Politics

17 May 2020, 14:28 PM

STA, 17 May 2020 - While subsidies for part-time work worth up to EUR 1 billion are seen as a key feature of the emerging third coronavirus stimulus package, draft documents obtained by the STA also include measures such as vouchers for tourism, aid to ski lift operators, extended permits for foreign labour, as well as a solution for packaging waste issues.

The part-time work subsidies are expected to be provided for employers unable to secure at least a 90% workload for at least 10% of their employees. Subsidises for work conducted 20 to 36 hours a week would range between 459 and 112 euros. The support, co-funded with EU funds, would be available from 1 June onwards and until 30 November at most.

Another major segment of the third package is aid to tourism, one proposed measure being tourism vouchers in the value of 200 euros to be provide to everybody in regular employment as well as the self-employed.

The vouchers would be valid until 31 December this year or possibly 28 February 2021 and are expected to reduce a projected 60% to 70% contraction of the tourism sector to 40%. They are meant to cost the state up to EUR 200 million and are not conceived as a replacement for the holiday allowance.

Unlike other sectors, tourism and hospitality companies can moreover expect an extension of the support scheme that has had the state fully covering the 80% unemployment allowance for temporarily redundant workers.

Monthly basic income support could meanwhile be prolonged for farmers, while issues with securing foreign labour for seasonal work would be addressed with a prolongation of the labour permit validity from 90 to 150 days.

Also being proposed is a national mechanism for the monitoring of foreign direct investment, through which Slovenia would protect itself against takeovers of strategic industry.

Potential additional aid to companies includes extra efforts to secure favourable credit lines and possibly rent payments deferrals until July 2021 for business premises that could not be utilised during the lockdown.

A special injection is envisaged by the Infrastructure Ministry for ski lift operators, which could get between 1,000 and 12,000 euros.

Meanwhile, another measure found in the draft seeks to address continuing issues with packaging waste management through what seems to be the restoring of the temporary solution that had the state paying for the removal and processing of unattended to waste. The measure is expected to cost EUR 15 million this year.

16 May 2020, 16:07 PM

STA, 16 May 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša said there was no general opening of the border with Italy or Austria and Hungary. This can only be a measure taken by both sides, he tweeted on Saturday, the day when Italy announced it would open its borders on 3 June.

"Talks are still under way, an administrative basis is being drafted and will be adopted," Janša added.

He also stressed that heath restrictions still applied on the border with Croatia even if this Slovenian neighbour opened its borders for EU citizens on Sunday.

At its Thursday's session, the Slovenian government changed the measures applying to border crossing on Slovenia's external EU border and at check points on its internal EU borders.

Upon entering Slovenia, Slovenian citizens and citizens of other EU countries are no longer required to go into quarantine.

Croatia meanwhile relaxed entry into the country for EU citizens for business reasons as well as for personal reasons or if foreign citizens have booked a holiday.

At today's meeting in Slovenia, the Slovenian and Croatian interior ministers, Aleš Hojs and Davor Božinović, urged easier crossing of the border, but stressed that the health situation must be taken into consideration.

The pair confirmed that Slovenian citizens can enter Croatia as tourists, but must provide contact data to be contacted in case of a possible Covid-19 outbreak.

Hojs also said Slovenia was particularly interested in a similar easing with Austria. "I hope we'll manage to agree it in the coming days and weeks," he said after meeting Božinović.

Austria is gradually opening its borders, planning to open the border with Germany on 15 June. Tomorrow it is to open the border crossings with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary so far closed.

Hungary opened its borders on 1 May for business travel from Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

16 May 2020, 15:23 PM

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 15 March 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Janša's coalition partners are in tight spot

STA, 15 May 2020 - The left-wing weekly Mladina argues in Friday's editorial that the coalition partners of PM Janez Janša are genuinely shocked that Janša broke his promise that he will not bring up ideological topics. They risked a lot by joining this coalition, and now they are scared, editor-in-chief Grega Repovž says under the headline Suffering Coalition Partners.

It is funny, but everyone from New Slovenia (NSi) to the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) is shocked by Janša's moves against the media, attacks on NGOs, his ministers' letters to the Council of Europe, European Commission and foreign media, and his undermining of the country's "entire immune system" from police to oversight over money laundering.

By joining this coalition, the parties risked a lot and they knew that what is happening now could happen. Yet Janša's sweet promises that they could make it were tempting.

The other option was bad and they picked what at least seemingly postponed their problems for two years.

They now admit that the cold shower came as early as the first government session. "Aggression, disrespect and cultural battle, it started immediately. But because of the crisis they kept quiet, hoping that the public will forget all about it because of the crisis. And that Janša will deal with 'his things' and then they will have peace."

Everyone was initially shocked because of coronavirus and because Janša became prime minister, Repovž says.

But this week, coalition partners started raising their voices. Very gently. Matej Tonin of the NSi erased his mildly critical tweet, but he did send out a signal. Aleksandra Pivec of DeSUS stated first criticism, and Janja Sluga of the SMC added some concern to her speeches.

Actually, the coalition partners are afraid. They know what they have got themselves into. At first they were afraid of their leader and they are also afraid of a potential election.

Their actions now show that they realise that Janša and his followers went too far in their spreading of hatred and revenge, and that there is no way back.

Janša's previous government was not swept away in 2013 by protesters but by coalition partners. Some of them knew this will be the end of their political career but did not care. Well, now the coalition partners are in the same tight spot.

They know they cannot uphold the politics that Janša is outlining because it runs contrary to their fundamental beliefs. But they also know he will not want to be distracted.

Reporter: The case for case unbiased journalism

STA, 11 May 2020 – The right-wing Reporter magazine argues in Monday's commentary that journalists should close ranks and fight political pressure no matter whether it comes from the left and the right, as it looks at attacks on the media, in particular a TV Slovenija show which reported about irregularities in the purchasing of personal protective equipment.

Making the case for unbiased reporting, Reporter's editor-in-chief Silvester Šurla says politicians tend to support media when their political opponents are under the spotlight but change tack when the spotlight shines on them.

"Our people are always spotless and as such untouchable. In a black-and-white world one knows in advance who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. The most fervent political supporters are not convinced by any fact, any document, any whistleblower."

The commentator says journalists should in principle always keep a professional distance, which is sadly not always the case in practice since journalists, politicians and ordinary people often see the role of the media through their own interests and political preferences.

"Journalists should be interested in the facts and they should do their job as politically impartially as possible, using the same standards for all political blocs, regardless of the editorial policy of their media."

"But there are few media in Slovenia that criticise both when that is necessary. Instead, we are witness to the utterly absurd and perverse situation of media that like to beat their chests for being 'on the frontlines of the service of the truth' having the strongest political bias. They were founded by politicians who use them as their fist, just like the Communist Party used to to," Šurla says about Nova24TV, which was founded by SDS politicians.

"Such partisan media are now at the frontlines of spewing bile on those who are trying to be independent of politics and are uncovering scandals of whichever government is in power, be it left or right. This is in reality the most hideous political and propaganda machinery disguised as media."

Turning to the Tarča (Target) news show, the commentator says that there had been no untouchables for the show, which had reported about scandals ranging from a 3D model of the Koper-Divača rail track in the Miro Cerar government to the construction of the Stožice sports complex in Ljubljana and the purchasing of egregiously priced stents at hospitals.

It quotes the authors of Tarča writing that those who had praised the show not long ago and demanded changes are now slinging mud at them, while those who dismissed the show as populist are now applauding.

"And we're back at 'us' and 'them', the perverted attitude of politics to the media in a democratic society. It is therefore high time that journalists close ranks and show solidarity with their Tarča colleagues and to clearly say that such pogroms must stop. Today they are on the stakes, tomorrow it will be us," the paper concludes in Today Tarča, Tomorrow You.

All our posts in this series are here

16 May 2020, 12:05 PM

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, 8 May
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll rose to a hundred on what was the second day in a row that only one new infection was detected in more than a thousand tests conducted that day.
        LJUBLJANA - Zvonko Černač, the minister responsible for cohesion policy, announced that EUR 280 million in EU funds would be redistributed to address pressing needs in healthcare, the economy, the labour market, development and education.
        LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR/KOPER - Several thousand protesters riding their bicycles in the centre of Ljubljana protested against measures the government has imposed during the coronavirus epidemic. While the ban on public assembly remains in place, cycling is allowed.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar held a video conference with his Spanish counterpart Arancha Gonzalez Laya. They confirmed mutual interest in further strengthening the friendly ties, also in the light of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency and the coronavirus pandemic.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU Commission said it would soon deliver 30,000 medical face masks to Slovenia as part of a first shipment of such protective gear to help protect healthcare workers fighting Covid-19 on the front lines. On 14. May, PM Janša said the masks did not have the requisite certification.

SATURDAY, 9 May
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša joined the leaders of other EU countries and the bloc's three key institutions for a joint video message on Europe Day, expressing belief that the EU should emerge more integrated, efficient and united from the Covid-19 crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar commented on Slovenian-Croatian relations in an interview with the newspaper Delo, airing the view that too much had been said but too little done about the relations. He indicated the coronavirus epidemic reset bilateral relations and suggested talks could resume after Croatia's elections.
        MARIBOR - Russian Ambassador Timur Rafailovic Eyvazov laid a wreath at the site of a former Nazi prison camp in memory of several thousand Russian prisoners of war who died there.
        LJUBLJANA - All medical and dental services were allowed to relaunch under restrictive conditions, in yet another easing of quarantine restrictions. Most but not all dentists resumed work on 11 May.

SUNDAY, 10 May
        LJUBLJANA, ZAGREB, Croatia - Slovenians with real estate or boats in Croatia were given a go-ahead to enter the country again without having to go into quarantine for two weeks, after about two months of restrictions imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus.

MONDAY, 11 May
        LJUBLJANA - Public transport started running again after nearly two months. Most operators provided limited service initially and only a portion of seats was available to secure observance of physical distancing recommendations.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly raised the ceiling for budget spending by EUR 2 billion due to the coronavirus epidemic. The changes were passed to pave the way for a supplementary budget.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar highlighted long procedures, failure to implement Constitutional Court rulings, biased judges and ineffective prosecution of bank crime in a letter supplementing an interministerial report on the rule of law the government sent to the EU Commission. Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlović said she did not deem Logar's comment necessary and the Supreme Court expressed surprise. The opposition demanded a parliamentary debate on the matter.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar and his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz agreed in a videoconference that bilateral as well as regional and panregional cooperation between the two countries should be further strengthened.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Discussing current issues, the four coalition parties announced that a third package of measures to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 crisis would start to be drafted next week. The measures would be aimed at tourism, and would cut red tape.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output in March, half of which was affected by measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic, was lowest since July 2017. Compared to February, industrial output in Slovenia was down by 10.7%, the largest monthly drop since November 2008.

TUESDAY, 12 May
        LJUBLJANA - The ban on international air passenger transport with Slovenia was lifted after almost two months of restrictions due to Covid-19, but air traffic was not expected to resume before June.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša made the case for confrontation with the media in an essay entitled War with the Media, in which he argued that keeping silent while media waged war against individuals was not an option and had damaging effects on society. His comments sparked protests by the opposition and media organisations.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar held a videoconference with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok, discussing coordination of easing of anti-Covid-19 measures, Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency and strengthening economic cooperation.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Environment Committee approved changes to the nature conservation act that significantly limit the ability of NGOs to take part in administrative procedures representing public interest. Several hundred people protested the move.

WEDNESDAY, 13 May
        LJUBLJANA - The government said that Slovenia would see a major easing of quarantine restrictions on 18 May, when all shops and small hotels will reopen, as well as a number of other services. Schools were cleared to open as well and it was announced most sports would be relaunched on 23 May.
        LONDON, UK - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said it expected Slovenia's economy to contract by 5.5% this year due to the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, before rebounding to a 5% growth in 2021.
        GRAZ/KLAGENFURT, Austria - Austria reported it intended to open four more checkpoints on the border with Slovenia as it continued to ease measures adopted due to the coronavirus epidemic. The move will be coordinated with Slovenia.
        
THURSDAY, 14 May
        LJUBLJANA - The government formally called an end to the coronavirus epidemic based on the currently favourable epidemiological situation. The majority of public health measures remain in place and testing, contract tracing, isolation, quarantine for high-risk contacts, observance of caught etiquette and physical distancing would remain the key measures to fight the disease.
        LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found a series of violations at Banka Slovenije between 2017 in 2018, releasing an adverse opinion. The report showed the central bank flouted regulations on hirings, employments, severance packages and public procurement. Governor Boštjan Vasle responded that the bank had addressed roughly half of the findings in the report.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša had separate conversations with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, focussing on responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor talked with his Georgian counterpart Salome Zourabichvili over the phone, discussing the novel coronavirus pandemic. They agreed that a great level of caution will be needed in the future so as to avoid more breakouts.
        LJUBLJANA - NLB generated EUR 18.3 million in net profit at group level in the first quarter, a 68% year-on-year decrease that Slovenia's largest bank said was the result of credit impairments and provisions formed due to the coronavirus epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - Telecoms group Telekom Slovenije saw its net profit rise by 12% year-on-year to EUR 11.3 million in the first quarter of the year, as sales dropped by 2% to EUR 168.6 million. EBITDA was flat at EUR 56.4 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's leading insurance group, Triglav, reported EUR 26.4 million in pre-tax profit for the first quarter, a 12% year-on-year decrease that it primarily ascribes to several disaster events.
        LJUBLJANA/KLAGENFURT, Austria/TRIESTE, Italy - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch and representatives of Slovenian business in Austria and Italy discussed the need to nurture cross-border cooperation and the economy in the border regions.

All our posts in this series are here

16 May 2020, 06:36 AM

STA, 15 May 2020 - Despite poor weather and the ban on public gathering which has been in place for two months due to the coronavirus epidemic, several thousand protesters took to the streets of Slovenian cities once again on Friday, expressing dissatisfaction with the government's policies.

As has become customary during the coronavirus epidemic lockdown, most protesters were riding their bikes, some were on scooters, while other walked through the streets of city centres.

In Ljubljana, they moved in circles in the greater area of the Parliament House, before gathering in Republic Square in front of the building.

For the fourth consecutive Friday, protesters rang their bells and honked horns, shouting paroles like "thieves" and "we won't give up freedom".

The rallies have been organised by several initiatives, including the Facebook group Balcony Protest, which said that the government had encroached on people's freedom under the guise of anti-epidemic measures.

The initiative was launched at the start of the lockdown, with people placing banners critical of their government in their windows. A few weeks ago, the protest gained momentum following revelations of political interference in the procurement of medical and protective equipment.

Initiative Slovenia Wake Up and a Facebook group supporting the whistleblower who revealed the political meddling have also invited people to take to the streets. Some protesters criticised the government as lacking transparency, being corrupt and stealing taxpayers' money.

Meanwhile, the protests gained an environmental aspect after legislative changes were passed restricting the involvement of NGOs in procedures to acquire environmental and construction permits.

Some protesters are bothered by the "arrogance" of the government and its "demeaning and inappropriate" attitude towards people and the media, and there was also criticism of Foreign Minister Anže Logar's letter to the European Commission in which he criticised Slovenia's judiciary.

The 8 March Institute meanwhile warned that the measures designed by the government to address the challenges of the coronavirus epidemic further deepened hardships of many and deepened the existing balance of power. They say that the government had ignored experts and has subjected the police and military forces to itself.

The Movement for Social Responsibility meanwhile wonders whether the government will stop the "ideological battles" against the media, intellectuals, the judiciary and civil organisations.

The biggest anti-government protest took place a week ago, when, according to the police, some 5,500 people took to the streets in Ljubljana alone, while some media reports placed the number as high as 10,000.

As the protests grew louder over the past month, an initiative was started in support of the government. A petition of support for the cabinet has meanwhile been signed by more than 20,000 people.

They say that they will organise rallies as well, but only after public assembly restrictions are lifted.

15 May 2020, 16:05 PM

STA, 15 May 2020 - All anti-Covid-19 restrictions that have not yet been lifted remain in place regardless of the government's declaration of the end of the coronavirus epidemic, the Health Ministry has announced. The decree came into effect on Friday, but it will be effective as of 31 May.

The measures will be eased when it is certain that the virus transmission is not to be expected anymore, depending on the epidemiological developments, the ministry's Public Health Directorate Vesna Kerstin Petrič said on Friday.

Related: Slovenia Declares End to Covid Epidemic, Borders Open to EU Nationals

The government decree, adopted last night, raised a lot of questions regarding the validity of the restrictions. Kerstin Petrič explained at today's government briefing on coronavirus that all of them were still in effect until further notice.

She urged Slovenians to continue doing all they could to help keep the epidemic at bay by maintaining social distancing as well as using face masks and heeding respiratory hygiene guidelines.

Mateja Logar of the UKC Ljubljana infectious disease clinic agreed with Kerstin Petrič, saying that the end of the epidemic did not mean the end of all restrictions. It means that the state's boost for the economy will be reduced, certain legal decisions will be amended, but all the preventive measures stay put, she said.

According to her, the epidemic is still ongoing, however it is true that the epidemiological status shows favourable trends in the past ten days. "Time will tell whether or not it was the right moment to lift the measures quickly and en masse," she said.

Government spokesman Jelko Kacin told the STA that the only effective result of the government's decree declaring the epidemic over was stepping up easing of the border restrictions - quarantine is hence no longer necessary for EU residents entering Slovenia, unless they were outside the EU for more than two weeks.

Kacin added that the decision was based on the recent favourable epidemiological trends. Had the government not declared the end of the epidemic on Thursday, then the first and second anti-corona bills would have been valid in June as well, he explained.

Kerstin Petrič concurred that accelerating the easing of the border restrictions was enabled by the promising epidemiological situation in Slovenia and other EU countries.

She also said that the situation would be monitored regularly and in case of any adverse developments, the border policy would be amended.

"If a new outbreak emerges in Slovenia's vicinity or a major hotspot in the country, the government could step up the restrictions," said Kacin, adding that the measures could not be discriminatory towards any EU country.

He added that the coming weekend would be a decisive time for the future assessments of the epidemiological status and people's movement.

Logar meanwhile said it was hard to predict whether a second Covid-19 wave would occur, but warned that, historically speaking, most epidemics had a second phase.

The government's decree does not affect efforts to reopen schools, pointed out Education Minister Simona Kustec at the briefing. Kindergartens will see the return of roughly a half of all the children on Monday, said Kustec, while a third of the primary school students, the first to third grades, will go back to school.

Children from Slovenia's neighbouring countries who are studying in Slovenia will carry on with remote learning though.

All the preventive measures in educational institutions remain in place, she added. Some 80%-85% of teachers and other educational workers are expected to return to work.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

15 May 2020, 08:54 AM

STA, 14 May 2020 - The Slovenian government has formally called an end to the coronavirus epidemic. Key containment measures remain in place, but the one major restriction has been lifted: EU nationals will be free to cross the border, with some caveats.

The current epidemiological situation "makes it possible to relax measures that were urgent to contain and manage Covid-19, but they cannot yet be completely abolished," the Government Communications Office said in a press release after Wednesday's session.

It noted that Slovenia had had 35 cases in the past 14 days, while the reproduction number, which shows how many people a patient infects on average, had fallen below 1.

Although the government decree marks the formal end of the epidemic, which had been declared on 12 March pursuant to the communicable diseases act, the majority of public health measures remain in place.

The government said testing, contract tracing, isolation, quarantine for high-risk contacts, observance of caught etiquette and physical distancing would remain the key measures to fight the epidemic.

In another decree, the government decided to allow EU nationals to cross the border at selected checkpoints, ending the policy of seven-day quarantine.

Third-country nationals will be subject to a two-week quarantine, with some exceptions.

The decree will enter into effect a day after it is published in the Official Gazette, presumably on Friday.

More information on borders

STA, 15 May 2020 - EU residents are free to cross into Slovenia from Austria, Italy and Hungary at pre-determined checkpoints while most non-EU nationals will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine, in what is a major step for the country as it accelerates the easing of restrictions.

Under the government decree adopted late on Thursday, there will be 19 checkpoints on the border with Austria, nine on the border with Italy and five on the border with Hungary.

The listed checkpoints largely correspond to checkpoints where passengers may cross at present.

Some crossings are open only to locals or daily cross-border commuters and special exemptions are in place for owners of land on both sides of the border.

Three airports and two ports are among the ports of entry listed in the government decree.

The decree also covers Slovenia's border with Croatia, which is the external EU border, but there it does not limit crossing to specific checkpoints.

Under the new rules, those with permanent or temporary residence in the EU will be given instructions issued by the National Institute of Public Health upon entering Slovenia but will not need to quarantine, which they have to do for seven days at present.

When such a person declares they have coronavirus or symptoms thereof, or clearly show symptoms, they will be rejected at the border if they do not have permanent residence in Slovenia; those who do will be referred to medical services.

Third-country nationals must undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine, with exceptions for diplomats, members of rescue and relief services, attendance of funeral, lorry drivers and persons with certificates issued by the competent Slovenian ministry showing they will provide urgent services.

Notably, if it is believed a person entering the country may not be able to leave because of the measures of neighbouring countries, they will be denied entry.

The new policy will initially benefit mostly owners of property in Croatia, thousands of whom have been keen to visit their holiday homes but many reluctant to do so due to the mandatory seven-day quarantine upon return.

But even more importantly, it paves the way for a relaunch of cross-border tourism, which has been suspended for two months due to lockdown measures around the world.

It will also be a relief for businesses, which have been calling on the government to relax rules for business travel as cross-border commerce kicks into higher gear.

The decree was adopted last night, after the government formally declared the epidemic over while keeping in place all measures adopted to combat the disease.

While the decree comes into effect today, it will only be in application from 31 May on.

The decision was based on the assessment of the National Institute of Public Health, but unless the government declared the epidemic over last night, measures from the mega stimulus package, now in force until the end of May, would be extended by a month.

Slovenia has had low single-digit daily case increases since the end of April and the epidemic, declared on 12 March, is seen as being under control.

The country has confirmed 1,464 Covid-19 cases and 103 people have died since the first case was recorded in the country on 4 March. The biggest hotspots were care homes.

Slovenia is the first European country to declare an end of the coronavirus epidemic.

Only yesterday some medical professionals expressed reservations in a anticipation of such a move, as some restrictions were only being lifted now so it was hard to say what the easing would bring.

14 May 2020, 21:37 PM

STA, 14 May 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša dismissed allegations of government misconduct in the purchasing of protective personal equipment as he argued in parliament on Thursday that quick action saved dozens of lives after the government was faced with empty stockpiles of protective gear when it took office a day after the epidemic was declared.

Purchasing of protective equipment and critical medical supplies was conducted in line with legislation that allows short procedures in an epidemic, Janša said as he delivered the opening address in a parliamentary debate on a government report on PPE purchases.

But being aware of the risks, the government made sure all contracts were made public and it urged the Court of Audit to conduct a review of the procedures, with the coalition itself proposing a parliamentary inquiry into the matter.

Critics have accused the government of making the wrong choice by opting to secure equipment through intermediaries rather than directly from suppliers, but Janša dismissed the criticism.

He said providers initially demanded advance payments for the equipment and since these demands escalated the decision was made to try to purchase the equipment without advance payment.

He said many other countries opted to pay suppliers in advance but received either gear without the proper certificates or did not receive the orders at all.

"I don't know of a single European country where this did not happen. I talked to many colleagues. All had these same problems. I think Slovenia lost by far the least, if anything," he stressed.

Indeed, he said even the recent EU delivery of 30,000 surgical face masks was problematic and illustrated the general problems with supplies, as Slovenia was just today told that the equipment did not have proper certificates and should not be distributed to users.

Slovenia has so far paid about EUR 30 million for the supplies. "Everything that had been paid has also been delivered."

The government has also been criticised for picking untested intermediaries for the supplies, but Janša suggested the scandal erupted because existing suppliers, who had high margins, did not get in on the game.

Indeed, he said "those in charge who are now referred to as whistleblowers" had before that signed contracts with high margins with old suppliers, a reference to the deputy head of the Commodities Reserves Agency Ivan Gale, who accused senior officials of exerting undue pressure on the agency in the course of the purchasing.

"And now attention is of course being deflected. But every contract can be individually examined, there is no problem about that."

Janša said the events would now mean that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek would "probably have to attend various commissions of inquiry for three years after the epidemic ends" to explain the purchasing.

"But this was a time when lives were at stake and what he did during that time, together with many colleagues ... saved dozens of lives."

The coalition parties echoed Janša's views, including Počivalšek's Modern Centre Party (SMC), which argued it had been warning former PM Marjan Šarec while still in his government that he was reacting too slowly.

The coalition shares the view that a good job had been done in unprecedented circumstances, that the responsible authorities should be allowed to do their work and that the finger-pointing should stop.

The opposition parties however did not hold back in their statements, with words like "theft", "crime" and "war profiteering" being used time and time again.

Former PM Šarec, who said the government report was not worth the paper it was printed on, rejected the accusations levelled against him, noting borders and schools had been closed, large events banned and visits to elderly homes prohibited already under his watch.

The opposition parties demand that the PPE purchases be investigate throughput, with Miha Kordiš of the Left for instance accusing Economy Minister Zdravko Polivalšek of lying when saying no advance payments were being made.

Kordiš also argued other countries had used their diplomatic network for the procurement, while Slovenia refused to do so. "You will pay back the commissions with interest," he said.

The session ended with a 50:0 vote confirming the government's report on PPE procurement, which pointed the finger at the previous government while mostly praising the current one. The vote was however boycotted by four opposition parties, which said it should not have been allowed procedurally.

All our stories on this can be found here

14 May 2020, 14:01 PM

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Xenia Guzej. You can see more of her work here.

Contents

Just one new coronavirus infection in almost 1,000 tests

PM Janša indicates formal end of epidemic near

Just one new coronavirus infection in almost 1,000 tests

STA, 14 May 2020 - Only one out of 984 tests for the novel coronavirus conducted in Slovenia on Wednesday came back positive, raising the total of cases confirmed so far to 1,464. No new fatalities have been reported, leaving the death toll unchanged at 103.

Only 32 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 remain in hospitals, according to government data as of midnight, after seven more were discharged yesterday.

Only seven Covid-19 patients still need intensive care after two were moved to regular wards yesterday.

A total of 66,678 tests for Sars-CoV-2 have been conducted so far.

Back to the contents

PM Janša indicates formal end of epidemic near

STA, 14 May 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša indicated in parliament on Thursday that the government could soon declare the coronavirus epidemic over, having brought the situation under control in the two months since it took office.

"Slovenia has contained the epidemic. Today it has the best epidemiological status in Europe," he said, adding that the epidemic could formally be declared ended at a time which will "probably coincide with the date of the expiry of the first two anti-corona packages."

The first two economic stimulus packages provide emergency measures until the end of May.

Janša said this showed that "in very difficult circumstances our planning was practically precise to the day, assuming of course that based on the responsible conduct of everyone in these days and weeks, the epidemiological status remains the same as it is or does not significantly deteriorate."

He said Slovenia was transitioning from the period of epidemic to a period in which the second wave looms, which made it possible to revoke general protective measures and only keep very specific measures in place as long as needed.

Janša made the statement at the National Assembly, where he presented a government report on the purchasing of personal protective equipment.

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13 May 2020, 11:38 AM

STA, 12 May 2020 - The parliamentary Environment Committee approved on Tuesday an amendment to the nature conservation act significantly limiting the ability of NGOs to take part in administrative procedures representing public interest. Despite poor weather and a ban on public gathering, several hundred protesters rallied against the amendment.

The amendment was filed by the opposition National Party (SNS) as the committee was getting ready to debate government-sponsored changes to the nature conservation act which focused above all on tweaks needed to incorporate EU law.

The amendment, which is criticised by the opposition as an open attack on NGOs, is nearly identical to government-proposed changes recently passed to construction legislation, under which only a handful of NGOs are still able to represent public interest in construction permit procedures.

Under the changes, associations would have to have at least 50 active members, institutes would need at least three full-time employees with university degrees and institutions would need to have assets exceeding EUR 10,000.

Moreover, to represent the public, NGOs would have to meet these conditions retroactively for two years.

Also, they would have to prove their compliance by revealing annual assembly minutes, the names of those present and show bank accounts to prove membership fees are being paid.

Amid warnings that the amendment in this form would slash the number of NGOs recognised as representing public interest in conservation of natural environment from 47 to 5 and also affect key stakeholder associations, the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) filed an amendment to the amendment to "protect" certain environmental groups, among them the associations representing fishermen and beekeepers.

The changes were also questioned by the parliament's legal service, which took issue with they way they entered the session's agenda while also it also argued they could be at odds with the constitution.

Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak begged to differ, saying individuals would continue to be able to express their opinion and associations would be able to continue operating under the act governing associations.

He argued there were as many opinions as there were jurists and that similar arrangements were in place in other countries as well.

In the debate, the head of the Centre of NGOs, Goran Forbici, said that the amendment filed by the SMC only barely reduced the magnitude the blow. "It's like suffering a blow by a hammer instead of an axe."

He admitted there were anomalies among NGOs but called on addressing these in dialogue.

Luka Mesec of the Left said the amendment may be submitted for constitutional review, while the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) also rejected the amendment.

The SNS and the coalition, on the other hand, defended it. Tadeja Šuštar of New Slovenia (NSi) said that a balance must be found between nature conservation and other projects, adding that some NGOs had no other purpose but to extort.

Mateja Udovč of the SMC meanwhile denied claims that her party filed the amendment to the SNS's amendment merely to establish "peace in the house".

Several hundred protesters gathered in front of the parliament during today's session in a rally organised by the Balkan River Defence movement. "I oppose that NGOs representing us, the people, are being excluded, first from construction and now from all court and administrative procedures," one of the protesters said.

Gaja Brecelj of Umanotera NGO told the STA that the amendment was unacceptable. "Just consider what having low food self-sufficiency meant for us in the coronavirus crisis - at the same time we are now thinking about building on these surfaces."

Blowing whistles, protesters carried banners saying "Hands off of nature" and "NGOs = Nature's Voice", among others. On social media, protesters were urged to wear protective facial masks, observe social distancing rules and ignore any provocations. The peaceful protest was monitored by police.

12 May 2020, 20:53 PM

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Aleksander Sandi. You can see more of his work here.

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Only one person tests positive on Monday, no new deaths

If positive trends continue, return to normal life to accelerate

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Only one person tests positive on Monday, no new deaths

STA, 12 May 2020 - A total of 1,182 tests for Covid-19 were performed in Slovenia on Monday, resulting in only one positive test to bring the total number of infections to 1,461. No deaths were recorded, with the death toll remaining at 102.

A total of 40 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were in Slovenian hospitals yesterday, nine of whom were in intensive care, show the figures released by the government on Tuesday.

A total of 64,547 tests for Covid-19 have so far been carried out in Slovenia.

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If positive trends continue, return to normal life to accelerate

STA, 12 May 2020 - Should the favourable trends regarding the Covid-19 epidemic in Slovenia continue until the end of the week after some measures were relaxed after the May Day holidays, the authorities believe it will be possible to make even bolder decisions to further normalise life in the country.

Bojana Beović, the head of the Health Ministry's advisory task force for the coronavirus, told the press on Tuesday she was optimistic about the prospects of life in Slovenia getting back to normal in almost all fields.

She noted that the epidemic was slowing down, as no more than ten new infections on a daily basis had been recorded since 30 April. This is a growth of less than 1%, and every infected person infects less than one new patient on average.

According to Beović, this relatively small share of infected persons in the entire population is a result of timely and effective measures to stem the epidemic and the very diligent work of epidemiologists on the ground, who had studied every case and contained them with quarantine measures.

She nevertheless warned about some unresolved issues related to what is expected to be an inevitable increase in the number of infections in the future, saying that the capacity of the healthcare system remained a problem, not so much in terms of equipment, but space and staff.

Beović noted that a coordinated action with other countries was needed to contain the pandemic, as the opening of national borders within the EU must be decided by consensus and initially limited to countries with a comparable level of risk.

"The risk for getting infected with the new coronavirus does not only show in the number of the infected, but also in how an individual country manages the epidemic," added the infectious disease expert.

Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said that the cabinet would discuss an exit strategy and possibilities to relax certain measures in Brdo pri Kranju later today.

He noted that the number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients, including in intensive care, was gradually decreasing, and "I expect that not later than on Thursday we will have clear enough trends about to what side the scales are tipping."

Kacin added that Slovenians were interested the most in travelling to the neighbouring Croatia, but talks about how and when to open the border were still under way, including between the countries' national public health institutes.

Beović noted that people who enter Slovenia must still submit to a week-long quarantine, after which possible infection or lack thereof was confirmed with a test.

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