conversation with businessman Bojan Petan. He said everyone should answer for their own statements. He expected Vizjak will "clarify things" appropriately. Meanwhile, the Judicial Council condemned Vizjak's comment on the tape about the government "squeezing a judge's balls" as "utterly inappropriate and abject".
Police officials deny allegations of political interference
LJUBLJANA - Former police commissioners Andrej Jurič in Anton Travner, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Petra Grah Lazar and her predecessor Andrej Lamberger denied allegations of political interference in the work and staffing in the force as they were heard by a parliamentary inquiry dealing with the issue. The hearing focused on appointments and reassignments of NBI investigators and of dismissed senior police officials to newly-established task forces located at the Police Academy.
GAS endorses merger with SMC, decentralisation main goal
GROSUPLJE - The non-parliamentary Economically Active Party (GAS), led by National Council President Alojz Kovšca, endorsed a merger with the junior coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), which okayed the merger in September. Kovšca said the main fields of interest were decentralisation, lean state and debureaucratisation. The GAS proposes that the merged party be named Free Choice, as a "symbolic message to voters that you don't necessarily have to be on the left or the right, that you have the possibility of choice."
Debate agrees Slovenia will need nuclear energy
LJUBLJANA - A debate on Slovenia's energy future hosted by President Borut Pahor showed the general view among experts was that the country would need to resort to all carbon-free sources of energy, including nuclear, to meet its energy needs. The participants also favour holding a referendum on nuclear energy. Robert Golob, CEO of electricity trader GEN-I, proposed for such a referendum to be called during the first year of a new government after the election.
Online retailer Mimovrste acquired by Allegro of Poland
LJUBLJANA - Mimovrste, Slovenia's largest online retailer, has been acquired by Polish shopping platform Allegro. The latter bought Mall Group, which owns Mimovrste and WE/DO, from PPF, EC Investments and Rockaway Capitaly. Mimovrste said the planned merger of Allegro, Mall Group and WE|DO would strengthen its status of a leading online market place and a platform for buyers and retailers in Central and Eastern Europe.
NLB proposes additional dividend of EUR 3.37 per share
LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest listed bank, proposed an additional dividend of EUR 3.37 gross per share to be paid in December after the expiry in September of the central bank's restrictions on the payout of bank profits. Shareholders will vote on the proposal at a general meeting scheduled for 16 December. The ex-dividend date would be 22 December. The payout would total EUR 67.4 million.
Utility companies welcome new environmental protection bill
LJUBLJANA - The environmental protection bill endorsed by the government yesterday will enable the urgently needed regulation on waste management and address the important matter of extended producer responsibility, the public utilities section of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said. The bill is seen as the first step towards ending the dysfunctional producer responsibility system in Slovenia, which has resulted in piles of uncollected waste that should have been tackled by waste management companies.
Janković pleads not guilty in tax evasion case
LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković entered a not guilty plea at an arraignment hearing at the Ljubljana District Court in a case of tax evasion concerning the sale of retailer Mercator shares in 2006. His two sons also pleaded not guilty but they did not attend the hearing. Janković is charged with tax evasion in the sale of Mercator shares to the company Electa Inženiring, owned by his sons. The trial is scheduled to start on 7 December.
Bažato Gallery launched in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - A new gallery called the Bažato Gallery was launched in Ljubljana on Thursday evening with an exhibition by the artist Ivo Prančič. The gallery's programme will consist of a series of solo, group and thematic exhibitions by artists of different generations, and productions of different artistic approaches. Curator Nina Jeza said the gallery would seek "to become a hub for contemporary artistic practices and to present diverse, informative and inspiring art".
