14 Feb 2020, 09:52 AM

Controversy Over Alleged Iranian Money Laundering Continues

STA, 13 February 2020 - There was much controversy on Thursday as the parliamentary Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services discussed the state prosecution's decision to reject a criminal complaint filed by a parliamentary inquiry over an alleged Iranian money laundering scheme at NLB bank a decade ago.

Addressing reporters after the session, Janez Janša, the leader of the Democrats (SDS), said that the session heard "things that explain much of what is happening" and what was keeping the media busy these days, something that would become very concrete in the future, which he said was "from now on".

After what the commission heard today, Janša said it had become obvious why the "law enforcement authorities that should have investigated the matter found there was nothing wrong (...) People who made possible a criminal act of epic proportions investigate themselves."

Darko Muženič, now director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), served at the Office for Money Laundering Prevention at the time that roughly one billion US dollars was allegedly laundered through NLB bank.

In a bid to "protect the dignity and integrity" of the NBI and Muženič, Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar explained today that Muženič at the time served in the department of the Office for Money laundering that was not in charge of the Farrokh case.

Farrokh was the name of the company of Iranian citizen Iraj Farrokhzadeh that the parliamentary inquiry in 2018 found laundered the money on behalf of Iran to skirt international sanctions.

The prosecution's decision of July last year not to prosecute abuse of office suspects in the case was debated by the parliamentary Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday, but the session was suspended because the SDS and the fellow conservative New Slovenia (NSi) wanted to hear from NBI and NLB representatives, who were not present at the session.

NSi deputy Jernej Vrtovec described the findings of investigators which prompted the prosecution not to prosecute as very unusual.

The case was the subject of two parliamentary inquiries, whose extensive reports allege that NLB bankers failed to exercise due oversight and abused their powers at last in the case of some transactions, said Vrtovec.

The police said that that Tuesday's session of the Home Affairs Committee was attended by Police Commissioner Bobnar, who is the NBI director's superior, and director of criminal police Boštjan Lindav.

The police noted that it was the criminal police and not NBI investigators which in 2010 and 2011 handled the case of alleged money laundering at NLB.

Bobnar noted that the police directorate had reviewed police activities in that case 2017 and that the guidelines issued by the then interior minister in connection to that had been fully implemented.

She said that the special department of the specialised prosecution service had rejected a criminal complaint filed against criminal police investigators over the case.

Bobnar also said that the police performed their duties in accordance with the standards of evidence, in compliance with the constitution, penal code and the criminal procedure act and as an independent body whose work in the pre-trial procedure can only be directed by the state prosecutor in charge.

A specialised investigation group formed in 2017 and comprising representatives of the NBI, Office for Money Laundering Prevention and the central bank drew up a plan of work in the Farrokh case to look into suspected criminal offences, including money laundering, terrorism financing and abuse of office.

In the case pertaining to suspected abuse of office, the state prosecutor in charge issued a decision in July 2019 rejecting the criminal complaint by the parliamentary inquiry.

However, Bobnar noted that the specialised investigation group continued work in connection to other suspected criminal offences in the case.

All our stories on money laundering are here, while those on Iran are here

13 Feb 2020, 09:05 AM

SMC Ends Talks with LMŠ, No End to Uncertainty as to Election or New Coalition in Slovenia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 Feb 2020, 14:21 PM

Croatia’s Outgoing President Says Goodbye to Post with Visit to Slovenia

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

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

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

Predsednik Republike Borut Pahor na delovnem in neformalnem srečanju s predsednico Republike Hrvaške Kolindo Grabar-Kitarović. To je njen zadnji poslovilni obisk v tujini. pic.twitter.com/7PpHC0niPp
— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) February 12, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 Feb 2020, 10:03 AM

NBI Examines Hungarian Funding of SDS-Friendly Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11 Feb 2020, 09:16 AM

SDS Expected to Lead New Coalition Talks

STA, 11 February 2020 - The opposition Democrats (SDS) are expected to conduct a fresh round of coalition talks with three parliamentary parties after the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec. The potential coalition partners, Modern Centre Party (SMC), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), have not officially confirmed the talks.

The first round of talks was held last Friday and SDS head Janez Janša announced the second round for today in the invitation to that meeting.

DeSUS leader Aleksandra Pivec labelled the first meeting as "the SDS testing the ground to see if there was readiness to continue", noting content or staff had not been on the table yet.

So this is expected to be on the agenda today. It should therefore become clear in the coming days if the parties will be able to overcome their differences. For now, all parties are tight-lipped about the talks.

The three parties are still checking the sentiment among their members, with the situation being the most turbulent in the SMC.

Its vice president, Ksenija Klampfer, the outgoing labour minister, left the party yesterday in protest of the talks with the SDS. The party's former president and founder, Miro Cerar, has also ruled out being part of a Janša-led government.

SMC head Zdravko Počivalšek said it was perfectly understandable that opinions differ but he thinks issues should be discussed rather than "doors slammed".

He has been arguing that the way to an operative and strong government leads through dialogue not a policy of exclusions.

10 Feb 2020, 15:38 PM

Updated: Slovenia Condemns Italian Neo-Fascist Campaign Calling WW2 Partisans “Tito’s Assassins”

Updated at 18:00

STA, 10 February 2020 - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry has condemned a smear campaign in which the Italian neo-Fascist movement CasaPound put up banners describing World War II Partisans as assassins, issuing a protest following a recent attempt to deny the suffering of Slovenians at the hands of Fascists.

CasaPound put up banners reading Tito's partisans, villains and assassins (Partigiani Titini infami e assassini) across Italy on the eve of today's remembrance day dedicated to the victims of foibe, the Italian for karst chasms where the victims of post-WWII killings by Yugoslav Communists were thrown.

The banners, which carry the emblem of the Fascist movement, were also stuck to the facades of the Slovenian cultural home in Opicina, the France Prešeren Theatre in Bagnoli della Rosandra, both villages in the Trieste province populated by the Slovenian ethnic minority, the Trieste-based Slovenian newspaper Primorski Dnevnik reported.

Tatjana Rojc, the ethnic Slovenian senator in Rome, condemned the campaign as the latest attempt "to smear the Slovenian community, an addition to the worrying presence of CasaPound, which is raising its head through violent talk and by harming co-existence," she was quoted as saying by the Italian press agency Ansa.

"With today's smear campaign in Slovenian villages, the neo-Fascist organisation CasaPound has again demonstrated its intolerance of Slovenians and the suffering of the Slovenian nation under Fascism," the Slovenian Foreign Ministry commented.

Noting that the organisation carried out a similar campaign in December 2019, the ministry said that CasaPound deserved "condemnation by the democratic authorities of free Europe". The ministry urged the Italian authorities to respond and "take measures in accordance with their powers".

The ministry added that Slovenia respected the Italian remembrance day for the foibe victims. "We expect the same respect for Slovenian and other victims of the resistance against the occupying Fascism, in particular civilian victims who massively perished in Italian concentration camps."

The ministry said such mutual respect was not aided by panel debates organised under the sponsorship of the local authorities in Trieste, including one scornfully themed as "Slovenians' false self-pity", and another at which speakers claimed Slovenians burnt down themselves their National Home in Trieste in 1920.

"We cannot and will not allow the denying of the suffering by Slovenians and the distortion of history," the ministry said.

Last year the day marking the remembrance day for the foibe victims caused a major controversy between Slovenia and Italy after Antonio Tajani, serving as European Parliament president at the time, made what were interpreted as territorial claims in his address to a foibe victims remembrance ceremony. Tajani later apologised for his comments.

President Borut Pahor said in a press release today he had protested with Italian President Sergio Mattarella against the "unacceptable statements by senior representatives of Italy" made on last year's foibe remembrance day.

Pahor also said that Mattarella had agreed that the statements made last year had been inappropriate, and could create an impression of territorial claims.

He said he had called on his Italian counterpart to respect the historical truths. Pahor thinks an ideal opportunity "for our joint trip to the past and looking at the future" will be the upcoming ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the torching of the Trieste National Home.

The Council of Slovenian Organisations (SSO), the umbrella organisation of Slovenians in Italy, also strongly condemned CasaPound's smear campaign today, saying the "fascist act" was a "severe blow to the democratic values and freedoms on which we are building our future here".

The SSO moreover called on the Italian authorities to investigate the matter and punish the perpetrators.

The Social Democratic Party (SD) joined the call for action, saying CasaPound was trying to rehabilitate fascism, an "ideology that took the lives of millions around the world".

The Left also spoke of rehabilitation of fascism, saying that the recent misinterpretations of history, which are being promoted even by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, were inciting hatred between the two nations.

President Pahor & Speaker Židan Express Concern After Neo-Fascist Rally in Trieste (Video)

10 Feb 2020, 11:18 AM

SMC Vice Leader Quits in Party to Protest Talks with Janša

STA, 10 February 2020 - Ksenija Klampfer, the outgoing labour minister, has stepped aside as a vice-leader of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), quitting the party in protest at tentative coalition talks with the Democrats (SDS). Meanwhile, Miro Cerar, the former leader of the SMC, has ruled out being part of a government led by SDS leader Janez Janša.

In a letter addressed to SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek and distributed to media outlets, Klampfer says her decision to quit is due to her disapproving of how the party is being run, in particular after Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's resignation two weeks ago.

Listing her achievements as minister of labour, the family, social affairs and equal opportunities, Klampfer says that her discussion with Počivalšek the morning before Šarec's resignation showed that "work is not appreciated, that more than work it is populism that counts".

"Under your leadership, the party is increasingly moving course away from the views of people who brought the party the nobleness of socio-liberal values (...) My belief is being confirmed with daily calls by party colleagues who are getting ready to quit the SMC," she writes.

Noting that back in 2017 as the head of the Maribor administrative unit she banned a concert by Croatian ultra-nationalist singer Thompson, Klampfer says that she has never since received any support for her efforts from the party leadership, not even as she encountered problems as minister.

"As vice-president you have never engaged me in the party's work and this makes all the accusations and insults related to that all the more unacceptable. I have somehow reconciled myself to that, but what is happening today I cannot accept.

"We are negotiating on joining a right-wing government, with a completely different ideology. With a party that openly supports Thompson's ultra-nationalism and the far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, who is being followed with concerns by whole Europe."

Adding that the SDS also denies climate change and has a different view of the Second World War, Klampfer says that she believes a person and politician needs to stay true to themselves and their values.

Arguing that despite the storms it has gone through, the party still has a lot of good and capable members who believe in solidarity and dialogue, and who are strangers to rightist ideology, Klampfer appeals to Počivalšek to reconsider where he is taking the party, and to listen to people.

Počivalšek responded with a written statement regretting the decision and expressing surprise. "Slamming the door may be momentarily likeable, but it is also politically immature," he said.

"True, the political circumstances have changed substantially in recent weeks, but this should not absolve the party's leadership of its responsibility to voters and deter it from looking for solutions for the benefit of the party."

He thinks the fact that Klampfer notified him of her decision at almost the same time as she informed the media sheds light on the true background of her decision - "yielding under the weight of public pressure on the SMC to subjugate its future political decisions to the interest of other parties."

Klampfer resigned after the party, set up shortly before the 2014 general election by Miro Cerar, a later prime minister who has served as foreign minister in the outgoing government, entered talks with the SDS in a bid to form a government coalition to replace the Šarec government.

As leader of the party until September 2019, Cerar had been ruling out a coalition with SDS leader Janez Janša. According to the right-leaning magazine Reporter, Cerar has written a letter to Počivalšek too, reiterating his opposition to a Janša-led government.

"Since entering politics I have always advocated the same principles and opposed the politics personified by Janez Janša," Cerar says in the letter.

"I obviously support the efforts by the SMC leader to lead dialogue with all parties but with the goal of forming a coalition to be led by a person who implements democratic values in practice and higher political culture. In case a government is formed under Janša's leadership I cannot take part in it."

Cerar also expressed regret that Šarec failed to justify their trust, arguing that he had not run the government in a unifying enough way, and failed to provide the conditions to smoothly continue the planned work and reforms.

Počivalšek said the SMC had always been liberal and tolerant to other opinions, which was why he saw Cerar's letter as "an expression of his own will and opinion, to which everyone in the SMC is entitled."

Before resuming talks with the SDS on Tuesday, the SMC met the LMŠ today to discuss the possibility for the two parties to run on a joint slate in a potential snap election. The details of the talks have not been disclosed yet.

10 Feb 2020, 10:47 AM

Parliamentary Committee Supports Longer Statute of Limitations for Sex Offences

STA, 6 February 2020 - The parliamentary Justice Committee unanimously decided on Thursday to table an amended proposal to change the sexual abuse provisions of the penal code. The reform, proposed by New Slovenia (NSi), envisages the statute of limitations for gravest sexual offences to be tripled.

According to the initial NSi proposal, sex offences would never become statute-barred, with the party aiming to help establish a zero-tolerance policy on such acts.

Under the existing penal code, such criminal acts fall under the statute of limitations in 10 to 30 years, depending on the expected prison sentence.

After submitting the proposal, NSi acknowledged that different types of sexual violence should fall under different statute of limitations categories and tabled the amended document, envisaging gravest sexual offences to become statute-barred in 30 to 90 years.

The parliamentary legal service said that the party had thus acknowledged its reservations.

Justice Minister Andreja Katič said that the outgoing caretaker government agreed with the proposal as well, adding that such changes had been already planned by the ministry.

She highlighted that a task force at the ministry had been drafting more extensive changes to the penal code, also in relation to sexual offences.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court judge Marjeta Švab Širok called for the issue to be tackled as part of a systemic reform of criminal law.

08 Feb 2020, 11:43 AM

What Mladina & Reporter Are Saying This Week: Politics Revolves Around Janša

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 7 February 2020

Mladina: SMC should not join SDS-led government

STA, 7 February 2020 - Looking at the prospects of a coalition led by the Democrats (SDS) being formed after the demise of the Marjan Šarec government, the left-wing weekly Mladina argues in Friday's commentary that the Modern Centre Party (SMC), seen as key to an SDS-led government, should not join forces with the SDS since this risked undermining democracy.

Recalling the policies of SDS and its leader Janez Janša, Mladina says that the party has been "driving the nation mad for thirty years" by creating a state of emergency all the time, recently leveraging a "special propaganda machine financed by the 'friend' Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, who is not concealing his desire to first economically and then politically subjugate Slovenia."

"The SDS made this pact with Orban to ascend to power with his help. In 2018 it did not succeed, making Orban angry. Now Janša has a new opportunity to carry out what he is expected to do," Mladina says in its editorial.

Arguing that this is the framework, the "political ring" in which Slovenian parties operate, the paper says that this game is destructive for everyone who engages in it. It destroyed former SMC president Miro Cerar and, to a significant extent, Marjan Šarec.

"Is it possible, then, that the SMC enters a government led by this man and this party, after what they have been through because of him? And with the awareness of what kind of historical burden they are taking on," the paper wonders.

"Janša needs SMC deputies to complete his mission, just like Orban needs Janša to carry out his plan to economically subjugate Slovenia to Hungary. Does the SMC really think they can stop this from the inside? In the five and a half years they have spent in Slovenian politics, have they not seen and grasped the dimensions of the politics that Janša represents?

"There is no good reason why after all this the SMC should buy into his latest provocation and allow itself to be used as the horse on which his ostracising policy and money from his master in Hungary will be brought to Slovenia.

"MPs are not in parliament to form governments. Yes, they do that as well. But the reason why we vote for them in general elections is because they are the guardians of democracy. These are their toughest moments. But this is exactly why we call them representatives of the people," the paper concludes in Guardians of Democracy.

Reporter: Politics revolves around Janša

STA, 3 February 2020 - Looking at the political situation in Slovenia following the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, the right-leaning weekly Reporter speculates it will all revolve around Democrat (SDS) leader Janez Janša again if an attempt is mounted to forge a new coalition to avert a snap election.

It has long been known that the only thing Janša is interested in domestically is the office of the prime minister. It is also clear he is not willing to step aside in favour of another SDS politician to make it easier to forge a coalition, the paper says in Monday's commentary Shock Doctrine.

"Janša would enter a coalition with anyone just to become prime minister for the third time. Two years ago almost everybody rejected him, now the situation is different," the commentator says, singling out the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) as the most likely coalition partners alongside New Slovenia (NSi).

"Janša's chance of becoming prime minister is definitely better than two years ago, perhaps it is in fact his last opportunity. If he fails yet again, his SDS may suffer in the event of a snap election. The additional voters that Janša badly needs to supplement his loyal base may wonder why he should get their vote if he cannot put together a coalition."

"But if a snap election is held, it will be yet another election against Janez Janša. And this is what Marjan Šarec is counting on - fear of Janša," Reporter concludes.

All our posts in this series are here

08 Feb 2020, 09:00 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 31 Jan - 6 Feb, 2020

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, 31 January
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The EU Court of Justice decided that the lawsuit Slovenia brought against Croatia over its refusal to implement the 2017 border arbitration award is inadmissible, but it said that both countries nevertheless had to endeavour to resolve this dispute in accordance with international law.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of 59 MPs - one short of the necessary majority - tabled amendments that would abolish electoral districts and introduce a relative preferential vote in general elections. The proposal comes after the Constitutional Court declared the size of electoral districts for general election unconstitutional at the end of 2018.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Borut Pahor and outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec stressed the importance of a strong and united EU in the face of Brexit at the annual reception for the diplomatic corps.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a budget surplus of EUR 224.6 million, or 0.5% of GDP, in 2019 compared to a surplus of 1.1% in 2018, showed preliminary figures by the Finance Ministry. Budget revenue rose by 1.4% to EUR 10.14 billion and expenditure increased by 4.7% to EUR 9.91 billion. However, the ministry pointed out the 2018 surplus was a result of two major one-off events.
        LJUBLJANA - Janez Stanovnik, one of the most notable Slovenian politicians in the period leading up to independence and the face of the Slovenian WWII Veterans' Association after 2003, died aged 97. Stanovnik was the last president of the Slovenian presidency under the former Yugoslavia between 1988 and 1990.
        LJUBLJANA - Some 6.2 million tourists visited Slovenia last year, a 5% increase compared to 2018. The number of overnight stays grew 0.6% to roughly 15.8 million, Statistics Office data showed.

SATURDAY, 1 February
BEJA, Portugal - Friends of Cohesion, an informal group of EU members of which Slovenia is a part, called for a fair EU budget in the next seven-year period in which funding for cohesion should not be cut. Igor Mally, state secretary at the prime minister's office, said "we should stick to the proposal presented in the spring of 2018 by the European Commission".

SUNDAY, 2 February
ZAGREB, Croatia - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan told the Croatian newspaper Večernji List that Slovenia and Croatia had many common interests but rather than cooperating they were flexing their muscles.
KLAGENFURT, Austria - Jože Marketz, a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria, was installed as the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt.

MONDAY, 3 February
        LJUBLJANA - A week after PM Marjan Šarec resigned, the leader of the opposition Demorats (SDS) Janez Janša invited parliamentary parties to talks on a new centre-right coalition for 7 February. Already on 31 January Modern Centre Party (SMC) leader Zdravko Počivalšek expressed interest in a new coalition, which could give Janša a chance for the necessary majority should he also get either the National Party (SNS) or the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) on board along with New Slovenia (NSi). A parallel coalition initiative was launched by the small centre-left Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB).
        OBREŽJE - Members of the Trade Union of Police Officers (SPS) staged a four-hour token strike, with the union's head Kristjan Mlekuš saying the situation in the police force was critical. Describing the strike as a warning for Slovenia's next government, he argued the police force would collapse due to understaffing unless the situation was addressed.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana mosque will be inaugurated in June after the end of Ramadan, while it will already start operating in about a week, Mufti Nedžad Grabus announced. Grabus pointed out the Muslim Cultural Centre Ljubljana means Muslims in Slovenia were finally getting their own space for prayer and activities. The project will end up costing slightly over EUR 34 million, the bulk of which came from donors from Qatar.
        LJUBLJANA - Car parts maker Hidria announced it had developed innovative aluminium steering wheel system casings for next generation hybrid and electric BMW cars, winning a EUR 30 million contract running until 2030.

TUESDAY, 4 February
        LJUBLJANA - Borut Pahor launched three days of consultations with deputy group heads on the way forward following the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec. The talks showed mid-sized parties are keeping their options open. The president said he might call another series of talks by the end of the month.
        BRNIK - The bankruptcy estate of air carrier Adria Airways was reported to be worth EUR 6.23 million, of which EUR 3.15 million is the title to its office building at Ljubljana airport. Official receiver Janez Pustatičnik believes that due to its complexity, the receivership is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2024.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian national postal operator stopped accepting mail for China until further notice after its partner air carriers suspended flights to the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Cyclist Primož Roglič, the winner of the Tour of Spain, and world champion kayaker Eva Terčelj were declared the winners of the Bloudek Prizes for sporting achievements, the highest national awards for current and lifetime success in sports.

WEDNESDAY, 5 February
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry advised against any non-urgent travel to China. The ministry said that people should not travel to any areas that are under quarantine due to the novel 2019 coronavirus.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia welcomed a European Commission proposal for a reform of the EU membership process that provides stronger sanctioning of aspiring EU members if they backslide on their reform efforts.
        LJUBLJANA - NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, formally completed its takeover of Abanka by transferring the EUR 444 million purchase consideration to the state. The two banks will be merged into a single legal entity this year, creating a strong rival to market leader NLB.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total hit 79,841 at the end of January, an increase of 6% from December that is mainly due to the expiry of fixed-term job contracts. The figure is still 3.6% lower than in January 2019, data from the Employment Service showed.
        LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, completed the issue of EUR 120 million worth of subordinate bonds in a second such issue since November last year.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian executives are quite pessimistic about the prospects for global economic growth this year with more than half of those surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) thinking that growth will slow down.
        LJUBLJANA - A survey conducted by the Slovenian central bank showed that Slovenian banks are unlikely to follow suit of some banks abroad that have started charging fees for household sight deposits to compensate for the loss of earnings due to negative interest rates.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia saw the biggest slump in the volume of retail trade among EU members in December compared to the same month a year earlier, and one of the biggest month-on-month drops, showed data from Eurostat.

THURSDAY, 6 February
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor appointed Robert Šumi, a lecturer at the police academy, the next head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. Šumi is succeeding Boris Štefanec, who sought a second term but was snubbed, having faced years of heavy criticism about his performance.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) would win an election with 18.2% of the vote, followed by the LMŠ of outgoing PM Marjan Šarec with 16.3%, Delo's opinion poll suggested. 62.8% of respondents favour an early election, and over 26% would prefer a new government coalition to be formed with the existing parliamentary parties.
        LJUBLJANA - Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leader Aleksandra Pivec received a death threat via a letter warning her against entering a coalition with the Democratic Party (SDS).
        LJUBLJANA - The government approved Slovenian Sovereign Holding's (SSH) asset management plan for 2020, which contains a long-awaited plan to consolidate, manage and restructure tourism companies. While the consolidation plan has been months in the making, the government did not provide any details about it after the session.
        LJUBLJANA - Backing the Justice Ministry and taking a step further than the government proposal that upgraded animals from things to living beings, the parliamentary Justice Committee voted in favour of an amendment to the property code law that defines animals as sentient beings.

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