Politics
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
Only one new coronavirus infection, no new deaths
Four more border checkpoints open for commuters
Sports making comeback, great deal of improvisation still involved
Bar tables no longer limited to members of same household
Poll: People in favour of restrictions easing, still cautious
Western region warns about Covid-19 impact, minority affected too
Only one new coronavirus infection, no new deaths
STA, 7 May 2020 - The coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia keeps flattening out, with only one new case confirmed on Wednesday out of 1,055 tests conducted, bringing the national case count to 1,449. No new deaths have been reported.
Fresh data from the government show that one more Covid-19 patient was discharged from hospital yesterday, leaving only 52 hospitalised with the novel disease.
Only 13 remained in intensive care units, one fewer than the day before.
Covid-19 has so far claimed 99 lives in Slovenia. Almost 80% of the casualties are care home residents, the newspaper Dnevnik has reported.
Data obtained by the paper from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), show that 78 care home residents with Covid-19 have died as of 4 May. Ten of them died in hospital and 68 in the home.
The institute only provided cumulative data, while unofficial data obtained by Dnevnik from those reported by the NIJZ to civil protection teams, show that by 4 May a total of 425 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in 17 old-age facilities, 320 of them were residents and 105 staff.
In six homes infections have been confirmed only in staff.
The figures mean that 22% of the total of confirmed cases in the country as of Monday (1,445) were elderly care home residents, along with the staff the proportion is almost 30%.
Four more border checkpoints open for commuters
STA, 7 May 2020 - The government has decided to open several new border checkpoints with Italy and the railroad crossing in Šentilj, on the border with Austria. The decision was made at a correspondence session on Thursday so as to make it easier to help jump-start the economy on both sides of the border as the coronavirus crisis eases.
Under the decision, people commuting across the border, whose with fields on the other side and those with immediate family members on the other side of the border will be able to cross to and from Italy at border crossings Predel, Erjavčeva Street in Nova Gorica and Neblo.
Moreover, the government decided to reopen the railway checkpoint in Šentilj, north of Maribor, as Slovenia is about to restart public transport in Monday.
A number of border crossings have been closed since mid-March, when Slovenia declared Covid-19 epidemic. At the moment, people are able to cross the border with Italy at Vrtojba, Fernetiči, Škofije, Rateče, Robič and Krvavi Potok, with the latter two open only during the day.
On the border with Austria, the check points Trate, Radelj, Svečina, Kuzma, Gederovci, Šentilj, Gornja Radgona, Karavanke, Vič, Holmec and Ljubelj are open, with the latter two operating only during the day.
Only three crossings are open on the border with Hungary, the shortest border Slovenia shares with a neighbouring country: Pince, Dolga Vas and Hodoš.
Crossing into Croatia is possible through the checkpoints in Sečovlje, Dragonja, Sočerga, Podgorje, Starod, Jelšane, Babno Polje, Petrina, Vinica, Metlika, Slovenska Vas, Obrežje, Rigonce, Orešje, Bistrica ob Sotli, Imeno, Rogatec, Dobovec, Gruškovje, Zavrč, Ormož, Središče ob Dravi, Gibina and Petišovci.
However, only people with special permits, allowed to work on fields on the other side of the border, commuters and those with immediate family members may cross the border without having to go into quarantine. All other passengers are required to self-isolate for a week.
A special regimen is in place for transit transport.
Sports making comeback, great deal of improvisation still involved
STA, 7 May 2020 - While the detailed practice protocols for many sports, for instance swimming and in particular team sports, are still pending, Slovenian athletes are returning to training en masse after the government on Wednesday permitted controlled practice sessions and individual competitions without spectators.
Although it is not yet clear when football competitions will resume, the return to ball training is being hailed across the board among Slovenian football clubs, even if some are still struggling with the improvisation necessary to secure proper protection.
Some are having to do without foreign players and coaches who are stranded abroad or in compulsory quarantine, one example being Sežana's coach Mauro Camoranesi, who has problems getting back from Argentina.
"We're working hard on somehow getting him a flight from South America, but we probably won't be able to count on him for a while longer. The fitness coach will run the practice sessions until his return - for a while he will also have to do without six players who remain quarantined. The boys will practice in groups of four," the club said.
A similar approach will multiple groups has also been adopted by other clubs, which say they are determined to observe the protective measures.
"We opted for even sticker measures than proposed by the Public Health Institute. We briefed the players on the details in a video conference, secured disinfectants, we will take the players' temperature before practice, they will get their own accessories to take home with them, they will not be allowed to touch the ball with their hands or heads. Health comes first," the management of the Ljubljana club Bravo said.
Some athletes already returned to training a while ago, with the Track and Field Association for instance drawing up guidelines as soon a the government lifted the ban on certain individual sports for recreational purposes in mid-April.
Slovenia's triple jump record holder Marija Šestak told the STA that a lot of improvisation had been involved as well, with fitness gear for instance being moved outdoors.
She however warned that serious training had not been possible for more than a month, "which is why an immediate return to competitions should not be expected, not least because of excessive risk of injury".
The government decree also allows for training in contact sports, provided there is no change in training partners, and in sports with two-members teams, which is great news for the 470 class sailing duo Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol that will be aiming at top spots at the Tokyo Olympics.
Many issue however remain open, for instance swimming pool regimes, the joint use of indoor halls and in particular of equipment, for instance in gymnastics.
"Disinfecting the floor and the goals after each training is still much easier than for instance cleaning gymnastic apparatus. We're waiting for instructions by producers on how to go about disinfection, how alcohol impacts the equipment ... We don't want to ruin it," explained Andrej Kastelic of the city-owned sports facility operator Šport Ljubljana, most of whose 100-plus facilities remain closed for now.
Bar tables no longer limited to members of same household
STA, 7 May 2020 - The National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) has made changes to its guidelines for bars and restaurants, which have been allowed to serve guests outside since Monday. The rules no longer stipulate that only members of the same household may sit at the same table, however guests at the same table must now sit 1.5 metres apart.
The rule that only members of the same household may sit at the same table had caused dismay among bar proprietors, who said it was impossible for them to know whether the guests are indeed from the same household.
Now, people who are not from the same household may sit at the same table, but they must keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres. The same distance is advised in general for all guests and serving staff.
Bars and restaurants are also advised to limit the number of people sitting at the same table.
While the update is likely to appease bar owners to a certain extent, some of the rules they have criticised in recent days remain in place.
The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS), which represents thousands of proprietors, has criticised the requirement that cutlery must be wrapped in plastic or a paper towel.
Another major target of criticism is the requirement that restrooms must be disinfected every hour. Bar owners say they should have discretion to disinfect the premises as needed.
Poll: People in favour of restrictions easing, still cautious
STA, 7 May 2020 - The public's concern about the coronavirus has 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, the latest survey by Valicon shows.
The decline is faster than in the previous weeks, which Valicon says might be attributed to a significant easing of restrictions this week and to the encouraging results of the nationwide Covid-19 testing, released this week.
Almost 90% of those polled support this week's reopening of bars and relaunch of many other services, but are still prudent in using them.
A fifth of all respondents had been eagerly awaiting the relaunch of services such as bars, hairdresser's or churches, and have already used at least one such service.
Still, 39% are reserved; while in favour of lifting the services restrictions, they intend to wait at least until next week before using any.
Almost a third are in favour of the easing but believe it is being done without a proper plan, whereas 3% are against it altogether.
Asked to describe their feelings as more services are becoming available, most of those polled (31%) cited caution, followed by approval (21%) and joy (14%).
Eight percent said they felt uncertain and 2% afraid, while 11% said they were indifferent.
Almost four in ten believe the restrictions still in place to contain the virus are too harsh, which is the same at two weeks ago but 6 percentage points more than last week.
The rise could be, according to Valicon, a result of people using some of the services again available and of the nationwide testing, which showed the virus is much less spread than some have thought.
Market research agency Valicon carried out the latest instalment of its special coronavirus survey among 502 adults between 5 and 7 May.
Western region warns about Covid-19 impact, minority affected too
STA, 7 May 2020 - Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavič has 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. Warnings about the crisis taking a toll on the Slovenian minority in Italy have emerged as well.
"Due to Goriška's dependency on the Italian market, suppliers and consumers, who have experienced a significant drop in their spending power, the region's companies will be faced with the worst crisis in the past three decades.
"The local authorities predict that a lot of companies will go bust, leading to a spike in unemployment. Other companies will have to search for new markets, suppliers, business partners and consumers. We're looking at a high unemployment rate and social struggles," said Miklavič following Wednesday's visit of the Italian Ambassador to Slovenia Carlo Campanile to the town of Nova Gorica.
Tourism and casino business have been hit the most among the economic sectors, including restaurants, accommodation facilities and shops. Given the region's excessive reliance on the gambling business, Goriška is teetering on the precipice of an economic crash, he added.
The mayor would like to see some changes in that respect in the future, such as creating new jobs in entrepreneurship, most notably in high-tech companies providing jobs for the young.
Slovenia's leading gaming company HIT has estimated that its gross realisation between January and April has already dropped by as much as 35% compared to the same period in 2019. The figure keeps increasing with every month the company's casinos stay closed.
The majority of Hit staff works in the region, 1,300 out of a total of 1,700 employed, with only some 100 currently not being on furlough. The casinos have been closed since mid-March. Rumour has it that the company is to slash its workforce by some 400 and even go as far as to close down one of its casinos permanently.
Miklavič has called on the government to prioritise providing aid to the region, including in development investments and tax reliefs, to mitigate the fallout, reduce dependency on the Italian market and support new businesses.
Apart from economic repercussion, restrictions on the border with Italy have also have had a strong social impact.
Bojan Brezigar, a former editor-in-chief of the minority newspaper Primorski Dnevnik, told the STA on Thursday that it was unacceptable that the border with Italy was more hermetically sealed than that with Austria or Croatia during the coronavirus pandemic.
Brezigar said that the Slovenian minority in Italy was upset by Slovenia's attitude regarding the matter as well as by the attitude of some mayors of regions bordering on Italy.
"We are saddened by Slovenia's attitude regarding the border as well as that by its institutions and mayors of towns near the border, including Koper, Sežana and others. The border was open, a fact that meant a great success for us," he said, adding that the strong community there, including the locals who used to cross the border daily or at least regularly, has now been without the option for two months.
He believes that the government has thus shown its true colours about the issue. Brezigar has reiterated that the minority means mostly a budget problem for Slovenia and not a development issue.
The minority representative and former lead editor of the daily, published in the Slovenian language in Italy's Trieste, deems the situation an issue of responsibility and political sensitivity, urging the government to take into account the troubled situation of the minority.
He pointed to the erection of a fence between Nova Gorica and Gorizia, the border towns which have been cooperating closely, highlighting that the Gorizia area was considered one of the Italian regions hit the least by the virus.
Slovenia reintroduced border checks on the border with Italy on 11 March due to the coronavirus outbreak. Only seven entry points have been set up to enable crossings that are warranted. Upon entering Slovenia, all persons need to be quarantined for a week. Public transport between the two countries has been suspended as well.
STA, 7 May 2020 - President Borut Pahor and several parties have condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's posting a photo of a Greater Hungary map, with which he wished Hungarian secondary school students good luck in taking history exams.
Posted on Facebook on Wednesday, the photo shows a globe with Hungarian lands expanding into Slovenia and several other European countries, the territories which Hungary lost with the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after WWI.
"It is understandable and right that the recurring postings of maps which could be understood as an expression of territorial claims are met with rejection and concern by the democratic public and politics, including me as the president of the republic," Pahor told the news portal 24ur.com when asked to comment on Orban's provocation.
He believes "it is because of such attempts that we should make an even greater effort to advocate ... respect and cooperation within nations and among nations".
The president also announced that he would draw this to the attention of his Hungarian counterpart Janos Ader's during an official visit planned for July.
The Foreign Ministry said that just like in the past, it would not comment on historical maps published abroad in different contexts, for instance for the purpose of research, education or exhibition, if they are not related to a clear intention or mention of revisionism.
The Ministry told the STA it "closely follows the contexts or the manners in which such historical maps are used and interpreted".
The office of the prime minister said where were historical maps in government offices, including an 1853 map of Slovenian lands that they say depicts "Greater Slovenia".
Learn more about "Greater Slovenia" on Wikipedia
Social Democrat (SD) MP Matjaž Nemec, the chair of the foreign policy committee, voiced the expectation that Slovenian foreign policy will "react decisively...to show it is not a puppet of the Hungarian regime".
"When Orban, a friend of the ruling SDS, does not even conceal his plans any more. I expect a sharp response from all in government. Now is the time to show commitment to your country," he wrote on Twitter.
The coalition New Slovenia likewise said it expected "Slovenian diplomacy to react appropriately and warn the neighbouring Hungary that such 'history lessons' are unacceptable."
"Let's respect the borders we have today, and let's work to minimise their divisiveness in our shared European future," the party wrote on Twitter.
The opposition Left said in a press release that "such provocations which instigate nationalist feelings must be condemned".
"The Janez Janša government will not do so, because it counts on the help of the neighbouring regime. Its goal is clear: to institute an authoritarian conservative regime modelled on Orban's Hungary in our country."
This is not the first time that Orban posted a Greater Hungary map.
Last June, his office tweeted such a map to mark Hungarian Day of National Unity, commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Trianon, with which Hungary lost over 70% of its territory. In December, he posted a photo on Facebook showing his Fidezs party in a meeting under the same map.
Orban's June 2019 incident was condemned by Pahor, the Foreign Ministry, then Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, and several parties, including New Slovenia (NSi), which is now in government, while Janša's Democrats (SDS) said they would not comment.
STA, 6 May 2020 - A government report on PPE purchases, released on Wednesday, says 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.
Announced by PM Janez Janša after the 24 April whistleblower accusations about heavy political meddling, the report provides insight over 80-plus pages into the stock of personal protective equipment before the epidemic and the current situation, stressing the PPE available on 16 March did not suffice for even a single day of the assessed needs at the time.
Accusing Šarec of omission of duties that could qualify as misfeasance in office, the report says "the most contentious decision was not to order quarantine for potentially infected individuals returning from Italy as a hotspot, and that the border with Italy was not closed in time or controlled with health checks".
It says that the little equipment that had been ordered under Šarec had been ordered at higher average prices than under the current Janez Janša government, even though the latter had to buy at one point irrespective of the prices.
While the World Health Organisation already warned on 3 March that PPE prices and supply times were rising drastically, the Šarec government did not call on the Health Ministry to start buying until 11 March, the reports says.
Šarec responded by tweeting: "Manipulative, misleading and unworthy of the paper it is printed on. Nothing about corruption and war profiteering."
Končno smo dočakali poročilo vlade o nakupih zaščitnih sredstev. Pričakovano, v stilu "mi smo super, odlični, če je pa karkoli spornega, je kriv MŠ". Manipulativno, zavajajoče in nevredno papirja na katerem bo natisnjeno. Nič o korupciji in vojnem dobičkarstvu.
— Marjan Šarec (@sarecmarjan) May 6, 2020
Meanwhile, elaborating on the procurement procedures, the reports says that procurement was centralised under the Commodities and Reserves Agency on 14 March, one day after the Janša government took over.
Given the agency's lack of staff and experience with such situations as well as Covid-19 cases there, the government formed on 24 March an inter-ministerial taskforce to receive, examine and evaluate bids for PPE supply. The group received 2,069 e-mails until 14 April, examining 1,081 of them.
Another coordination group was formed by the Economy Ministry on 25 March, but its members are said to have only "forwarded proposals to the Commodity Reserves Agency and coordinated activities for a quick supply of protective equipment".
"All final decisions were taken by the Commodity Reserves Agency," the report says, while explaining that the agency's deputy head Ivan Gale - who later spoke publicly about pressure by a number of influential individuals, in particular Economy Ministry Zdravko Počivalšek - had also been part of the coordination group.
Zooming into the period of the media-scrutinised orders of over 300 ventilators, the report says that the agency "signed between 16 and 24 March 21 contracts with PPE suppliers and 4 contracts with ventilator suppliers, with the Economy Ministry not being involved in negotiations and the signing of individual contracts".
"In this period the Economy Ministry got more actively involved only in the purchase of ventilators, urgently needed by hospitals to save lives," the report says, while adding the ministry did not have any decision-making powers here and that its approval needed for each contract only checked compliance with a five-year state programme for commodity reserves.
As for the choice of ventilators ordered in this period, the report says the numbers had been based on assessed potential future needs at the time and provides charts with ventilator offers, including expected supply times, and orders.
The much discussed 220 Siriusmed R30 ventilators ordered on 18 March through Geneplanet for EUR 8 million are listed among ventilators approved by experts. The reports says they got the "approval of Dr. Podbregar from the Celje General Hospital", while "the remaining three bids were approved by Dr. Noč, Dr. Gradišek and Dr. Knafelj from UKC Ljubljana".
Meanwhile, the report defends the decision to use intermediaries in the PPE purchases, saying the state could not afford to shoulder the high risks that were involved and have indeed been experienced in many countries.
It argues in favour of some much criticised domestically produced masks, including a batch made from material normally used for kitchen towels, and their high prices, saying each producer got the nod from UKC Ljubljana and that it was misleading to compare production costs at the time to current prices.
As for future steps, the report says that sufficient supplies for the short term have been secured by 10 April. The Commodity Reserves Agency, whose centralised procurement of PPE will end on 1 June, now has more space to negotiate on prices.
The government is proposing that the Court of Audit review the agency's activities in the first four months of the year and also look at all the purchases, renting and maintenance of ventilators in all Slovenian hospitals in the past five years.
It announced it would secure EUR 1 million for the start of ventilator production in Slovenia and another million for the production of FFP2 and FFP3 masks.
All our stories on the PPE scandal in Slovenia are here
STA, 6 May 2020 - The Supreme Court has 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 has announced she will take her case to the Constitutional Court.
The Supreme Court rejected the journalist's damages claim after upholding Janša's appeal against the December 2018 ruling by the Celje Higher Court that upheld an earlier decision by the local court in Velenje ordering Janša to pay damages to Mojca Šetinc Pašek, a journalist and editor with TV Slovenija.
Šetinc Pašek brought the defamation suit over Janša's post on his Twitter profile in March 2016 reading "the FB page of the public house is offering cheap services by washed up prostitutes Evgenija C. and Mojca P.Š. One for 30 euros, the other for 35. #ZvodnikMilan".
Na neki FB strani javne hiše ponujajo poceni usluge odsluženih prostitutk Evgenije C im Mojce PŠ. Eno za 30€, drugo za 35€. #ZvodnikMilan.
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) March 21, 2016
The Supreme Court has ascertained that an average follower of Janša's Twitter profile could understand the tweet referred to Šetinc Pašek's work for the public broadcaster rather than her private life, so the second instance court's surmise that the contentious tweet could be understood literally was inaccurate.
The latest judgement, which runs to 17 pages, argues that as TV Slovenija news programme editor Šetinc Pašek performed an extremely important and responsible job from the aspect of the public's right to know, hence her work was exposed to public criticism.
The Supreme Court infers that like Janša the editor was a public figure, for whom "the boundaries of permissible criticism are broader than with private persons".
"In this conflict between the defendant's freedom of political expression and the plaintiff's right to dignity and good name", the majority of the judging panel thus decided in favour of "the enlightenment principle that only free debate on major political topics makes it possible to near the truth".
"Thus, the position prevailed that priority needs to be given to the freedom of political expression. The Supreme Court has therefore not taken a stance on the non-legal aspects of the plaintiff's statement," reads the judgement passed on 6 February.
The court ordered Šetinc Pašek to compensate Janša for costs of the procedure within 15 days.
Šetinc Pašek described the judgement as "outright scandalous", adding that it meant Janša as the leader of the largest parliamentary party and the most powerful person in the country could insult unrestrained any journalist or editor who publishes what he disagrees with.
"Since in the opinion of a majority on the judging panel Twitter is a medium typical for bitter, rough, even insulting content. As if Janša was forced to publish on Twitter," commented the journalist, who called it a black day for Slovenian journalism and the public.
Janša was also sued by Carl, and both journalists brought criminal charges against him. In the criminal procedure Janša was sentenced to a three-month suspended sentence by the Celje District Court in November 2018, but the Celje Higher Court ordered a retrial last year.
All our Janez Janša stories are here
STA, 6 May 2020 - Acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner dismissed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI, Nacionalnega preiskovalnega urada) director Darko Muženič on Wednesday, appointing Igor Lamberger as its acting head. The replacement has raised dust among both coalition and opposition politicians, albeit for different reasons, while NBI employees spoke up for Muženič.
Lamberger, who holds a PhD in economics, served as a deputy president of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (KPK) from mid-2014 to mid-2019.
Lamberger had previously already worked for the Criminal Police Department, under the jurisdiction of which is the NBI, heading the sector for white-collar in 2002-2005.
After that, he was a lecturer at the Police College within the Police Academy until 2014. He now came to head the NBI from the team of the police commissioner.
Lamberger was appointed to head the agency investigating the severest white-collar crimes for the period until a new full-fledged director is appointed through a public call, the police said in today's press release, posted on its website.
Muženič came to the helm of the NBI on 1 June 2019, having previously led the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering. The press release noted his expertise and sovereign leadership, and added that he had been reassigned to join the police leadership.
The news portal 24ur.com meanwhile reported that Muženič had been replaced without his consent.
However, the police said that in line with the law, the police commissioner could replace the NBI boss within a year since the police commissioner was appointed or within a year since the NBI director was appointed, without providing the reason the law entailed for dismissal.
The opposition criticised the government for dismissing Muženič while coalition and government officials pointed to Muženič's contentious role in an Iranian money-laundering scheme when he headed the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering (February 2013 to mid-2019).
In 2009-2010, British-Iranian citizen Iraj Farrokhzade made thousands of transactions worth around US$1 billion through his NLB bank accounts in breach of Slovenia's anti money-laundering legislation while Iran was subject to international sanctions. The investigation into it is still ongoing.
Foreign Minister Anže Logar accused Muženič on Twitter of sending "false information" to foreign anti-money laundering agencies about the Iranian scheme when at the helm of the office.
"The proof of this are documents contained in the report by the parliamentary inquiry into the 2013 Slovenian bank bailout, which was sent to the NBI," Logar, who had chaired the parliamentary inquiry, added. He also wondered who could appoint a person with "such a burden" to lead the NBI.
Similarly, Prime Minister Janez Janša wondered on Twitter how "one of the key figures in the Iranian money-laundering scandal could even work for the police".
He believes that due to the politicisation of the NBI leadership, stories such as "one billion euros in laundered [Iranian] money for terrorists, billions of euros stolen from state-owned banks, and medical supplies worth hundreds of millions" have never been properly investigated.
NSi deputy group leader Jožef Horvat is bothered by Muženič having turned a blind eye as the head of the anti-money laundering office when "a billion euros was being laundered at NLB bank". "And then he became the NBI boss. Why? So that the money-laundering is not investigated," he told the press yesterday.
A different view was presented by opposition LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec, under whose premiership Muženič became NBI director. He believes he was replaced because the government wants to stop certain investigations.
Social Democrat (SD) secretary Dejan Levanič criticised the government for replacing first the police commissioner, then the head of the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering and now the NBI director.
"The government is clearly not interested in a drop in GDP, growing unemployment and people's hardships, it is interested in the key institutions in the country to protect its own interests," he twitted.
The LMŠ later presented a request to hold a session of the parliamentary Home Affairs Committee to debate what it believes to be the last in a series of politically motivated staffing changes at the police and security agencies.
The largest opposition deputy group admits the government is authorised to appoint directors, yet the fast replacement of key staff in Slovenia's police and security system raises doubt the replacements were motivated by the interest to fully control security and intelligence services.
One of the reasons for this is according to the LMŠ to cover up certain irregularities burdening individuals connected with the ruling Democrats (SDS).
A debate on the issues is also supported by the fellow opposition SD and the Left.
Supporting Muženič after today's dismissal were also NBI employees and one of the two police trade unions, the PSS, while the SPS declined to comment.
The PSS told the STA that Muženič enjoyed full support of employees, and NBI employees said in a public letter the NBI must operate independently of any political block.
The letter says Muženič has been professional all along so his dismissal is inadmissible and not in line with the reasons the law entails for dismissals.
As such, it raises doubts about political interference, which in the long-run undermines security organisations and effective crime investigation in the country.
Since it was launched ten years ago, the NBI has investigated 1,100 crimes and filed almost 800 criminal complaints at the prosecution, over cases in which alleged criminals illegally gained one billion euro in total.
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 their work here.
One more Covid-19 death, three new infections reported
Antibody study shows one in thirty Slovenians exposed to coronavirus
Public transport to be relaunched on Monday
Spa resorts gradually reopening, most for rehab services
One more Covid-19 death, three new infections reported
STA, 6 May 2020 - Slovenia's official coronavirus case count has risen to 1,448 and the death toll to 99 as three more people tested positive and one patient died on Tuesday, fresh government data show.
The three new cases come from 1,449 tests conducted yesterday, which is slightly more than the day before.
Three more patients were discharged from hospitals on Tuesday, which leaves only 53 hospital patients with Covid-19. Of them, 14 needed intensive care treatment, three fewer than the day before.
Antibody study shows one in thirty Slovenians exposed to coronavirus
STA, 6 May 2020 - A nationwide antibody study has found that one in thirty Slovenians has probably been exposed to the novel coronavirus. This means that about 2-4% of the population may have gained some sort of immunity to Covid-19, show the results of the study released on Wednesday.
Among 1,368 persons tested, 41 or 3.1% had antibodies in their blood samples and two tested positive for Covid-19, according to Mario Poljak, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, which led the study.
Given that the sample was representative of the entire population, researchers can say with 95% certainty that 2-4% of the population had had an immune response to Covid-19.
But Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, cautioned that this did not necessarily mean those people are immune to Covid-19, nor how durable their immunity may be.
A back-of-the-envelope calculation based on the figures would appear to indicate that the Covid-19 death rate is low, around the same as for the seasonal influenza, but the authors of the study warned that this cannot be concluded from the study.
As Petrovec noted, the study was designed to gauge the population's immune response, not to measure the death rate. As such, it can only provide answers to questions that it set out to answer.
Poljak noted that the implicit death rate in Slovenia is around the same level as in comparable European countries, but he said benchmarking was made difficult by differences in how individual countries record causes of death.
While similar studies have been conducted in other countries, Poljak said this was the first study in the world to measure the immunity of a representative sample of the population and the first to test for both Covid-19 (with nasal swabs) and immune response (blood sample).
What is more, the participants will be remotely monitored every two weeks for six months and tested again at the end of October, which will give public health authorities crucial data before a possible second wave of the epidemic.
Some countries, including France and the US, have discovered based on a re-examination of old swab samples that they had had coronavirus cases significantly before the first cases were confirmed.
Asked whether that may be the case in Slovenia, Poljak said that this was indeed possible. The institute stores samples for a long time and could theoretically go back and re-test some of the samples.
The researchers warned, however, that such a study would not be representative since samples are usually taken only from patients with particularly severe forms of a disease.
Slovenia's official coronavirus case count rose by three to 1,448 by Tuesday and 99 deaths were reported.
Public transport to be relaunched on Monday
STA, 6 May 2020 - Public transport in Slovenia will be relaunched on Monday, 11 May, after being suspended because of the coronavirus epidemic on 16 March, the Infrastructure Ministry said on Wednesday. Details regarding the safety measures that will apply are yet to be agreed on and should be presented to the public by the end of the week.
Public passenger transport was temporarily suspended by the government in mid-March in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus. Subsequently, municipalities enabled free parking on public parking lots until this week.
The government had earlier indicated that public transport could be restarted on 11 May, and the ministry confirmed this today.
But it said it was still in talks with public transport providers on the safety measures that will need to be taken. The ministry expects them to be finalised soon and presented to the public by the end of the week.
National railway operator Slovenske Železince is also preparing to relaunch passenger transport and is expected to present the new regime for train travel on Friday.
As soon as the virus was detected in Slovenia, public transport providers introduced restrictions. Bus companies for example allowed passengers to get on the bus only at the rear door.
Spa resorts gradually reopening, most for rehab services
STA, 6 May 2020 - Almost two months after being forced to shut down due to the coronavirus epidemic, spa resorts across Slovenia are tentatively reopening for business. Several have resumed medical rehabilitation services, and some also resumed wellness services and reopened bar terraces.
The Terme Zreče spa at the foot of the Pohorje hills in the north-east of the country resumed out-patient physiotherapy services on Wednesday, as some other specialist surgeries are gradually reopening as well.
"Partial resumption of health services is a major challenge, with days and weeks ahead that will be out of the ordinary both in terms of ensuring safe handling of patients and in terms of revenue and streamlining," said Unitur, the company running the spa.
The terraces of cafes and restaurants at Terme Zreče and the Rogla ski resort remain closed for the time being. Depending on the weather, they are planning to reopen them in the second half of May.
Zdravilišče Laško, the spa south of Celje, is providing urgent rehabilitation services as a continuation of hospital treatment for neurological, neurosurgical and trauma patients.
From tomorrow they will also resume outpatient physiotherapy services, initially only for patients on priority referrals whose rehab was interrupted by the epidemic in March. "It's mostly patients referred to us after injuries and surgeries," spa operator Thermana has told the STA.
"Our team, which includes an external infectious disease expert and our safety-at-work official, is making sure that all the requirements and recommendations of the National Institute of Public Health are being followed carefully."
The cafe terrace of Thermana Park hotel will welcome guests back on Friday and the spa's wellness centre resumed its operations on Tuesday, albeit on an adjusted schedule.
Terme Krka, the spa company of the drug maker Krka, suspended all services in mid-March with the exception of nursing care at the Šmarješke Toplice spa in the south-east of the country.
They started resuming specialist and physiotherapy treatment at Šmarješke Toplice in the east and Talaso Strunjan at the seaside on 20 April, and a week later at the spa Dolenjske Toplice, which had been under renovation.
The spa operator also reopened its tennis courts and golf course at Otočec near the Croatian border. "Our first golfers were impressed by the course following major maintenance work ahead of the season," said Terme Krka.
The company's three wellness centres have reopened this week for certain beauty services such as nail and face care and hairdressing services and massage. So have outdoor bars and restaurants. "All other services will be resumed when the authorities in charge issue suitable guidance and permits."
Tourism company Sava Turizem, which runs a number of hotels and spa resorts in the lakeside town Bled, on the coast and in the north-east of the country, will wait a bit longer before reopening. It expects to resume outpatient medical services in the second half of May, while Kavarna Park cafe in Bled will open on Saturday.
STA, 6 May - The US news portal Vox has put Slovenia alongside Greece, Iceland, Jordan and Vietnam as overlooked success stories when it comes to fighting coronavirus outbreaks.
In an article published on Tuesday, Vox notes that with nearly 1,500 confirmed coronavirus cases and 100 deaths as of May 5, Slovenia's "relatively small outbreak is impressive, considering Slovenia is a growing tourist destination that borders Italy, one of Europe's outbreak epicenters."
"Its success mainly stems from an aggressive early lockdown, quarantines of sick people, and generous government spending."
Vox notes that it took Slovenia about two weeks after the first confirmed case to close schools and businesses and freeze public transportation.
The government gave EUR 3 billion - 6% of GDP - to citizens and businesses to survive the shutdown.
Quarantines helped keep confirmed cases low, Vox says, noting that borders were shut down and mandatory quarantine ordered for those entering the country.
Now, the situation has improved to the extent that businesses have already begun opening up again, and citizens can travel outside their municipalities, with schools to start on May 18. However, major public events like concerts and soccer games, will still be suspended.
"What Slovenia has shown, then, is that aggressive government action and intervention can help keep people from spreading the disease. Even by the government's own numbers, it could do more testing, but for now, the current measures appear to be working."
All out stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here
COVID-19 & Slovenia, Afternoon 5 May: New Cases; Italian Border; Retailers, Event Organisers Worried
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.
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises again
Interior minister promises gradual reopening of checkpoints on Italian border
Retailers worried about dwindling sales
Event organisers urge aid and time frame for gathering ban
Number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises again
STA, 5 May 2020- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by six to 1,445 on Monday after no new cases were recorded on Saturday and Sunday, when fewer testes were conducted. Yesterday, 1,338 people were tested. The number of hospitalised persons stood at 56.
A total of 17 patients were treated in intensive care yesterday and one person died of Covid-19. Three people were discharged from hospital, putting the number of those discharged so far at 244.
Four of the six new positive cases were recorded at the Ljutomer care home, where 57 people were tested yesterday. One resident recovered.
The director of the National Institute of Public Health, Milan Krek, said at today's press conference that the newly infected came from hotspots and not from general population, so the data on infections were encouraging.
He said this allowed for the gradual easing of restrictive measures that was under way but warned that if the situation deteriorated, restrictions would need to be reintroduced immediately.
"We must get used to living in a way that we don't spread infections ... If we follow instructions, the virus cannot spread among people and we can function normally," he said.
Krek said decisions on any further easing of restrictive measures would be made in about two weeks, when the effects of the current easing of restrictions will show.
He warned that the epidemic was not over yet and that the first wave of infections in an epidemic was typically followed by a second wave, which was expected in the autumn at the latest.
So far, 1,445 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia, 637 men and 808 women. 98 people died of Covid-19.
A total of 57,474 tests have been conducted so far.
Interior minister promises gradual reopening of checkpoints on Italian border
STA, 4 May 2020 - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the communities along Slovenia's western border on Monday, announcing the reopening of two border check points with Italy and discussing the possibility of reopening several others.
In Nova Gorica, a town right on the border, he said that a check point in the city would reopen, and that another would reopen in Goriška Brda, the rural area north of Nova Gorica.
He indicated this would happen at the end of this week or early next week.
"The border with Italy, as we knew it before the epidemic, will not be the same for a long time. The new check point will have the same regime as the Vrtojba crossing," said Hojs, referring to one of the few border crossings with Italy that remained open during the epidemic and allowed entry only to healthy individuals.
The check point in Nova Gorica is to be controlled by police officers, while opening hours have not yet been defined, Hojs said, adding that the 6am to 11pm would be ideal.
He also expressed disappointment with the EU's response to the global pandemic and expressed hope that the EU would show greater solidarity "to mitigate economic consequences of this crisis".
Hojs also visited the town of Kobarid, where he discussed the potential opening of border check points in Robič and at Predel pass.
The reopening of crossings would simplify the lives of those who commute across the border and also might help the tourism season, Hojs hopes.
He also said that Prime Minister Janez Janša had held "certain talks" about border crossings opening with the President of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Massimilano Fedriga.
The minister's meeting with mayors from the region also discussed the relaxation of measures and their effect on the events the Soča Valley is famous for.
While the big annual festivals have been cancelled, organisers still hope to go through with smaller events in late summer. Hojs said that further relaxation of restrictions would depend on the number of Covid-19 infections two weeks after the May Day holidays.
Retailers worried about dwindling sales
STA, 5 May 2020 - The Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in the retail sector posting very worrying results, Chamber of Commerce (TZS) head Mariča Lah said. The sector as a whole could see a EUR 6-7 billion drop in sales this year, which represents over 20% of annual revenue.
"This could have far-reaching consequences," Lah said at Tuesday's government coronavirus briefing.
After an initial spike in sales in the early stages of the crisis, even groceries have posted a drop in overall sales during the lockdown, said Lah, estimating the decrease could exceed 15%.
"This cannot be offset by the end of the year even if the situation completely normalises."
Closed for a month and a half, non-grocery shops, those selling home appliances, furniture and construction material, have posted an even bigger drop.
With EU 15 billion in annual revenue, these shops account for around half of the retail sector's annual revenue.
The retailers thus welcome Monday's partial reopening of non-grocery shops below 400m2, but would also like non-grocery shops within shopping centres to reopen soon.
Lah said the chamber would like the government to follow Austria's example, where such shops are already open, and to narrow the required two metre distance among shoppers to one metre.
She believes small shops in large shopping areas are discriminated against in comparison with the same type of shops in city centres.
Nevertheless, she deems it important to follow the safety rules "even if they sometimes seen odd".
Rents are also a major burden on shops, accounting for a large portion of their costs, so Lah criticised the government measures in this respect.
She said that shops renting space from the state or municipality are exempt from paying rent under the second coronavirus stimulus package, while the state had failed to step in to help a private legal entity renting from another private legal entity.
The TZS had proposed that in this case the state subsidise the rent in the amount relative to the drop in a shop's revenue, but the proposal had not been included in the law.
Lah thus hopes it will be included in the third package of measures the government will draft to help businesses cope with the problems stemming from the epidemic.
The chamber's head also commented on the shoppers' rather reserved approach to shopping as non-grocery shops reopened, noting that footfall had been lacklustre.
She believes shopping habits are bound to change in the long-run while Slovenian shoppers are proverbially quite cautious with money.
Lah believes their thriftiness will also depend on the pace of economic recovery after the coronavirus crisis.
During the epidemic Slovenian shoppers resorted massively to online shopping, which was below the EU average before the crisis.
Lah noted that revenue from online shopping in Slovenia is still relatively low, but added that in order to be successful, retailers should developed both brick-and-mortar and online shopping.
Event organisers urge aid and time frame for gathering ban
STA, 5 May 2020 - With no events taking place since 7 March and none envisaged for an indefinite period, event organisers in Slovenia have urged authorities to adopt aid measures and provide a basic time frame for the ban on public gatherings so that planning can start for 2021.
The Association of Concert Organisers said that many countries had adopted measures to protect the music industry and in particular the organisers of concerts and other events.
Stressing that the survival of individuals and the sector as a whole is at stake, the Association of Concert Organisers said organisers had not been able to reschedule agreed events and were saddled with preparation costs of those that had to be cancelled.
With planning usually taking six to 12 months, they would like to see a time frame put on the gathering ban, so that preparations can get under way.
As for the aid measures, the association would like to be able to issue vouchers for cancelled events instead of refunds and have the state cover social contributions for the self-employed in the sector for the duration of the ban along with a basic monthly income of EUR 700.
The organisers would also like the state to cover the contributions of those staying on open-ended contracts during the ban as well as the unemployment benefit for those made temporarily redundant.
Another proposal involves a two-year rent freeze for venues owned by the state or municipalities and a 50% rent discount a period of 12 months after the ban on public events is lifted.
STA, 4 May 2020 - The Health Ministry has decided to rescind a EUR 8 million contract with company Geneplanet for the purchase of 220 ventilators Siriusmed R30. 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 to the Commodity Reserves Agency. The ministry decided to keep 90 of them under the condition that additional equipment be delivered, which would make them suitable for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Twenty ventilators, which are still at the Commodity Reserves Agency storage will be returned, while the rest, 110, will not be delivered, the ministry has told the STA.
The decision was sent by Health Ministry Tomaž Gantar to the head of the Commodity Reserves Agency Tomi Rumpf upon recommendation of a medical expert group headed by infectious diseases specialist Bojana Beović.
Geneplanet has said it wanted to rescind the contract so as to clear its name following allegation of favourable treatment in the procurement of the ventilators.
Moreover, internal medicine specialist Rihard Knafelj, a member of an expert group tasked with going over the bids to the state for ventilators has told the Tarča current affairs show of public broadcaster TV Slovenija that the expert group assessed the Siriusmed R30 ventilators as the least suitable of those they gave their go-ahead for.
Meanwhile, Tomislav Mirkovič, an UKC Ljubljana doctor, who used to head the hospital's intensive care unit, said at today's government coronavirus briefing that experts were fairly united in the view that the Siriusmed R30 is suitable for use on Covid-19 patients provided a compressor and an air humidifier with heated pipes are supplied additionally.
Geneplanet said today that all of the ventilators delivered to Slovenia already have a built-in compressor and that the company offered to upgrade them with a humidifier and double-heated pipes.
It reiterated that the ventilator is being used in a number of countries, had all the necessary certifications and had been tested in real life. "For most Covid-19 patients the current version of ventilators is appropriate," the company also said.
Geneplanet also said that all of the ventilators delivered had been tested and that many are already in use at hospitals in Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje, Murska Sobota, Ptuj, Nova Gorica, Trbovlje, Slovenj Gradec, Izola and Brežice.
The company underlined that it had acted lawfully, with due diligence and in line with business practices in bidding to deliver the ventilators.
Meanwhile, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek is facing a vote of no confidence following allegations of wrongdoing in the procurement of ventilators.
Ivan Gale, deputy director of the Commodity Reserves Agency, alleged in Tarča a week ago that Počivalšek had instructed the agency to pay a 100% prepayment to Geneplanet in this deal.
Gale also told the newsportal 24ur.com today that Prime Minister Janez Janša's spouse, Urška Bačovnik Janša, who is a medical doctor, has also interfered in the procurement of equipment.
Gale forwarded to the newsportal an email showing that Bačovnik Janša had forwarded to Počivalšek in an email the contact of Miran Blatnik, the husband of Celje Hospital infection ward head Janja Blatnik and the director of Xan-Max, with which the agency signed a EUR 9.8 million contract on 21 March.
Publicly accessible data show that the contract was later rescinded. Bačovnik Janša tweeted in response, saying she believed that thousands of other people did the same. "My conscience and my dedication to the medical profession dictated that I did what I did," she tweeted, adding that only those used to getting commissions can see such motivations in her actions.
All our stories on the PPE scandal are here
STA, 4 May 2020 - None of the 616 persons tested for coronavirus on Sunday was positive in what was the second consecutive day with no new confirmed infections in Slovenia. The number of all confirmed cases so far thus remains at 1,439. One more patient died of Covid-19, putting the total number of deaths at 97, government data show.
So far, 56,136 tests have been conducted in Slovenia and this Saturday was the first day since 4 March with no new infections.
The first coronavirus infection was confirmed in Slovenia on 4 March.
On Sunday, 58 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, including 20 in intensive care. Three persons were released from hospital yesterday.
STA, 4 May 2020 - The details concerning the purchase of a total of 316 ventilators for coronavirus patients continue to raise dust. Two doctors have stepped forward defending the choice, and the government and some media have questioned the credibility of a member of an expert group that had reservations about the purchase of 220 of these ventilators.
It was two doctors from the Celje general hospital who issued statements on Saturday in defence of the 220 Siriusmed R30 ventilators ordered on 18 March through Geneplanet for EUR 8 million even though an expert commission formed as part of the selection process had reportedly ranked them at the very bottom of the 13 ventilators picked among 92 as appropriate.
While a government report on PPE purchases during the coronavirus crisis is still pending, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and PM Janez Janša have defended what TV Slovenia said were the most expensive ventilators on the approved list. They argued lives had been at stake and that the speed of supply had been the decisive factor.
Accusations about alleged political ties and personal interests have meanwhile continued flying across the board, starting with reports hinting at potential ties between Geneplanet and the ruling Democrats (SDS).
While it has been confirmed that none of the three hospitals supplied with the Siriusmeds had used them on Covid-19 patients and that the head of the Celje hospital had served as state secretary under Počivalšek, the spotlight has shifted in recent days to internal medicine specialist Rihard Knafelj, one of the three members of an informal medical group that had evaluated offers for ventilators.
It was Knafelj who insisted for one of the two editions of TV Slovenija's Tarča current affairs shows - which featured Commodities Reserves Agency whistleblower Ivan Gale - that the Siriusmed ventilators were dangerous for use on Covid-19 patients.
While the UKC Ljubljana doctor, who specialises in artificial ventilation, initially came under fire for alleged ties to the Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ), he was later attacked heavily for several Facebook posts, including a reference to PM Janša as Adolf Janša and a joke that those trusting God do not need ventilators.
The Medical Chamber said today its ethics committee would examine the statements, for which Knafelj has already apologised. It also condemned death threats that he received.
Another prominent accusation against him is that he pushed for the purchase of other ventilators - a day after the deal with Geneplanet, Slovenia also ordered 46 Bellavista ventilators through Gorenje and 50 Nihon Kohden ventilators through Ram2, Dnevnik reported. These three had also been on the expert group's list of 13, along with Avea and Mindray ventilators, but at least the Mindrays were no longer available at that point, the paper added.
Publishing an email sent to officials by Knafelj on 19 March, the Siol.net new portal reported on Sunday that Knafelj had pushed for the purchase of several ventilators by other makers, including the Bellavista ventilators even though they had been designated as potentially lethal by US, Canadian as well as Slovenian authorities last November.
"We did not push for any of the 13. The three mentioned in Siol's article (Avea, Bellavista and Mindray) had been offered as being available for purchase immediately, and this is what gave rise to the question of why they had not been purchased given that they had been assessed positively," Knafelj told the STA on Sunday.
As for the Bellavistas, he said certain serial numbers had been recalled in November, but that their producer Vyaire Medical had committed to upgrading the device's software by the end of the 2019 and that its recommendations for use on Covid-19 patients were in line with the recommendations by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine.
Meanwhile, Tomislav Mirkovič, another UKC Ljubljana doctor, who used to head the hospital's intensive care unit, said at today's government coronavirus briefing that experts were fairly united in the view that the Siriusmed R30 is suitable for use on Covid-19 patients provided a compressor and an air humidifier with heated pipes are supplied additionally.
This requirement had also been stated in its opinion by the expert commission, which Mirkovič said had done a good job. He added that according to his knowledge, the Celje hospital has this additional equipment.
Mirkovič moreover argued that the start of the epidemic had been a confusing time filled with panic there would not be enough ventilators. He explained the UKC Ljubljana hospital had also ordered 104 new ventilators on its own, 50 of them very good and 54 perhaps of a little lower quality.
Data published by UKC Ljubljana show that a deal was signed on 12 March on the purchase of 50 Hamilton C6 ventilators through Framed and two days later a deal on 54 Sternmed Vento 62 ventilators through Geneplanet. Three more Lowenstein Elisa ventilators were ordered through Ram2 in mid March.
By 24 April, 13 Sternmed Vento 62 ventilators and three Lowenstein Elisa ventilators had been delivered.
Four opposition parties file motion of no confidence in economy minister
STA, 4 May 2020 - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB)filed a motion of no confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek on Monday over his responsibility for what they see as opaque procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The move, which the LMŠ announced on 23 April, comes after a wave of accusations was levelled at Počivalšek and the government about purchasing procedures and the quality of equipment as well as about attempts to influence the Agency for Commodity Reserves to choose certain suppliers.
More than a week ago, Ivan Gale, the deputy head of the agency, came forward with accusations of strong political pressure and other potential irregularities in the procurement. The whistleblower also told the Tarča current affairs show that Počivalšek had personally intervened in favour of a ventilator contract with the company Geneplanet worth EUR 8 million.
Počivalšek denies any wrongdoing, describing the media reports on the topic as an orchestrated head hunt. He acknowledged things could have been done better, but said the situation at the start of the epidemic had been unprecedented.
He said that neither he nor his colleagues had lobbied or politically influenced decisions in any way, adding that the goal of the communication had been to speed up procedures and secure protective equipment for frontline staff at a time when it was needed the most.
Prime Minister Janez Janša said on Saturday that Počivalšek still enjoyed his trust and that a government report on the procurement would be sent to parliament this week.
Presenting the motion to the press, representatives of all four parties said the responsibility for the controversial procurement of protective equipment lied with the entire government, especially since the PM expressed support for Počivalšek, and that more measures were to follow.
LMŠ MP Robert Pavšič said a parliamentary inquiry into the procurement procedures would be launched in a few days.
He said the minister had been violating the law, which applied also in times of crisis, in conducting procurement procedures, which should have been conducted by the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices any way. "It's about a whole range of direct and indirect breaches of the law, but mostly avoidance and misleading, and apparent cronyism and corruption," he said.
LMŠ head Marjan Šarec added on the sidelines on today's meeting of the National Security Council that there was also no clear information on what the needs for protective equipment had actually been.
Some equipment was available at the start of the epidemic, including ventilators, and the UKC Ljubljana hospital for example had EUR 30 million available for purchasing more of it, he said. Other health institutes also had permission to purchase equipment, he added.
Šarec also said the Chinese ambassador had offered assistance. The state only needed a company to import the equipment, and this could have been the Agency for Commodity Reserves or state-owned companies, for example pharma company Krka, Šarec said.
Šarec said the goal was to get to the bottom of this. The economy minister is not the only one responsible, as orders were coming from the top, he said, noting that some e-mails had apparently been written by Janša's wife.
Deputy head of the SD deputy group, Bojana Muršič, said "this government, this coalition has created a parallel world for itself, and only dishonest practices are coming out of it". She said the SD condemned cronyism in the procurement of protective equipment, noting the procedures must be investigated.
"Every time Janez Janša is in power millions in provisions are paid out," said MP of the Left Miha Kordiš, pointing to the 1990s defence scandal and the 2008 Patria scandal.
Maša Kociper of the SAB warned that determining political responsibility in the parliamentary inquiry or the no confidence vote would not bring back the millions that were possibly lost in the deals.
The SAB had demanded parliamentary oversight of all public procurement during the epidemic and a special fund, which would be used to finance all epidemic-related costs, but its proposals were rejected, she noted.
In the motion of confidence the parties allege that Počivalšek is politically responsible for financial profiteering of individuals and companies in procurement of PPE and other medical supplies and for uneconomical spending of public funds.
Blaming him for "unethical, crony and corrupt collusion in favouring companies and individuals" to buy PPE from, they say that due to his "lying and misleading of the public and media" the minister has lost trust in his integrity and work.
They note conflicting and inconsistent statements by Minister Počivalšek and Defence Minister Matej Tonin and shifting of the responsibility for PPE procurement from one body to another.
They allege that by misleading the public that the state could only buy through Slovenian intermediaries, the Economy Ministry squandered favourable bids by the Chinese state company Sinofarm and the online giant Alibaba.
They cite data showing that the Agency for Commodity Reserves paid some suppliers up to 100% of the order's value in advance, even though Počivalšek ruled out any money being paid up front.
To vote out the minister, at least 46 out of 90 deputies of the National Assembly would need to vote in favour of the motion. The four opposition parties have 37 deputies between them, while Zmago Jelinčič, the leader of another opposition party, has announced the three deputies of his National Party (SNS) will not support the motion, which he said was "without any juice and completely void".
