Links between the nations of the former Yugoslavia remains strong, and one cultural expression of this is the fifth international symposium ART LINKS, a Slovenian-Serbian artists exchange. This takes place in two parts, with three exhibitions on show until the end of May in the Serbian city of Novi Sad, and later this year in Ljubljana.

Nina Koželj

Črtomir Frelih

The event is organised  by the Cultural Center Novi Sad, the Association of Visual Artists of Vojvodina – SULUV, the Foundation “Novi Sad 2021” and the Association of Visual Artists of Ljubljana – DLUL, and in addition to the gallery shows includes other cultural events that aim to showcase the works of 12 Slovenian artists: Milena Gregorčič, Aleksandra Saška Gruden, Boris Beja,  Petra Varl, Boris Gaberščik, Mojca Zlokarnik, Nina Koželj, Ivo Mršnik, Nataša Segulin, Zora Stančič, Črtomir Frelih and Arven Šakti Kralj Szomi.

Arven Šakti Kralj Szomi

Zora Stančič

Later this year 12 artists from Novi Sad will complete the project by presenting their works in Ljubljana. More details on the events, artists, and images from the galleries, can be found here

STA, 27 May 2019 - Impol, a leading Slovenian aluminium producer, has recently entered a deal to supply German car producer BMW with aluminium rods for the bodyworks of new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The deal, worth EUR 40 million, will make the Slovenska Bistrica-based group BMW's direct supplier for at least five years, the Slovenian company has told the STA.

To meet the demand, Impol will build a new production facility spanning 3,000 square metres in Slovenska Bistrica.

The company is now seeking to obtain a building permit and plans to launch construction work in the second half of the year.

The investment is estimated at almost EUR 6.5 million, of which almost EUR 4 million will be spent on new equipment.

Production is meanwhile expected to be launched at the end of 2020 or at the beginning of 2021.

Impol will be the only supplier of aluminium rods for BMW's new electric SUV which is expected to hit the market in 2021.

The company will have to employ several dozen new workers (in production, logistics and quality control) and is hoping to further expand the cooperation with BMW.

Earlier this month, it launched a new production line for the automotive industry at its Croatian location in Šibenik.

Impol makes a wide range of aluminium products, from rods and tubes to sheets, slugs, strips and cast aluminium. Its products are used in the automotive, construction, food&beverage and energy industries.

Last year the group, which sells its products to 50 different countries, generated EUR 728 million in sales abroad, of which EUR 614 million in EU countries.

Its most important market is Germany, accounting for almost a third of its sales abroad. The company plans a 9% rise in sales revenue generated abroad for 2019.

STA, 28 May 2019 - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive in Slovenia on Tuesday evening, starting a two-day visit by meeting his counterpart Miro Cerar at Strmol Castle near Cerklje na Gorenjskem. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec.

Today's meeting will take place behind closed doors and the pair will hold another one tomorrow morning at the Foreign Ministry in Ljubljana. The latter is to be followed by a press conference.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry has said beforehand that the visit represents the continuation of bilateral dialogue between the two countries. Lavrov's last trip to Slovenia was in February 2018.

After meeting Pahor and Šarec on Wednesday, Lavrov will attend a ceremony in Šmartno pri Litiji to unveil a statue honouring Davorin Hostnik (1853-1929), the author of the first Russian-Slovenian dictionary.

Russia is a key trade partner for Slovenia, with trade amounting to EUR 1.16 billion last year. The figure was highest in 2014, when it reached nearly EUR 1.5 billion.

Trade has decreased in recent years due to a poorer macroeconomic situation on the Russian market and sanctions the EU imposed on Russia after the latter annexed Crimea. Both Slovenia and Russia hold the view that the 2015 Minsk Agreement is key in ending the tensions in Ukraine.

Tensions between western countries and Russia ran high again in March 2018 following the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergey Skripal. While the UK blamed Russia for his death, Moscow denied the allegations.

Following the Skripal attack, Slovenia was one of the few EU member states which did not expel Russian diplomats.

The countries also have close cultural ties. Only last week, a collection of more than 80 icons from leading Russian museums went on display at the Ljubljana City Museum.

But the key event each year is the commemoration of more than 100 Russian POWs who died in an avalanche building the Vršič mountain pass during World War I.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Parties relieved radicalism has not prevailed in EU

LJUBLJANA - Judging by the yet incomplete results of European parliamentary elections, Slovenian parties find it will be very difficult to form a strong coalition in the European Parliament. They invariably express relief that radical forces fell short of making significant gains. The Democratic Party (SDS), which won the election in partnership with the People's Party (SLS), is hoping for a grand coalition, one that would also include the liberals, while the SocDems, which came second, hope for an alliance "with the the Greens, the left and possibly the liberals" although an alliance of S&D, ALDE and the EPP "cleansed" of radical forces would also be acceptable.

Pahor congratulates MEPs, happy with increase in turnout EU-wide

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Slovenia's eight MEPs elected on Sunday, also expressing satisfaction that the average EU turnout increased, exceeding 50%. He is happy that pro-EU forces gained sufficient support to "further develop and strengthen our common European home". "I am sincerely thankful to everybody who cast their vote yesterday. I am particularly happy that turnout was considerably higher on the EU level, somewhat less so in Slovenia, but still higher than five years ago," Pahor said in a written statement for the STA.

Cerar and Petriček discuss coop, EU, W Balkans

CERKLJE NA GORENJSKEM - The Slovenian and Czech foreign ministers, Miro Cerar and Tomaš Petriček, highlighted their efforts for a united EU, urged an open-door policy for the Western Balkans and called for even closer bilateral cooperation as they met in Slovenia. Meeting a day after the EU elections, they expressed hope that a strong, pro-European coalition would be formed in the EU parliament to address the challenges ahead. Cerar and Petriček believe the EU should endorse the launch of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania in June, since this is of utmost importance for stability in SE Europe.

Pahor to pay official visit to Montenegro

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will start a two-day official visit to Montenegro on Wednesday. He will meet his host, Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović, and attend the 9th regional security forum in Podgorica. This will be the president's first official visit to Montenegro since the country joined NATO, so it is to reaffirm on a symbolic level Slovenia's support to Montenegro's aspiration to join Euro-Atlantic integration, Pahor's office said.

Brglez passing MP seat to SMC, Novak to younger colleague

LJUBLJANA - Two of the eight Slovenian members elected to the European Parliament on Sunday have so far served as MPs, which means their seats will pass to the candidates placing behind them on the respective party ticket in the 2018 general election. Milan Brglez, who made it to the European Parliament on the slate of the SocDems, will be replaced by Dušan Verbič, however for the Modern Centre Party (SMC) on whose ticked Brglez got elected to parliament before defecting to the SD. Ljudmila Novak from the opposition party New Slovenia (NSi) will be replaced at the National Assembly by Tadeja Šuštar.

Petrol tops Delo's list of largest companies revenue-wise

LJUBLJANA - The 300 largest companies in the country generated a total of EUR 45.73 billion in revenue last year, which is 9.7% more than in 2017, while their total net profit was up by 4.1% to EUR 1.77 billion, shows a list by the newspaper Delo. The top 300 companies contributed 45.3% of the total revenue generated by all companies in 2018, which is 0.9 of a percentage point more than in 2017. The largest company in terms of revenue was the fuel retailer Petrol with EUR 4.4 billion. It is followed by the power producer Gen-I (EUR 2.38 billion), the Renault car assembly plant Revoz (EUR 1.78 billion), the power utility HSE (EUR 1.52 billion) and the drug maker Krka (EUR 1.28 billion).

Railways operator commissions additional passenger trains

LJUBLJANA - National rail operator Slovenske Železnice signed a EUR 151 million contract with German train maker Stadler to buy 26 new passenger trains. This comes after the company already commissioned 26 new trains from Stadler in April 2018. The first trains are to arrive and be tested by the end of the year. This is part of the operator's plan to overhaul the passenger services in the country, which are marred by outdated trains, many of which do not even have AC, and low travel speeds.

Impol enters business deal with BMW

SLOVENSKA BISTRICA - Impol, a leading Slovenian aluminium producer, has recently entered a deal to supply German car producer BMW with aluminium rods for the bodyworks of new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The deal, worth EUR 40 million, will make the group BMW's direct supplier for at least five years. To meet the demand, Impol will build a new production facility spanning 3,000 square metres in Slovenska Bistrica. The investment is estimated at almost EUR 6.5 million, of which almost EUR 4 million will be spent on new equipment. Production is meanwhile expected to be launched at the end of 2020 or at the beginning of 2021.

Almost third of natural habitats in Slovenia doing poorly, report finds

LJUBLJANA - Animals and natural habitats in Slovenia are not doing very well, suggests a report by the Institute for Nature Conservation, calling for measures to protect the environment. The conservation status of more than half of species has been labelled as unfavourable, while almost a third of habitats are doing poorly. The animal situation is the most worrying for amphibians, butterflies and dragonflies, followed by beetles, fish, crabs, reptiles and bats. The most problematic habitat areas are inland waters, grasslands, moors and marshes.

Dušan Merc new head of Slovenian Writers' Association

LJUBLJANA - Novelist Dušan Merc was elected the new president of the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP). He was the only candidate for the post, vacated earlier this year due to Aksinija Kermauner's resignation. Merc, 66, will serve until the end of 2020, when the current three-year term runs out. This is the second election for the DSP in less than a year after poet and playwright Ivo Svetina resigned last July. Kermauner resigned after six months on the job, citing her disagreement with the state's attitude towards the DSP, notably a considerable lack of funds it provides for its activities.

Fake doctor gets suspended prison sentence

LJUBLJANA - Media reported that the Ljubljana Local Court had ruled in the case of a 29-year old woman who posed as a doctor in Izola at the end of 2016. The woman, who later also tried to pass as a nurse in Trbovlje, received a suspended prison sentence of five years on three years probation for forgery. The woman's degree certificates were fraudulent and she registered as a doctor with the Medical Chamber using a copy of a fake diploma. The Trbovlje hospital demands that she return the pay she received while working there for a month and a half.

With its long history of growing juniper berries (brina) and distilling a juniper-based schnapps (brinjevec or brinavec), Slovenia has the culture and skills needed to produce high quality gin. However, it’s only in recent years that commercial production of the spirit seems to have gained traction, with at least 14 distillers now having versions of the classic drink on the market.

We thus present part two of our series on Slovenian gin, to help you choose the next bottle or glass to enjoy.

Aufbix is a small-batch London-style gin flavoured with juniper berries, coriander, cardamom, carob, angelica and orris root, with additional citrus notes given to the spirit with the use of  fresh peel from pink grapefruits and blood oranges from Sicily. And that Italian note isn’t the only international ingredient in the Aufbix story, as one of the founders of 78 Stopinj, the distillery that uses water from Mount Pohorje to produce it’s drinks, is from New Zealand, with a background in winemaking. Website.

Broken Bones is made in Ljubljana from a distillery that started with whisky before moving on to gin, with the aim of producing a spirit that could be enjoyed neat as well as in a cocktail. The unique flavour of the drink is given by the use of rosehip berries  and linden tree flowers, with the latter an especially Slovenian touch, given that this is one of the symbols of the nation. The name comes from when the owners, Borut and Boštjan, both had accidents when working with their first whisky barrels, resulting in a broken leg and broken nose. The gin is made in small batches, with each batch being slightly different. In addition to the standard gin, the company also produces Broken Bones Navy Strength Gin (57% ABV), and is working on Broken Bones Old Tom Gin, with added honey and matured in Slovenian oak casks. Website.

Karakter Gin is distilled by a team who were draw to the spirit for two reasons: first for the relative simplicity of it’s production, and second because gin is a drink that allows for a wide range of experimentation. The result is thus a gin that has character, hence the name, and one that seeks to explore the basic idea of gin by brining out the complexity of the usual juniper berries and botanicals by adding various atypital herbs and spices. If that sounds intriguing then seek out a bottle or glass of Karakter Dry Gin, produced using maceration, infusion, and percolation. Website.

Monologue Gin is the first “celebrity” gin in this series, presented by Tomaž Kavčič, the top chef of the famed Pri Lojzetu. The twist on this gin is that Kavčič has aimed to capture the taste of Vipava in the spirit, which in addioion to the usual herbs and botanicals is flavoured with rosemary, lavender and an extract of olive leaves. No website at present, but the restaurant can be found here.

Other articles in this series can be found here

Milan Zver says EU should do more to fight terrorism

Milan Zver, turning 57 the day before the election, has won his third term in the European Parliament as the lead candidate on the joint slate of the opposition Democrats (SDS) and non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS). The head of the Slovenian EPP delegation has been a member of the EU parliament's committee for culture and education and a member of the delegation for relations with the US in 2014-2019. He is particularly happy that as the rapporteur for Erasmus+ he has managed to increase funds for the EU's programme for education, youth and sport to EUR 45 billion. He is also proud that one of the European Parliament halls was named after Jože Pučnik (1932-2003), a central figure of Slovenia's independence, to whom Zver served as an advisor in the early 1990s when Pučnik was a deputy prime minister. Since he entered politics in the early 1990s he has become one of the most prominent SDS politicians of the past 15 years. An SDS vice-president, Zver, a holder of a PhD in sociology, was elected MP in 2004, but left parliament shortly after to serve as education minister. He was elected to the EU parliament for the first time in 2009. He has written several books, including one on the SDS's history, which was published under the auspices of the EPP in English in 2009. Zver is married to historian Andreja Valič Zver and has two daughters from a previous marriage.

sds.si

STA, 27 May 2019 - In the new term, the re-elected MEP Milan Zver of the Democrats (SDS) will continue with his work in the security and defence policy, while also focusing on education. He has told the STA that the agenda in the European Parliament will also include fight against terrorism, where he believes the EU should make a step forward.

Zver, 57, expects that security issues and illegal migration will remain high on the agenda in the next five-year term of the European Parliament. He sees cybersecurity and the fight against terrorism as the most important points.

He believes that there is a need for a common EU policy in the field of security, either in the form of common armed forces or a common security and intelligence service.

"It is not enough any more that autonomous intelligence services cooperate and coordinate their work. We should make a step forward if we want to be more effective in fighting terrorism and reduce security risks in the EU generally."

Zver is currently a member of the Special Committee on Terrorism, and the other fields he is the most familiar with are youth policy, culture, education and sport, in which he has also been active as a member of the Committee on Culture and Education.

He expects to continue with the Erasmus+ project as "one of the most successful stories in the EU", which has been "sold very poorly" in the political campaign.

Zver also expects that he will lead the national delegation in the European People's Party (EPP), which he labelled as responsible work, especially at the beginning, when new bodies are being established.

Commenting on the emerging social union, he said that "some common standards need to be established as soon as possible so that the social and development differences between the east and west are reduced".

On the other hand, there are fields which Brussels could transfer to member states and give them more powers and independence. "Common agricultural policy should not necessarily be a completely regulated system."

Zver also commented on the situation in which the EU has found itself after the election of British MEPs, who are mainly Eurosceptics. "This is a big problem for the European Union, coming right at the time when it needs to get stabilised."

If the British went to another Brexit referendum, the result could perhaps be different, but the result of the EU election shows that the "Eurosceptic reflex in the United Kingdom is still very strong".

According to Zver, Brexit has become a second-rate topic in the UK, as the British "care more about which party will win a majority in the early election".

Ljudmilla Novak to work for benefit of Slovenia and European integration

Ljudmilla Novak, 59, is returning to the European Parliament after she served as MEP in 2004-2009 together with Lojze Peterle, who today failed to get re-elected for what would be his fourth term. A graduate of Slovenian and German, Novak abandoned her teaching career to enter politics in 2000 by joining the NSi's predecessor, the Slovenian Christian Democrats (SDK), and being elected Moravče mayor in 2001. When the NSi failed to make it to parliament in 2008, she replaced Andrej Bajuk at the helm of the party, where she stayed until resigning in January 2018 to give way to younger-generation Matej Tonin. It was rumoured she stepped down in exchange for being placed high on the slate for the EU election, which she has denied on several occasions. Novak took the NSi to the general election in 2011 and to the surprise of many, the party managed to return to parliament. Given that no party had managed to make it back to parliament before, this is considered her major achievements. In the second Janez Janša government (2012-2013), Novak served as minister for Slovenians abroad, but later distanced herself from the Democrats (SDS), chiefly due to Janša's ill-disposed policies. Novak, currently an MP, is seen as a moderate conservative willing to engage in dialogue. She is married and has three children.

STA, 27 May 2019 - Ljudmila Novak, who is returning to the European Parliament after a ten-year hiatus to join the ranks of the European People's Party (EPP) as the sole MEP for New Slovenia (NSi), would like to focus on culture and education in her new term.

Talking to the STA about her plans and commitments in the European Parliament, Novak pledged to dedicate her "heart to work for the benefit of Slovenia and integration in Europe".

The first topics she will take up as MEP would depend on the agenda, she said, while noting that in her first term as MEP between 2004 and 2009, she spoke out when something went wrong with respect to Slovenia's borders, minorities and similar issues.

In the past, she was active in the fields of culture and education, the fields she would also like to focus on in her second term in the European Parliament. However, since four of the eight Slovenian MEPs are EPP members "we will need to agree yet who represents which field".

The other three Slovenian MEPs from the EPP ranks - Milan Zver, Franc Bogovič and Romana Tomc - have served as MEPs this term so they will probably want to continue their work in the field they committed themselves to, Novak said. It will all be a matter of agreement. "I'll see what I get to choose from."

The 59-year-old former NSi leader says she is aware of the challenges of reconciling her work as MEP, her family life and her political activity in Slovenia. She did note though that MEPs tended to return home on a weekly basis because they needed to keep in touch with the Slovenian citizens.

All the articles in this series are here

Tomc a lot needs to be done for pensions and demographics

An economist by profession, Romana Tomc, 53, was re-elected to the European Parliament as the second-placed on the joint SDS+SLS slate. She was first elected MEP in 2014, which marked the peak of her political career and a rapid rise through the party's ranks at the time, giving rise to rumours she could take the party leadership while Janez Janša was shortly serving time in the Patria corruption case. As an MEP, she has been a member of the committee for employment and social affairs, and a member of the delegation for relations with Japan. She was the rapporteur for the Youth Employment Initiative, one of the main EU financial resources to help fight high unemployment rates among the young, and has fought, though in vain, against Austria's efforts to cut child benefit for Slovenian parents working in Austria but living in Slovenia. MEPRanking.eu, a quantitative analysis of MEP activity, however, shows she has been one of the three least active Slovenian MEPs in this term. In 2017, the SDS fielded her as a presidential candidate, but she failed to advance to the run-off, placing third after Borut Pahor and Marjan Šarec. Drawing on her rich experience from the private sector and employer organisations, Tomc joined the Labour Ministry in 2007, first as the head of the labour directorate and later as a state secretary in the SDS-led government. In 2011-2014, she served as MP, of which two years as deputy speaker. Tomc has a partner and two adult children.

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STA, 27 May 2019 - The freshly re-elected MEP Romana Tomc of the Democrats (SDS) has told the STA that a lot of work remains to be done in the EU in the fields of pensions, older people and demographic trends. She intends to keep focusing on these fields in the next term, hoping that she will manage to "put some wheels in motion".

Tomc (53), who was re-elected to the European Parliament as the second-placed on the joint SDS+SLS slate, said her priorities would be connected with the work she had been already performing.

She noted that although she had worked a lot with young people in the outgoing term, she had paid the most attention to pensions, pension systems, demographic changes and population ageing.

She thinks that the EU owes a lot to its citizens in terms of demographic policy and pensions. "If we dealt with things such as clock changes, I think that we can also deal with serious things such as problems in the pension systems in all member states, not only in Slovenia."

Considering that all EU member states have problems in this field, Tomc believes that it is time for the EU institutions to commit to deal more intensively with the challenge.

In countries where governments are not being responsible, these systems are bursting at their seams, assessed the member of the largest opposition party, adding that Slovenia was among them. This is an issue that needs to be regulated anew.

"We discussed the issue of ageing, but did not adopt any measures. I think that we could adopt some binding commitments in this field," she said, while noting she was inclined to setting minimum standards.

Such standards would leave enough manoeuvring space to individual member states, while being means for Brussels to control whether a member state is taking measures they should be taking in order to make its pension system stable.

According to Tomc, the EU has dedicated a lot of money to projects such as bridges and other infrastructure, and now it is time to start investing in people.

As a case of good practice, she pointed to the youth guarantee scheme, for which the EU has earmarked EUR 9 billion. "Why wouldn't we have a guarantee scheme for older people," she wonders.

Milan Brglez will commit himself to human rights

Milan Brglez, 51, was elected MEP with preferential votes despite having just recently joined the SD after defecting from the Modern Centre Party (SMC) of former PM Miro Cerar, which he helped found just before it won the 2014 general election. It was then that Brglez, who has a PhD in international relations, entered politics, before which he was known mainly in academic circles. He was elected MP in 2014 and became parliamentary speaker, a post he held until 2018. During this stint, parliament stripped opposition SDS MP Janez Janša of his term as MP as he was serving time in the corruption Patria defence case, in what was perceived as a rather controversial move. As an expert on foreign relations, Brglez was also a member of the advisory group involved in the preparation of Slovenia's case for the tribunal arbitrating on the border with Croatia. In 2018, he was re-elected to the National Assembly on the SMC ticket, but defected soon over a dispute about the new parliamentary speaker with SMC leader Cerar during the talks on the coalition formation. He is a father of two children.

dr-rs.si

STA, 27 May 2019 - Milan Brglez, an international law professor who was elected one of two MEPs for the Social Democrats (SD) on Sunday, says he will dedicate his term to things he knows best, that is issues linked to international relations, international law and human rights, including social rights.

"This is such a surprise that I haven't given it much thought yet," Brglez, who made it to the European Parliament as No 4 SD candidate owing to preference vote, told the STA when asked about his future work.

However, Brglez, who served as the National Assembly speaker in the previous term, said that value added he would bring to the EU parliament was his "commitment to human rights and the rule of law", two topics that he believes are underrated and neglected in the EU.

Having defected to the Social Democrats from the Modern Centre Party (SMC) after the 2018 general election, Brglez says that in the European Parliament he will work toward a clearer social democratic profile, and will also dedicate his time to social rights, where he believes Europe should do much more.

He would like for "certain minimum standards to be adopted in the future so we don't compete for money when it comes to social security". However, a more detailed distribution of tasks will also depend on distribution of European Parliament seats between groups, he noted.

Brglez, who currently serves as deputy in the National Assembly, plans to first complete the work he has started in the Slovenian parliament before devoting his time fully to how he operates within the European Parliament. "Some expertise from this field will certainly help," he added.

Brglez is happy to have won his term with a preference vote. "I gather these are the votes of those new voters who supported social democracy and this was the basic goal that was behind our joint decision for me to stand," said Brglez.

As a result of his election to the European Parliament, the SMC will gain back Brglez's seat in the national legislature, considering that Brglez was elected on the SMC ticket before defecting to the SD last summer.

"That's the logic of parliamentarism, which I believe is right in principle, but as far as the SMC and I are concerned this part of the story is now over," said the 51-year old.

All the articles in this series are here

Klemen Grošelj will work for solidarity and security

Klemen Grošelj, 43, holds a PhD in defence studies from the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Studies. He entered politics last year when he was appointed a state secretary at the Defence Ministry after the general election, and has since authored a new resolution on the national security strategy designed to beef up the national security system at a time of changing global security threats. Elected as the second-placed on Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's LMŠ, Grošelj said during the campaign that EU members should reach agreement on its new strategic areas to be added to the existing ones. He has also said in a recent interview: "I believe in a EU which will have common policies and where the European identity and national identities do not exclude each other." Before turning to politics, Grošelj was best known for his analysis of global geostrategic developments.

Twitter

STA, 27 May 2019 - State secretary at the Defence Ministry Klemen Grošelj (LMŠ/ALDE), who has been elected to the European Parliament for the first time, has told the STA that as an MEP he would strive for solidarity and security, as highlighted in his campaign.

"I believe that the EU must remain a place of security where internal cohesion and solidarity among EU member states and citizens will be built," Grošelj said after the partial official results were released.

Asked about his future MEP career, the newly-elected Grošelj did not elaborate further, saying he had not considered possible committee engagements yet.

The 43-year-old was pleased that voters had placed trust in him and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ). Prior to starting his MEP term, Grošelj said he would like to complete certain duties at the Defence Ministry.

Elected as the second-placed on the LMŠ slate, Grošelj said he welcomed the positive trend of the liberal democracy idea, describing it as striving for "an open society which is not based on exclusion and intolerance" and counterweighting certain extremist or populist forces on the rise.

"A strengthened European centre indicates the strengthening and further development of the European idea, which, as we should keep in mind, is essential for the European peace and prosperity enjoyed by us today," pointed out Grošelj.

Tanja Fajon will fight against intolerance

Fajon, 48, won her third term in the European Parliament as the party's leading candidate after leapfrogging in 2014 SD leader Igor Lukšič with the help of preference votes. The only SD MEP in 2014-2019, Fajon has been a member of the committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs and a member of the delegation for relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. MEPRanking.eu, a quantitative analysis of MEP activity, shows she has been overall the busiest Slovenian MEP and one of the 101 most active ones. In her first term, she strongly advocated visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans, which earned her the title of honorary citizen of the Sarajevo canton earlier this year. As one of the vice-presidents of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), she was mentioned in 2018 as a potential successor to S&D president Gianni Pittella. Fajon graduated in journalism in Ljubljana and continued her studies at the University of Paris, where she obtained a master's degree in international politics in 2005. She joined the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija in 1995 and was posted to Brussels as a correspondent for eight years before she entered politics in 2009 to successfully run for a seat in the European Parliament. She is married, but has no children.

Tanja Fajon will fight against intolerance

Fajon, 48, won her third term in the European Parliament as the party's leading candidate after leapfrogging in 2014 SD leader Igor Lukšič with the help of preference votes. The only SD MEP in 2014-2019, Fajon has been a member of the committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs and a member of the delegation for relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. MEPRanking.eu, a quantitative analysis of MEP activity, shows she has been overall the busiest Slovenian MEP and one of the 101 most active ones. In her first term, she strongly advocated visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans, which earned her the title of honorary citizen of the Sarajevo canton earlier this year. As one of the vice-presidents of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), she was mentioned in 2018 as a potential successor to S&D president Gianni Pittella. Fajon graduated in journalism in Ljubljana and continued her studies at the University of Paris, where she obtained a master's degree in international politics in 2005.

Twitter

STA, 27 May 2019 - Tanja Fajon (SD/S&D), who has won her third term in the EU Parliament, would like to continue the work she was doing in her previous terms, fighting for human rights and against intolerance, xenophobia, hatefulness and fake news. "I will strive for a socially fair Europe," she told the STA.

After the announcement of the partial official EU election results on Sunday, Fajon thanked voters who, according to her, provided a lot of support to her.

Being asked about the future of her political career, the 48-year-old MEP replied that she would gauge the situation upon her return to the Parliament.

Fajon was also pleased that she would be joined there by another candidate from the Social Democrats' (SD) slate, Milan Brglez, since together they will constitute "a bit stronger delegation than in the past".

The re-elected MEP wishes for a socially fair Europe, a goal she said she was already pursuing in her previous term as a member of the Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties and Committee on Tax Rulings.

"I assume I will remain active in the same areas in my new term, but that will, of course, be determined by the leadership of the S&D political group," said Fajon, one of the vice-presidents of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D).

Looking back at the EU election campaign, she estimated that Slovenians were mostly concerned with how to maintain their standard of living.

"We're talking about decent life, social justice, tax justice and protection of the environment, which has turned out to be important especially through young people's actions, actively supported by myself," said Fajon.

She plans to continue to strive for achieving sustainable equality in Europe. She believes Europeans are facing numerous issues, including political, economic and social ones, which will have to be addressed and tackled.

All the articles in this series are here

Joveva will promote the interests of young people in EU Parliament

Irena Joveva, 30, is a political newcomer and the youngest of all Slovenian MEPs. Leaving a career in journalism to stand in this year's EU elections, she has been criticised for lack of experience in politics, but defended herself by saying it is time for new faces and new approaches. Joveva, who holds a master's degree in international relations, started her career at the Slovenian Press Agency's home policy desk and received the Slovenian Journalists' Association's award for best young journalist in 2014. She then moved to private broadcaster POP TV to cover home affairs. Although many know her from the TV screen, she admitted the invitation to headline the ticket of the party of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec came as a surprise. She says experience is not the only thing that matters in politics, as those criticising her for the lack of it have many experiences but have failed to bring change for the better. Joveva, of Bulgarian and Macedonian descent, is a basketball fan and cheers for North Macedonia, except when they play against Slovenia.

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STA, 27 May - Irena Joveva, a former journalist who was elected MEP as the frontrunner of the ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), plans to promote social issues and the youth in the European Parliament. She would like to cooperate with parties and political groups that share LMŠ's views and are foremost pro-European.

Joveva is a political novice and the youngest Slovenian MEP to date. The 30-year-old former journalist called for a new mindset during the campaign.

Being the LMŠ's lead candidate, Joveva told the STA she had been relieved when she heard the election results. "It was very nice to see our percentage and especially the number of our MEP seats," she said.

The second candidate on the LMŠ's list, Klemen Grošelj, was also elected MEP in what was the first EU election for the party.

"I'll need some time to fully grasp what actually happened," she said.

She will not have a lot of time to process things though, as her first meeting with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) is scheduled for Tuesday.

She thinks it is too early to talk about her work in committees but she will be active in social affairs and the youth.

Being young herself, she feels she will be in a better position to advocate the interests of young people. But she will also promote the interests of the elderly, and deal with environmental issues, and common foreign and security policy.

She is open for cooperation with everyone and hopes Slovenian MEPs will be more united in this term. She would like new faces in politics to attract more people to the polls in five years.

The LMŠ won 15.58% in what was the first EU election for the party, which was founded just before the 2018 general election.

Franc Bogovič to focus on smart villages

Franc Bogovič, 56, was re-elected as the fourth-placed on the joint list of the opposition SDS and his People's Party (SLS). He was first elected MEP in 2014 on the joint New Slovenia (NSi) and SLS slate with preference votes from last place on the list. At the time, he was the SLS leader and an MP. As MEP, Bogovič, who has a degree in agronomy, has been active in promoting digitalisation in agriculture. Although he led the SLS for just over a year, he is a party stalwart as a founding member of the SLS's predecessor, the Slovenian Farmers' Union, established in 1988. Before being elected Krško mayor in 1998, a post he held for 13 years, he served as local councillor for nearly a decade, but first came to national prominence as a member of parliament in 2008-2011. After the snap election of 2011, he served as agriculture minister on Janez Janša's short-lived government for a year. When he took over the SLS in March 2013 from Radovan Žerjav, he steered it back to its rural roots and pursued a conciliatory policy that helped the party forge close ties with the NSi. He is married and has three children.

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STA, 27 May 2019 - MEP Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS), who was elected for another term on the joint slate of the Democrats (SDS) and the People's Party (SLS), says he will continue his line of work in Brussels. "It takes a while before you get connected, before people get to know you and trust you," he said, adding that he would stay true to himself.

Bogovič would like to continue his work in the committee on agriculture and rural development, and on regional development. He would also like to join the transport and energy committee.

Apart from participating in the three committees, he plans to promote the project of smart villages, which he thinks sums up his efforts in the European Parliament so far.

According to Bogovič, funding for this project has been secured in the next multi-annual financial framework, and now these funds need to be phased. Slovenia should be a pioneer in this field, he believes.

He is confident that pro-European parties - the European People's Party (EPP), Socialists (S&D), liberals and the greens - will successfully form a coalition that will have a majority in the new parliament, form the new commission and continue with European projects.

"Together we will make sure Europe will be doing well and that those who come to the European parliament only to break the EU will remain marginalised."

Asked whether Brexit could still be prevented, he said this was a question primarily for the British. "There has been so many twists already that Europe does not understand them any more. I think they don't know what they're doing themselves and all this is not good for anyone."

Noting that the UK is one of the largest and most important economies, he expressed hope that it changes its mind about leaving.

All the articles in this series are here (if they're not online yet, come back soon, as this is just part one)

My workdays are hectic enough that if I go on an active vacation I’m likely come home as worn out and stressed as when I left. So perhaps it’s my work life (or age), but I found the peace and quiet of the tiny Big Berry “resort” – seven small riverside homes in Bela krajina (aka White Carnolia, and the k in krajina should be lowercase) – exactly what I needed, even if I wasn’t able to express those needs until they’d been met.

Started in 2016 as glamping destination for travellers, site for teambuilding exercises, and showcase for Hosekra’s prefabricated homes, the place operates under the slogan “the luxury of freedom”, and for me that meant freedom from demands on my time and attention. Yes, the resort has WiFi, but because of the metal structure of the homes the signal needs to be boosted in each unit, which means you can have the signal turned off and you’re free to stay offline when inside. So I just checked my emails at the start and end of each day in the main building, and even without me the world kept turning.

One of the homes. Photo: Big Berry

There’s a field between you and the nearby village which has cows grazing in it, and if you’re lucky they’ll wander over and start mooing in the morning, a nice alarm clock that you’re free to ignore. Photo: JL Flanner

Clean and green. Photo: JL Flanner

Croatia, and a small "beach" and blue slide, on the other side of the river. Photo: JL Flanner

Sited right by the River Kolpa, which divides Slovenia from Croatia, the resort sits between the small villages of Primostek (Slovenia) and Jurovo (Croatia), giving you the option of simply walking, cycling or swimming to another country – with no border controls at the time of writing. Indeed, several of the staff are Croatian and cross the border twice a day, while others include individuals from Portugal and Brazil, the latter part of the company’s internationally minded internship programme.

But what can you do here, other than turn off, tune out, and relax? It’s not that there’s nothing to do – there is, and we’ll get to that – it’s just there’s nothing you have to do, no must-see sights or “10 essential experiences”. The property is big enough that you can wander around, sit on the grass, read, draw, do yoga, enjoy the river and so on, with the Kolpa enabling swimming, canoeing, or supping (even fishing, with a licence). If you want to get further away, but still avoid driving, there are bikes you can use to explore the area. In season there are also activities offered for guests, such as wine tastings and other things from local partners.

Only breakfast is provided, with all the food ordered from outside. You choose from a menu the day before and the next morning a wooden box is sitting on your porch full of items from local producers. Bread, cheese, salami, milk, yogurt, fruit, jam, honey and so on, with coffee and tea supplies in the kitchen.

Here you might notice a little too much packaging, but that’s a health and safety issue, and one the management would like to find a way around. Photo: JL Flanner

Inside one of the homes. Photo: Big Berry

Each home has a jacuzzi. Photo: Big Berry

After breakfast you’ll have to make your own arrangements for lunch and dinner. If you want to fully disconnect you could simply stop off at a store or market on the way to the resort and stock up the large fridge in your new home, and I certainly recommend bringing along some snacks, as well as buying some wine from a local cellar. But the area is so beautiful, the green, rolling hills so tempting, that a trip out for a meal is no bad thing. Especially since the team at Big Berry know the place well, and will be able to recommend something to enjoy (a knowledge base that extends from food and wine to all the other things the area has to offer).

Andreja Drakulič Veselič with some glasses of white wine, sparkling mineral water and juice, called a Mussolini. I asked around and it’s a name for a spritzer that seem to have been especially popular in this area in the post-war years, but one that I’ve never head of elsewhere in Slovenia.

The group I was with, which included a number of travel journalists from Slovenia and Croatia, went to Gostišče Veselič and tried a varied menu that came with – as all meals in Bela krajina must – pogača, a flat round bread topped with salt and cumin and scored with lines, making it easy to tear off in chunks. This went well with a fresh salad, clear beef and noodle soup, a creamy garlic soup, a plate of meat, štrukelji, fried cheese potatoes and other hearty fare, followed by a dessert of fried dough (think donut pieces), caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. We were then offered a small dish of something unusual – garlic and pumpkin oil ice cream. It’s not something I’d order a bucket of, but definitely worth trying and sharing, with a “wow” factor that I kept returning to.

Photo: JL Flanner

That was the only real meal I had off-site in my two days at Big Berry, with my appetite for the second day being taken up by a whole suckling pig and lamb that were roasted at the resort on spits, a speciality that can also be had, by prior appointment, at many local restaurants (as above, just ask the staff and they’ll have an answer). There’s also a barbecue area if you bring your own meat and vegetables.

The onsite BBQ area. Photo: Big Berry

 I had two memorable cellar visits and tastings. The first was to Vinska Klet Prus (Prus Wine Cellar), in Metlika, an event that my fellow travellers later told me stretched on for at least 15 of the vineyard’s 45 wines. All I know for sure is we didn’t get back to Big Berry until midnight, with my notes becoming increasingly enthusiastic, erratic and illegible as the evening wore on.

Mr Prus and some of his work. Photo: vinaprus.si

We were guided through the bottles by Jožef Prus, a 5^th generation winemaker whose collection of medals, certificates and photographs with “wine queens” attests to the quality of his production. A man who loves his work, and his wine, Prus was able to bring each glass alive as we swirled, sniffed, sipped and savoured all the standard varieties as well as some novelties, like orange wine – a white that gets its colour from maceration – and Beli Trio, a mix Muscat, Traminac and Sauvignon that I’ll be looking for in stores. To that end, if you see a Prus bottle on the shelves called Svetovno Vino (World Wine) then don’t be put off by the name. It’s a well-made Cabernet Sauvignon that, due to the strict and arcane rules that govern the wine world, can’t be sold under that name, even though the vineyard has been producing it for decades. But Mr Prus follows his heart, and is a wine-maker whose bottles are worth seeking out.

Photo: Semiška Penina

The other cellar visit was a mid-morning trip the next day to Semiška Penina. Penina, aka sparkling wine – champagne without the protected designation of origin (“PDO”) – is my favourite, albeit because it’s the one closest to beer. This was thus a magical trip, with a short tour of the cellar before the main order of business, tasting some of the company’s nine varieties. True, a penina tasting won’t take you on the same tour of colour and flavour that you’ll get at a place serving red, white, rosé, orange and ice wines, but will delight anyone who likes bubbles (unless, and I travelled with one such a person, you can distinguish between big and small bubbles and love the latter, while disliking the former). I had a great time.

Osnovna Šola Bistra Buča is in a charming building that seems typical of the area. Photo: JL Flanner

The teacher is always right in 1957. Photo: Paul Bradbury

Because I was travelling with Slovenians and Croatians we also made a stop at Osnovna Šola Bistra Buča, a charming building with a classroom from the 1950s and a teacher to match. Played out via the character of a strict but comical pedagogue, visitors will experience an entertaining lesson based on the region, it’s history and customs, and even if I didn’t understand every word the laughter of the others told me all I needed to know. So don’t plan a trip here if you can’t speak Slovene, but if you can then put it on your list of fun but not essential things to do in the area (you did, after all, come here to do nothing).

After a few glasses of karapampoli you'll be ready for your Bela krajina passport: Photo: Paul Bradbury

We also stopped for a snack at Gostilna Badovinac, a restaurant that’s been in the same family since 1896 and kept enough customers happy that the owners have long since been able to follow their passions and not worry about chasing the market. In addition to presenting local food in its purest form, one such passion is karapampoli, a schnapps made with over 30 ingredients that the current reigning Badovinac will be happy to list for a few seconds before waving his hands with an “and so on…” Delicious and no doubt good for almost anything, it’s also very strong, so don’t have one if you’re driving – Slovenia has strict laws and the roads are narrow and windy. Do, however, consider picking up a bottle to enjoy back at Big Berry or elsewhere, as it’s only sold here.

"Papers, please". Photo: Paul Bradbury

Another passion the family pursues is more quixotic, but also explains some of the charm of Bela Krajina, and some of what makes it distinct, as all regions are, from the others. The restaurant serves as the check point for entry into the Free Territory of Bela Krajina, or Svobodna Belokranjsko Ozemlje. This is for two reasons. One is the fact that in the Second World War the region was a centre of anti-fascist resistance, home to the Yugoslav Partisans and the site where many Allied prisoners escaped to (as recounted here). Another is part of a broader tourist promotional effort, whereby visitors can purchase a passport (€6) for Bela Krajina that gives discounts to many businesses and attractions, and also collect stamps as they travel the region. The details entered in the document include your name, official ID number, nationality, waist size (guessed) and nose colour.

A sign showing the Gostilna's status as a checkpoint for entry to the free territory of Bela krajina. Photo: JL Flanner

Those interested in World War Two history will many stories in the region. Photo: JL Flanner

And that – some eating and drinking, a short detour to see a US bomber from WW2, along with some sitting around on the porch and in the jacuzzi with a book – was all I did during my two days at Big Berry, taking full advantage of the location and facilities to disconnect as much as possible from my regular concerns and reconnect with food, drink, myself and my companions. I left feeling refreshed, but also ready to come back, do even less and not take any notes. You can learn more about Big Berry at the website, here, while the general site for Belja krajina is here.