STA, 10 October 2020 - The opposition Social Democrats (Socialni demokrati - SD) elected Tanja Fajon, an MEP and the party's interim head so far, its new leader at an online congress on Saturday. A total of 276 delegates of the party voted for Fajon, the first woman to take over the top post at the SD, whereas 107 were in favour of her rival MP Jani Prednik.

Fajon was elected for a full term at the helm of the party, that is until the party's next congress, which must take place half a year after the next general elections at the latest, according to the party's statute.

In her address after being elected the SD leader, Fajon said that she was proud to be the first woman to lead the party. She added that today's online congress had demonstrated that the party was not brought to a stop in the face of challenges, such as Covid-19, but was brought further together to make a change for the better within its own ranks and in Slovenia.

According to her, the time has come to decide whether Slovenia will take a path of the disintegration of all values or whether it will opt for progress in the next decade. She stressed the role of trust and personal responsibility of every individual for the state of mind in society and the party.

Fajon also urged the party to let go of any potential grudges and show a united front to citizens, who expect clear answers and realistic strategies.

Speaking to the press after the congress, she said that recent months were difficult, however the party showed determination to further close ranks.

In her address prior to voting, she said that the SD was the strongest link among Slovenian centre-left parties and set a target of the party winning the next parliamentary election.

When it comes to the party's programme, she deems it key to protect citizens' social security and public systems as well as steer Slovenia away from a group of "problematic countries", which is, she believes, a direction the country is taking at the moment at an increasingly faster pace.

The SD presented its key future projects at the congress, including building high-speed railway, coming up with an effective housing policy and boosting public services, particularly in healthcare, long-term care, research and development and investments in efforts for environmental conservation and a sustainable society.

Fajon was again critical of the government, reiterating allegations about its attacks on media, judiciary and the police, about political staffing and unacceptable repression, which was demonstrated at the most recent Friday anti-government protest, according to her.

The rally saw police officers removing from the site or detaining a number of protesters after Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced stepped up IDing of protesters earlier in the week as the government adopted stricter public assembly measures to contain the coronavirus.

Prior to the result of the election congress, Fajon's challenger Prednik wondered why the SD was describing itself as a party to lead the government only to then back an idea of an alternative government spearheaded by a technocrat prime minister without having secured enough votes to bring down the current government.

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: 

Stricter measures mulled as record daily number of new infections is recorded

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,956 tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Saturday, resulting in a record 411 new daily infections, while the share of new cases in the number of tests also reached a record 13.9%. A total of 158 persons are currently hospitals in Slovenia for Covid-19, which is also a new record. The 14-day incidence was up by 8.3% to 159 new cases per 100,000 residents, and Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said that "we are very close to the point where restrictions which improved the situation in the spring needed to be adopted". Government Covid-19 spokesperson Jelko Kacin added that a plan of measures had been. "We are in the orange phase, we are in for a third package of measures."

Slovenia's Covid-19 green list getting shorter

LJUBLJANA - The government has decided to tighten requirements for arrivals as many countries around Europe continue to post record daily increases in coronavirus numbers. As of 12 October, only four countries will remain on its green list, which means no quarantine is required. Only travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Serbia and Uruguay can enter without any health restrictions starting on Monday after all six European countries that have been on the green list so far have been moved to orange or red.

Janša condemns defacing of monument in Klagenfurt

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša has condemned the defacing of a monument in the courtyard of the government of the Austrian state of Carinthia in Klagenfurt during Saturday's ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite. Janša said on Twitter on Sunday that the defacing of the monument to Carinthian unity was detrimental to the Slovenian compatriots in Carinthia and Slovenia's reputation in the world. The Austrian authorities have launched investigation of the act, which has also been condemned by senior Austrian politicians, and the heads of all three umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia.

Demographics office to be run by director, and not minister

LJUBLJANA - The government has decided that the emerging office for demographic affairs, a new specialised institution designed to address demographic challenges, will be run by a director who would answer to the government, and not a minister without portfolio from the ranks of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). The changes will enter into force on 15 January 2021. The coalition agreement had originally stipulated that DeSUS would assume responsibility for running the office, but objections were made by New Slovenia (NSi) over a potential shift in the balance of power between the coalition partners.

Protest letter sent over police conduct at Friday's anti-govt rally

LJUBLJANA - A number of organisations, movements, initiatives and individuals have addressed a protest letter to acting Police Commissioner Andrej Jurič over the conduct of the police during Friday's anti-government protests. They believe that officers used excessive force without reason in several cases, and demand public apology and clarification. "Certain groups, whose members were standing in Republic Square, kept safety distance and wore masks, were picked as targets by the police without a warranted reason," the letter issued on Saturday says.

Waste production continued to increase in 2019

LJUBLJANA - The amount of municipal waste produced in Slovenia continued to increase last year, but the share of recycling waste also increased, statistics show. While people in Gorenjska did best in recycling and those in Koroška generated the least waste, those in Obalno-Kraška generated the most waste and did the least recycling. In total, 8.4 million tonnes of waste was collected in Slovenia last year, up 1% over the year before, of which nearly 1.1 million tonnes was communal waste. 

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

STA, 11 October 2020 - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša has condemned the defacing of a monument in the courtyard of the government of the Austrian state of Carinthia in Klagenfurt during Saturday's ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite.

Janša said on Twitter on Sunday that the defacing of the monument to Carinthian unity was detrimental to the Slovenian compatriots in Carinthia and Slovenia's reputation in the world.

Primitivna levičarska mazaška sramota, ki škodi izključno koroškim rojakom in ugledu Slovenije v svetu. Posredno pa jo omogoča tudi slovensko tožilstvo, ki v praksi podpira ideološko obarvane grožnje s smrtjo. pic.twitter.com/Y8i0H2hazk

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) October 11, 2020

Over the night, unknown perpetrators covered the monument with black and turquoise paint and wrote "Death to Fascism" in Slovenian.

Calling the act a primitive left-wing disgrace, the prime minister said it had been "indirectly enabled by the Slovenian prosecution, which in practice supports ideologically-coloured death threats."

TWEET

Janša was referring to the slogans "Death to Janšism" carried at some of the earlier anti-government protests prompted by anti-coronavirus measures.

Twitter

The Austrian authorities have launched investigation of the act of vandalism which has also been condemned by Austrian politicians, including Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser and Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen.

The latter attended the ceremony in the capital of the southern Austrian state together with Slovenian President Borut Pahor.

The presidents of all three umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia have also critical of the act.

Goran Vojnović came to prominence with his first novel, Čefurji raus! (2008), translated as Southern Scum Go Home!, which explores the lives of immigrants from the former Yugoslavia and those of their children in Ljubljana’s Fužine, a group commonly known as čefurji. It’s a work that essential reading for anyone interested in Slovenia and wanting to lift the lid on the chocolate box images that dominate foreign representations of the country.

He followed this up with Jugoslavija, moja dežela(2011) (Yugoslavia, My Fatherland), a work that deals more directly with the disintegration of Yugoslavia. His most recent novel is Figa (2016), which on 20 October is released in its English version by Istros Books (and translated by Olivia Hellewell) as The Fig Tree. We’ll have something more about that next weekend, but for now here’s an interview with the man himself…

How doe The Fig Tree stand in relation to your first two books?

I once said that my first two novels were two screams, while The Fig Tree is a silent exhale. It is a different, gentler novel, I think. With first two novels I addressed two things that define me most as a person. Growing up as čefur and Balkan war. I think I just had to cry it out so I can become a real writer, to be able to put literature in pole position while I am writing. The Fig Tree is dealing with topics of my first two novels – I will probably stick to them to the very end - but in a different way.

The Fig Tree is set on the coast, in Istria, is that an area that you have a personal connection with?

My mother is from Pula and I've spent a big part of my childhood there. Istria is therefore inseparable part of my homeland, my novel The Fig Tree is not just set there but is actually made from my memories of Istria and my family, it is born out of feelings Istria awakens in me. There are also many places in Slovenia where I feel at home, but it is difficult to say where I am happiest. Happiness is not about places for me. In Ljubljana I was probably happiest, but I had also my worst time there.

Our readers are interested in Slovenia, but usually can’t understand Slovenian to a high level yet. What are some of the culture products you’d suggest they pay attention to as they learn more about the country?

Slovenia is not so easy to understand and one should never underestimate its diversity and its paradoxes. It is a ridiculously small country but one with extraordinarily rich cultural influences. We lie on a great crossroad of Roman, German and Slavic world, with gorgeously rich Hungarian culture in the east. On top of that, we were on the frontier between socialist East and capitalist West for almost half a century. To be honest, I think that we are still searching for our own identity, trying to figure out who we are, so be patient with us, please.

With all that said, you should read Prišleki (1984) (Newcomers: Book Two) our greatest novel by great Lojze Kovačič, which is by far the best take on our complex contemporary history.

The novels of Andrej E. Skubic [such as Fužine Blues] and films from Damjan Kozole [Slovenka (Slovenian Girl); Rezervni deli (Spare Parts)] successfully deal with transition and its consequences, one topic that is in my opinion proved to be the most difficult to deal with.

The whole film, with subtitles and in better quality than the trailer, is on YouTube here

But if you are here for the art, then search out the books of Dušan Šarotar or Matjaž Ivanišin's films. Or poetry from Esad Babačić, Katja Perat, Anja Golob and many other great Slovenian poets. I love how late Metka Krašovec paints silence or sublime sculptures of Jakov Brdar. I love Severa Gjurin's magical voice and Pannonian melancholy of Vlado Kreslin's music. And once you master the Slovenia language you should definitely listen to Iztok Mlakar, our greatest storyteller. And yes, Špela Čadež's short animations are also a must.

I could go on or write completely different list, of course, but let's stop at that.

You're also a very well-respected screenwriter and director. To ask a question that was going around Twitter: Netflix called, offered a huge budget and gave you creative freedom for a limited series about Slovenia, set in any time – what period would you focus on?

Well, if they offered me a really huge budget I would definitely shot Lojze Kovačič's Prišleki. It would be a great TV series. And I would cast the best Slovenian actors which in my opinion are as good as any in this world.

How would you like to see Slovenia change over the next decade or two, and do you have any optimism this will happen?

I am not optimistic person but judging from your last two questions you really want me to imagine unimaginable so I could say that I would like Slovenia to calm down its own adolescent political hysteria and I would love if our professional environment would become professional indeed. I would also love if we would finally get a proper public transport so people could start using it daily when travelling between cities. I also hope that our everyday life stays as relaxed as it is and that we will continue to cherish our free time as we do now.

What are you working on now?

As always, I am working on many things. I am preparing the release of my new feature film Once Were Humans, while also working on a documentary about Eurobasket 2017. I am finishing my new novel too.

You can pre-order a copy of The Fig Tree from Istros Books, and find Vojnović's other titles in bookstores or online

STA, 11 October 2020 - A total of 2,956 tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Saturday, resulting in a record 411 new daily infections, official government Covid-19 spokesperson Jelko Kacin announced on his Twitter profile.

According to data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org, a total of 158 persons are currently hospitals in Slovenia for Covid-19, which is also a new record.

Out of those patients 27 are in intensive care units, while eight persons were discharged from hospital yesterday.

The total number of confirmed cases is 8,663 out of 257,339 tests, of which 3,314 remain active. The 14-day incidence is 159 new cases per 100,000 residents, up 8.3%. The death toll has remained at 167.

New infections were confirmed on Saturday in 105 out of the 212 municipalities in Slovenia, the most in Ljubljana (70), followed by Škofja Loka (21), Kranj (19) and Grosuplje and Sevnica with 11 each.

The highest share of actively infected persons in total population is still recorded in Črna na Koroškem in north (1.01%).

The most of the new infections were detected in the 35-44 age group (82), which is followed by the 45-54 group with 79 cases.

Commenting on the growing numbers, Kacin said that it was time to reflection, solidarity and consistent respect of the restrictions and recommendations of the National Public Health Institute.

Slovenia's Covid-19 green list getting shorter

STA, 11 October 2020 - The government has decided to tighten requirements for arrivals as many countries around Europe continue to post record daily increases in coronavirus numbers. As of 12 October, only four countries will remain on its green list, which means no quarantine is required.

Only travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Serbia and Uruguay can enter without any health restrictions starting on Monday after all six European countries that have been on the green list so far have been moved to orange or red.

The red list has significantly expanded and now includes Belgium, Czechia, Iceland, Luxembourg and Spain. Belgium and Spain, for example, only had individual regions red-listed so far.

On the other hand, arrivals from Austria and Croatia will be smoother. While three Austrian states are currently on the red list, only Vienna remains red-listed after Monday. Two Croatian regions have been moved from red to orange as well.

Italy remains on the orange list, according to a decree that the government adopted on Saturday.

Passengers arriving from countries on the red or orange lists must quarantine as a rule, but there are many exemptions and often a negative Covid-19 test suffices.

The latest statistics on coronavirus and Slovenia, and the latest police news on red, green and yellow list countries. All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia. Can I transit Slovenia? Find out from the police...

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 9 October 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Janša dividing and not uniting people amid epidemic

STA, 9 October 2020 - Mladina's latest editorial says that PM Janez Janša stayed true to himself and launched an attack on Wednesday on the media and opposition as it became clear that his government failed to contain the epidemic. However, Slovenia's ongoing defeat against the epidemic is the result of a poor and incompetent leader, the left-leaning weekly paper asserts.

While Janša accused the media of encouraging violations of protective measures, this is a "dirty lie", Mladina's editor-in-chief Grega Repovž says, arguing there is not a single serious media outlet in Slovenia that would not be calling for respect of measures and spreading knowledge about the epidemic.

Even more, the media, despite being hammered by Janša constantly, have been rather gentle with regard to some major government blunders and the same holds true of the opposition, which never once sank to the level of Janša who threw insults at the previous government as the epidemic began and threatened with lawsuits even though this instilled even more fear in the already frightened public.

"Thus it needs to be stated before his lie spreads: Janez Janša is the one incapable of handling crises, he does not understand what a crisis situation is, which is something that he already showed in 2012 and this merely got confirmed now. It again showed that Janša is without leadership abilities, without organisational abilities and above all completely incapable of uniting the nation in distress," Repovž says under Back to 2020.

"Instead of working, he puts out 30 tweets a day or more and constantly follows developments on this social platform," adds Repovž, who draws hope from the initiative to form a centre-left government as an alternative to Janša, from the discourse accompanying this effort as well as from the demands of the protest movement.

"The stakes are very high. We are in the middle of the epidemic. But in the middle of such a situation, the current government finds it more important to replace the directors of all oversight institutions than to unite the people in the fight against the epidemic. While everybody is taking the epidemic seriously, Janša is only using it."

Reporter: Search for Janša's replacement speeds up

STA, 5 October 2020 - The right-wing weekly magazine Reporter says in its latest commentary that the opposition's search for a new prime minister is gaining steam, with several scenarios being in play behind the scenes on how to get the required 46 votes for a constructive vote of no confidence in Janez Janša.

Janša is pushing his agenda in an uncompromising fashion and is triggering the left-leaning opposition and its political backing to make plans for how to bring down the current government as soon as possible.

Under the headline to the Last Breath and Further, editor-in-chief Silvester Šurla says that a six-month transitional government until a snap election is out of the question, and that only a new political government until the regular 2022 election is an alternative.

But in the latest plans of the "uncles behind the scenes", some of the current parliamentary party leaders taking over at the government is not an option, either, and the path to the 46 votes is gradual.

With the ousting of Aleksandra Pivec as the head of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), the DeSUS takeover operation is half-way through, and intensive talks are being conducted with its former leader Karl Erjavec, who is willing to return only under certain conditions.

This would be followed by a merger of DeSUS with the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and Modern Centre Party (SMC), which would together with the MPs of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and Left then vote Janša out of office.

The problem is that they still do not have a name for prime minister-designate, who would be a supra-party candidate. Two names have been circulated in the media lately - the former European Commissioner Janez Potočnik and Court of Audit president Tomaž Vesel.

But it is expected that the prime minister, while the opposition is digging him a political grave, will not be idle and that he will do everything he can to keep the current coalition together as long as possible, preparing the grounds for the next election.

"In the tense game of political poker, Janez Janša has better cards in his sleeve compared to the political plotters from the left, but the game nevertheless remains unpredictable," the commentary concludes.

All our posts in this series are here

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: 

380 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Slovenia on Friday, two deaths

LJUBLJANA - Out of a record 4,362 coronavirus tests conducted in Slovenia on Friday, a total of 380 came back positive, a 8.7% positivity rate, show fresh official data. On what was a fourth day in a row that the daily case count has exceeded 300, hospitalisations reached a new peak and two Covid-19-related fatalities were confirmed. The total of those in intensive care remained roughly the same at 21. A total of 14 required ventilator support and six persons were discharged home. There were 3,061 active cases in the country, according to data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

SocDems elect party's interim head Tanja Fajon their new leader

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) elected Tanja Fajon, an MEP and the party's interim head so far, its new leader at an online congress. A total of 276 delegates of the party voted for Fajon, the first woman to be at the helm of the SD, whereas 107 were in favour of her challenger MP Jani Prednik. When it comes to the party's programme, Fajon deems it key to protect citizens' social security and public systems as well as steer Slovenia away from a group of "problematic countries", which is, she believes, a direction the country is taking at the moment at an increasingly faster pace.

Van der Bellen apologises to Slovenian minority for injustices

KLAGENFURT, Austria - Austrian and Slovenian presidents attended a ceremony marking the centenary of the Carinthian anniversary together for the very first time. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen apologised to Carinthian Slovenians for the injustices and delays in the implementation of their constitutional rights. Slovenian President Borut Pahor meanwhile deemed the ceremony the heart of a united Europe. Representatives of the Slovenian minority lauded Van der Bellen's apology as well as warned that not all issues regarding the implementation of the minority's rights had been resolved so far and urged efforts to do that. Meanwhile, some 100 young Carinthian Slovenians staged a protest held under the slogan 10 October - No Cause for Celebration! In Support of Anti-fascist Consensus in Carinthia.

PM welcomes Austria's plan to improve status of Slovenian minority

LJUBLJANA - Marking the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite, Prime Minister Janez Janša lauded Austria's intention to improve the situation of the Slovenian minority living in the south of the country. He said the centenary was an opportunity for both nations to reflect on the past and move past historical issues. The Slovenian government highlighted the role of a full implementation of Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty (AST), setting down rights of the Slovenian minority, and welcomed the Austrian government's plans to improve the situation of ethnic Slovenians in Austria, read a press release by Janša's office.

Ambassador to Croatia says pandemic improved bilateral ties

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Ambassador to Croatia Vojislav Šuc believes the coronavirus crisis effected a turn for the better in Slovenia's relations with Croatia. The past months have also shown there is a synergy between the governments, as they have build mutual trust by focusing on what they have in common, he told in an interview with the STA.

Poll shows support for alternative government idea

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Arch Coalition, an initiative by centre-left opposition parties to form a new government, enjoys 51.7% support among Slovenians, showed a recent survey commissioned by newspapers Dnevnik and Večer. The idea is not backed by 37.2%, whereas 11.1% are undecided. Most respondents believe that Prime Minister Janez Janša should be ousted. The poll results showed that 54.8% said that parliament should dismiss Janša. Meanwhile, 37.4 are against that, whereas 7.8% are undecided whether to support a potential no-confidence motion in Janša or not.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

STA, 10 October 2020 - Out of a record 4,362 coronavirus tests conducted in Slovenia on Friday, a total of 380 came back positive, an 8.7% positivity rate, show fresh official data. On what was a fourth day in a row that the daily case count has exceeded 300, hospitalisations continued to rise and two Covid-19-related fatalities were confirmed.

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital increased by nine to 147, whereas the total of those in intensive care remained roughly the same at 21. A total of 14 requires ventilator support and six persons were discharged home.

Two persons infected with coronavirus died, raising the national death toll to 167.

In six municipalities, more than ten new infections were detected. Most latest cases were again confirmed in the capital Ljubljana (69), which also records the greatest number of active cases, 506.

Friday tests confirmed 16 new infections in health workers, 15 in care home staff and eight in residents of care homes.

So far, Slovenia has seen 8,252 coronavirus infections. Currently, there are 3,061 active cases in the country, according to data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

Slovenia's coronavirus incidence rate, the number of new cases per 100,000 residents in a fortnight, was 147 on Friday, up 6.8% on Thursday. The latest figure exceeds the threshold that is expected to trigger new restrictions according to government plans.

The latest statistics on coronavirus and Slovenia, and the latest police news on red, green and yellow list countries. All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia. Can I transit Slovenia? Find out from the police...

STA, 9 October 2020 - Police stepped up the IDing of protesters at Friday's 25th anti-government rally in Ljubljana over violations of the decree limiting public assembly during the coronavirus epidemic. Several protesters were removed from the site, while protests labelled the police action "repression and a disgrace".

The enhanced IDing comes after Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced it earlier in the week as the government adopted stricter public assembly measures to contain the virus.

Nekaj nemira je nastalo ob popisu pisateljice Svetlane Makarovič / @vecer pic.twitter.com/zu1iF5Jm9x

— Žana Vertačnik (@ZanaVertacnik) October 9, 2020

Petkov večer v #Ljubljana. #Slovenija

Vir: MMC RTV Slovenija (foto: BoBo/Žiga Živulović ml.) pic.twitter.com/SGtT7zC6FC

— Dejan Turk (@naobrobju) October 9, 2020

Good night and good luck pic.twitter.com/SvezvhKxye

— @madpixel (@madpixel) October 9, 2020

There were again many protesters, including some well-known public figures, among them poet Svetlana Makarovič.

The majority heeded the calls in social media to arrive by bike and wear face masks, while activists called on them to keep a safe distance and avoid confrontation with the police.

A police officer explained to a protester that she could be contacted by a health inspector to explain the facts and circumstances of the offence for which she was IDed.

Some protesters were removed from Republic Square by police officers, among them riot police, while at least one was detained and taken to a police van.

Jaša Jenull, one of the most outspoken protesters, said the protesters were being responsible, wearing masks, keeping the distance and not gathering in groups of more than ten, while exercising their constitutional right to movement.

Trenutno stanje: naključno popisovanje. pic.twitter.com/upFGGVQEH3

— @madpixel (@madpixel) October 9, 2020

"Despite this, police have dragged some of them from the square ... and IDed many, including pensioners. This is what a dictatorship looks like, this is Janez Janša's Slovenia in 2020. This has to stop," he said and announced the continuation of the Friday protests.

Some protesters shouted at the police that they were protecting villains while following Hojs's dictate and exerting repression on people.

In support of the protesters who were taken away, the protest ended in front of the police station in Trdinova Street.

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 2 October
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša highlighted after the EU summit the urgency of serious preparations for the autumn and winter season with the novel coronavirus, especially in light of reports that vaccination will likely still not be available early next year, at least not in sufficient amounts.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The new EU migration pact in the current form is not entirely acceptable to anyone but everyone finds it a good starting point for further negotiations, PM Janez said after the EU summit.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janša commented on the European Commission's concerns about the lack of resources in Slovenia for key independent bodies like the corruption watchdog and the networks regulator by saying he was much more worried about the lack of funds for healthcare than he was about NGOs and other organisations.
        LJUBLJANA - Unofficial reports suggested that the Slovenian government would classify the Chinese technological giant Huawei as a high-risk supplier shortly. On 6 Oct Huawei expressed disappointment, saying this was unjustified.
        AJDOVŠČINA - Bia Separations, a biotechnology company, was acquired for EUR 360 million by Sartorius, a leading international pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment supplier. The takeover is still subject to regulatory approval but is expected to be wrapped up by the end of this year.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that face masks will no longer be required for kindergarten children, primary and secondary school pupils in their class, and for teachers up to the third grade of primary school.
        KRŠKO - The Environment Agency (ARSO) decided that impact assessment and an environmental permit will be needed for the works needed to extend the life of the country's only nuclear reactor beyond 2023. The N-plant operator indicated on 6 Oct that it would not challenge the decision.
        TRBOVLJE - The government and the state-owned power holding HSE signed a concession contract for hydro power plants on the central part of the Slovenian section of the Sava river. Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said the first three of the planned power plants would built in ten years.
        KOPER - Port operator Luka Koper hosted the ambassadors of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia, with CEO Dimitrij Zadel saying the ambition of the port was to become the main maritime window for the economies of Visegrad Group members.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted representatives of the Slovenian minority in Austria in the run-up to the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite on 10 Oct. Pahor said the predominant opinion was the past 100 years should be remembered in a way which would make it easier to build a common future.
        LJUBLJANA - The situation in healthcare and what is seen as its ongoing privatisation was in the centre of what was the 24th consecutive Friday anti-government protest rally in Ljubljana. The protesters demanded the resignation of Health Minister Tomaž Gantar and of National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) director Milan Krek.

SATURDAY, 3 October
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša called on the public to act responsibly and abide by precautionary measures to avoid further restrictions as the coronavirus outbreak in the country is spreading, also suggesting that Slovenia was but a step away from declaring epidemic again.
        LJUBLJANA - The government allocated just over EUR 2.5 million for the European Commission Emergency Support Instrument for advance payments to manufacturers of promising vaccines against Covid-19.
        LJUBLJANA - Rating agency Moody's upgraded Slovenia's long-term issuer and senior unsecured bond ratings by one notch to A3 from Baa1, changing the outlook to stable. Announcing the news, the Finance Ministry said the upgrade showed Slovenia as one of the most reliable countries for foreign investors.
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin stressed the importance of unity as he addressed a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Tactical Line, a paramilitary unit formed during independence efforts on 17 May 1990 as Yugoslav authorities wanted official Slovenian army units disarmed.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia climbed one more spot in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking to 31st among 63 countries.
        LJUBLJANA - Participants in a Hike for Life called for protecting human life from conception to natural death.

SUNDAY, 4 October
        TEHARJE - Celje diocese administrator Rok Metličar gave mass remembering an estimated 5,000 victims of war and post-war summary executions connected to the post-World War Two camp in Teharje.
        LJUBLJANA - Nepremicnine.net, the leading real estate website in Slovenia, was reported being taken over by Real Web, a company owning several leading internet real estate platforms in Europe.
        LIEGE, Belgium - Slovenia's cycling star Primož Roglič added victory at the Belgian one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege to his portfolio of prestigious achievements.

MONDAY, 5 October
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša presented a draft bill on the National Demographic Fund, a new state fund designed to pool all state assets, around EUR 8.6 billion, to shore up the pension system, to the Economic Social Council (ESS) before the government adopted it later in the day.
        LJUBLJANA - Aleksandra Pivec stepped down as agriculture, forestry and food minister just a few hours before the National Assembly was to vote on her dismissal. State secretary Jože Podgoršek was formally nominated for the job on 6 Oct.
        PORTOROŽ - Central banks do not expect the Covid-19-induced crisis to be as deep as initially feared, but if the situation were to deteriorate, they are ready to step in and react, Boštjan Vasle, the governor of Slovenia's central bank, told the 37th Financial Conference.
        LJUBLJANA - Telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije made 5G technology available to its users, having set up the country's first commercial 5G network in late July. Built on existing infrastructure, the network does not yet cover the entire country, with the company expecting to provide coverage to 33% of the population by year's end.
        LJUBLJANA - The registered jobless total in Slovenia stood at 83,766 at the end of September, a 5% drop on August but a 20% increase compared to the registered unemployment figure in September 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - Czech MEP Alexandr Vondra apologised to his Slovenian counterparts for a tweet in which he labelled Slovenians "opportunistic pigs". Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) accepted the apology but warned that Vondra had not erased the tweet he posted after a defeat of Slavia Prague in a football match featuring Slovenian referee Damir Skomina.
        LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's tourism sector suffered a significant blow this year, as the coronavirus pandemic suspended air travel. This summer, the capital saw 160,341 overnight stays, 75% less than a year ago.
        RADEČE - The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted the development of an innovative solution at the Radeče paper mill. The company has started producing antibacterial paper which apart from inhibiting the growth of bacteria also reduces the spread of viruses and is thus ideal for people with weak immune systems.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian cyclist Stanko Verstovšek set a new record in the 24-hour time trial by covering a total of 914.02 kilometres in that span on a route in the north-eastern region of Prekmurje. He beat the previous record-holder, Christoph Strasser of Austria, by more than 15 kilometres.

TUESDAY, 6 October
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted guidelines for further anti-coronavirus restrictions, introducing a sliding scale of measures to be adopted based on the incidence of cases and the strain the virus puts on healthcare.
        LJUBLJANA - Risks to financial stability have increased sharply as a result of the coronacrisis and the accompanying deep economic slump. Income and credit risk have increased as well, showed the Financial Stability Report by Banka Slovenije.
        LJUBLJANA - Uroš Lepoša, the acting director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), tendered his resignation after only some two months on the job, citing personal circumstances. News portal 24ur.com, Lepoša stepped down due to political pressure.
        LJUBLJANA - The two-member board of 2TDK featuring Dušan Zorko as director general and Marko Brezigar resigned in agreement with the company's supervisory board, which appointed Pavle Hevka and Iztok Černoša in their place.
        LJUBLJANA - Anže Erbežnik has been formally nominated for the vacant post on the Constitutional Court and Arjana Brezigar Masten for the vice-governor post at the central bank, the office of President Borut Pahor announced.
        LJUBLJANA - Rating agency Moody's upgraded the credit ratings for the NLB and NKBM banks, for both from Baa2 and Baa1, preserving a stable outlook.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia promotes the launching of the EU recovery and resilience facility as soon as possible and expects no red tape, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said after an informal virtual meeting of EU finance ministers.
        LJUBLJANA/MEŽICA - Addressing a symposium entitled Carinthia as Diplomatic Issue 1918-1920, held online ahead of the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite, Foreign Minister Anže Logar stressed the historic ties between Slovenia and Austria and the importance of dialogue between the countries.
        LJUBLJANA - Every fifth Slovenian was a victim of sexual abuse as a child, shows a recent survey commissioned by the Justice Ministry. Minister Lilijana Kozlovič announced that a bill enabling the country's first Barnahus for child victims of sexual abuse would be likely passed in 2021.
        LJUBLJANA - The 23rd Festival of Slovenian Film (FSF) kicked off. This year, the festival is marked by a drop in film production due to the coronavirus pandemic and a suspension of state funds. Film makers called on the government to release overdue funds and boost and streamline film funding.

WEDNESDAY, 7 October
        LJUBLJANA - Economist Jože P. Damijan, supported by a group of acclaimed scholars and artists, offered to spearhead a centre-left Constitutional Arch Coalition meant to become an alternative to the Janez Janša government that is, they believe, turning Slovenia into "an illiberal democracy". The leaders of the four centre-left opposition parties confirmed talks were under way.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry responded on the enlargement package for the Western Balkan and Turkey, stressing the importance of a credible enlargement policy for peace, stability, security and economic growth of Europe. The package was also welcomed by Slovenian MEPs on 6 Oct.
        SLOVENJ GRADEC - The government formally declared Črna na Koroškem, site of a major coronavirus outbreak at a residential facility for people with mental disabilities, Slovenia's first Covid-19 danger zone.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's eight MEPs expressed differing views on the European Parliament's somewhat surprising support for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by 60% compared to 1990.
        LENDAVA - The city council of Lendava, a bilingual municipality on the border with Hungary, honoured Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto by making him an honorary resident.
        LJUBLJANA - The international comics festival Tinta kicked off in Ljubljana and three other cities.

THURSDAY, 8 October
        LJUBLJANA - The government imposed new restrictions following a sharp rise in Slovenia's coronavirus curve, which saw a record 387 new cases discovered on Wednesday as the rate of positive tests surpassed 10% for the first time. A total of 1,640 new cases were reported in the past week and the death toll rose by 8 to 160. The measures include a ban on gatherings of more than ten people, except for organised events sanctioned by the National Institute of Public Health. Slovenian epidemiologists said they have readjusted their contact tracing strategy to focus on contacts of infected persons in care homes, education, healthcare and shared households.
        LJUBLJANA/VIENNA, Austria - The Slovenian and Austrian presidents, Borut Pahor and Alexander Van der Bellen, called for the protection of minorities as an element that enriches as they spoke with the STA and APA ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite.
        LJUBLJANA - The government started debating legislative changes merging eight key regulators into two super-agencies. The regulators were reportedly allowed only 24 hours to give their remarks. The proposal has been strongly criticised by the opposition, the regulators and a public sector unions as an attempt to assert political power, while the government said its goal is streamlining.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told his EU counterparts, who discussed the new migration and asylum pact for the first time, that more focus should be given to an effective EU return policy. He said the European Commisison-proposed new migration pact contained compulsory relocation and that "this can be quite a problem in the talks in the coming months."
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received the credentials of the UK's new ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler and of her Slovak counterpart Peter Zelenak.
        LONDON, UK - Slovenia placed 14th among 128 countries in the World Energy Council's 2020 Energy Trilemma Index, which ranks countries by their ability to provide sustainable energy. The country lost two spots compared with the year before, but the methodology has changed.
        LJUBLJANA - Fuel retailers have only slightly adjusted prices of diesel and regular petrol at service stations outside motorways the first week after full deregulation.
        LJUBLJANA - Lonely Planet selected Bled among the top 10 destinations which offer unique and memorable experiences. The second edition of the list of recommended destinations puts Bled sixth alongside the world's most famous sights such as Petra, Uluru or Yellowstone.