Politics
STA, 12 May 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša makes the case for confrontation with the media in an essay entitled War with the Media, in which he argues that keeping silent while media wage war is not an option and has damaging effects on society.
Janša starts out by saying he used to subscribe to the notion that you cannot win the war with the media, until seven years ago, when he had a conversation with an old friend of Helmut Kohl, the former German chancellor.
The man told him that in Ancient Rome fear of the Roman legions had been a stronger weapon than the legionnaires' spears and swords.
In the ensuing debate by intellectuals from several countries three main conclusions were drawn.
VOJNA Z MEDIJI
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) May 11, 2020
Basen o nas žabah, skuhanih v mlačni vodi ter grožnjah s smrtjo
»Vojna posameznika z mediji ne obstaja, kot ne obstaja vojna posameznika z vojsko neke države.« pic.twitter.com/LmUHPuaGNR
Firstly, a media outlet deserving of its name will never declare criticism against it as an attack on freedom of the press or even a war on media.
Secondly, those denigrated by the media have lost if they consent to the notion that there is no point in arguing with the media.
And thirdly, the media declare criticism of their fake or manipulative reports as war, and then they accuse the targets of media hit jobs of waging war against them.
"And the lukewarm portion of 'public' opinion boiled in lukewarm water widely nods, acknowledging that 'war with the media cannot be won'," Janša says.
"The professional group in western civilisation that first declared itself the seventh power, then the fourth (unelected) branch of power and finally the moral judge of political correctness, is increasingly difficult to recognise today as a force for good, for they are neither."
This is becoming increasingly clear with better education and internet access, which "drastically shatter the emerging idolators of Orwellian society and raise the hope that western civilisation will not suffer the fate of the (W) Roman Empire," according to Janša.
The prime minister goes on to make the case for media plurality, noting that individuals cannot wage war with the media, but media themselves can and should be engaged in a "media war" in the sense of presenting competing views.
"In a democratic society different values must have opportunities for expression and advocacy of their ideas that are as equal as possible."
"Media competition is more important than any other [competition], indeed, it is the precondition for a democratic social system and a free society in general," Janša says.
Turning specifically to Slovenian media, Janša singles out RTV Slovenija as he takes issue with the public broadcaster's statement that a public radio and television service is a bedrock of a free society and attacks on it are attacks on democracy.
He then flips the situation by wondering how the broadcaster would react if the government made the same declaration in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic.
"Can you imagine the reaction by the 'public radio and TV'? If yes, it is perfectly clear where we are and just how profound the depravity is of those who declare themselves a 'bedrock of a free society' without an election or constitutional procedure or any kind of shame."
Janša goes on to say that both largest TV stations have many capable, professional and ethical journalists but these cannot make their mark because of "incendiary editorial policy and management".
"The atmosphere of intolerance and hatred is created by a narrow circle of [female] editors with familial and capital ties to the pillars of the deep state and a handful of average and below-average journalists on demand who would not even make it as reporters from the produce market in a normal media outlet."
For Janša, these are signs of totalitarianism. "Totalitarians typically disarmed their opponents before they shot them. First in the media and then physically. First discrediting, then liquidating. Physically if necessary."
The prime minister argues that "well-meaning and god-fearing individuals" are making this possible.
"Perhaps in the lukewarm water you did not even notice that death threats and appeal to murder at leftist rallies are treated by RTV Slovenija, POP TV and other 'media' from the same flock as something 'normal', self-evident even."
"In fact they are boiling you, not the government," he says in reference to the slow boiling of a live frog.
Noting the difficult situation Slovenia is facing as it battles the coronavirus epidemic and the coming economic crisis, Janša says that the destructive consequences can only be overcome if the nation stands together, whereby irresponsible conduct by a few can put everyone else at risk.
"Slovenia can do it, but it cannot do it divided. This requires active effort for the common good and a strong voice, a voice without fake 'political correctness', the voice of each individual against incitement, the creation of additional emergencies and irresponsible actions."
The essay, which was released on the government website on Monday evening, has been criticised by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) and Left.
The SD's MEP Tanja Fajon labelled it inadmissible, low-minded and shameful, and an abuse of the institution of prime minister against freedom of the press by means of a rhetoric used by US President Donald Trump.
Fajon added that her colleagues in Brussels were frequently asking her about what was going on in Slovenia and followed the developments with concern.
The Left's leader Luka Mesec told the press that Janša had used a populist rhetoric of undermining the media and other authorities in society, but by doing so, he was only expressing his "authoritarian tendencies".
The coalition partners of Janša's Democrats (SDS) in the government are also reserved about the prime minister's views, with the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) announcing it could reconsider its further cooperation if ideological topics should prevail over projects the party had committed to in the coalition agreement.
Although she has not yet read Janša's piece, DeSUS leader Aleksandra Pivec said it was extremely disturbing that one's personal ideological views interfered with real work.
"We're interested in implementing the projects to which we have committed within the coalition. We would like to distance ourselves from various personal views and writings ...," she told the press.
Unhappy with Janša's way of communication, the Modern Centre Party (SMC) said it believes in the professionalism and independence of the media. "This manner of communication between politics and the media certainly does not enhance the credibility of either side, the media and politicians," said deputy group leader Janja Sluga.
New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin took to Twitter saying that both the media and politicians carry a lot of responsibility and that truth is the value that every politician and every media outlet must pursue. "Objective reporting is what builds democracy, bias disables it," he tweeted.
STA, 11 May 2020 - Foreign Minister Anže Logar has highlighted long procedures, failure to implement Constitutional Court rulings and biased judges in a letter supplementing an inter-ministerial report on rule of law that the government has sent to the European Commission, the daily Delo reports on Monday.
The report, requested by the new European Commission from all EU member states in keeping with its commitment to promote the rule of law, deals with the independence, quality and effectiveness of the judiciary, while it also answers questions about media pluralism, press freedom, the system of checks and balances for individual branches of power and the situation of NGOs.
Slovenia has sent a 40-page report to Brussels along with a letter addressed to Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynder in which Logar speaks of cases in Slovenia too often becoming statute barred after taking unreasonably long to be processed.
According to Delo, the foreign minister also notes Slovenia has lost a number of cases at the European Court of Human Rights.
Moreover, the prosecution of bank crime is ineffective and the appearance of impartiality is not honoured in the judiciary, Logar argues, while also speaking of some judges using totalitarian symbols but not specifying any examples, according to Delo.
In what seems to be a reference to the current prime minister, Janez Janša, Logar also says that the judiciary condemned some opposition politicians in the past to then see the procedure annulled by the Constitutional Court.
Another case highlighted by Logar is an alleged Iranian money laundering scheme at NLB bank a decade ago. He wrote that a parliamentary inquiry commission led by him had handed plenty of evidence to prosecution authorities but that nothing had come of the case so far.
The Foreign Ministry explained for the STA that the report had been compiled together with the ministries of justice and culture and some other institutions from the fields which would be dealt with by the relevant Commission's report.
This annual report will be drafted also on the basis of visits by Commission representatives to member states, and its content will be discussed by the General Affairs Council in the autumn.
The ministry added that Logar had told the Commission that "when it comes to issues related to the rule of law, Slovenia has missed a voice of the European Commission and other relevant European institutions."
The dialogue on improving the rule of law is in common interest and must be based on actual situations, which are different in individual member states, so "we expect that member states will be treated fairly and based on the same criteria."
The ministry also expects that the assessments will take into account various specific factors, "including democratic culture and heritage", and that "open and objective debate" will be held at the EU level on the issues to be covered by the report.
The opposition Left reacted to Logar's letter by announcing a request for a session of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, with MP Matej T. Vatovec saying that the government had become a "branch office of the Democrats (SDS)".
He also said on Twitter that the Foreign Ministry "is silent when the 'friend' Orban provokes with territorial pretensions, while at the same time 'snitching' on its own country in the international environment."
The coalition parties have not commented on the letter, with Jožef Horvat, the head of the New Slovenia (NSi) deputy group, only saying that the party had not been acquainted with it.
Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlović told Delo that the report was mostly drawn up by the Justice Ministry, however she added that Logar had his own opinion on the judiciary situation in Slovenia and highlighted that his letter did not represent the government's standpoint.
She said that her stance on the situation was positive, adding that commenting on the report was not necessary.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, taken aback by the letter, said that it had not been made aware of it, according to the media. Upon receiving it, the court will take a stance and inform the justice commissioner about it if necessary.
Moreover, the court does not know what was the basis for the letter. Slovenia's judiciary has been improving its performance for years and enjoys greater support in the public than the other two branches of powers, it added.
The Commission told the STA today that it had received Slovenia's input for the first annual rule of law report, saying that it would "continue its dialogue with all member states in the run-up to the finalisation of the report".
It did not comment on the content of the letter, however asked about Logar's criticism targeted at the institution, the Commission responded by saying that "as is normal practice, we do not comment on exchanges between the Commission and our member states".
The Logar dispatch comes after much dust was raised in Slovenia in April by another letter, which was sent through the Foreign Ministry to the Council of Europe after the latter's warnings about PM Janša's attacks on the media.
The main premise of the letter, whose authorship has been claimed by the Government Communication Office, was that the majority of the main media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime and remain ideologically biased.
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 and artists who live in Slovenia. Today it’s Paloma Lavor.
Three new Covid-19 cases confirmed for total of 1,460, no new deaths
Government lifts ban on passenger air transport
Campsites staying closed for now
Top football league may be resumed at beginning of June
Three new Covid-19 cases confirmed for total of 1,460, no new deaths
STA, 11 May 2020 - Three new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Sunday as 537 people were tested, which takes the total number so far to 1,460. No deaths were recorded, meaning the death toll remains at 102, shows data released by the government on Monday.
The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals increased by one to 42, ten of whom are in intensive care.
The situation following the lifting of a number of lockdown measures, in particular last week, thus remains stable, but government representatives have noted that a clearer picture will emerge with a delay of 11 to 13 days.
Government lifts ban on passenger air transport
STA, 11 May - The government has allowed resumption of passenger flights from EU and third countries to Slovenia's international airports from Tuesday. The ban on flights from abroad to local airports remains in place until 12 June.
The government decided on Monday not to extend restrictions on international passenger air transport that were initially introduced on 17 March to help contain the spread of coronavirus.
In a press release issued after the correspondence session, the Government Communication Office said the ban no longer made sense or was necessary because air carriers were not providing flights anyway.
The release noted the many safety measures imposed by public health authorities in individual countries on air carriers and airport managers, as well as on citizens returning home or foreigners arriving in the country, such as mandatory quarantine.
"Since the measures affect international passenger flights as such and air carriers have not yet opted to provide those due to a lack of demand on the part of passengers owning to the epidemic, the ban on international flights from the EU and third countries to international public airports in Slovenia is no longer necessary or sensible," reads the release.
Slovenia's international airports are in Ljubljana, Maribor and Portorož.
Fraport Slovenija, which manages Ljubljana airport, hailed the decision, which it said would help airlines plan flights, but also noted that most of them had cancelled flights until the end of May.
In anticipation of today's decision, the airport has already put in place all the necessary measures and equipment to be able to welcome first passengers and resume operations safely.
Passengers will be required to keep a 1.5 metre distance from each other in all parts of the passenger terminal with markings on floors and seats and bands helping them stick to the rule.
Passengers and staff will also be required to sanitise their hands every time on entering the terminal. Sanitisers will also be available elsewhere across the terminal.
Passengers will have to wear masks or other mouth and nose covering inside the terminal.
Passenger numbers inside the terminal and buses will be reduced to about half the capacity with bands and signs directing passenger movements.
Only passengers and staff will be allowed inside the passenger terminal.
Temperature screenings will probably be mandatory for at least part of the passengers but the measures and protocols are still being coordinated with the National Institute of Public Health.
Airing, cleaning and disinfection of premises will be stepped up, especially careful and frequent will be disinfection of the most exposed equipment such as doorhandles, taps, switches and railings.
Measures are also being taken to protect the staff. All working stations in the check-in area and exits to aircraft have been fitted with protective glass panels.
The staff attending and assisting passengers will be required to wear disposable face masks and gloves.
Security staff checking passengers and other staff will in addition need to wear protective glasses, and firefighters helping passengers will also need to wear protective suits aside from masks, gloves and goggles.
Masks will also be obligatory for staff cleaning the aircraft cabin, loading or unloading aircraft or performing any other chores inside the aircraft.
The ban on flights from other countries to local airports remains in place until 12 June "due to the risk to the protection of public health and property as the requirements sent by the relevant public health authority are not established".
Campsites and hotels staying closed for now
STA, 11 May 2020 - Even though there have been speculations that campsites and small accommodation facilities in Slovenia will reopen shortly, as soon as on 12 May, the authorities said on Monday that the step would not be green-lit before the end of the week. Relaunching tourism will take place between 15 May and 1 June.
"It all depends on the epidemiologic situation in Slovenia and the government's decision on revising a decree on containing the novel coronavirus," the Economy Ministry told the STA today, responding to the speculation.
Accommodation facilities had to close in line with the decree on 16 March, with many going the route of prevention even before that day due to a severe drop in visitors.
The newly-established tourism expert group is currently drawing up standards and guidelines for reopening in cooperation with health experts.
Meanwhile, outdoor areas of bars and restaurants reopened on 4 May. The ministry's State Secretary Simon Zajc said at the time that giving a go-ahead to reopen accommodation facilities would follow in May, first to providers with up to 30 beds.
Provided that the epidemiologic circumstances stay promising, hotels, spas and other providers would be next in line to resume business in June, he added.
Hotels are looking at roughly a 70% drop in income at the annual level if they are able to greet their first visitors after the corona crisis on 1 June and if the border restrictions with those countries that are handling the crisis similarly as Slovenia are lifted in the same month. Campsites expect a similar slump in annual income figures.
Tourism has been one of the industries hit the most by the crisis, with the government pledging additional boost to revive the sector. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek has recently listed co-funding reduced working time, extending current stimulus measures and extra support to keep the industry afloat as part of the tourism aid package.
Top football league may be resumed at beginning of June
STA, 11 May 2020 - There is still hope for football lovers in Slovenia that the season at the top level may be resumed, as depending on the situation related to the coronavirus epidemic, the premier league may be continued at the beginning of June.
Also decided by the executive committee of the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) at Monday's correspondence session is that the second league for men and the first league for women have ended.
To be promoted from the second league are the clubs which held the first place in the standings when football competitions were suspended due to the epidemic, which is the football club Koper.
The second placed team in the second league, Gorica, will play in the play-offs with the club which finishes ninth in the premier league.
The NZS said in a press release that, if the state authorities allowed competitions at the highest level to resume, the premier league would continue at the beginning of June.
The national championship was halted in mid-March, after 25 out of the 36 scheduled matches played. Olimpija Ljubljana leads the standings with 50 points, ahead of Celje and Aluminij (45 each). The defending champions Maribor are fourth at 43 points.
If the premier league resumes, so will the national cup competition, but under a changed format, with only one semi-final and only one final match played. The matches would be played at a neutral location without spectators.
"The proposed decision follows the guideline of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that competitions at the highest level be concluded on the pitch, if possible," the NZS said.
The women's premier league has meanwhile ended without the official champion declared. Decision on which club will represent Slovenia in European competitions in the next season will be based on past results.
STA, 10 May 2020 - In the wake of an anti-government rally that saw several thousand people take to the streets across the country on their bicycles on Friday, a photo of a protestor taking a photo with a police officer has raised a lot of dust. The officer became a target of online criticism, prompting a police trade union to issue a letter of support.
"The pogrom that came from the ranks of certain politicians and even government ministers is highly offensive toward all of Slovenia's 8,000 police employees," the Police Trade Union (SPS), one of the two in Slovenia, said in an open letter of support.
On Saturday Cohesion Minister Zvonko Černač tweeted "Such officers make up less than a 1% of the police force. They are an insult to thousands of their colleagues. Therefore they need to be removed of their masks and should switch from riding motorbikes, paid by the taxpayer, to bikes."
Trade union head Kristjan Mlekuš underlined in the letter that police officers at rallies are always devoted to their fundamental mission and that their top priority is for the protestors and themselves to return home safely.
Lepo je to videt. @policija_si ???? pic.twitter.com/rhAnrfwS9Y
— Matej Špehar (@MatejSpehar) May 8, 2020
"The police officer who has been target of discreditations acted in the given moment according to his strategic consideration and clearly showed the crowd with his action that his job was to ensure their safety," the union said.
Sometimes, in tense situations, police officers must react to provocations with a smile and not make the situation worse. "And police officers are capable of this because we do our jobs without bias, with dedication and professionally."
The union said police officers will not be discredited for doing their job professionally and commended the officer in question as well as all other who worked at the rallies for a job well done.
Prime Minister Janez Janša responded to the trade union's letter, tweeting that Slovenia was the only country in the world where a police trade union is fighting against measures to make police officers' life easier and supported violations of the infectious diseases act.
Meanwhile, the other police trade union also expressed support for the police officer smiling for the selfie. "Politicians should deal with politics, and leave public order and peace and internal security to us," the union said on its web site.
The photo and reactions to it has stirred a variety of responses, among them by former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, who expressed support for the officer. The police officers' "job is hard enough without threats from minister."
The protests themselves were also criticised by the ruling coalition. Janša indicated on Friday that they had been orchestrated by the "extreme left", sharing a photo of Social Democrats (SD) members at the protests and a photo of a man waving the Yugoslavian flag at the Maribor rally.
MEP and member of the SD Tanja Fajon tweeted in response that "this was not a protest of the extreme left, but a peaceful protest of the civil society across the entire Slovenia against a populist right-wing government".
Janša also said on Saturday that if the coronavirus epidemic measures imposed by the government had been bad "the caviar socialists would not have been able to ride their bikes yesterday. They would have been in hospital, quarantine or self-isolations."
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Matej Tonin tweeted that the message of the protestors must be taken seriously and that the society must do its best to preserve democracy and develop it through dialogue and within democratic institutions.
Tonin also tweeted that he perceived the protests as a reflection of people being tired of limitations and fearing for their future.
Tonin later deleted the tweet, saying in a Facebook post on Saturday that he had done that after realising that a part of the opposition abused the protests and incited with false arguments.
The police have meanwhile said that 23 warnings had been issued at the protests, which were staged despite a ban on public gathering still in place in Slovenia.
It forwarded 49 reports to the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ), the body with powers to impose fines for the violations of relevant health legislation. Moreover, the police also initiated three misdemeanour charges for public order violation.
Rallies were staged in many towns across the country, the biggest in Ljubljana, where some 5,500 people rode their bikes around the city centre, according to police estimates.
STA, 9 May 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has joined the leaders of the other 26 EU member countries and representatives of the bloc's three key institutions for a joint video message on Europe Day, noting that Slovenia has chosen the EU in the hope of peace, freedom and prosperity.
In a video message posted on Twitter, the EU leaders underscored the significance of a united Europe and solidarity, in particular in the combat against the coronavirus crisis.
"The European Union is our conscious choice. A choice in the hope of peace, freedom and prosperity," said Janša, speaking in Slovene.
Each of the leaders delivered a brief message in their own language.
The first to appear on the clip, European Council President Charles Michel said: "Europe means freedom, tolerance, openness, diversity, respect, innovation, creativity, dynamism. Europe is also about solidarity and unity."
Janša appeared fifth in the clip after Michel, Croatian PM Andrej Plenković, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, and the leaders of the next two presiding countries ahead of Slovenia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Portuguese PM Antonio Costa.
Slovenia is scheduled to hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021 after it held the stint for the first time between January and June 2008.
Europe Day commemorates the Schuman Declaration, presented 70 years ago to the day, to call for political cooperation for a lasting peace among European nations.
STA, 9 May 2020 - Russian Ambassador Timur Rafailovic Eyvazov laid a wreath at the site of a former Nazi prison camp in Maribor on Saturday in memory of several thousand Russian prisoners of war who died there. He said keeping the memory alive was important to prevent history repeating again.
The building of the former Stalag XVIII D camp is being turned into a museum after the Maribor municipality has bought the plot from a private owner, while Russia is to provide the funding to create a museum.
Additional exhibition material was put on show on the occasion of Victory Day to bear witness to the developments there during Second World War.
The exhibition is expected to open to broader public in the autumn, which would make it a real museum after it has so far been open only on special occasions and mostly only to professionals.
#VictoryDay #ДеньПобеды
— Russian Emb/Slovenia (@AmbrusSlo) May 9, 2020
Veleposlanik Rusije Timur Ejvazov, župan mestne občine Murska Sobota, vodstvo ZZB NOB in društva Slovenija-Rusija so položili vence pred spomenikom sovjetskemu vojaku in jugoslovanskemu partizanu v Murski Soboti. Slovesnosti so potekali tudi v Mariboru pic.twitter.com/Mn5d3oSsUs
Ambassador Eyvazov, who took office in Slovenia in January, reiterated his country's commitment to the project. "We still don't know how many people died here, but the figure must have been very high. The facility is exceptional because it has remained untouched," he told reporters.
"The project is exceptionally important in particular for the younger generations to learn the truth about the horrendous crimes that were being committed here 75 years ago. It's important to make sure such horrific history will not be repeated again." said the ambassador.
During WWII, the complex of a defunct customs warehouse in the Maribor Melje borough was part of a German Nazi prison camp. Between September 1941 and March 1942, it held several thousand Russian POWs in extremely inhumane conditions and most of them died there from exhaustion, starvation or disease.
The search through various European archives has so far yielded close to 3,000 names of Soviets who died in the camp. "We want to press on to find all 5,000 names of the Soviet POWs killed," said Janez Ujčič, director of the International Centre for WWII Research in Maribor, which manages the museum.
The plan for the museum was unveiled in 2014 during a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov but it has so far hosted only dedicated conferences. A one-storey hall, the complex does not have basic infrastructure such as electricity or toilets, but this should be tackled by autumn.
"Today's Victory Day ceremony represents the first step to museum activity in this former camp. With the present exhibition we've launched a lasting renovation of this complex," said Ujčič, adding that the museum had sparked a lot of interest in the international expert community as well as in Russian media.
The three-part exhibition chronicles Maribor's resistance in 1941, the city's German occupation, the tragedy of the Russian POWs in the camp and the joint struggle of the Rad Army and Partisan resistance movement in the former Yugoslavia.
STA, 9 May 2020 - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll has increased to 101 after another patient died on Friday as four more tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the national case count so far to 1,454, data released by the government today show.
More than 1,176 tests for Sars-CoV-2 were conducted yesterday, putting the overall number of tests so far carried out to 63,571.
Three more patients were discharged from hospitals yesterday, leaving only 43 patients with Covid-19 in Slovenian hospitals. Ten are in intensive care, after two more were moved to regular wards.
The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 08 May 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here
Mladina: Uprising is coming
STA, 8 May 2020 - The left-wing weekly Mladina says in Friday's editorial that there is mounting evidence a strong resistance movement against the current government is taking shape in Slovenia.
This is why Prime Minister Janez Janša is in a hurry - he would like to intervene in all structures of this country that he finds disturbing before the situation returns to normal, at least partly, says editor-in-chief Grega Repovž.
He knows that although a majority of Slovenians are horrified by the moves of his government they are handicapped now and unable to respond the way a mature, democratic society would.
"What we are witnessing is not normal assumption of power, which includes staffing changes, but bullying of society and the state administration."
But those in power cannot deny that last Friday, despite fears about coronavirus, thousands of cyclists took to the streets of Slovenian towns. In Ljubljana alone police counted 3,500 of them.
A Facebook group expressing support to whistleblower Ivan Gale has 70,000 followers. "People who were passive not long ago have started showing active interest in the media, which is shown in the ratings of political shows and a rise in the visits of websites that the public perceives as independent.
"That a network of resistance is being formed in Slovenia can be felt at every step," Repovž says.
Cyclists merely presage what is yet to come. Trade unions too are on the verge of rebellion, including because the government has completely frozen social dialogue.
In serious European countries (and companies) the opposite is happening: whoever wants the economy to recover knows this is the time to make a pact with trade unions.
And when it becomes clear that some government measures that are to help companies will have no real effect, the business elite will also turn against the government.
"The situation is going to get very serious soon. Since we are at the beginning of a crisis, this is very bad. Now we would need a government that would know how to create a sense of stability and security," Repovž says under the headline Outlines of Rebellion.
Demokracija: RTV Slovenija & Soros
STA, 7 May 2020 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija argues in its latest commentary that mainstream media criticism and protests against the government in Slovenia reflect a confrontation between conservative liberalism and the George Soros-sponsored liberal democracy, which is on its way out.
Jože Biščak, the editor-in-chief, notes how conservative parties in the Visegrad Group countries, including Viktor Orban's Fidezs, have turned away from liberalism as championed by Soros through his sponsorship of NGOs that supported liberal democracy parties in Eastern Europe in the 1990s.
He says that as a result of their eschewing progressivism/cultural Marxism, the parties, including the ruling Democrats (SDS) in Slovenia, are being targeted by liberal democrats today because they are mostly against accepting migrants, LGBT agenda, feminism, gender theory and life deniers.
"The enforcement of mixing and creation of chaos without a clearly defined future had been met with revolt among the healthy core of Europe's indigenous population (...) by the time of the great migration wave of 2015.
"It appears Covid-19 will accelerate its demise as in isolation people are again searching for their roots, identifying themselves with national culture and their nation, are looking for the lost faith in God. Hence panic everywhere.
"A textbook example is RTV Slovenija, which is no longer hiding its political and ideological bias, and its journalists Mojca Pašek Šetinc, Jelena Aščić and Eugenija Carl are typical representatives of the 'new order', stirring fear of the alleged dictatorship of 'not-our' government they cannot influence any longer.
"The government is good as long as it is headed by people with 'right', their ideas. Once it is not, the 'civil' sphere, educated in the spirit of Soros's tradition, gets activated, relying on the leftist logic of scaremongering. Violent street protests follow that seek to topple a legitimate government."
However, in conclusion of the piece whose headline carries the same message Biščak says that liberal democracy has already been put on a ventilator, "the one that has recently been making the far-fetched story of the media mainstream".
All our posts in this series are here
STA, 8 May 2020 - Thousands of protesters on bicycles took to the streets of Ljubljana, Marbor, Celje, Koper and elsewhere to peacefully protest against the government limiting civil liberties during the coronavirus epidemic, while the ban on public assembly is still in place. The Ljubljana rally was by far the biggest, bringing together some 5,500 by police count.
Run under the slogan You Won't Take Our Freedom, the protests were a joint effort of various civil initiatives, which had however called on protesters to respect all the measures to protect public health.
The protesters gathered opposite the National Assembly in Ljubljana's Republic Square, which was cordoned off so that the protesters - some media reports put the figure at 10,000 - could not approach the Parliament House.
They later took a ride past several state institutions in the city, and were cheered by locals clapping their hands from nearby windows.
The police said the Parliament House was cordoned off for safety. The police used megaphones to warn the protesters to respect the rules and that video surveillance was used. They also monitored the area from a helicopter.
Some protesters carried banners critical of the government and of President Borut Pahor, most their bicycle bells and some used cow bells.
Support was also expressed for Agency for Commodity Reserves employee Ivan Gale, who has recently publicly spoken about the pressure on the agency during the purchase of personal protective equipment.
Ploskali pred @ukclj in @RTV_Slovenija. Več kot nas bo, prej bomo na cilju. pic.twitter.com/esOry0RryQ
— Jedrt Jež Furlan (@JedrtJF) May 8, 2020
Zvonenje, ploskanje in občasno usklajeno vzklikanje vzdolž Slovenske ceste. Na skirojih in kolesih, pod budnim helikoptrskim nadzorom / @vecer pic.twitter.com/L3F9KlRYV0
— Žana Vertačnik (@ZanaVertacnik) May 8, 2020
Trg SVOBODE pic.twitter.com/Dn2nRRfSD5
— marko brumen (@multikultivator) May 8, 2020
Lepo je to videt. @policija_si ???? pic.twitter.com/rhAnrfwS9Y
— Matej Špehar (@MatejSpehar) May 8, 2020
ene par folka pa je. https://t.co/8GypwxodVD
— jaKa Močnik (@jkmcnk) May 8, 2020
The protesters mostly wore face masks, and shouts "criminals" could be heard. T-shirts with a Wake Up slogan were being sold in nearby Slovenska Street.
The protesters' anti-government sentiment seemed quite clear. "I came here to celebrate Victory Day and I hope we'll also celebrate another victory ... when we topple the government," one protester told the STA's reporter.
Another one said he was sick of the situation in Slovenia, where he believes "a silent coup d'etat is taking place".
Some were more positive, with one saying he wanted to show support for a more positive approach to the situation. "I'm not against, but for better politics, for better conditions, life."
Another protester said he protested against corruption and the leading media outlets, which he accused of bias and questioned the gap between a low Covid-19 death rate and the fact that everything is in lockdown.
Some politicians could also be seen there, including opposition Left head Luka Mesec, whose party was the only one to explicitly support the protest.
Other opposition parties had said the place for politicians to resolve problems was parliament. Trade unionist Branimir Štrukelj was also at the protest.
Much fewer people gathered in Maribor, Koper, Celje, as well as other, smaller towns across the country. Several hundred protesters gathered in Maribor for a protest very similar to the one in Ljubljana.
In Koper, several dozen carried banners saying Government Should Resign, and Criminals to Prison, Freedom to the Nation. The informal anthem of the Primorska region, a WWII anti-Fascist song, could also be heard.
Already last Friday, some 3,500 protesters took to the streets of Ljubljana in a similar protest. The 1 May protest came after a protest series started with protests at home and on balconies.
Meanwhile over 100 signatories of the Forum for Democracy, among them many established university teachers and researchers, also support the protests.
In a public letter they said that "if the people's rule is at stake, the people should claim it back".
The letter noted that their fears from a similar February letter that the Democrat (SDS)-led coalition would take Slovenia toward authoritarianism were coming true.
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.
Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll hits hundred
Roughly half of seats on trains will be off limit
Šarec denies accusations over PPE, lashes back
All medical, dental services resuming, yet under some restrictions
Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll hits hundred
STA, 8 May 2020 - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll has risen to a hundred after one more patient died on Thursday. The total number of coronavirus cases so far confirmed hit 1,450 after one more infection was officially reported.
This is the second day in a row that only one new infection was detected out of more than a thousand tests conducted daily. On Thursday 1,049 were carried out, slightly fewer than the day before.
Fresh data from the government also show a continued decrease in the number of patients hospitalised with the novel disease. Five more were discharged on Thursday, and 47 remain in hospital, including 12 in intensive care, one fewer than the day before.
But the head of the Health Ministry's advisory task force, Bojana Beović, warns there are probably "hidden pockets" of persons infected with coronavirus in Slovenia, and that the disease could spread again from there.
This is why she advocates a gradual easing of restrictive measures, whose effects can be seen in 11-13 days.
The low number of newly detected infections is the consequence of the measures that are still in place, she said.
According to her, this is a trial period, which will show whether state-imposed restrictions are needed or not.
If the curve remains flat, gatherings of people will be allowed again, and shopping malls will reopen. Dental services are also planned to be relaunched.
The idea is to contain the epidemic to the extent that lock-down would be introduced only in areas with an outbreak and not nation-wide, Beović said.
Since it is not clear whether a person who had Covid-19 is protected from the disease, gaining herd immunity this way might not be an option. Moreover, if 70% of the people fell ill, many would die, so instead of 100 causalities Slovenia could be looking at 2,100, she warned.
She said that if all preventive measures were respected, the epidemic might subside during the summer months, when people spend more time outdoors, but another wave was expected in autumn.
Roughly half of seats on trains will be off limit
STA, 8 May 2020 - Presenting the new coronavirus-adapted regime ahead of the relaunch of passenger railway transport next week, national operator Slovenske železnice announced on Friday that seats in coaches would be marked so as to secure adequate distance among passengers.
Passenger transport director Darja Kocjan said that entry points and seats appropriate for use will be marked, with the plan being to only occupy half of the seats.
"We've provided disinfectants, entry is only allowed with a face mask. We advise that the disinfectant also be used before exiting the train," Kocjan said.
Slovenske železnice plans to restart passenger transport on Monday with about a third of their trains. The number will be increased on 18 Many and by June the railways hope to be back to a schedule similar to that before 16 March when public transport was put on hold in the country.
"New ticket prices also enter into force on Monday, which will be kinder to the passengers," Kocjan moreover announced, also explaining that the validity of season and monthly tickets issued before the crisis would be extended to make up for the lost period.
SŽ-Infrastruktura director Matjaž Kranjc added that waiting rooms at stations would remained closed, with access only provided to ticket counters. Toilets will be closed at all smaller train stations, while they will be open on the trains.
Šarec denies accusations over PPE, lashes back
STA, 8 May 2020 - In his first reaction to the serious accusations against him in the government report on the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), the former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec denied the charge that he did nothing to replenish virtually empty stocks and failed to act to prevent an imminent health crisis.
In a televised interview with TV Slovenija last night, Šarec defended himself against the accusation that he did not order Health Ministry to take action to secure the needed equipment until two days before handing over to his successor Janez Janša in mid-March.
He said the reason was that PPE purchases had been in the purview of health institutions, which were making orders. Lashing back, he said that putting the Agency for Commodity Reserves in charge of PPE procurement was a departure from previous practice and that Health Ministry was in charge of action during an epidemic.
He said that the Health Ministry under his government joined the EU bulk-buy of protective masks, which fell through due to a scam though. "It's thus not accurate at all to say that we weren't dealing with that," said Šarec.
He went on to note that an interdepartmental coronavirus taskforce was appointed in January and that the civil protection had been involved throughout and so did the secretariat of the National Security Council task the Agency for Commodity Reserves to replenish the stocks released.
Challenged about whether he felt responsible for the state of PPE stocks when he handed over to Janša, Šarec said the equipment had been ordered and that they had been in contact with the Chinese ambassador as China had offered help.
However, the question he said needed to be asked "is why everything was then handed over to the Agency [for Commodity Reserves] and why the law was not followed".
He repeated that his health minister had acted responsibly and that his government declared the epidemic, imposed border controls and closed schools and nurseries.
He disagreed it was a blunder on the part of the opposition that the coalition had beaten the opposition by filing for a parliamentary inquiry into PPE procurement, blaming it on the coalition's fear and an attempt "to protect themselves" and to prevent investigation of "corrupt actions".
Asked about his support for Friday's bicycle protests and his retweeting a tweet by Damir Črnčec, his aide as PM, with a clip showing him "training" on the bicycle in the square in front parliament that is the site of the protests, Šarec rejected the suggestion his LMŠ party was using the protests for promotion.
"It's the civil society's campaign and it should stay that way, there's no place for us politicians there to show ourselves. We must fight each in our own ground, civil society on bicycles, politicians in parliament, but our common goal is that this corrupt government shouldn't stay on much longer."
Šarec also told TV Slovenija last night, as he tried to defend himself from the accusations in the PPE report, that the fact that Janša and his family had been skiing in Italy on 28 February proved Janša himself had not really been aware of the threat of coronavirus.
One of the accusations levelled against the Šarec government in the PPE report is that those who went to Italy to ski were not quarantined upon return to Slovenia.
Janša took to Twitter today saying he had explained long ago that the photo of his family skiing in Italy he posted on Twitter on 28 February 2020 was taken a year ago.
He accused Šarec of lying saying that "he is trying to hide his own responsibility for the deaths in the epidemic with lies". Šarec responded by posting Janša's 28 February tweet with the mentioned photo, and again accused him of laying.
Šarec moreover posted a demand he received from the Matoz Law Firm on behalf of Janša to immediately withdraw the statement about Janša's skiing in Italy, or else he would be taken to court.
Janša posted the photo with a statement "the best rally today" in reference to a protest held in front of the offices of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and the Modern Centre Party (SMC) on the same day. The protest was meant to persuade the two parties not to join the emerging government coalition with Janša's Democrats (SDS).
All medical, dental services resuming, yet under some restrictions
STA, 8 May 2020 - At its correspondence session on Friday, the government issued a decree relaunching all medical and dental service yet under special conditions, which are set in another decree on temporary measures in healthcare to contain the Covid-19 epidemic. Both decrees will enter into force on Saturday.
As the epidemic was declared in mid-March, all non-urgent medical services were suspended and dental surgeries closed, expect for a few emergency units around Slovenia.
The government partly relaxed some non-urgent treatments and services already last month.
Under the decrees issued today, all services at all levels - primary, secondary and tertiary levels - can resume.
However, they can be provided only to patients "with a negative epidemiological anamnesis and with no signs of a respiratory infection".
In treating all the other patients, medical services providers must follow all the recommendations and guidelines for medical services during the coronavirus epidemic, the Government Communication Office said in today's release.
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, 1 May
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša made the case for unorthodox policies to battle the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic as he sent out a message on Labour Day. He suggested tax and social systems will have to be reformed, which would include consideration of universal basic income.
LJUBLJANA - In a Labour Day address, President Borut Pahor emphasised the important role of the state as evident in the ongoing response to the coronavirus epidemic. The state "does not exist merely to have an army or police. It is also a welfare state, a state governed by the rule of law."
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Janez Lenarčič, the Slovenian EU commissioner in charge of crisis management, said the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for the EU to play a greater role in health and civil protection. He plans to propose that the Commission directly order equipment for the strategic European stockpile.
LJUBLJANA - Thousands of cyclists took to the streets, accusing the government of curtailing civil liberties in what was the latest in a series of protests targeting the government's anti-coronavirus and other policies. The rally was organised by twenty-odd self-organised groups and civil society organisations on Facebook.
LJUBLJANA - LGBT+ rights NGOs acknowledged that preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 are necessary but also warn that lockdown restrictions have resulted in the loss of safe spaces.
BRNIK - The Foreign Ministry said Slovenia had received 12 tonnes of protective personal equipment from China. The shipment contained 30,000 N95 masks, 700,000 surgical masks, 20,000 protective overalls, 10,000 goggles and 30,000 gloves.
VATICAN CITY - Vatican News reported that Mitja Leskovar, a Slovenian priest who has been with the Vatican's diplomatic service for nearly two decades, was appointed the apostolic nuncio to Iraq.
SATURDAY, 2 May
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek was still enjoying his trust in the wake of accusations of political pressure in the purchasing of personal protective equipment and ventilators. Janša added that a government report on the procurement would be sent to parliament next week.
SUNDAY, 3 May
LJUBLJANA - It was a second consecutive day that none of the persons tested for coronavirus tested positive, coming after what was the first day with in Slovenia no new infections since the first infection was confirmed on 4 March.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Union of Journalists said in a statement marking World Press Freedom Day that the media sector had adjusted to the epidemic situation quickly and effectively but it faced great uncertainty after the corona crisis was over and the government is increasing this uncertainty.
BERLIN, Germany - Slovenian freelance journalist Blaž Zgaga, a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, was one of 17 recipients of the Freedom of Speech Award given out by the German public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle to journalists from 14 countries who have been persecuted for coronavirus reporting.
MONDAY, 4 May
LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties filed a motion of no confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, accusing him of being responsible for profiteering of individuals and companies in the purchases of personal protective equipment. The motion has little chance of succeeding as coalition parties indicated their support for the minister and even the opposition National Party (SNS) said it would not vote for his dismissal.
LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry decided to rescind a EUR 8 million contract with the company Geneplanet for the purchase of 220 Siriusmed R30 ventilators. This was proposed by Geneplanet after the ventilators came under fire as being unsuitable for Covid-19 patients. Geneplanet has already delivered 110 of these ventilators, but the final number of accepted venitlators will be 90.
LJUBLJANA - Lockdown restrictions were eased further as stores under 400m2 outside shopping malls reopened along with bar terraces, hair salons and beauty parlours. Some museums and libraries reopened and church services resumed. Despite the easing, strict physical distancing measures still apply.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia pledged EUR 13.76 million in a global online pledging marathon supporting research into a possible vaccine and treatment for coronavirus. More than EUR 7.4 billion has been raised in the EU campaign.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - As the National Security Council met for a session, the government decided to upgrade the national protection and rescue plan in the part pertaining to epidemics in order to address issues that may occur in the case of a possible second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic.
NOVA GORICA/KOBARID - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the communities along Slovenia's western border, announcing the reopening of two border check points with Italy and discussing the possibility of reopening several others.
LJUBLJANA - Verica Trstenjak, a former advocate general at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, was put forward as a candidate for a member of the supervisory board of Slovenia's largest bank, NLB. The vote on her appointment will be taken at the shareholders' meeting on 15 June.
LJUBLJANA - Police said it had recorded a 20% increase in domestic violence since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, when the period is compared with the same period last year. At the same time, the number of crimes against public order has decreased.
TUESDAY, 5 May
LJUBLJANA - The four coalition parties filed for a parliamentary inquiry to look into the situation, handling, stock, orders and purchases of protective and critical medical equipment needed to battle Covid-19 between 1 February and 20 April, and thus outmaneuvered the four centre-left opposition parties that submitted a rival motion for an relevant inquiry just hours later.
LJUBLJANA - After a video conference with his counterparts from the EU, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said Slovenia would not compromise the right to privacy for a mobile contact tracing app. Slovenia is among the countries in which the right to privacy is very restrictively defined, he added.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - As the EU ministers in charge of social affairs discussed national measures to tackle the coronavirus fallout, Slovenia's Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj agreed that the efforts should be boosted, adding that the crisis could be a stepping stone to a healthier balance between personal and professional lives.
LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce said the Covid-19 lockdown had resulted in the retail sector posting very worrying results. The sector as a whole could see a EUR 6-7 billion drop in sales this year, which represents over 20% of annual revenue.
LJUBLJANA - The official receiver of Adria Airways admitted EUR 87.7 million in claims from creditors out of a total of EUR 151 million reported since the air carrier entered into receivership last October. Few claims will be repaid, though, given that the bankruptcy estate is valued only at EUR 6 million.
BRNIK - Airport operator Fraport Slovenija called on the government to help with keeping the company afloat and completing a new passenger terminal in time. The terminal, valued at EUR 21 million, was to open before Slovenia takes the presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2021.
RIJEKA, Croatia - A consortium comprising Slovenia's Kolektor CPG, Croatia's GP Krk and Bosnia's Euroasfalt won a tender to build a state road in the Croatian port city of Rijeka. The three-kilometre road running on a very complex terrain will be built for EUR 61 million.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian courts were allowed to start holding hearings, deliver rulings and serve writes in non-urgent cases, after most activities were suspended on 16 March. Deadlines will still not apply in non-urgent cases in which writs would be served, according to guidance issued by the Supreme Court.
WEDNESDAY, 6 May
LJUBLJANA - A nationwide antibody study found that one in thirty Slovenians has probably been exposed to the novel coronavirus, meaning that about 2-4% of the population may have gained some sort of immunity to Covid-19. Miroslav Petrovec of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, which led the study, cautioned that this did not necessarily mean those people are immune to Covid-19.
LJUBLJANA - The government released a report on PPE purchases, saying all procurement was executed in line with protocol and amid difficult circumstances that were aggravated by the failure of former PM Marjan Šarec to react sooner. The report says all the ordered ventilators had expert backing. The opposition responded by saying it did not provide insight into the developments but was primarily meant as a defence of the government.
LJUBLJANA - Data from the Employment Service showed that the coronavirus crisis is taking a heavy toll on Slovenia's job market, as 10,793 people were added to the unemployment register in April alone, pushing the total up by 19.9% year-on-year to 88,648.
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission projected that Slovenia's GDP will drop by 7% this year, while a 6.7% recovery is expected in 2021 on the back of stimulus measures. The forecast is nevertheless somewhat better than for the entire eurozone on average, which stands at -7.7% for this year and +6.3% for next year.
LJUBLJANA - Acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner dismissed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Darko Muženič, appointing Igor Lamberger as the NBI's acting head. Lamberger served as a deputy president of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption from mid-2014 to mid-2019 and had previously worked for the Criminal Police Department.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša urged for a continuation of EU enlargement continue without any further delays despite the coronavirus epidemic as the EU held a virtual summit with the leaders of Western Balkan countries. The EU needs to stay active in the region despite all the challenges, the PM's office wrote.
LJUBLJANA - The government gave registered athletes the green light to start practising in outdoor facilities and to resume competitions in individual sports up to and including the national level, albeit without spectators.
LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry said that public transport in Slovenia will be relaunched on Monday, 11 May, after being suspended because of the coronavirus epidemic on 16 March.
LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court quashed a ruling that ordered the incumbent prime minister, Janez Janša, to pay EUR 6,000 in damages to a journalist for calling her a "washed-up prostitute" in a tweet. The journalist announced she will take her case to the Constitutional Court and the Journalists' Association (DNS) condemned the court's decision.
LJUBLJANA - Three NGOs announced they had asked the Constitutional Court to examine tighter standards for NGOs to participate in procedures in which building permits are issued, which were introduced with the changes to the first fiscal stimulus package the government adopted to help businesses and households cope with the Covid-19 epidemic.
LJUBLJANA - Zlatko Ficko was dismissed as director general of the SiDG state forestry company and chief supervisor Samo Mihelin was appointed in his place until a new management with full powers is appointed, but not longer than one year.
BRNIK - Fraport Slovenija, the company operating Ljubljana airport, said it posted an operating loss of EUR 2.4 million in the first quarter of the year. It generated EUR 6.9 million in revenue in the period, 32% year-on-year.
LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce said sales of new cars and vans plunged by 71% year-on-year in April and 39% in the first four months compared to the same period last year. Just 2,140 new cars and vans were sold in April, and 16,354 vehicles in the first four months of the year.
THURSDAY, 7 May
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and some parties condemned Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's posting a photo of a Greater Hungary map - with parts of it stretching into present-day Slovenia - as a way of wishing Hungarian secondary school students good luck in taking history exams. The Foreign Ministry said it would not comment on such issues unless they were clearly intended for historical revisionism.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian called in a video conference for a further strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries, also in light of their upcoming successive presidencies over the EU Council. Logar highlighted the car industry as crucial for both economies.
NOVA GORICA/TRIESTE, Italy - Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavič warned about the extreme economic as well as social ramifications of the Covid-19 epidemic for the western Goriška region, caused mostly due to restricted links between Slovenia and Italy.
KLAGENFURT, Austria - A group of Slovenian organisations in the Austrian province of Carinthia warned against attempts at historical revisionism and the denigrating of the Partisan liberation movement in the region. They stressed the Carinthian Partisans contributed to the victory over Nazism and the liberation of Austria.
LJUBLJANA - The Journalists' Association (DNS) condemned the Supreme Court's decision to quash a ruling that ordered Prime Minister Janez Janša to pay damages to a reporter after having called her a washed-up prostitute in a Twitter post in 2016. It said the ruling had a chilling effect on journalists.
LJUBLJANA - A Valicon survey showed the public's concern about the coronavirus had dropped under 60% for the first time since the middle of March, when the epidemic was declared. The uneasiness about the threat of the virus culminated at 86% in the week after the epidemic was declared and dropped to 57% this week.
ŠKOFLJICA - A 56-year-old man strolling in the woods near Škofljica, just south of Ljubljana, was attacked by a bear, getting out of the incident without life-threatening injuries. On average, two bear attacks on humans are recorded in Slovenia annually.
All our posts in this series are here
