STA, 12 February 2020 - Two weeks after the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec, the Modern Centre Party (SMC) indicated on Wednesday that a snap election-entailing alliance proposed by Šarec's party looked increasingly unlikely, while coalition talks with the Democrats (SDS) were going as expected.

SMC deputy group head Igor Zorčič told the press that the details of the deal the SMC had been offered by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), which wants to see a snap election called, were unacceptable.

Allegedly, the LMŠ offered the SMC a joint candidate list, proposing that a third of the candidates come from the SMC. This, however, is too little for the SMC, which wants a half of the candidates from its ranks.

Zorčič was moreover critical of Šarec commenting on the talks between LMŠ and SMC. "On the one hand, party heads authorised deputy group leaders to lead the talks, and on the other Šarec keeps on commenting for the media."

As for the ongoing talks with the SDS, which is also discussing coalition cooperation with New Slovenia (NSi) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), Zorčič said that some of SMC's ten MPs found some "forms of coalition" more acceptable than others.

Nonetheless, the deputy group is united in its position to continue talking with the SDS, the biggest party in parliament that spent the past year in opposition after failing to put together a coalition.

When asked how many SMC MPs SDS head Janez Janša could count on, Zorčič said that he would be informed in time, adding that the "yield" of the talks would play a decisive role in this.

He believes that the distribution of ministries among potential partners is "a very important element that will affect the support for the coalition".

"Some ministries have a more state-building character, other less so. This means that ideological issues can be more exposed in some ministries and less in others."

Zorčič also indicated that the staffing questions do not concern only the distribution of ministries, but also the name of the potential next prime minister.

He did not provide any more detailed comments about the wishes of the parties involved in talks, but said that the talks were going according to expectations.

Today, a group of people including Žiga Turk, the reform minister in Janša's second government, former MEP from the ranks of the SDS Romana Jordan, economists Igor Masten and Sašo Polanec, and banker Marko Voljč called for the formation of an inclusive and operational coalition.

They addressed a letter to all parliamentary parties bar the Left and the National Party (SNS), expressing belief that a snap election would change the balance of powers. It would only widen Slovenia's development gap and slow down preparations for the EU presidency in 2021.

Janša welcomed the letter, noting that the SDS had invited all parliamentary parties to take part in coalition-building talks. Speaker Dejan Židan, whose SocDems refuse to negotiate with the SDS, meanwhile responded that the best way to such a coalition was through a snap election, the newspaper Večer 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.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

NSi fully backs SDS-led coalition talks

LJUBLJANA - The executive committee of New Slovenia (NSi) decided to give its head Matej Tonin and his team full support in the Democrats (SDS)-led negotiations on a new government. Tonin now has the mandate to negotiate on the programme and staffing decisions of the potential new government. The NSi is one of the three parties in talks with the SDS, alongside the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). Although the party would not reveal the topics it plans to defend in the negotiations, unofficial information suggest it might be interested in healthcare and long-term care.

SMC indicates talks with LMŠ derailed

LJUBLJANA - The Modern Centre Party (SMC) deputy group head Igor Zorčič indicated that a snap election-entailing alliance proposed the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) looked increasingly unlikely, while coalition talks with the Democrats (SDS) were going as expected. Whether all of the group's ten MPs would support the SDS coalition will depend on the talks' yield, said Zorčič, indicating also that staffing questions were open not only about ministry distribution but also about the potential prime minister.

Committee puts off decision on declaration regarding Catalonia

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee unanimously postponed a Left-sponsored proposal to declare support to the protection of political and civil liberties in Spain. The MPs agreed that dialogue on tackling the Catalan issue between the governments in Barcelona and Madrid should be given time. Many committee members urged postponement to avoid any interfering in Spain's internal affairs, a reservation also voiced by the government when it rejected the proposal last week.

Pahor and Grabar-Kitarović stress friendly ties despite differences

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said a farewell meeting with Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović that her picking Slovenia for her last visit had not been a coincidence, since Slovenia and Croatia were neighbouring and friendly countries. And not only that, "it is also that the two of us personally strived very hard" for the two countries to be on friendly terms, Pahor said. While he made a point of stressing that the border issue with Croatia was resolved in Slovenia's eyes, Grabar-Kitarović called on the Slovenian authorities to continue talks with the Croatian side to reach bilateral solutions for all open issues.

Britons keen to keep close business links after Brexit

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian companies wondering about the future relationship with their UK partners after Brexit were assured at an event held by the British Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and the British Embassy that Britons wanted to preserve the close business ties. "We would like for us to continue to grow together," UK Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey said, noting the countries' close cooperation in many fields, from construction to banking and advanced technologies, with the volume of business between the two countries increasing by more than 10% over the past three years.

Minister discusses radio broadcasting dispute with Italian ambassador

LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved hosted Italian Ambassador Carlo Campanile on Tuesday for talks on a long-running dispute between the two countries over radio station broadcasts in the border area seen as important for the Slovenian minority in Italy. Medved said technical solutions to resolve the issue existed. The two countries "have found a solution for TV [broadcasting] and there is no reason why it should not be found for radio spectrum," the Public Administration Ministry said. Campanile said he would inform the authorities in Rome of this issue, the ministry said.

Committee nods to environmental protection plan despite criticism

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Environment Committee unanimously endorsed the proposed national environmental protection programme by 2030, despite criticism of the lack of concrete measures therein. The document sets out goals within three areas: protecting, preserving and improving the state of natural resources, a low-carbon society, and dealing with key environmental risks. Among those the document lists brownfield areas, noise, biosecurity, handling of chemicals, light pollution, electromagnetic radiation and adaptation to climate change.

Environmental NGOs critical of draft climate plan

LJUBLJANA - Environmental NGOs believe that the draft National Energy and Climate Plan is not ambitious enough. Carbon neutrality by 2050 is too far off, Slovenia should aim for 2040 and should strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than only 40% by 2030. In a joint statement four NGOs were critical of the plans leaving out the TEŠ thermal power plant. "The draft allows for decades of coal burning at TEŠ," they said while arguing Slovenia should give up coal by 2030.

Slovenia told to return EUR 5 million in agriculture funds

LJUBLJANA - The European Commission told Slovenia to return nearly EUR 5 million in agriculture funds based on the Commission's report on implementing funding per area for the 2015-2018 period in the framework of the EU common agricultural policy. Slovenia does not agree with this conclusion and will propose a conciliation procedure. The Commission's auditors reviewed some EUR 500 million of disbursed EU funds or almost 99% of total funds in the four-year period which were allocated to some 56,000 farms every year, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

Minister says railways are the future

LJUBLJANA - If in the past the state gave priority to motorways, now it is "high time to say that railway infrastructure is the future", Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek said at a national conference on sustainable mobility hosted by her ministry. She called for a long-term plan of investment funding in railways, noting these would be multi-billion projects. The minister noted that the 20th EU mobility week would be held during Slovenia's EU presidency. She thinks this will be a great opportunity to promote sustainable and clean mobility.

Supreme Court president says past judicial year was successful

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian judiciary did a good job last year and the positive trends from the past continued, Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič said at the start of a new judicial year. He however regretted that certain key legislative changes that would boost the judiciary were still pending. Slovenian courts received more than 839,000 cases for deliberation last year, resolving 850,000. In fact, Florjančič stressed the number of pending cases was reduced to below the level at the end of 1990. President Borut Pahor welcomed the positive trends but said there was still room for improvement.

New director appointed at Ljubljana opera

LJUBLJANA - Staš Ravter, who was the director of the Slovenian Cinematheque between 2005 and 2010, has been appointed director of the SNG Opera and Ballet theatre in Ljubljana, ending a leadership hiatus that lasted for almost two years. Ravter served in acting capacity since April 2019 after two unsuccessful calls for applications and was formally appointed director by the Culture Ministry effective on 10 February, the opera house said. It described Ravtar's five-year programme as ambitiously oriented, seeking a synergy between the artistic and business segment.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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

Royal Bled already appears on the list of the best and most beautiful golf courses in the region of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and now it has another recognition, named as among golfscape’s top 100 courses in the world. The largest and oldest course in the country comes in at #86, just after The Blue Monster at Trump National Doral Miami, USA, and before Golf de Spérone, France.

Once again it’s the beauty of the area that catches the imagination of the authors, with the report noting “the course is flanked by towering mountains and the impressive valleys of the Alps. With excellently manicured grounds, many hail it as one of the most beautiful courses in all of Europe.”

If you’d like to play a round at Royal Bled then note that it’s open from March to November, with both 18- and 9-hole course, and due to its status and appeal is one of the pricier golfing options in the country – but you get what you pay for. The website is here, while our look at all the 6-, 9- and 18-hole courses in Slovenia is here.

Related: How to spend from four to 48 hours in Bled

STA, 12 February 2020 - Slovenian companies wondering about the future relationship with their UK partners after Brexit were assured at an event held by the British Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and the British Embassy on Wednesday that Britons wanted to preserve the close business ties.

The UK exited the EU at the beginning of the month after 47 years of membership. The terms of trade will remain unchanged until the transition period expires at the end of the year, while talks on new relations are to start soon, UK Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey told the event.

"We would like for us to continue to grow together," she said, noting the countries' close cooperation in many fields, from construction to banking and advanced technologies, with the volume of business between the two countries increasing by more than 10% over the past three years.

Honey believes that an agreement on the future relationship between the UK and the EU is feasible by the end of the transition period. The UK is keen to reach a free trade agreement similar to the one between the EU and Canada.

My key message: the UK will be working hard to agree an #FTA.

As we leave Single Market & Customs Union at the end of 2020, new processes will be put in place for ?? import/export - make sure to stay in touch with your ?? partners to prepare.

More info: https://t.co/Va9oYvgkTC pic.twitter.com/Qw6aor5pIv

— Sophie Honey (@HMASophieHoney) February 12, 2020

Tim Abraham, deputy director at the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said that now was the opportunity to prepare for the changed terms and conditions setting in as the UK exits the single market and customs union at the end of 2020.

Abraham, who would like for the close business ties to be preserved, noted that many of the businesses present at the event today already do business with countries outside the EU, saying that doing business with the UK on new terms would not be much different than that.

Zoran Stančič, the head of the European Commission's office in Slovenia, assured business representatives present that procedures would be run transparently and that businesses would get all the necessary information.

"However, the path ahead won't be easy, eleven months is little time," he said, adding that the European Commission had high ambitions for the future relationship with the UK. He said that the transition period could be extended by a year or two if the talks did not develop the way both sides wanted.

Tjaša Redek, a professor from the Ljubljana Faculty of Economics, presented an analysis which showed that Brexit would have only limited impact on Slovenia, with the negative impact on GDP growth projected at up to 0.03% in a decade.

Data for 2018 show that Slovenian companies exported EUR 577 million in goods and services to the UK, importing EUR 441 million.

The analysis also showed that Slovenian companies do not expect substantial negative consequences of Brexit, but they are preparing for the changes nonetheless and many are eyeing new markets.

All our stories on Brexit and Slovenia are here

STA, 12 February 2020 - President Borut Pahor said after Wednesday's farewell meeting with Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović in Ljubljana that her picking Slovenia for her last visit had not been a coincidence, since Slovenia and Croatia were neighbouring and friendly countries.

And not only that, "it is also that the two of us personally strived very hard" for the two countries to be on friendly terms, Pahor told the press after the meeting.

This was the 39th meeting of the pair, with Pahor noting that after Croatia's unilateral withdrawal from the border arbitration agreement they agreed to nonetheless continue with dialogue and preserve the bridge between the two nations and countries.

Predsednik Republike Borut Pahor na delovnem in neformalnem srečanju s predsednico Republike Hrvaške Kolindo Grabar-Kitarović. To je njen zadnji poslovilni obisk v tujini. pic.twitter.com/7PpHC0niPp

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) February 12, 2020

With the exception of arbitration, which is closed in Slovenia's eyes but not in Croatia's even though it is bound by international law, the two countries have resolved all other fields, Pahor believes.

He thanked the Croatian president, who failed to get re-elected for a second term in January, for choosing Slovenia for her final visit.

According to Grabar-Kitarović, Slovenia was a logical choice, since she always highlighted the friendship and ties between the two countries were far stronger than the issues that remained open, in particular those resulting from the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

She took the opportunity to call on the Slovenian authorities to continue talks with the Croatian side to reach bilateral solutions for all open issues.

Grabar-Kitarović agreed that the two presidents' cooperation had been exemplary, even if they feel differently about open issues, especially arbitration.

"But this does not mean we'll say goodbye without talking - on the contrary, it is necessary to discuss problems to solve them," she said.

STA, 11 February 2020 - Last week's windstorms caused extensive damage to Slovenia's forests - some 100,000 m3 of trees were felled, according to initial estimates. Due to a risk of bark beetle infestation, the authorities have urged the tree clean-up and removal to be carried out as soon as possible using precautionary measures.

Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec visited on Tuesday forest areas near Kranj in north-western Slovenia where the damage was most severe. In the Gorenjska region, some 70,000 m3 of trees were uprooted.

Pivec said that Monday's storm, which hit the north-east the most, had not been as damaging as last week's. However, in Slovenjska Bistrica the wind was uncovering roofs of more than 70 facilities, mostly apartment buildings and houses.

The minister pointed out that there had been two fatal accidents during work in forests recently, urging people to exercise extra caution and call clean-up services if they are not equipped or trained to do the work themselves.

The clean-up efforts should be sped up since the coming spring will potentially give rise to another bark beetle outbreak, with felled trees being the ideal hotspot for the development of the pest. Pivec called on forest owners to tap into EU funds for forest renewal.

The final estimates of the damage will be known in a week or two since the damage is scattered across the country. Slovenia has been quite lucky in seeing the best-case scenario given the severity of the storm, said Damjan Oražem, the head of the Forest Service.

STA, 11 February 2020 - The parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee unanimously called on the police force on Tuesday to draw up a report on the security situation in areas with Roma communities and a proposal for systemic changes to improve it.

The proposal was drawn up by a subcommittee established in May last year by Democrats (SDS) MP Anja Bah Žibert as the latest report on the state of the Roma community had shown things were improving only slowly.

Bah Žibert was succeeded as the chair of the subcommittee by Predrag Baković, a SocDems MP who dealt with Roma issue throughout his pre-parliamentary career.

Related: Death of Baby in Goriča Vas Draws Attention to Extreme Poverty Among Slovenia’s Roma

Areas with Roma communities in Slovenia (Map Matjaž Geršič, from "Geographical names in the languages of official minorities in Slovenia")

He recently told the STA that the subcommittee, which comprises MPs from areas with Roma communities, had been receiving many letters and calls from local communities and civil initiatives to address the topic, and that trust in institutions was poor.

Baković said challenges remained in education, employment, living conditions and security. Both the Roma and the majority population are unhappy with the situation, he added.

He feels that, as things currently stand, relations between the two groups are not encouraging, at least not in the south-east of the country.

"It is not like the police is not doing its work, the problems are of a more systemic nature," he said, highlighting a lack of tools to effectively penalise the bad apples in the Roma community that engage in crime and make no effort to get off of welfare.

Related: Pahor Meets with Roma and Other Stakeholders, Discusses Illegal Villages in SE Slovenia

Baković argued that the institutions the committee members addressed kept referring them back and forth to each other and that "in fact we're not operating with the goal of solving the problem but to avoid responsibility and accusations".

One of Baković's key beliefs is that it is necessary to connect members of Roma communities and the majority population. He feels very few Roma would remain in Roma settlements if they had other options.

STA, 11 February 2020 - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI, Nacionalnega preiskovalnega urada – NPU, “Slovenia’s FBI”)) is investigating the funding of some media outlets close to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), public broadcaster TV Slovenia reported. The police refuse to comment.

The media are suspected of having received funding from Hungarian business people with close ties to Fidesz, the party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, TV Slovenija said.

The news comes after web portal necenzurirano.si reported on Monday that EUR 4 million were transferred since August 2018 from accounts in the UK and Hungary to accounts in Slovenia.

EUR 1.5 million allegedly ended up on the accounts of media companies NovaTV24.si and Nova Hiša, the broadcaster of the TV programme and publisher of Nova24TV.

Related: Hungary’s Influence in Prekmurje and Beyond

The rest allegedly went to North Macedonia for the purchase of media companies from the circle of Macedonia's biggest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE.

Necenzurirano.si also said that the funds were the key source of income for NovaTV24.si and Nova Hiša.

In 2018, total earnings of NovaTV24.si reached EUR 1.54 million, only EUR 300,000 more than the total sum of Hungarian funds since August 2018 until today. Whereas the earnings of Nova Hiša in 2018 reached EUR 324,000.

The portal said that the two media are close to the SDS, because several party members sit on the management board of NovaTV24.

Related: Parliamentary Committees Condemn Hungarian Interference in Slovenian Media

SDS leader Janez Jaša accused NBI head Darko Muženič in a tweet today that he had allowed millions to be laundered in NLB bank and was now investigating the media that reported about it.

The SDS has repeatedly rejected speculation about illegal funding for the party from abroad. What is more, the party has threatened to sue outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec for saying that the SDS had received funds from Hungary.

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.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Croatia's outgoing president to visit Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović will visit Slovenia on Wednesday to meet President Borut Pahor in her last trip as president. The working and informal meeting will be the culmination of the pair's intense dialogue, said Pahor's office. The exact date of the meeting has not yet been given, but it is expected to take place by the end of this week. Croatia's new president, Zoran Milanović will be sworn in on 18 February. He is yet to decide which country to visit first.

Cerar attends business conference in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Outgoing Foreign Minister Miro Cerar took part in a business conference in Istanbul held as part of his two-day visit to Turkey. Cerar, who met his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Monday, noted the importance of commercial diplomacy, which the country plans to enhance further. He also met Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Kasapoglu, a co-chair of the bilateral commission on economic cooperation, with the pair expressing interest in business cooperation in third countries.

Speaker in N Macedonia as NATO accession protocol ratified

SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan addressed the North Macedonian parliament as it ratified the country's NATO accession protocol as the only foreign guest. In his speech, Židan reiterated that Slovenia supported North Macedonia's accession to both NATO and the EU. Židan also met President Stevo Pandarovski and Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski, and attended the signing of a EUR 2 million development cooperation memorandum for 2020 and 2021.

SDS in talks in a bid to form new government

LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS) responded to speculation about a second round of coalition talks with the Modern Centre Party (SMC), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) by saying the talks had been under way since last Friday and would continue in the coming days. The SMC, NSi and DeSUS have been tight-lipped about the talks. The SDS said it was not clear yet whether a third round of talks, which is to discuss responsibilities within a new government, would be held or not. Meanwhile, outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has not given up the possibility of an alliance with the SMC in case of a snap election.

Hungarian funding for media close to SDS under spotlight

LJUBLJANA - The public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported that the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the funding of some media outlets close to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). The media are suspected of having received funding from Hungarian business people with close ties to Fidesz, the party of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. The web portal necenzurirano.si reported on Monday that EUR 4 million had been transferred since August 2018 from accounts in the UK and Hungary to accounts in Slovenia.

Pahor puts forward three candidates for EU General Court

LJUBLJANA - Following talks with parties, President Borut Pahor put forward to parliament three candidates for two Slovenian judges at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, backing Klemen Podobnik, Nina Savin Bossiere and Jure Vidmar, who had also received the endorsement of the Judicial Council. To be appointed, candidates need the support of a majority of all MPs, whereupon they are interviewed by a special vetting committee in Brussels, which failed to endorse a Slovenian candidate in 2019.

Industry endorses national energy and climate plan

LJUBLJANA - The Energy Industry Chamber endorsed the draft national energy and climate plan which sets out measures for energy and climate change mitigation until 2030. But it also raised some issues, including the absence in the plan of new hydro power plants and a new reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Station. There are also no guidelines on how gas would replace fossil fuel at the TEŠ thermal power plant, the chamber's head Marjan Eberlinc said.

Final vacancies filled on Petrol board

LJUBLJANA - After the appointment of Nada Drobne Popovič as the CEO of energy group Petrol in January, the supervisory board filled the remaining two vacancies on the management board on Monday by appointing Matija Bitenc and Jože Bajuk board members effective on 11 March. Presenting the new management's strategy, Drobne Popovič said Petrol would continue its transformation from a fuel retailer to an energy company. EBIT is projected to top EUR 200 million and net profit EUR 100 million in 2020.

Parliamentary committee asks police for Roma settlements security report

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee unanimously called on the police force to draw up a report on the security situation in areas with Roma communities and a proposal for systemic changes to improve it. Subcommittee chair Predrag Baković, a SocDems MP who dealt with Roma issue throughout his pre-parliamentary career, recently told the STA that the subcommittee, which comprises MPs from areas with Roma communities, had been receiving many letters and calls from local communities and civil initiatives to address the topic, and that trust in institutions was poor.

Gender stereotypes, bias holding back women in science

LJUBLJANA - Women remain under-represented in scientific and technical professions, especially at senior levels. Unconscious bias, double standards and gender stereotypes are some of the reasons why headway towards gender equality in this field remains sluggish. The University of Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest, has been dominated by men since it was established a century ago. The latest figures show the ratio of men to women among faculty is roughly 60:40, with the share of women declining further up the career ladder.

Seed producer Semenarna taken over by Serbia's Agromarket

LJUBLJANA - Semenarna, the biggest seed producer in the country, has been sold to the Serbian Dušan Mojsilović businessman and his Agromarket company, which will make the latter one of the biggest seed producers and sellers in the region, the newspaper Delo reported. Mojsilović unofficially paid EUR 5.5 million for Semenarna along with the claims held by Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), the bad bank.

Contemporary Austrian art on show in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Contemporary Austrian art was put on show at Galerija Vžigalica in Ljubljana, presenting "contemporary artistic positions" by artists from the state of Carinthia. Running until 15 March, the show is a collaboration with the Klagenfurt University's Universitätskulturzentrum UNIKUM, which has been producing contemporary art projects outside established cultural institutions since 1987.

Couch Festival bringing cultural revolution to living rooms

LJUBLJANA - The sub-cultural Couch Festival, dedicated to various genres of music and performative arts, kicked off in Ljubljana, featuring 130 events at some 90 venues. Running until Saturday, the festival brings musicians, puppeteers and other performers from Slovenia and abroad to public spaces as well as people's homes, fusing cosy, intimate settings and quality artistic content.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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

At a gala ceremony on the National Day of Culture, also called Prešeren Day, celebrated every February 8, the pop provocateur and singer Magnifico performed a crude song that met with a mixed response on social media. Some of the most offended commentators complained about the vulgarity and disrespect for the Catholic Church expressed in the lyrics, missing the fact that this was actually a text written by “Slovenia’s greatest poet”.

While France Prešeren (1800-1849) is mostly known for the lyrics to the Slovenia’s national anthem and masterfully written sonnets, he also wrote stacks of pornographic rhymes and satirical verse.

To better understand the outcry, here is a quick translation of what Magnifico was singing to the entire nation in Gallus Hall of Cankarjev Dom last Friday:

Kako da se dohtarjem
Trebuhi redé?
Zato ki nobeden
k njim prazen ne sme.

Kako da se uradnikom
Trebuhi redé?
Zato, ki se mazat
Vsi radi pusté.

Kako da se farjem
Trebuhi redé?
Za maše jim nosijo
Neumne žene.

Kako da se nunam
Trebuhi redé?
Zato ki se farjem
Porivat pusté.