STA, 29 June 2022 - MPs rejected on Wednesday the Democrats' (SDS) motion for a referendum on the opposition party's own legislative proposal to scrap the compulsory subscription fee for public broadcaster RTV Slovenija. Also voted down was the SDS's proposal to have the government as opposed to parliament appoint the state's supervisors at the STA.

The RTVS motion for a consultative referendum, put forward with the argument that the broadcaster had lost up to 250,000 viewers in the past decade and that people should decide on their own if and how much subscription to pay, was rejected in a 54:28 vote.

While the SDS and the fellow opposition New Slovenia (NSi) argued the EUR 12.75 monthly fee was higher in Slovenia than in some other European countries and the efficacy of RTVS poorer, the Culture Ministry warned the changes sentinelled significant financial consequences and would prevent the provision of information in line with public interest.

The government labelled the referendum proposal unacceptable, saying the aim of the idea's proponents was to financially ruin the public broadcaster.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly also rejected the SDS's proposal for changes to the act on the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

In line with the changes, the government and no longer parliament would appoint four of the STA's supervisors, while the changes would also affect rules governing the agency's income from copyrighted photos.

MPs voted 54:22 against the proposal, with the coalition arguing that it ran counter to its commitment for changes to media legislation that would reduce political influence, boost the independence of public media and secure stable funding for content that is in public interest.

The government had moreover argued that the proposal was not based on studies concerning the agency's execution of its public service and market activities and lacked an assessment of the impact, especially on the STA's financial situation.

A number of other opposition-filed legislation proposals were rejected in parliament today, including an SDS motion addressing rules on the awarding of public licences to pharmacies deemed unconstitutional in some respects by the Constitutional Court.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

SSH supervisors and CEO Žlak agree on early termination of service

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) and CEO Janez Žlak reached an agreement on early termination of service, the SSH said in a press release. Žlak's term will expire on 31 August, allowing undisturbed operations and decision-making, the press release said. The supervisors thanked Žlak for a job well done and also asked the relevant nomination commission to launch procedures for the appointment of a new CEO. They also reviewed portfolio management results for the first quarter of 2022, which show that the profitability of portfolio was at 3.7%, two percentage points lower than in the same period last year.

Marta Kos Freedom Movement's candidate for president

LJUBLJANA - Marta Kos, vice-president of the Freedom Movement, officially announced her bid for the presidency of the republic. The first of the candidates so far to run with the support of a parliamentary party, Kos said she was "proud to be a representative of the progressive forces that restored people's dignity and hope for the future after two difficult years of backwardness." She said she would be unlike Borut Pahor, the incumbent who eschewed the role of moral authority. Prime Minister Robert Golob said it was time to "change how the office of the president is performed."

Institute of Public Health now in charge of pandemic management

LJUBLJANA - A new advisory group for Covid-19 at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) has been formed, a move that Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan said meant the management of the pandemic has now been taken over by experts. The group will be headed by Mario Fafangel, the head of the NIJZ centre for communicable diseases, and features health professionals as well as an anthropologist, a communications expert, a mathematician and a sanitary engineer. Unlike during the previous government, the advisory group will work with the Health Ministry and if a ministry decision is different than what the group recommended, this will be clearly communicated, according to Bešič Loredan.

PM and FM affirm Slovenia's commitments to NATO

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon affirmed Slovenia's commitments to NATO ahead of their departure for Madrid where the NATO summit is starting. Holding separate press conferences on various topics, they both confirmed that radical changes in Slovenia's defence and foreign policies were not to be expected. Asked about whether Slovenia will talk the potential withdrawal from the purchase of 45 Boxer APCs, Golob said that "defence matters are not debated in front of the media".

Govt approves NATO accession protocols for Sweden and Finland

LJUBLJANA - The government approved motions for Slovenia to sign the NATO accession protocols of Sweden and Finland. A session of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee was called for Wednesday morning to discuss the two motions, the Government Communications Office said. The approval was given in a correspondence session just as a three-day NATO summit was starting. It is expected that the protocols will be signed there.

EU Commissioner nods to Slovenian MEPs on Austria's border checks

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson responded on Monday to a public letter from five Slovenian MEPs on Austria's decision to extend controls at the border with Slovenia, according to a document received by the STA. In her reply, she agreed with the EU court that such checks can only be a measure of last resort and should be introduced for a limited period of time. She is determined to assess all options to reinstate an area without border checks among Schengen countries.

Slovenia pleased with Council conclusions on energy

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer welcomed agreements on general approaches to the directives on renewable energy and energy efficiency that energy ministers reached as part of the Fit for 55 package. "The agreements are a way for the EU to accelerate the achievement of its objectives," he said. "The EU must address challenges united, accelerate decarbonisation and diversification of energy sources in light of the Russian aggression on Ukraine, and respond properly to the energy price hikes," Kumer was quoted as saying by the ministry.

Minister holds online talks with Slovenians in Germany, US

LJUBLJANA - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon held online meetings with representatives of Slovenian associations in Germany and the US. He invited all of them to actively participate in the European Capital of Culture 2025 project and announced regular meetings on a monthly basis. Under the cultural project, which will be co-held by Slovenia and will provide opportunities for business cooperation, the largest gathering of the Slovenian diaspora, minorities and Slovenians who live in their homeland will take place, the minister announced.

Top court rejects Janša appeal against statute-barring of Patria case

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by former PM Janez Janša against the statute barring of the Patria defence deal bribery case. While Janša felt denied a chance to prove his innocence, the top court claims he had no legal interest, as statute barring is fully equivalent to an acquittal, meaning he is considered innocent. Publishing the ruling, Janša said: "After more than 15 years of the Patria saga the caricature of Slovenian rule of law ended with the pronouncement of innocence".

Covid cases surging, hospital numbers remain low

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia continues to record an increase in coronavirus cases as new cases hit a two-month high of 1,222 on Monday, up by more than 44% in a week. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid as their primary condition remains broadly flat, with 30 in hospital this morning, of which eight in intensive care. Mario Fafangel, the head of the centre for communicable diseases at the National Institute of Public Health, said that the situation was "serious and has to be monitored, but it is not as horrible as it may seem."

Men's handball team gets wild card for World Championship

LJUBLJANA - After failing to qualify for the 2023 Men's Handball World Championship, the Slovenian national team will get to play at the tournament hosted by Sweden and Poland after all, courtesy of a special invitation from the International Handball Federation (IHF). The IHF picked Slovenia along with the Netherlands among five European wild card applicants in a decision that is hailed by Slovenian Handball Association head Franjo Bobinac as a major honour.

STA, 28 June 2022 - The Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal by former PM Janez Janša against the statute barring of the Patria defence deal bribery case. While Janša felt denied a chance to prove his innocence, the top court claims he had no legal interest, as statute barring is fully equivalent to an acquittal, meaning he is considered innocent.

Janša, whose 2013 conviction for bribery in a 2006 tender won by Finnish defence contractor Patria was quashed by the Constitutional Court in April 2015 and sent into retrial that later became statute barred, published the ruling on Tuesday.

He wrote on Twitter that "After more than 15 years of the Patria saga the caricature of Slovenian rule of law ended with the pronouncement of innocence".

Po več kot 15. letih sage o #PATRIA je slovenska karikatura pravne države končala zadevo z razglasitvijo nedolžnosti. @UstavnoSodisce po dolgem oklevanju zavrglo našo pritožbo zoper zastaranje in sporočilo, da ima njihova odločitev enake pravne posledice kot oprostilna sodba. pic.twitter.com/Fj6ZwEzaNl

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) June 28, 2022

Janša, who had already spent 145 days in jail before a retrial was ordered, had appealed the 2016 Supreme Court ruling, which had upheld the view of the Higher Court from November 2015 that Janša could not appeal a decision that was in his favour.

The Supreme Court also argued that statute barring the case, involving a deal worth EUR 278 million and Janša's alleged accepting of a promise of a bribe for which no direct evidence was presented, is fully equivalent to an acquittal or a case dismissal.

Moreover, while nodding to Janša about the case actually falling under the statute later than claimed by the first instance court in September 2015, the Supreme Court argued this would still have happened before a retrial could end and would thus change nothing.

Janša meanwhile claimed violations had occurred of the articles of the constitution on equal protection of rights, the right to justice, the right to a remedy and the principle of legality in criminal law.

STA, 27 June 2022 - The coronavirus pandemic and new legislation related to absenteeism have exacerbated a little discussed issue that the public health insurance fund says demands urgent attention. Faced with a continuing rise in the share and amount of sick leave costs it is having to bear, the ZZZS is urging change, in particular for long-term absences.

While the healthcare spotlight has mostly been on the long waiting lines for treatments and the debate on how much privatisation should be tolerated in the sector, the ZZZS has seen absenteeism costs born by it rise from EUR 225 million in 2013 to EUR 315 million in 2017, then to EUR 442 million in 2020 and to EUR 498 million in 2021.

The figures recorded by June have the ZZZS speaking of the possibility of exceeding EUR 700 million this year, which is partly the result of pandemic restrictions that continued into this year and legislative changes introduced last year.

The changes shortened the number of sick leave days covered by employers from the first 30 days to the first 20 days, which means the ZZZS shoulders the costs sooner. What is more, the maximum number of sick leave days in a year covered by employers has been reduced from 120 to 80 days. Anything beyond that is borne by the ZZZS.

A look at 2021 shows employers covering a total 807,278 sick leave absences amounting to 5,745,668 days, while the ZZZS bore the costs of 551,539 absences totalling 8,438,690 days.

The share of work days lost to sickness in the total number of work days rose by 0.6 percentage points in 2021 to 5.1%, with the share covered by the ZZZS rising from 2.6% to 3%.

While the average duration of absence due to sickness or injury was about 11 days in the past two years, the ZZZS had to cover all the costs stemming from mandatory isolation due to the epidemic.

The fund is meanwhile noting costs will also continue to rise because of the relatively high employment rate, later retirement, the absence of a cap on the number of paid sick leave days, and the lacking coordination of procedures ascertaining temporary and permanent work disability.

The ZZZS argues Slovenia's legislation governing long-term sick leave absences is at odds with those in modern European countries, "where the duration of sick leave is usually limited to one year".

Highlighting ongoing absences that began as far back as 2009, it notes that the tendency to continue extending absences due to sickness or injury as opposed to applying for disability status is also driven by compensation in the former case being higher.

The ZZZS says the aim of future systemic measures should be to preserve the working capacity of insured persons. The key challenges include rapid reintegration in the work process, which can be achieved with effective vocational rehabilitation, workplace adaptation, earlier and more active involvement of employers and the occupational health profession.

The fund sees the need to reorganise the right to sick leave compensation in a way comparable to other European countries, to raise awareness with workers about their responsibility for their health and with employers about the need for a safe and healthy working environment.

It demands a reform of disability legislation to speed up procedures, adequate disability benefits, a shift from focusing on the incapacity for work towards finding and recognising the work capacity that remains, and for a boosting of rehabilitation efforts.

STA, 28 June 2022 - Marta Kos, vice-president of the Freedom Movement, has officially announced her bid for the presidency of the republic. She will run as her party's candidate and hopes the two coalition partners will endorse her as well. 

The first of the candidates so far to run with the support of a parliamentary party, Kos said she was "proud to be a representative of the progressive forces that restored people's dignity and hope for the future after two difficult years of backwardness."

"I will be proud if I can continue to be a voice of a civil society that swears by solidarity, the common good, and civic courage," she said, adding that she would proudly represent Slovenia and restore its reputation in Europe and in international relations.

"We know what bothers, confuses and frightens us. The uncertain situation, the grating times, the cruel war. But we also know what we are capable of doing and how to win, we know how to be proud of a job well done, to trust in cooperation, gentle kindness as well as solidarity," she said.

Kos said she would be different than the incumbent, Borut Pahor, who has decided not to be a moral authority.

The party's president, Prime Minister Robert Golob, said it was time to "change how the office of the president is performed".

"We need a president who knows how to act as a moral compass ... we want a president who can tell what is right and what is wrong, regardless of who is in power; even if I am in power, we want the president as a corrective of the executive branch," according to Golob, who added it was high time for Slovenia to get a female president.

Born in 1965, Kos used to work as a TV journalist, including as foreign correspondent from Germany, before she led the Government Communications Office under the Janez Drnovšek government in 1997-1999, whereupon she first worked for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and then as a business coach.

In 2013 she was named ambassador to Germany and in 2017 she became the ambassador to Switzerland, a post from which she resigned in 2020 due to differences in views with the Janez Janša government.

Since then she has worked as a business coach in Switzerland, where she met her current partner.

When announcing her candidacy today, Kos expressed hope that the coalition partners Social Democrats (SD) and the Left would support her, but the parties have since said that they would be putting forward their own candidates.

SD head Tanja Fajon said the party would be discussing the presidential election on Monday, adding that given the party's history, tradition and its network it was only appropriate to run with a candidate of its own.

Matej Tašner Vatovec, the deputy group leader of the Left, meanwhile said that internal candidacy procedures were underway and that the party would announce its candidate once these were completed.

Kos is the third candidate to formally make the announcement after lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar and psychoanalyst Nina Krajnik. Siol news portal reported today that Anže Logar, the former foreign minister, will enter the race as well.

Moreover, musician Gregor Bezenšek, who runs a charitable foundation collecting funds for children requiring expensive treatments abroad, said today he will be announcing his candidacy next week.

 Quizzed about remarks that both her and Pirc Musar were targeting the same group of voters, Kos said that she respected all candidates. "We can all contribute to what has been lacking in Slovenia in recent years - political culture."

Indications that Kos would enter the race have led Milan Kučan, the formed president who endorsed Pirc Musar, to say it is not good if a single party controls the most important posts in the country.

Golob said these concerns were misguided. "I respect Mr. Kučan, but sometimes even he will put his foot in his mouth," he said.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Freedom Movement approves merger with LMŠ, SAB

LJUBLJANA - The senior coalition Freedom Movement approved with more than 90% of votes mergers with the non-parliamentary parties the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) in an online congress. This comes after members of the LMŠ and SAB had already given the green light for the merger. The merger is to be completed in the first half of July, while the first congress of the new party will be held before the local elections in autumn.

Bad bank replaces two executive directors

LJUBLJANA - The non-executive directors of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) dismissed Andrej Lazar and Kristina Šteblaj from their positions as BAMC executive directors and appointed Mitja Križaj and Žiga Pfeifer as acting executive directors to replace them. They will take up their posts on 1 July. Meanwhile, Matej Pirc remains an executive director. The replacements of BAMC executive directors are not unexpected, as they follow recent appointments among non-executive directors.

Psychoanalyst Krajnik enters presidential race

LJUBLJANA - Nina Krajnik, a philosopher and psychoanalyst, announced she is entering the presidential race. She will run as an independent but will accept endorsement by like-minded political parties. Krajnik says her politics is different since she is creating space for "everybody's truth and desire." Her desire is to connect people. "If we do not stand together during crisis, we are never together," she said. Little known before a recent TV interview and described by some as the first alt-right candidate, Krajnik has already been endorsed by some prominent figures on the right.

Govt plans to amend law on seizure of proceeds from crime

LJUBLJANA - The new government intends to amend legislation on the confiscation of proceeds from crime in a manner that will ensure a more effective confiscation of such assets. The plan also involves the creation of a special body that would better manage confiscated assets. The Justice Ministry told the STA that the key for effective confiscation of proceeds from crime was that it is secured in time and temporarily confiscated. The current legal basis is seen as sub-optimal.

PM meets NGOs to launch cooperation

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob met a number of NGOs, saying afterwards that the first step had been made toward a fruitful cooperation with the civil society. A government needs an active civil society because NGOs work among people and are able to address and resolve issues fast, the prime minister said. The meeting today agreed that the civil society will be invited to cooperate before legislative motions are filed in procedure.

Govt rating at 53% in POP TV poll

LJUBLJANA - The first monthly approval rating of the Robert Golob government stands at 53.1%, about eight points higher than the rating the Janez Janša government had right after it took office, according to a poll run by POP TV. Almost a third of respondents, 31.6%, oppose the current government, whereas just over 15% are undecided. The Freedom Movement polled at 28.4%, down almost two points on the month before, with the Democrats trailing at 18.9%, down almost a point.

Parliament discusses opposition bills, communicable diseases act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly started a week-long session dominated by several dozen bills the opposition tabled on the opening day of the new parliament. Government amendments to the communicable diseases act and the first parliamentary inquiry are on the agenda as well. While the coalition is expected to vote down all opposition bills, the long-awaited amendments to the communicable diseases act will be passed given that this was one of the pledges of the coalition parties during the election campaign. Voting starts on Wednesday.

Interior minister pledges politics will not use police for its interests

LJUBLJANA - Politics must never again overpower the police force or abuse it for its particular goals, Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar said as the country observed Slovenian Police Day. She intends to restore the public's trust in the force and has also apologised for what she sees as unacceptable actions under the previous government. The police will no longer work for politics but for the community, she said, expressing the wish for cooperation with civil society.

Minister notes unity in support for more ambitious green goals

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Following a meeting of the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, where more ambitious green energy and energy efficiency targets were endorsed, Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer noted that the unity displayed at the ministerial underlined the importance of endorsing the entire Fit for 55 package. Responding to the final green light for new rules on gas storage, he said the discussion made it clear that this time the bloc really needed a coordinated, unified European approach.

Minister meets Slovenians in Croatia, notes importance of learning Slovenian

RIJEKA, Croatia - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon visited Rijeka for his first official visit to the Slovenian community in Croatia. Arčon said the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad would like to be proactive in setting clear goals for the next four years together with members of the community. One of the objectives will be promoting the Slovenian language and culture in Croatia.

Top court says mask and hand disinfection mandate unconstitutional

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court added the mask mandate introduced by the previous government in closed public spaces in 2020 to the list of unconstitutional measures related to the epidemic, again stressing that legislative changes as opposed to only decrees were necessary for such interventions. The measures were lifted during the court's deliberation of the case, but the court said it decided to deliver a ruling nevertheless also because the case could become relevant again.

Slovenian Business Club sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Business Club (SBC) and the Rdeča Žoga Foundation, founded by entrepreneur Joc Pečečnik, sent a humanitarian convoy with food and basic necessities to Ukraine. SBC members have raised over EUR 100,000 to help those affected by the war. Two truckloads of food and emergency supplies were deployed to the Mukachevo collection centre. From there, the aid will be sent out to those most in need.

Covid cases keep rising, but hospital figures low

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is in the midst of a growing new wave of Covid with the latest statistics showing cases steadily rising, even as hospital figures continue to decline. A total of 461 cases were confirmed over the weekend, more than double the figure recorded last weekend. One person with Covid died. As of this morning there were 30 persons in hospital with Covid as their primary condition, down from 36 a week ago, of which six are in intensive care, down from five.

Tjaša Andree Prosenc awarded Olympic Order

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Tjaša Andree Prosenc, a former figure skater and roller skater and long-time member of the executive board of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia (OKS), was awarded the Olympic Order to become the fourth Slovenian to receive this honour. She received the Olympic Order, conferred by the International Olympic Committee, for her outstanding contribution to the Olympic Movement.

STA, 27 June 2022 - Nina Krajnik, a philosopher and psychoanalyst, has announced she is entering the presidential race. She will run as an independent but will accept endorsement by like-minded political parties.

 "I am making it official and public. I will run for president of the republic in the autumn election," the 37-year-old told the press on Monday.

Krajnik says her politics is different since she is creating space for "everybody's truth and desire."

Lawyer Pirc Musar Will Enter Autumn's Presidential Election

She says people who would vote for her are neither left nor right but "can open their eyes to social reality" and "do not buy into diverse attempts at brainwashing."

Her desire is to connect people. "If we do not stand together during crisis, we are never together."

Krajnik has received endorsement from prominent conservative figures including former Constitutional Court judges Peter Jambrek, who she said "opened her eyes to the candidacy," and Jože Jerovšek.

The author Gabriela Babnik Outarra, ski jumper Lovro Kos and physicist Bojan Kambrič have endorsed her as well.

The spouse of Moravče Mayor Milan Balažic, Krajnik has not had much of a public profile until a recent TV interview during which she attacked the 1990s left for having privatised public property.

"Privatisers" is also how she recently described on Twitter two other candidates for president, Marta Kos and Nataša Pirc Musar.

After the interview, many prominent figures on the right started elevating her public profile on social media.

Krajnik holds a PhD in philosophy and an MA in cultural studies. She is currently head of a department of Lacanian psychoanalysis at the University of Sigmund Freud - Ljubljana.

One newspaper commentator recently described her as the first proper alt-right candidate in Slovenia.

STA, 27 June 2022 - The 4th Ljubljana Street Art Festival kicks off on Monday, bringing graffiti, murals, concerts, workshops and much more to the capital under the theme of peripheral street art and street art as a peripheral art form.

The festival will see more than 60 artists participate in all forms of street art, focusing on the geographical periphery of this art form, as well as its political and activist components.

The artist will demonstrate how street art has transformed into various forms of expression, including new media and intermedia formats, according to the organisers, the Institute of Urban Questions.

Running until 4 July, the festival will take place at venues including Kino Šiška, the Metelkova Mesto alternative culture centre, the Ljubljana Dance Theatre, Sax Pub, and the DUM Project Venue.

Artists will paint murals and do graffiti art on the streets, bringing together an international array with Germany's ZEBU duo, France's Mathieu Tremblin, Slovenian-Swiss art duo Veli & Amos, and many more.

Metelkova will see a mural created with fire extinguishers filled with paint, and a group graffiti art installation that will include an audio-visual performance at Metelkova's Hall of Fame.

The programme also features concerts and art exhibitions. The Kino Šiška will host Slovenian music producer Drone Emoji, and Metelkova Mesto a concert by the group SBO - Smrt Boga in Otrok.

Learn more at the website

STA, 27 June 2022 - The sports equipment manufacturer Elan is making a comeback to the cycling market after 15 years, having announced the production of mountain bikes and trekking bicycles for men, women and children.

Announcing the news, the company said that the collection would be available to the broadest range of users, as these would be products that do not require professional knowledge, but only "a lot of good will and joy towards sport."

The new products will be available in the Hervis shops, in Elan's sports shop in Begunje na Gorenjskem and online.

The company will also develop test centres in the region, where selected products will be available for testing. "The line of products will be gradually expanded in the coming years," it said.

"Cycling enthusiasts will be able to spend the summer months outdoors even more actively now with Elan products," Elan Group vice-president Leon Korošec was quoted in the press release.