STA, 28 April 2019 - Slovenia is seen as a stable, constructive and pro-European country which however does not fully use the potential it could to play the role a small country can play in the EU, Slovenia's former European Commissioner Janez Potočnik has told the STA ahead of the 15th anniversary of the country's EU accession.

"We don't use to the fullest the role small and less exposed countries can play in the EU and we're also not among those which would attract attention with acts which are not in line with European values."

Since joining the EU on 1 May 2004, Slovenia has achieved a lot of what it had aspired to, and many of these things are now taken for granted, says Potočnik, who now co-chairs the UN International Resource Panel.

As Slovenia's chief negotiator in accession talks with the EU, Potočnik looks back at the process of negotiations with satisfaction.

"The unity we managed to build was genuine and convincing. It wouldn't be realistic to expect something similar now, as the clear goals uniting us are no longer there."

Nevertheless, there are too many disagreements and divisions, says Potočnik, who first served as research commissioner and then as environment commissiner in the 2004-2014 period.

It sometimes seems as if Slovenia artificially creats problems to fuel divisions, which Potočnik says are in the interest of those who do not have enough knowledge and strength to address complex challenges of the times we live in.

While he is happy Slovenians are still well aware of the advantages of EU membership, he is worried that some are too much focussed on the past, which is interpreted to one's liking, which prevents Slovenia to close ranks and take a step forward stronger.

"I miss strategic reflections and more focus on the problems which are really important for our future and on which we should really reach a compromise.

"I'm also worried about the divisions surrounding the migration issues and even whether it is sensible to be part of European organisations."

For him, Slovenia's major challenge, especially with a view to its EU presidency in 2021, is the same as for the EU and the world - a transition to an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable economy.

"This should undoubtedly become the priority of our EU presidency. If it doesn't, we'll send out a message ... that we don't understand what the key challenges of the EU and the world are and that we are a country which does not belong to the core of those in the EU pushing for a transition to the world we want, need and deserve."

The historic Big Bang 2004 expansion of the EU has largely eliminated post-WWII historical divisions in Europe, but also taught us that democratic change does not come with administrative measures and by formally adjusting to EU law, says Potočnik.

"It takes time and hard work to overcome development mistakes from the past and the interests surrounding them. EU membership is an important factor of democratic stabilisation but does not protect us from fully from our own mistakes."

Looking at the prospects of new rounds of enlargement, Potočnik says the EU is currently actually shrinking, while there is little going on enlargement-wise.

He points to Brexit, saying it is a sad event, especially because we live in a time which calls for deepening cooperation.

While he admits there are several reasons for the EU being busy dealing with itself rather than focussing on enlargement, such as migrations, security and bad experiences with some of the countries joining the bloc in 2004, Potočnik says it is still not acceptable Europe's stability depends on the stability of the Balkans.

He believes the recent name change agreement between Greece and North Macedonia should be used to "actively revive the enlargement process".

Also, Slovenia and Croatia should resolve the border issue on the basis of the legally binding arbitration agreement, which he says is a much easier problem to solve than some other issues in the region.

Potočnik also hopes the environment and sustainability in general will come to the forefront of this year's campaigning for the elections to the European Parliament.

Slovenia is dealing with climate change, yet not well enough, he says, adding the issue should have played a more prominent role during the 2018 campaign for Slovenia's general election.

Given that Potočnik has served two terms as European commissioner, his name has come up for the new make-up of the European Commission due later this year.

He says he would think it over if offered the post, but adds that he has not discussed it with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec or anyone else.

All our stories on Brexit are here, while all those on the European Union are here

Mladina: Chemistry Institute murder trial needs examining

STA, 26 April 2019- The left-wing weekly Mladina suggests in the latest editorial that the judiciary should take a stand on the behaviour of the judge in the Chemical Institute boss murder retrial, finding that its hard for the media to take a stand lest any criticism should be understood as an attempt to discredit him.

Editor-in-chief Grega Repovž says that judge Zvjezdan Radonjić has been conducting the case in an odd way and has not done enough to dispel doubts about his impartiality.

He notes that Mladina has questioned his engaging as an expert witness a man who like the defendant, Milko Novič, has ties with the opposition Democratic Party (SDS).

"When things were becoming increasingly unusual, Radonjić decided to swiftly wrap up the trial and prevent most witness hearings ... What is more, in declaring the decision, in conduct that is unusual in a courtroom he alleged pressure bearing upon the entire court by the media ...

"The very same day he obviously turned into a hero of people's hearts, the judge who stood up to the establishment."

"In a situation in which he declared himself a hero standing up against the system it is hard even to write about him as being unusual - given such 'heroism' any act of drawing attention to his unusual judging would automatically be understood as an act of discrediting."

This is why the media are in a difficult situation taking a position on the case, even though a Večer reporter would not be bothered and she wrote down that the judge should have been suspended because of the show he staged in court.

Instead, Repovž says that the Radonjić case calls for a serious reflection within the judiciary at last.

"Judges decided a few years ago not to take a stand on the difficulties in their ranks. This is human but judges are people whose decisions seriously affect people's lives. So this cup can unfortunately not pass them."

Demokracija: Deep state at work in judiciary

STA, 25 April 2019 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija comments on the allegations of pressure on the judge in the Chemistry Institute boss murder retrial in the latest editorial, finding that deep state remains at work in the Slovenian judiciary.

Editor-in-chief Jože Biščak names Ljubo Bavcon and Alenka Šelih as two jurists who he says were ideologists of revolutionary law under the Communist regime, and who should have been ostracised and banned from public life, but have instead won several prizes and honours.

He says that this is part of the reason for the Slovenian judiciary being in a state as described by judge Zvezdan Radonjić, who in returning the acquittal of Milko Novič, gave a dramatic account of the pressure and covert threats he had been subject.

"That was not the 'ordinary' kind of pressure, but pressure from the deep state via his judicial colleagues and superiors.

"Everyone should have beaten the drum for that, all the alarms should have gone off. However, nothing happened. Well, almost nothing," Biščak says, referring to Radonjić's superiors finding that nothing dramatic happened in the Novič case, and saying that they would no longer communicate with the public about internal procedures in the case.

"Mind you, the case that disclosed the workings of the deep state in the judiciary and how someone from behind the scenes is trying to interfere in the judgement, is an internal matter of the court!

"Not at all, dear gentlemen in Tavčarjeva 9 [the address of Ljubljana Court], it is a matter of interest to all the citizens, so you will have to provide public and regular explanations about what is going on.

"If ever, now is the right time to sweep up in the judiciary, which due to many infamous cases and systematic violations of human rights is justifiably referred to as misjustice by part of the public.

"The Slovenian judiciary has never been cleansed, has not taken the road to Damascus (like Saul, who on the road to Damascus converted from a persecutor of Christians to become the Apostle Paul), let alone being lustrated," Biščak writes under the headline Road to Damascus.

All our posts in this series can be found here, and our stories on the Institute of Chemistry are here

STA, 24 April 2019 - The parliamentary committees in charge of foreign affairs and culture have condemned the interference of Hungary in the freedom of press in Slovenia.

The committees met on Wednesday, less than three weeks after Hungarian Ambassador Edit Szilágyiné Bátorfi lodged a verbal note with the Foreign Ministry after the weekly Mladina ran on its cover a caricature of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban with his hand raised in a Nazi salute and surrounded by three politicians from the ranks of the Slovenian Democrats (SDS).

Sources: Viktor Orbán from Wikimedia - Europa Pont CC-by-2.0; Mladina’s Facebook

Apart from condemning Hungary's actions, the committees also proposed that the government make sure to protect the freedom of expression when revising relevant legislation, to preserve media ownership transparency, encourage free and plural media and install safety mechanisms to prevent interferences and pressures from other countries.

Modern Centre Party (SMC) MP Gregor Perič said at the session that Slovenia had faced "unusual responses by our neighbours", from contentious statements by European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, to Hungary's note, and wire taps indicating Croatian government attempted to prevent the release of a report about who listened in on Slovenia's representatives in the arbitration process in 2015.

Attending the session, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said he would react decisively when basic values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law and Slovenia's sovereignty are under attack in the future.

He underlined the importance of nurturing good neighbourly relations, adding that the note lodged by the Hungarian ambassador had not caused a deterioration in bilateral relations.

Culture Minister Zoran Poznič meanwhile said that the ministry would draft a media legislation reform by the end of the year. He was responding to Mladina editor-in-chief Gregor Repovž, who called on the ministry to reform the legislation, above all to clearly define and separate the media from "propaganda working under the cover of media".

The session, called by the coalition parties the Marjan šarec List (LMŠ), the SMC, Social Democrats (SD), the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), was criticised as a pre-election stunt by the opposition SDS and the Left.

All out stories about Slovenia and Hungary are here

STA, 24 April 2019 - President Borut Pahor addressed a ceremony commemorating the Jews deported during World War II from Lendava at the synagogue in this eastern-most Slovenian town on Wednesday. He underlined that the great European idea of peace and security must be protected, the president's office said in a press release.

Ob 75. obletnici deportacije lendavskih Judov je predsednik republike pred pričetkom komemorativne pietetne slovesnosti položil venec k spomeniku žrtvam nacifašističnega nasilja na judovskem pokopališču v Dolgi vasi. pic.twitter.com/IC5tRosx0u

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) April 24, 2019

The ceremony marked 75 years since a vast majority of Slovenia's biggest Jewish community was deported, a blow from which it never recovered.

Pahor dedicated his address to Erika Fürst, a holocaust survivor, inviting her to join him next year at the ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Atrocities start when small signs of exclusion become the norm. Therefore, it is key to recognise the importance of early detection of exclusion, intolerance and hatred, said Pahor.

Before the ceremony, the president laid a wreath at the Dolga Vas cemetery, the biggest Jewish cemetery in Slovenia, alongside Lendava Mayor Janez Magyar and city councillor Ivan Koncut, who laid a wreath on behalf of the state of Israel.

All our stories on Jewish Slovenia are here

STA, 24 April 2019 - Slovenian researchers and scientists held a protest and a public debate in Ljubljana on Wednesday in a bid to draw the attention of the public and decision-makers to what they see as a flawed financing system which is driving cut-throat competition in science.

Duška Knežević Hočevar from the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, said that she had noticed despondency and unsportsmanlike competition growing among fellow scientists over the past decade.

She blamed the trend on quantified oversight and short-term project funding of science. "Science is a long-term activity that requires peace ... But in reality we are like nomads, jumping from one project to another. We spend a lot of time on project applications and paperwork."

Knežević Hočevar, who moderated the debate at the Old Ljubljana Power Station, said that the financing system which is based on short-term projects was misguided, because the rivalry it produced affected the relationships between and within the institutions involved.

As a result, the researchers and scientists, instead of focusing on their research, compete with each other or look for publications in journals that would score them more points. This in turn preserves the funding system as it is.

Marko Fonovič from the Jožef Stefan Institute, the country's leading research institution, challenged the government as to why it sought so hard to wriggle out of its responsibility to fund science, arguing that Slovenia, in its desire for business-based funding of science, "has gone further than the most capitalist countries".

He offered several reasons for that, including the prevailing belief that only physical labour counted as work. He illustrated this with the saying that children should learn so they did not have to work.

The participants in the debate offered several proposals to improve the state of science, including that all ministries should fund science rather than just the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, because everyone benefits from scientific advances.

Andraž Stožer from the Maribor Faculty of Medicine argued for funding of basic science and research, including such that does not appear to have applicative effects at first sight. He said that history was full of discoveries that did not turn out to be extremely useful until decades later.

The debate also pointed to the problem of poor communication about the importance of science and research. Stožer said that part of the blame lay with the scientists themselves, and part with the education system, which he said was based too much on dry listing of facts.

After the discussion, participants marched to protest outside the headquarters of the ministries of economy and education and science. The annual protest was held ahead of the global March for Science on 4 May.

For the past three years, Slovenian scientists and researchers have been calling for the establishment of a high-quality and transparent evaluation procedure, increasing science funding to 1% of the national budget, and for a set timetable for public calls for national research projects.

STA, 24 April 2019 - The Social Democrats (SD) became the latest party to formally enter the EU election race on Wednesday. Party officials said their campaign would focus on restoring trust in Europe by highlighting jobs, climate change, security and migrations as the main issues.

"These European elections will be a landmark for the future of Europe. Either we go down the path of dangerous disintegration, or the path of a strong Europe," the party's top candidate, MEP Tanja Fajon, said as the candidacies were submitted to the National Electoral Commission.

A strong and united Europe is of paramount importance for Slovenia, she said, noting that two decades of conservative dominance in the EU parliament had resulted in unfair taxations and multinational corporations and the rich not paying their taxes.

The party's goal is to have two MEPs in the next parliament - Fajon is currently their sole representative - and it has recently also started promoting the idea that Slovenia's next commissioner should be picked from the ranks of candidates contesting the election.

"The next commissioner from Slovenia ought to go through European elections. The people have the right to know who the commissioner will be," Fajon said.

Slovenia does not have strict rules about commissioner nominations. It is up to the government to pick a candidate, who then has to undergo a hearing at the European Parliament.

United Slovenia to campaign against EU membership

STA, 24 April 2019 - The far-right United Slovenia, led by the self-styled militia leader Andrej Šiško, who is fresh out of prison for attempts to subvert the constitutional order, fielded its candidates for MEPs on Wednesday. The party will be campaigning for Slovenia's exit from the EU.

Only three candidates will contest the election: Šiško, Joško Joras, a self-styled defender of the south border, and the party's co-president Anica Bidar.

Šiško, the party's front-runner, said United Slovenia was the only party that would protect the Slovenian Constitution in the election and advocate for Slovenia to leave the EU.

Learn more about the colourful Andrej Šiško here

"The EU in its current form is unacceptable for Slovenian citizens. The kind that the gentlemen from European elites want to build is even more unacceptable," Šiško said.

The United Slovenia movement promotes cooperation with European nations and countries, and wants a Europe of free and independent nations and countries that would also include Russia.

Calling on citizens who want change to turn out for the election, Šiško said that if their candidate got elected they would not join any of the European political groups but work on a project basis.

DeSUS campaign centred around top candidate, MEP Šoltes

STA, 24 April 2019 - The coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) plans to focus its EU election campaign on their top candidate, MEP Igor Šoltes. Their slogan will be Šoltes, Our Man in Brussels, the party said as it formally submitted the candidacies to the National Electoral Commission on Wednesday.

DeSUS is counting on the base to help it retain its sole MEP seat, party leader Karl Erjavec said, noting that turnout would be low, which was getting party members and supporters to vote would be decisive.

Šoltes joined DeSUS after winning his MEP seat with an independent list in 2014, and after the party's current MEP, Ivo Vajgl, decided to retire.

He said he would be the voice of those who are ignored and sidelined, focusing on issues such as longevity of society, standard of living for the elderly, the environment, healthy food and social justice.

DeSUS plans to spend roughly EUR 30,000 on the campaign. The emphasis will be on field work and social networks.

Looking ahead, Erjavec said that the vote would be followed by a "very turbulent period" on the domestic scene as parties that have their representatives in the EU parliament gathered strength.

He predicts that there will be consolidation on the left sooner or later since "it is difficult to run the country so fragmented."

All our stories on the EU elections are here, while those on the many and varied political parties in Slovenia are here

STA, 24 April 2019 - With less funds available than before last year's general election, Slovenian parties entering a month-long campaign for the 26 May EU elections are betting on direct contact with voters and social media.

They have until 26 April to file their lists of candidates with the National Electoral Commission. Then, campaigning gets formally under way, ending on 24 May at midnight, when election blackout sets in until polls close on 26 May in the evening.

The parties plan to engage in different forms of direct campaigning, such as MEP candidates meeting voters around the country or hosting various events and debates.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's LMŠ has already launched its campaigning by collecting signatures in support of its election bid at stalls around Slovenia.

The Marjan Šarec List's (LMŠ) says its campaigning will be based on various debates and on posting free ads on social media.

Similarly, the opposition Democrats (SDS) and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS), which have a joint slate, are betting on a door-to-door campaign, but also on attracting voters via posters as well as traditional and new media.

The coalition Social Democrats (SD) will opt for what they term a classic campaign but will also use digital media. The party deems it vital to be in direct contact with people so it plans a series of field events.

The opposition Left, which also favours a direct contact with voters, considers it important to combine various communications channels, traditional and digital ones alike.

Field trips around Slovenia will be the order of the day for the opposition New Slovenia (NSi), which will also promote its candidates on the social media and on the internet in general.

Meanwhile, the coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) will focus its campaign on its frontrunner, Austrian ALDE MEP Angelika Mlinar, a member of the Slovenian minority.

Social media and posters around the country will also be used apart from SAB candidates giving interviews and engaging in other promotional events in the media.

Similarly, the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will focus on its frontrunner, MEP Igor Šoltes, who is to meet potential voters in person at more than 50 events.

DeSUS also plans to campaign by sending voters mail and fliers and by addressing them on social media.

The coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the opposition National Party (SNS) have not responded to the STA's queries about their election campaigning.

As they file their lists of candidates, the parties will also have to provide information about the special bank account they opened to finance the election campaigns.

Under the Slovenian law on election and referendum campaigns, the costs of EU election campaigning should not exceed EUR 0.40 per voter, which translates to roughly EUR 680,000 per party.

But judging by their announcements, the parties will spend much less, as many of them are in the red following last year's general and local elections, and a referendum.

Among the parties which have told the STA how much they plan to spend, the SDS will spend the most, expectedly around EUR 200,000.

The Left is still working on its financial plan, but intends to spend no more than EUR 70,000. Much more modest campaigns of around EUR 30,000 are planned by the SD and DeSUS.

The LMŠ, however, has only said the exact sum will be known after the elections, but the party will try to be economical.

Although the NSi is still finalising the details, its campaign will be cheaper than the one for the 2018 general elections.

While parties are not allowed to get funds for campaigns for general and local elections or for referendums from abroad, they can get donations from EU citizens for their EU campaign under the same conditions as from individuals in Slovenia.

This means a foreign individual can donate up to ten average monthly gross salaries to a Slovenian party for the EU elections.

This translates to roughly EUR 17,000 gross, since the average monthly gross salary in February, the last available data, amounted to slightly over EUR 1,700.

All our stories about this year’s EU elections are here

SDS-SLS candidates join EU election race

STA, 23 April 2019 - The opposition Democratic Party (SDS) and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) formally submitted their joint list of candidates for the upcoming EU election to the National Electoral Commission (DVK) on Tuesday. They expect winning the May election by a landslide.

The list is topped by Milan Zver, the current MEP who was the SDS' top candidate already in the previous EU election in 2014. Apart from him, it features another two MEPs of the SDS, Romana Tomc and Patricija Šulin, as well as the SLS MEP Franc Bogovič, former Maribor's mayor Franc Kangler, prominent SDS member Alenka Forte, and two candidates from the SDS youth wing, Davorin Kopše and Alja Domjan.

"I'm sure of a landslide victory since the list includes extremely competent people in the professional as well as political terms," said Zver, adding that the two parties are counting on at least four seats.

Zver pointed out that the SDS and SLS were anticipating an intensive election campaign period, since the EU was facing an existential crisis. EU citizens should thus vote for parties which are striving to keep the member states together.

Zver also said that the centre-right political spectrum had a head start advantage over the centre-left one since the latter was less consolidated.

The deadline of submitting the candidacies expires on Friday, when the election campaign officially gets under way.

The opposition National Party (SNS) and the non-parliamentary party The Good State submitted their lists last week, with all the other parties competing for the European Parliament seats scheduled to do so today or in the upcoming days.

The Social Democrats (SD) are yet to confirm their list of candidates, while the Left is still collecting signatures required to submit the list.

The campaign will last for a month, until 24 May at midnight, when the election blackout period starts.

SAB reveals its list of candidates

STA, 23 April 2019 - The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) formally submitted its list of candidates for the May EU election to the National Electoral Commission (DVK) on Tuesday, with the party's head Alenka Bratušek stressing the significance of the upcoming election for the EU future.

"We wish that as many people as possible would participate in this election, since the EU is currently facing an important crossroads," said Bratušek.

The party's frontrunner Angelika Mlinar (Alde) pointed out that this election was decisive for the future of the European Parliament - whether it would stay pro-European or not. She also wished for a higher voter turnout compared to the one in 2014 and for a fair and interesting campaign.

Mlinar is a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria and currently serves as an Austrian MEP. She decided to vie for a seat in the Parliament on behalf of Slovenia in this year's election, even though she could have been the top candidate of the New Austria party (NEOS), which is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Bratušek pointed out that Mlinar had a wealth of experience and knowledge, which would contribute to Slovenia's development.

The deadline to submit candidacies expires on Friday, when the election campaign officially gets under way. Slovenian voters will be able to cast their ballots for new MEPs on 26 May.

Homeland League (DOM) files candidate list for EU election

STA, 23 April 2019 - The recently established, right-wing, Homeland League (DOM) has filed a list of candidates for the 26 May European Parliament elections. Party leader Bernard Brščič tops the list, followed by former Democrats (SDS) MP Lucija Ušaj, pro-life activist Norma Korošec and Marko Oblak.

Talking to the press after filing the list of candidates with the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, Brščič said that party would get the votes of those who care about Slovenia remaining the home of Slovenians and Europe remaining the home of Europeans.

"On 26 May, the fat lady will sing. We will not be stealing, we will get the votes of those who care about their homeland... Of those who believe it is the duty of the Slovenian state to ensure security and welfare of Slovenian citizens and not of migrants."

SocDems confirm manifesto, with the slogan “We Want Europe”

STA, 23 April 2019- The coalition Social Democrats (SD) endorsed a new manifesto Tuesday as they confirmed their eight candidates for the European Parliament election. They will enter the campaign with the slogan We Want Europe.

Europe is not ideal, but we do not have a better option than the EU, party leader Dejan Židan said as he addressed the rank-and-file. He described the EU as the only centre-left party that is growing with field work, which represents "an amazing opportunity."

"When we talk about the EU, we talk about solidarity, about a green, successful and victorious Europe," he said, a reference to the rest of the party's slogan, which highlights solidarity, progressiveness and justice as values that his party stands for.

MEP Tanja Fajon, the party's top-ranked candidate, was confident SD had the chance of winning two of the eight MEP slots considering that it has "very good candidates" and is offering change.

The election will be about "whether we head into a progressive, open, tolerant Europe, or into a disintegration spearheaded by conservative far-right forces that have already brought division, fear and symbols of fascism into Europe."

The manifesto highlights elimination of inequalities and strengthening of solidarity as the party's main pillars, which would include a 35-hour work week across the EU, fair taxation of multinationals, and measures to crack down on tax havens.

The party will also advocate common minimal social standards, consistent implementation of gender equality, and a ban on goods produced by child labour.

DOM will stage a guerilla campaign, according to Brščič, who believes that its alternative platform is the party's advantage.

Apart from DOM, several other parties filed their EU election lists today ahead of the Friday deadline.

All our stories on this year's EU elections are here