Politics
STA, 9 November 2021 - Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar has warned that, as Slovenian hospitals continue to fill up with Covid-19 patients, the peak occupancy rate of intensive care units is projected for 24 November, when more than 250 ICU beds are expected to be occupied.
Vindišar told the government's press briefing on Tuesday that the daily average of newly admitted Covid-patients in the last week was almost 100, while the average for persons discharged from hospital was 50, and the daily average of deaths at 12.
This week, there are 240 more Covid-19 patients in hospitals than last week, the state secretary said, adding that the epidemiological situation was very serious, and that hospitals were being stretched beyond their normal capacity.
Vindišar noted the predictive model of the Jožef Stefan Institute, under which the peak occupancy rate of intensive care units is projected for on 24 November, with over 250 ICU beds occupied.
Today, the total capacity was increased by two beds to 213, he said, adding that an additional 750 standard beds were available for Covid-19 patients.
More than 190 patients were currently treated in intensive care units, and an additional 681 patients are in standard care.
According to Vindišar, up to 290 beds for ICU patients could be secured in Slovenia. Some capacity needs to be reserved for non-Covid patients, as many other diseases and conditions require intensive therapy, he added.
Vindišar noted that standards for patients in ICUs, who are fully dependent on medical care 24/7, had to be lowered. Before the epidemic, it was close to four nurses per patient a day, and today it was lowered to almost below two.
Economy Ministry State Secretary Simon Zajc meanwhile said that the government decree that brought stricter supervision of the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule, effective as of Monday, "prevents full closure of the country".
He said that the aim of the decree was not limiting economic activity, but supervising socialisation, adding that the government had followed the examples of Austria and Italy, where anti-epidemic measures are also being beefed up.
Damir Orehovec, the state secretary at the Education Ministry, spoke about the mandatory self-testing of primary and secondary school students in school three times a week, which is expected to enter into force next Monday.
Orehovec said that this was an alternative to remote learning, and added that more detail about the measure would be presented to head teachers at a meeting on Wednesday as there were many questions from parents and school managements.
"The most vulnerable groups enter the school and kindergarten space and we need to make sure that both children and employees are provided with safe space where they can learn and work," Orehovec said.
He noted that those who meet the recovered-vaccinated (PC) rule would be exempt from the mandatory self-testing in school.
As of 15 November, primary and secondary school students will be eligible for 15 free rapid antigen tests a month, which they will be able to get in pharmacies. Schools will also have some backup test in case students forget to being theirs.
Get all the latest data, in a nice series of maps and charts, here
STA, 8 November - A network of civil society and non-governmental organisations that is forming the Voice of the People initiative ahead of the general election has addressed a number of requests related to the rule of law, climate change, housing policy, the elderly, and welfare state, calling on political parties to take their positions.
As its representatives told the press in Ljubljana on Monday, the initiative associates 57 NGOs that have come together to address parties ahead of the election with concrete requests for improvement of several fields of life.
Ten sample requests have already been prepared and a total of 100 requests are expected to be made and presented to the parties, which will be called to take their positions on the requests.
Some of the requests were presented today, with the Legal Centre for the Protection of Human rights and Environment (PIC) pointing to the topics related to the rule of law, human rights and democracy.
Katarina Bervar Sternad of PIC said that Slovenia needed politically and financially independent institutions that would be able to effectively protect the interests of society and rights of individuals.
"We need political leadership that understands the principle of separation of powers, transparency and inclusive processes, respects the decisions of the highest courts", and is trusted when it comes to opposing crime and corruption, she added.
Gaja Brecelj of the environmental NGO Umanotera said that Slovenia was warming up twice as fast as the global average and was thus vulnerable to climate change above the average. She called on political parties to listen to scientists and experts.
"They need to understand that living ... with heat waves, droughts and floods is a serious threat to our lives and that people need trust when fighting climate crisis. It's time for a policy that will meet these expectations," she said.
The conference also noted the burning issue of housing, with sociologist Klemen Ploštajner pointing out that Slovenia neither had a systematic housing policy nor stable systemic and sustainable resources for long-term housing construction.
He said that every party and the future government must prepare a plan for how to provide stable long-term financing and construction of public rental apartments.
The initiative includes Srebrna Nit, an association campaigning for dignified old age, whose president Biserka Marolt Meden said that the Covid-19 had pinpointed all weaknesses in the system of elderly care in the past two years.
"More than 2,100 residents died in care homes in this period alone," she said, adding that "we have had in the last year public debates that do not take into account the opinion of experts and civil society".
The association requests immediate systemic measures for care homes and better accessibility of general practitioners, with Marolt Meden noting that more than 100,000 residents in Slovenia did not have an assigned general practitioner.
STA, 8 November 2021 - Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the STA (Slovenska tiskovna agencija), and Uroš Urbanija, director of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), signed an agreement on the STA's public service for 2021, UKOM said in a press release. Urbanija told the press the contract said that the STA should receive EUR 2 million for this year.
According to Urbanija, the contract is based on the STA law, which says the STA must publish ledes of news items about events in Slovenia and abroad in Slovenian and English, provide radio news, and photographs from the most important events while news items about minorities and the Slovenian community abroad must be publicly available in full.
"And what is the most important, the content must be accessible to all free of charge under the same conditions. I hope this is a positive message not only to the media using these contents but also to all the staff, as it was unacceptable that the previous STA management had used the staff in desperate attempts to bypass legal provisions," he added.
Kadunc said at a joint statement that he was happy they had managed to sign the contract, "which will enable normal financing and thus also the STA's activities this year, while we will also have something left for next year".
He warned that some issues still needed to be resolved, pointing to the ambiguous provisions of the STA act on the STA photo services. He said it will now be possible to address these challenges in peace while a suitable business plan is also prepared for next year.
"I think it's in everybody's best interest for us to have a good public press agency, which is backed with public funding due to the small size of the market. The job is not done yet, as we must still find solutions for next year that will satisfy both sides," Kadunc said.
He stressed his first priority since he took over as the STA's acting head over on 31 October had been to solve this pressing matter of financing.
According to him, many have shown interest in recent months in the STA working without disturbance while there have been some not very fortunate moves.
"Primarily, the desire was to change the concept under which the STA has received money from the state budget in the past as support for its public service and functioning in a very limited market.
"The concept the government implemented with a decree on the STA's public service envisaged that the STA gets this money for conducting its services. But this seems to be lacking a proper legal basis, which is why the STA is checking the suitability of the wording from the decree," Kadunc said.
He added that the commitments that the STA had made with the signing of the contract for this year "are not such that could not be fulfilled by the agency".
"But of course it is important to put everything in perspective. If the STA is important today, I think it will be even more important in the future. And in order for it to fulfil these expectations, it had a lot of work to do. So do I, who have been entrusted with leading the agency," Kadunc said.
The signing of the contract was welcomed, yet with some reservation, by STA staff, the Slovenian Journalist Association, Trade Union of Journalists, and President Borut Pahor.
The staff pointed out the agency will receive the funds it is entitled to under two laws, but warned certain solutions could indirectly affect the editorial autonomy and negatively affect the agency's finances, especially if they were permanent changes to the agency's business model.
If these changes prove to be harmful, the staff will insist on adjustments that will allow for the agency's work to continue without disturbances.
The staff warned that the STA had paid a very high price for the one-year financial exhaustion. "A number of excellent staff have left us, the agony has compromised the quality of the agency's service to the public, halted a number of development projects and, last but not least, has left us psychologically exhausted."
The STA staff expects this "completely uncalled for pressure on the STA is now over", adding they will continue to strive for a quality and independent reporting and preservation of the STA's autonomy.
The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) and Journalist Trade Union expect the financial draining of the agency to end and the government and STA to come to an appropriate agreement on 2022 financing as well.
The DNS noted today's signing was no cause for special celebration as it merely meant that "the government finally decided to honour the legislation and pay the STA for providing public service after draining the agency for 312 days".
Assessing today's agreement with restraint and caution, the DNS highlighted the basis for signing the contract could only be the law and not the decree, which it deems unlawful. It also warned that more publicly available content of the STA would mean a drop in the agency's commercial revenue.
Both organisations also thanked all who have donated to the STA in a summer campaign which was relaunched in November. The DNS said that in between the campaigns, from July through October, more than EUR 100,000 was raised. The summer campaign raised over EUR 274,700.
The contract was also welcomed by President Pahor, who stressed on Twitter the STA's "irreplaceable mission" in the media space.
He had called on the government several times in the past months to find a way to finance the STA as soon as possible. In the summer he decorated the STA with the Order of Merit for its services to mark its 30th anniversary.
The STA has been performing its public service without pay since the start of the year and has so far managed to avoid bankruptcy with the sale of three monthly claims against the government and a crowdfunding campaign launched by the DNS.
Today UKOM paid the STA's claim for compensation for the public service in August in the amount of EUR 141,000. The deadline for the payment expired today. The STA claimed the money in June based on a government decree. The STA's business plan envisaged EUR 169,000 in monthly costs for public service.
STA, 8 November 2021 - A number of new Covid restrictions came into effect today to help contain the unrelenting outbreak of infections. A ban on gatherings and a curfew on bars and restaurants were reimposed as night clubs are being shut while the Covid pass mandate is being expanded to those aged 12 and older. Cloth masks are no longer deemed suitable.
In line with the decisions taken by the government in Friday and released in the Official Gazette on Saturday, the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule, where required, is being extended to cover everyone over the age of 12, up from 15.
Along with the PCT certificate, the person will also need to show a valid ID document to prove their identity, a change introduced due to rampant fraud. For those who have not been fully vaccinated or reconvalescent, a rapid test is valid for 48 hours and PCR test for 72 hours.
Gatherings are temporarily banned, except for close family members and members of the same household. The exception to the rule is organised public indoor and outdoor events provided the participants meet the PCT rule and maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres from each other.
Surgical or FFP2 face masks are mandatory inside all public indoor spaces and in outdoor public spaces when physical distance of at least 1.5 metre cannot be maintained. The masks are also mandatory inside vehicles except when carrying only same household members. Children under six are not required to wear masks.
Grocery stores and pharmacies or shops selling toiletries and beauty products or medical equipment, where the Covid certificate is not mandatory, have to allow at least 10 square metres per customer.
Bars, cafes and eateries can now only serve customers at tables between 5am and 10pm provided that they have a valid Covid pass. Night clubs are being shut down until further notice.
Public cultural events are only permitted in indoor public venues with fixed seats. Apart from having to meet the Covid pass mandate and carrying a surgical or FFP2 mask, the visitors are required to be seated one seat apart from each other. The same applies to sports events, which can be held outdoors though.
It is prohibited to serve or consume food or drinks at public cultural or sporting events.
The Covid pass mandate, masks and social distancing of at least 1.5 metres are also mandatory for religious gatherings.
Except for masks for youngest school children, changes do not affect education institutions for the time being. However, from 15 November self-testing will be mandatory three times a week for all pupils and students who are not vaccinated or reconvalescent. They will self-test at school and no longer at home.
The costs of rapid antigen tests and self-tests required at workplace or schools will be covered from the state budget. The price covered by the budget is set at EUR 7, VAT excluded, per rapid antigen test and EUR 2.5 per self-test.
Several pharmacies told the STA today that they were running out of stocks of self-test kits, attributing the increased demand to the announced mandatory self-testing by pupils and students.
They nevertheless said that they were looking to secure undisrupted supply of self-test kits and that stocks would be increased given the high demand as extra stocks would be ordered from suppliers.
Pharmacies also see an increased demand for surgical or FFP2 face masks as wearing of this type of mask is becoming mandatory, although they say that stocks had been expanded and there are no shortages in the market.
State administration employees in workstations will be ordered to work from home where that is possible and the same is being recommended for public employees at public agencies, institutions and corporations and local communities, while the government is also urging other employers to organise work from home.
The latest restrictions are being imposed as the 7-day rolling average of daily cases has increased to almost 2,860 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents has risen to over 1,700 with almost 800 Covid patients treated in hospitals.
With hospital capacities expected to become stretched further, the Health Ministry has ordered a mobilisation of the whole health system, including public and private providers, whose activities will be coordinated on a daily basis.
STA, 8 November 2021 - Commenting on the latest measures taken by the government to contain the Covid outbreak, the newspaper Večer finds the government no longer has any strategy but has opted for natural immunisation to run its course.
Noting that contrary to initial announcements, PM Janez Janša and fellow coalition leaders failed to appear at the press conference to present the measures on Friday, the paper says that economic interests prevailed over saving lives.
"A renewed declaration of epidemic and lockdown would activate hazard bonuses and demands for new aid packages. Despite the June ruling of the Constitutional Court, the communicable diseases act has still not been changed and remains unconstitutional," writes the paper, wondering what that means for new measures.
"The Janša government has opted for natural immunisation. Immunologist Ihan has even described it as reckless [...] There has not been the will or the skill for anything more. This is being emphasized by the fact that neither the PM nor Tonin or Počivalšek addressed the people on Friday. Hiding behind the health minister's broken backbone and politically (self)instrumentalised experts is cowardly and is an admission that the pilots are pulling the aircraft's control wheel each in their own direction [...]
"Given the brutal trends - Slovenia became the global leader by the weekly average of new infections per million last week - a statesman's like appearance would be the minimum of what is called for. There is no strategy anymore if ever there was one," the paper says under the headline (Ir)responsible, appealing to people to "pull the brake" if the government is incapable of doing that.
STA, 7 November 2021 - The Education Ministry has announced that self-testing for primary and secondary school children and youths will be mandatory starting from 15 November after initially announcing that it would continue to be voluntary. Self-testing will be performed on school premises three times a week.
The changes to self-testing in educational institutions are part of new Covid restrictions agreed by the government on Friday. Except for self-testing applying to schools, new rules will kick in on Monday.
Self-testing will be mandatory for all primary and secondary school students as well as for university students except for those who have been vaccinated against or have recovered from Covid.
Children and youth involved in educational institutions for children and youth with special needs will also need to self test, as will those involved in after-school sports activities at schools.
Until 15 November primary and secondary school children will continue to self test at home twice a week and higher education students at their schools.
From 15 November, primary, secondary and higher education students will be eligible for 15 rapid antigen self tests a month, which they will be able to pick up at a pharmacy with their health insurance card.
The Association of Head Teachers has met the new rules with dismay and apprehension. Its chairman Gregor Pečan predicted objections by the parents who oppose Covid rules as it is.
Speaking to the STA, Pečan expressed concern that the youngest pupils would need assistance with self-testing from school staff.
Offering the example of Austria, he said Slovenia was moving to mandatory self-testing in school setting without even having data how many pupils in fact self-tested at home.
"The head teachers have the feeling we are being pushed to the front lines again [...] being left to our own resources as parents take it out on us."
What makes the situation even more awkward is that most of the Covid measures have turned out to be unlawful or unconstitutional, he noted.
They will try their best to put all the measures imposed in practice despite staff shortages. "However, imposing such measures without a rethink, consultations, is unserious, to put it mildly," said Pečan.
See all the latest data on Slovenia and COVID here
What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 29 October
LJUBLJANA - DuluxGroup, an Australian paints group, confirmed entering into a binding agreement to acquire Slovenian paints company Jub for EUR 194.5 million. It plans to turn Jub into a hub for Central and Eastern Europe, preserve its existing brands, and make it part of Nippon Paint's R&D community.
LJUBLJANA - Higher fuel prices pushed Slovenia's annual inflation to 3% in October from 2.4% in September, as the monthly rise in consumer prices hit 0.9%, the Statistics Office said.
LJUBLJANA - The national budget recorded EUR 7.97 billion in revenue in the first nine months, 19.6% more than in the same period last year, while expenditure increased by 15.3% to EUR 10.42 billion. The deficit amounted to EUR 2.45 billion and was slightly higher than at the same point last year.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee continued its debate on the matter of doctors working in private clinics while being employed within the public health system. The opposition Left proposed several resolutions for limiting such practices, but the committee did not endorse them.
LJUBLJANA - Bicycle protesters, protesting against the government every Friday for 80 weeks, gathered for another rally, this time to address the issues of green infrastructure, green mobility, public transport and housing. The protest organisers announced a "mass, pan-Slovenian protest" for 12 November.
SATURDAY, 30 October
SEVNICA - Milan Kučan, Slovenia's former president, accused the Janez Janša government of being undemocratic as he told a ceremony the next election will "decide about the return of democracy". He said the government was undermining the constitution and the rule of law.
SUNDAY, 31 October
LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, former director general of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, took over as the acting STA director, stressing that ensuring financial stability of the STA would be his priority as a prerequisite for the normal functioning and existence of the agency.
MONDAY, 1 November
GLASGOW, UK - PM Janez Janša highlighted the need to create a realistic path to implement the goals from the Paris climate agreement as he addressed the World Leaders Summit, a high-level political event held in Glasgow as part of the ongoing COP26 climate conference. Moving away from coal and oil is a key element in reaching the set goals, and nuclear energy could replace fossil fuels as a transition source of energy, he said, urging world leaders to make the COP26 conference a success.
LJUBLJANA - Regular coronavirus testing was introduced in all hospitals and social care institutions while employees in all sectors who are not vaccinated or reconvalescent need to be tested more frequently, every 48 hours. Self-testing for primary and secondary school students and university students was intensified from once to twice a week. Self-testing remains voluntary for the former, but it is now also recommended for all school children, including those in the first six years.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) relaunched a fundraising campaign to secure funds for the STA, which has not received any budget funding for its public service since the start of the year. The DNS first launched such a campaign on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, raising EUR 275,000 in a month.
LJUBLJANA - A ban was introduced preventing trucks heavier than 7.5 tonnes from overtaking on the Slovenian motorways after the ban kicked in on the A1 motorway, that is between Šentilj (NE) and Koper (SW), on 15 January. A violation carries a fine of 300 euro.
TUESDAY, 2 November
GLASGOW, UK - PM Janez Janša took part in the launch of an initiative to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, proposed by the US and EU and supported by Slovenia. Janša said that a lot of coordination had taken place between the EU and global partners on the sidelines of the climate conference, and that various open issues had been discussed.
LJUBLJANA - A meeting featuring hospital directors and the Health Ministry agreed the majority of hospitals will suspend all elective procedures in a bid to increase the capacity of overflowing Covid-19 wards. The number of beds for Covid patients at intensive care units will rise to 182 and the number of non-ICU beds to 590. Robert Carotta, national coordinator for Covid hospital wards, said the number of patients had been growing at the fastest pace since the start of the pandemic.
LJUBLJANA - The national advisory committee on immunisation proposed that, given the current epidemiological situation, those who have been vaccinated with viral vector vaccines receive a booster shot after at least two months since being fully immunised. The list of other groups recommended to get a booster was expanded.
LJUBLJANA/NOVA GORICA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin and his Hungarian counterpart Tibor Benko exchanged views on topical security issues, defence reforms and other topics of common interest, including the Western Balkans as part of Benko's official visit. They also took part in a ceremony unveiling a monument to Hungarian soldiers killed in the Battles of the Isonzo in WWI at a site above Nova Gorica.
DUBAI, UAE - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek met Saif Mohammed Rashid Saeed al Shara from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, to discuss cooperation in agricultural and food products and the transfer of knowledge, especially in terms of cooperation of expert institutions. A day earlier, Podgoršek took part in a debate discussing efforts to tackle global challenges related to smart villages at the Expo 2020.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee okayed a bill changing the penal code to introduce prosecution of suspects who have threatened the country's senior officials or their relatives ex officio, without the injured party initiating proceedings. If passed, it could be sent into constitutional review.
LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the STA, and Uroš Urbanija, the director of the Government Communication Office, held their first meeting, with the talks designed to discuss ways to resolve the stand-off regarding financing. They exchanged views on the key dilemmas regarding the public service agreement and steps needed for public financing to resume, the STA management said in a press release.
LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) announced that its former MEP Patricija Šulin had died aged 55 after a severe illness. Šulin served as MEP (EPP) between 2014 and 2019 when she was a vice chair of the Committee on Budgets, and as a substitute MP in the Slovenian parliament in 2012-2013.
WEDNESDAY, 3 November
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Government ministers and energy sector representatives discussed key frameworks and guidelines on climate change, decarbonisation, and the importance of energy in different sectors at a working meeting convened by PM Janez Janša. "Slovenia's energy independence must be strengthened through renewable energy sources, including the second reactor of the Krško N-plant, and new technologies as well," Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said after the closed-door talks.
ATHENS, Greece - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias exchanged views on bilateral, regional, European and other topical global issues, focusing on the achievements of the Slovenian EU presidency, as Logar visited Athens.
KRANJ - Gorenjska Banka, the Slovenian bank owned by the Serbian AIK Banka, signed a deal to acquire the Slovenian subsidiary of the Russian Sberbank. Pending approval by regulators, the merger will create the third largest banking group in the country.
LJUBLJANA - Several members of the Human Rights Commission of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) expressed concern in an open letter to MPs that Slovenia is moving towards a totalitarian form of government under the Janez Janša government, urging them to stand up against demolition of the constitutional order.
LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court annulled a December 2020 government decision which says that the public interest of renewables prevails over the interest to protect nature as part of a procedure to obtain a building permit for the Mokrice power station on the river Sava. The court held the entire environmental impact assessment procedure must be carried out before starting the public-interest procedure.
CELJE - The upgrade of a 26-km railway section between Zidani Most and Celje in eastern Slovenia was declared completed at a ceremony which heard the project cost EUR 230 million, or about EUR 50 million less that initially estimated.
LJUBLJANA - Summit Leasing Slovenija, a leasing firm owned by NKBM bank, announced it would enter the Croatian market after signing an agreement to acquire Mercedes-Benz Leasing Hrvatska. The details of the deal have not been disclosed.
LJUBLJANA - The women's section of Slovenian PEN conferred this year's Mira Prize for outstanding women authors on younger-generation writer Luna Jurančič Šribar, whose work focuses on rebellious and strong heroines who have their destiny in their hands despite hardships and life on the margin of society.
VIŠNJA GORA - The House of the Carniolan Honey Bee was launched in a converted school to present the heritage of the Carniolan bee and innovative beekeeping solutions, the latter as part of the Apilab centre of innovative beekeeping technologies.
THURSDAY, 4 November
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's coronavirus case count hit a record 4,511 on Wednesday since the epidemic broke out in March 2020, up by more than 1,000 on the day before as the epidemic appears to be slipping out of control. The number of Covid patients rose to 735, with 169 of them were in intensive care, and nine patients died. The estimated number of active cases has passed 32,000.
LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak stepped up his defence of a 2007 conversation with businessman Bojan Petan after new recordings were published by POP TV on Wednesday. He told the press his goal was to protect the interests of the state in a takeover of spa company Terme Čatež and he had a clear conscience. In the latest recording, which Vizjak acknowledged was authentic, the then economy minister is heard proposing to Petan a "gentleman's agreement" on how to move forward with the privatisation of Terme Čatež. The Directors' Association rejected Vizjak's claim that the deal making had been in line with the rules and the laws of the time. The prosecution and police are looking into the leaked tapes, while the centre-left opposition called on the government to resign.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on the latter's first official visit to Slovenia. The ministers expressed the desire to strengthen cooperation and increase trade between the countries, and discussed the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Dnevnik reported Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič had dismissed renewed applications by Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir in a repeat call for Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors after the first one in which they were picked was annulled by the government in May. The minister's argument now is that a new call cannot be carried out as the first appointment procedure is still open until the Administrative Court's ruling becomes final on Friday.
GLASGOW, UK - Slovenia joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance as part of the Energy Day at the COP26 climate conference. "Slovenia supports the strengthening of the global climate ambition as the only way to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the report of the IPCC on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius," the government said when endorsing a bid on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, US - Jamie Linder Harpootlian, the candidate for US ambassador to Slovenia, pledged to strengthen bilateral ties and work to ensure Slovenia's commitment to stability and security remains steadfast, as she appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate in advance of a vote on her nomination.
LONDON, UK - The EBRD improved its outlook for the Slovenian economy, projecting it to grow by 6% this year, up a full point from its June forecast, while the forecast for 2022 was raised by half a point to 4.5%.
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša met in Ljubljana the representatives of the European Muslim and Jewish Leadership Council. They discussed the key priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency, the rights of religious minorities and the dignity of people of all faiths in European society, Janša's office said.
LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Ivan Simič, the acting director of the Financial Administration (FURS), for a full term, effective on 18 November. His term will expire in November 2026 with the possibility of reappointment, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said.
LJUBLJANA - Telecoms group Telekom Slovenije reported EUR 486.8 million in net sales revenue for the first three quarters of the year, up by 1% on the same period a year ago. Net profit was up by 31% to EUR 35.9 million.
LJUBLJANA - Half a year after a police sting that busted the Slovenian cell of the notorious Montenegrin crime syndicate known as the Kavač Clan, the prosecution has filed an indictment against 24 out of 64 suspects. Newspaper Večer reported the indictment, filed on 29 October, did not include two repentants, who have greatly contributed to the arrests of the suspects by providing useful information. One of them will appear as the crown witness.
KATHMANDU, Nepal - The Slovenian Mountaineering Association (PZS) reported that Slovenian mountaineers Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič succeeded between 28 and 30 October in making the first ascent on a new 1,700m route on the north-west face of Mount Chobutse (6,680 m) in Nepal, which they named Slovenian Direct.
STA, 6 November 2021 - Amidst surging infections, the government decided late on Friday evening to tighten Covid restrictions instead of imposing another lockdown. From Monday, the Covid pass mandate is expanded, opening hours of bars and restaurants restricted, gatherings banned and only surgical or FFP2 masks allowed. Students will soon get tested more often.
After a six-hour government session, Health Minister Janez Poklukar presented at a press conference the new restrictions to contain the rapid spread of infections, which seems to be getting out of control this week.
Starting on Monday, the Covid pass will have to be produced by persons older than 12. So far, the rule has had to be observed by individuals aged above 15.
The recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule will be observed as long as the person produces a valid ID and Covid pass, Poklukar said.
Night clubs will be temporarily closed and gatherings banned, except for family gatherings. Cafes, restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate only between 5am and 10pm, and only table service is permitted to ensure physical distancing.
Responding to this, Blaž Cvar, head of the Hospitality and Tourism Section of the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS), told the STA on Saturday that he missed measures to cover the damage that would be suffered by establishments as a result.
It is also hard for hospitality providers to take on the role of a "repressive supervisor", he said in reference to Covid pass checks that will now also involve ID checks, adding that there had been no legislative changes to allow them to request IDs in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.
Shops will be restricted to accepting one customer per at least 10 square metres, and required to put up signs telling customers how many of them are allowed to be in the shop at the same time.
Responding to the stricter measures, Mariča Lah, the head of the Chamber of Commerce (TZS), told the STA on Saturday that re-introduction of a limited number of customers was not a major issue for retailers, as they had had experience with this.
"Any measure that can be implemented at not too big of a cost is better than closing shops or shutting down the economy," she said, adding that the measure in question had proved to be quite effective in the past.
Cloth face masks will no longer be enough whenever mask-wearing is a must, as only surgical or FFP2 masks will be accepted as adequate, Poklukar said yesterday.
Schools will remain open, he noted, however the frequency of self-testing among primary and secondary school students will be increased to three times per week from 15 November.
The students will get tested in schools and not at home as has been the case so far. Each one of them will be entitled to 15 rapid tests per month.
Self-testing will remain voluntary for primary and secondary school students and obligatory for university students, who will be required to get tested three times per week as well.
Students who have been vaccinated will not be urged to get tested, however if they get signs of infection, they should contact their GP.
All students and school staff will have to wear protective masks indoors, either surgical or FFP2 masks.
From next Monday, restrictions will be also stepped up at cultural and sports events. The organisers will have to ensure physical distancing by leaving one seat empty in between spectators, who are still required to wear a mask and observe the PCT rule.
When it comes to religious services, the rules are the same with participants required to heed a 1.5 metre physical distancing.
The cost of rapid testing will once more be covered by the state, said Poklukar, adding that the price per test had been reduced from a maximum of 12 euro to 7 euro.
In public administration, teleworking will be put in place as much as possible. The minister also recommended this regime to all the other organisations.
He highlighted that given the poor epidemiological situation, public life restrictions were a must. "The coming weeks will be difficult, healthcare will be put to the test. The only efficient measure is vaccination, as the adopted measures only alleviate the pressure on hospitals," he said.
The situation in healthcare is alarming, he reiterated, adding that the measures were considered, including by experts, to help improve the situation quickly. At the same time, the steps are acceptable "given the state of mind in society".
Poklukar confirmed that the option of a complete lockdown had been another proposal on the table during the session.
He also commented on reports that Slovenia will soon have to send its Covid patients abroad due to limited hospital capacities, saying that the ministry had been in contact with the neighbouring countries and cooperating with them due to the seriousness of the situation.
He has contacted community health centres which have seen long queues forming outside their vaccination sites in recent days, and received assurances that the issue will be tackled, he said, urging people to get a jab.
Milan Krek, the head of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), said that the NIJZ supplies currently totalled more than 700,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, adding that additional doses were on the way and there were no supply bottlenecks.
On Friday, the government also green-lit the agreement reached with the nursing trade unions, which means higher wages for nurses, said Poklukar. The results of the negotiations will be presented together at the signing of the agreement, he added.
STA, 5 November 2021 - Long queues have been forming outside vaccination centres since the government gave the go-ahead to those who have been fully vaccinated using vector-based vaccines [such as Janssen / Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V or Convidecia] to get a booster dose at least two months after their latest jab. Some places have been faced with temporary vaccine shortages.
The Ajdovščina Health Centre in the south-west of the country told the STA on Friday that it had run out of the Pfizer vaccine. The centre's director Egon Stopar said that this week the booster dose had been administered to more people than in entire October.
Due to vaccine storage issues, the centre keeps its supplies at a certain level, so it was able to vaccinate only those people today who had an appointment. Those without a prior appointment will be able to get a jab on Monday, Stopar added.
Petra Kokoravec, the director of the Nova Gorica Community Health Centre in western Slovenia, told the STA that the vaccination demand was "enormous". Amidst the increased interest in getting a shot, the centre has so far not experienced any vaccine shortages.
UKC Maribor, the second largest medical centre in the country, has also recorded a growing demand for Covid-19 vaccines this week.
In light of this, the hospital's vaccination site will again be open over the weekends as well, from 8am to 4pm. Only the Pfizer vaccine is available and those interested are not required to book a vaccination slot, said UKC Maribor, adding that there was enough vaccines.
The increased demand has also been seen by the Brežice Health Centre in the east, which told the STA that people were mainly interested in booster doses.
There has been a slight increase in those wanting to get the first dose as well, said the centre's director Dražen Levojević, adding that there were no vaccine shortages.
All Covid vaccination sites across Slovenia keep updated vaccination schedules on their websites.
STA, 5 November 2021 - President Borut Pahor has announced he plans to call the general election for 24 April, the earliest possible date for a scheduled election. The presidential decree to that effect will be signed in February, the president's office said on Friday.
The announcement comes after Pahor's consultations with deputy groups over several forthcoming appointments in which the president is the formal proponent of the candidates, including for the Constitutional Court and Court of Audit.
The law states that scheduled elections are called by the president 135-75 days before four years have passed since the first sitting of the current parliament. The vote must be held between 60 and 90 days after the election is called.
The last general election, a snap vote, was held on 3 June 2018.
There have been mounting calls in recent weeks for a snap election from opposition and commentators due to the government's handling of the epidemic and its perceived undermining of the rule of law.
The opposition has long insisted the government must go, but with the parliament hung, it does not have the majority to force a snap election.
STA, 4 November 2021 - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak stepped up his defence of a 2007 conversation with the businessman Bojan Petan after new recordings were published by POP TV. He told the press on Thursday that his goal was to protect the interests of the state in a takeover of the spa company Terme Čatež and he had a clear conscience.
The original recording, released in mid-October, implied that Vizjak was encouraging Petan to dodge taxes. Vizjak had described it as a "collage" and said today the latest leaked recording proved that was indeed the case as the original leak contained only fragments of the real conversation and those were put in a misleading context.
In the recording released yesterday, Vizjak, then the economy minister, is heard proposing to Petan a "gentleman's agreement" on how to move forward with the privatisation of Terme Čatež, offering a variety of solutions, for example a tie-up with nearby spa Terme Olimia, which was in the process of privatisation at the time.
He also told Petan that the way he was going about the privatisation of Terme Čatež was bound to end up in court, adding that the government would counter his moves with "all cannons" and that they might "squeeze a judge's nuts" to achieve their aims.
Vizjak acknowledged this latest recording was authentic - POP TV had it checked by forensics to prove its authenticity - but said it should be seen in the context of the management of state-owned assets at the time, when the state was still directly the owner of multiple companies, and efforts to protect state interests.
He said he wanted to "prevent actions damaging to the state" and protect state property. "That is my sin," he said, adding that he always had honest intentions.
Vizjak also regretted his statement about "squeezing a judge's nuts," which he said was made in an informal context and was inappropriate, adding: "Whoever is without sin should cast the first stone."
Vizjak also sticks by his original claim that "garbage lobbies" are behind these tapes since actions he is taking now as environment minister are threatening to destroy their exploitation of legal loopholes.
"These collages are designed to discredit me because of the projects we are conducting, in particular the bill on the protection of the environment," he said about legislation that the government adopted today.
Vizjak believes that the way Terme Čatež was acquired was a "criminal and stupid act". Petan and some other people involved are being tried in Koper for financial exhaustion of Terme Čatež, he said.
Petan is charged with two offences - abuse of office in managing a company before the takeover of Terme Čatež and abuse of office within the supervisory board of Terme Čatež and at Marina Portorož, Vizjak said.
Petan responded in writing, saying that the "truth always comes out", POP TV reported.
The head of the Directors' Association, Gorazd Podbevšek, rejected Vizjak's claim that the deal making had been in line with the rules and the laws of the time.
"This was not only unethical but also illegal 15 years ago as well. We had the companies act back then, which has to be systematically violated for someone to be making deals like that, and the takeovers act, which bans deals between parties before they make a takeover offer," Podbevšek told POP TV.
Having a minister make deals on behalf of a company and its shareholders also involves major corruption risks, he added.
