01 Oct 2021, 18:04 PM

Slovenia Reviews Use of Viral Vector COVID Vaccines in Under 18s

STA, 1 October 2021 - The Health Ministry has asked the Medical Chamber to examine whether under 18-year-olds may have received the viral vector vaccines Janssen and AstraZeneca, which have not been approved for that age group.

"Patients' health is always our top priority, this is why we have requested, based on the healthcare act, an extraordinary expert oversight from the Medical Chamber," the ministry said on Friday.

Data published on the website of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) indicates that 219 persons under 18 years of age have been vaccinated with the single-shot Janssen jab, while the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been administered to 45 and the second to 20 under 18s.

The national advisory committee on immunization affiliated with the NIJZ has never recommended the two viral vector vaccines for the 12-17-year olds, the NIJZ noted in response for the STA.

It did allow for the possibility that errors may have occurred as vaccination centres entered data in the registry of vaccinated persons and adverse side-effects.

Questions over potential administering of Janssen and AstraZeneca vaccines to under 18s began to be raised after a 20-year-old woman died of brain haemorrhaging and blood clots within a fortnight after receiving a Janssen shot.

Demand for the vaccine, produced by Johnson & Johnson, surged in Slovenia after the government imposed the recovered-vaccinated-tested mandate for almost all services and decided that those vaccinated qualify for the Covid pass the next day after receiving the Janssen shot.

01 Oct 2021, 10:19 AM

Janša Meets Johnson in London

STA, 30 September 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša paid a working visit to the United Kingdom on Thursday for talks his British counterpart Boris Johnson. Bilateral political ties, fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and the EU-UK relations topped the agenda, the prime minister's office said.

Janša and Johnson also discussed cooperation in light of Slovenia's EU presidency and the presidency of the UK of the COP26 climate conference, and topical foreign policy issues, in particular Afghanistan and the Western Balkans.

The office of the British prime minister said in a press release that Janša and Johnson had discussed the strong bilateral relations in the last 30 years, including in trade and foreign policy.

It added that the prime ministers had agreed on the need to encourage stability and progress in the Western Balkans.

As part of the discussion on fighting Covid-19, they talked about the important role of vaccination in protecting people and opening of economies. They agreed about the importance of fight against misinformation regarding vaccines.

Ahead of the COP26 summit in October, Johnson said that all countries should adopt concrete commitments to fighting climate change, to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to abandoning the use of coal.

Predsednik vlade ?? @JJansaSDS se danes na povabilo predsednika vlade ?? @BorisJohnson mudi na delovnem obisku v Londonu. Po jutranjih sestankih z @trussliz in @NCSC je premier prispel pred rezidenco in urad britanskega premierja @10DowningStreet. pic.twitter.com/kizkmbYGsi
— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) September 30, 2021

The Prime Minister welcomed Prime Minister @JJansaSDS of Slovenia to Downing Street today.

They discussed the strength of the UK-Slovenian relationship over the last 30 years, including in trade and our shared foreign policy work.

➡️ https://t.co/mO9QMwIDxv

?? ?? pic.twitter.com/aqPqAKpgen
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 30, 2021

According to the office, Prime Minister Johnson praised the commitments taken by Slovenia so far in this field.

He also expressed concern about the Northern Ireland Protocol and its effect on the residents of Northern Ireland. He said the EU should make an effort to find a lasting solution to the problem that would not undermine the Good Friday Agreement.

Janša first met Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, with whom he talked about bilateral relations, topical international issues and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Slovenian prime minister and Truss also discussed ways to boost business ties, fight against cyber threats and deepen cultural relations.

Accompanied by Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa James Cleverly, Janša then visited the National Cyber Security Centre to meet its leadership.

International cooperation in cyber security issues is of key importance for protection from all hybrid threats, the office of the Slovenian prime minister said.

Janša also met Joao Vale de Almeida, the ambassador of the EU to the UK, over a working lunch.

The prime minister's office assessed that bilateral relations with the UK are very good and friendly, with today's visit meaning that political dialogue at the highest level is being intensified.

The UK is the 20th largest trade partner to Slovenia, and the volume of investments increases on both sides. Last year, direct investments from the UK stood at EUR 501 million, which makes the UK the 9th largest foreign investor in Slovenia.

30 Sep 2021, 12:12 PM

New Chief Supervisor for Slovenia’s Public Broadcaster

STA, 29 September 2021 - The supervisory board of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija elected on Wednesday Janez Čadež its chair. The board's term expires next January, RTVS said.

Until April, the supervisory board had been led by Andrej Grah Whatmough, who then took over as RTVS director general.

At the end of August, the supervisors elected a new chief supervisor, Danilo Tomšič. Six out of the 11 members were present at the session and four submitted written proposals. At the same session, the supervisors tasked Grah Whatmough to immediately report on the legitimacy of his actions, including dismissing the director of the public broadcaster's TV programme section.

But Grah Whatmough quoted a legal firm in saying that the session had been illegal due for procedural reasons, so all its decisions were null and void.

Deputy chief supervisor Borut Rončević filed a law suit to challenge the decisions made at the session on 25 August. The RTVS management also said these decisions were null and void.

On Tuesday, the government dismissed Matjaž Medved and Petra Majer as representatives of the founders in the supervisory board, and appointed Anton Tomažič and Milenko Ziherl in their place.

Medved and Majer were appointed by the Miro Cerar government in 2018.

A group of RTVS supervisors said today that the dismissal of the two supervisors had no affect and that they were still members of the supervisory board. They argued that a similar government decree on their dismissal from April 2020 had been stayed by the Supreme Court.

The pair also announced they would use all legal means available to determine whether the government move had been legal.

Tomšič said that at today's session, which in line with the rules of procedures was non-existent, "the new majority elected a 'new' chief supervisor ..."

The RTVS supervisory board is 11-member strong. Five members are appointed by the National Assembly, four by the government and two by employees.

29 Sep 2021, 23:13 PM

Water Cannon Used on Ljubljana COVID Pass Protestors (Videos)

STA, 29 September 2021 - A group of several thousand protesters again gathered in Ljubljana on Wednesday to protest against the Covid pass mandate in what was the third such protest. Starting in Republic Square, the rally moved to the ring road, which was closed for a while, as the police tried to break up the crowd, including by using a water cannon.

The rally started in the city centre but since the parliament building was fenced off and police started restricting movement in near-by streets, the crowd moved to Celovška Street and continued all the way to the Ljubljana ring road, blocking traffic as it progressed accompanied by a police helicopter.

Police used a water cannon and according to media reports also tear gas to disperse the crowd, which however turned back towards the city centre again and continued rallying in Republic Square. Now, most of the protesters have dispersed.

The Ljubljana police department said the protesters had been asked to leave the site for their own security.

The protesters opposing the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) requirement today raised the issue of the death of a 20-year-old, who died within a fortnight after receiving a shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Her father addressed the crowd.

The rally demanded immediate lifting of the PCT requirement and immediate government resignation.

Protesters were also critical of media reporting, and obstructed some journalist crews reporting from the scene, including the teams of commercial TV stations Kanal A and POP TV. They were throwing different objects at them and spat on them. A security guard accompanying the teams sustained light injuries.

A group of protesters also stopped in front of the building of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, where police also used the water cannon.

The Slovenian Association of Journalists (DNS) responded by urging people to respect the work of journalists in the field and not put them in danger, as they are merely doing their job. It also called on media outlets and police to provide for the safety of journalist crews working in the field.

The Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) also expressed concern over the violence against journalists, saying it had become a regular feature at protests. Since cameras recorded the attack on the journalist crews today, the ZNP expects police to find the perpetrator and take appropriate action.

Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the events on Twitter by saying that attacks, threats and violations of Covid-19 rules were not the constitutional right to assembly. "The leadership of the Ljubljana police is obviously not capable of preventive action, it's time for the Interior Ministry to take action," he tweeted.

29 Sep 2021, 14:16 PM

Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Suspended in Slovenia After Young Woman’s Death

STA, 29 September 2021 - Slovenia on Wednesday suspended the use of the single-shot coronavirus vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson after a twenty-year-old woman died within a fortnight after receiving the shot, Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced.

The move was proposed by the special advisory group for vaccination at the National Institute of Public Health and the suspension will be in place until all the circumstances of the woman's death have been cleared up, according to Poklukar.

Bojana Beović, the head of the advisory group, said it would take at least a week to investigate the death.

Unlike in several other countries, where the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (also known as the Janssen vaccine) is administered only to older patients, it was available to anyone over the age of 18 in Slovenia, with the exception of pregnant women.

Indeed, the vaccine surged in popularity in recent weeks after the government decided that those vaccinated qualify for the Covid pass, which is now mandatory for almost all services, the next day after receiving the shot.

This provided the fastest way to get the coveted Covid pass; for all other vaccines, the Covid pass took effect after the second dose.

Beović said this was not recommended by the advisory group, while Poklukar said the decision was motivated by the desire that the rules are the same for all vaccines.

A total of 120,000 Slovenian have been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and just yesterday the government announced it was buying another 100,000 doses from Hungary to meet the high demand.

The 20-year-old's death due to brain haemorrhaging and blood clots is the second reported case of serious adverse effects concerning coronavirus vaccines in Slovenia. Another young woman had serious adverse effects but recovered.

Poklukar was quick to point out that there have been only two serious cases among the almost million vaccinated Slovenians, whereas nearly 4,900 people with Covid had died, of which almost a hundred in September alone.

"I have to emphasise that we have so far vaccinated 120,000 people with the Janssen vaccine and that the benefits of vaccination outweigh potential risks," he said.

The Johnson & Johnson jab is one of two vector-based vaccines that has been used in Slovenia. Beović said it might make sense to consider no longer providing the AstraZeneca jab and focusing only on the mRNA vaccines.

29 Sep 2021, 09:21 AM

Janssen Vaccine May Be Suspended in Slovenia After 20-Yr Old Suffers Stroke

According to RTV Slovenia (and multiple other sources), Slovenia is considering suspending use of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine after an incident involving a 20-year old woman. While initial reports had claimed the woman had died a few weeks after receiving the vaccine, UKC Ljubljana then clarified that woman remains alive, although in a critical condition.

The case has been referred to the NIJZ (National Institute of Public Health) as indicating a possible side effect of the vaccine. UKC Ljubljana stressed that while no direct link has been found, there’s a reasonable suspicion of a causal link between the vaccination and the woman’s stroke.

So far just under 120,000 people have received the Janssen vaccine in Slovenia. One other woman under 50 was previously reported as suffering from a serious complication after receiving the vaccine in Slovenia, and she then recovered. In contrast, the wife of a Slovenian diplomat who received the Janssen vaccine in Brussels in May died shortly after, with the investigating commission concluding a direct connection between the events.

The head of Slovenia’s vaccine advisory group, Bojana Beović, responded to the news of the latest incident by saying that despite the low level of risk she personally favoured suspending the use of the Janssen vaccine.

News of the young woman’s cases came on the same day Slovenia announced that it has purchased an additional 100,000 doses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Hungary.

28 Sep 2021, 14:41 PM

Slovenia to Get €4.8mn from EU’s €5bn Brexit Adjustment Fund

STA, 28 September 2021 - Slovenia will get EUR 4.8 million under an EUR 5 billion adjustment instrument for member states hit by Brexit that the Council approved on Tuesday. Slovenia's allocation is the lowest among all member states.

The calculations for each member state took into account the importance of trade with the UK, the importance of fisheries in the UK's exclusive economic zone, and the importance of neighbouring links for the maritime border regions with the UK.

"The prompt adoption of the reserve means that the much needed funding will soon be made available to the worst affected European regions and companies, especially SMEs and their workers," Zvonko Černač, Slovenian minister for development and European cohesion policy, said on behalf of the Slovenian EU presidency.

"Our goal is to help the most vulnerable navigate through a difficult period of adjustment to the aftermath of Brexit. This demonstrates solidarity by all member states with the most affected areas," he said.

28 Sep 2021, 10:14 AM

Slovenia Calls for Clarity on EU Enlargement to W Balkans

STA, 27 September 2021 - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič hosted a meeting of parliamentary speakers from the Western Balkans on Monday, saying that the EU must give the region a clear signal on when it could expect EU accession. The speakers of the Serbian and Montenegrin parliaments also called for more clarity regarding the EU enlargement.

Speaking to the press after the high-level meeting in Brdo pri Kranju, Zorčič said that the aim was to keep the process of the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans on the table and to facilitate it.

He noted that the "process has not only been stalled, but it has even turned into the wrong direction".

According to Zorčič, the parliaments of certain Western Balkan countries do not see the EU and getting closer to the bloc as their future, and some countries have given up on waiting for signals to come from the EU.

On the other hand, they continue making the necessary reforms and thus it is of "utmost importance that the EU gives the countries a clear signal on when they can accept the accession," he added.

Zorčič feels that the signals coming from the EU do not encourage trust in the enlargement process in the countries in the regions.

"It is important that Slovenia, as an EU member state that has historical connections with the Western Balkan countries and knows about this region, maintains the debate and even upgrades it in this direction," he added.

President of the National Assembly of Serbia Ivica Dačić agreed, saying that the EU needed to say when it would accept the Western Balkan countries, noting that the region deserved an honest attitude.

President of the Parliament of Montenegro Aleksa Bečić noted that there was no alternative to the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, and he demanded an answer from the EU as to whether this process is still alive.

The EU could show this in the case of Montenegro, he said, adding that the EU membership of the country would serve as a motivating factor for other countries in the region.

The meeting was also attended by the parliamentary speakers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia and the vice-president of the Albanian Parliament. The speakers of the Parliament of Kosovo has excused himself, Zorčič said.

The speakers adopted a joint statement with which they will acquaint the speakers of parliaments of the EU member states as they meet next year for a conference in Slovenia, Zorčič said.

The participants were addressed beforehand by President Borut Pahor, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Foreign Policy Committee chair Monika Gregorčič.

Pahor said that Slovenia had always been an advocate of the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, and called for multilateral cooperation between the countries in the region to be strengthened, the president's office said.

In the afternoon, the meeting will continue with a talk with young people from Slovenia and the Western Balkans as part of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The EU enlargement to the Western Balkans is one of the priorities of the Slovenian presidency of the EU Council, as part of which an EU-Western Balkans summit will be hosted next week.

Pahor expressed the hope that the summit would bring en encouragement for the enlargement process, while noting the mutual responsibility of both parties.

"The EU must keep the enlargement to the Western Balkans as a priority, and the Western Balkan countries must implement the necessary reforms in order to develop," the president was quoted by his office.

Logar expressed the expectation that Western Balkan countries will continue with reforms and said the EU could not be a successful global player without successfully integrating the Western Balkans and a stabilisation of its eastern and southern neighbourhood, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The meeting ended with a joint declaration which underlines the need to once again put the enlargement process high on the EU agenda and states that the EU must remain the first choice of strategic partner by the Western Balkans.

The speakers also called for greater solidarity in addressing common challenges and for an improvement of the situation of youths in the region.

27 Sep 2021, 09:10 AM

Four Opposition Parties Agree to Cooperation Deal if Election Called

STA, 25 September 2021 - The top bodies of three of the four centre-left opposition parties which have finalised an agreement on post-election cooperation unanimously endorsed the document at their respective sessions on Saturday, while the fourth party did so earlier this week.

The Alenka Bratušek Party's (SAB) council unanimously endorsed the agreement on cooperation after the next general election on Tuesday, when it was initialled by all four party leaders. Today, the top bodies of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left and the Social Democrats (SD) followed suit.

The content of the agreement has not been revealed yet. It will be presented at a news conference on Tuesday following its signing, the Left said in Saturday's release.

The idea for a post-election alliance was put forward by LMŠ leader and former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec in August.

He proposed three main points the parties should agree on: to normalise Slovenia, to form a government without the Democrats (SDS) and the parties supporting them, and that a prime minister-designate will be put forward by the participating party which has won the most votes.

The Left's leader Luka Mesec said in today's release that "the agreement is the foundation stone on which to form a government which will have to take the country out of the chaos in which it found itself due to the Janez Janša government's destructive, anti-democratic and far-right policies".

He believes the deal is also the basis to "decisively set out social change to boost democracy, decarbonisation and green transition, and economic and social justice".

SD leader Fajon said in a statement to the press that the SD unanimously decided today to strike a political agreement on cooperation with the opposition parties. She would like the parties to jointly and responsibly lead Slovenia towards a better and more sincere future.

"We cannot reconcile that we have lost so many people in the epidemic due to the destructive and hostile government which has pushed Slovenia into chaos," said Fajon, adding that the party would present its election platform in two weeks' time.

25 Sep 2021, 11:11 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 17-23 September, 2021

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, 17 September
        ATHENS, Greece - Slovenia officially joined the club of Mediterranean EU countries henceforth known as EU Med, which grew from seven to nine members with the inclusion of Slovenia and Croatia at a summit in Athens. PM Janez Janša said it was a great honour for Slovenia to join the group, which was expanding at a crucial time during Slovenia's presidency of the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Commission paid out the first, EUR 231 million batch of EU funds to Slovenia as part of the recovery and resilience plan, which is 13% of the total amount the country is to receive. The money will be allocated for sustainable mobility and digital transformation projects.
        PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Defence Minister Matej Tonin meet his Czech counterpart Lubomir Metnar on the sidelines of NATO Days to discuss cooperation in international operations and bilateral cooperation in defence, including in mountain warfare.
        LJUBLJANA - The government announced it will introduce on 1 October a stricter Covid pass mandate for 31,500 of the 170,000 public sector employees working in the public administration. Staff at government departments, inspection services, police and army will need to be either Covid-19 reconvalescent or vaccinated to work there, a rule the Trade Union of State Bodies plans to challenge at the Constitutional Court.
        LJUBLJANA - Friday protestors who have protested against the Janez Janša government for over a year and a half filed a criminal complaint over corruption against PM Janša. The protest organisers said the corruption and nepotism that had marked every Janša government had reached new proportions in the last year and a half.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission announced the Slovenian Zero Waste House project was one of the winners of the New European Bauhaus Rising Stars awards, given to concepts that exemplify sustainability, aesthetics and inclusiveness.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian police processed over 5,830 illegal crossings of the border in the first eight months of 2021, down 43% from the same period last year. The most frequently processed illegal migrants were from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, accounting for around a half of the total.
        LJUBLJANA - Three persons were injured in a shooting in a bar at the BTC shopping district. Two were wounded with fire arms and the third sustained injuries from a blow with an object, the Ljubljana Police Department said, but did not provide other details beyond saying all three were in hospital, but their lives were not in danger.

SATURDAY, 18 September
        LJUBLJANA - It was announced that Fraport Slovenija, the company managing the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, will get a new CEO as Babett Stapel, currently managing director, takes over in October from Zmago Skobir, whose term expires at the end of September.
        MARIBOR - Author Sebastijan Pregelj won this year's Večernica prize for best youth and children's book written in the past year. He won the award given out by the newspaper Večer for his book Vrnitev (Return), the sixth in a series of stories on life in the late Stone Age in the Ljubljana marshes.
        STIČNA - Youth Stična, a gathering of Catholic youths, focussed on the issue of fear and insecurity among the young as it marked its 40th anniversary. The event was addressed by President Borut Pahor and Maribor Archbishop Alojzij Cvikl.

SUNDAY, 19 September
        KATOWICE, Poland - Slovenia won the second consecutive silver at the European Volleyball Championship after losing to Italy 2:3. With silver medals from the 2015 and 2019 tournaments, Slovenia were hoping to take it one step further this time, but Italy proved too strong.
        PORTOROŽ - Italian tennis player Jasmine Paolini won the WTA tournament in Portorož, defeating Alison Riske of the US in straight sets 7:6 (4), 6:2 to clinch her maiden WTA title. Paolini knocked out four seeded players, including Dayana Yastremska, Sorana Cirstea and Yulia Putintseva, on the way to her first final.
        LJUBLJANA - The pay gap between men and women in Slovenia narrowed slightly in 2020, by 3.6 points annually to 2.2%, preliminary figures released by the Statistics Office showed. The gap in the private sector stood at 6.5% and at 10.7% in the public sector.

MONDAY, 20 September
        NEW YORK, US - FM Anže Logar urged his EU counterparts to stick with the agreement they reached at an informal meeting in Slovenia earlier this month regarding Afghanistan, as EU foreign ministers held a meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly. He said the EU should pursue a single, coordinated approach to the management of migrations and the provision of humanitarian aid.
        NEW YORK, US - President Borut Pahor and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in exchanged state decorations as they held talks on the margins of the UN General Assembly meeting. Moon received the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service, while Pahor was given the Grand Order of Mugunghwa.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said the erasure of shareholders and subordinated bondholders as part of Slovenia's 2013/14 bank bailout could pose a risk of potentially high compensations, but added that government was working towards mitigating these risks.
        LJUBLJANA - The government removed a controversial cap on social security contributions from the omnibus debureaucratisation bill due to a lack of support. The employer organisations regretted the move, announcing to try to persuade trade unions to support it as a measure to benefit everyone.
        LJUBLJANA - The programming council of RTV Slovenija endorsed Valentin Areh as acting director of the public broadcaster's TV programmes, TV Slovenija. The 50-year-old journalist and editor had been put forward by the director general after dismissing Natalija Gorščak in late August.

TUESDAY, 21 September
        NEW YORK, US - President Borut Pahor, in New York for the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, held several bilateral meetings, including with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss cooperation, Afghanistan and migrations. The pair assessed Slovenia-Turkey relations as very good, especially since 2011 when the countries signed a strategic partnership.
        PORTOROŽ - The situation on the EU's external border, in particular on the border with Belarus, was high on the agenda as the management board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) started a two-day meeting in Slovenia. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said Frontex had to help EU member states as well as third countries
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The issue of the Aukus pact between Australia, the UK and US was brought up by some EU member states at a session of the General Affairs Council, chaired by Gašper Dovžan, a state secretary at the Slovenian Foreign Ministry. Dovžan said the issue was expected to be discussed at future meetings, including EU summit.
        LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties, the LMŠ, SD, Left and SAB, initialled an agreement on post-election cooperation. The SAB council unanimously endorsed the pact on the same say, with the remaining parties yet to provide the final stamp of approval.
        LJUBLJANA - Budget funding for research and development (R&D) stood at EUR 243.5 million in 2020, up 11% over the year before and the fifth consecutive annual increase, show Statistics Office data. Spending increased in relative terms as well, amounting to 0.52% of GDP.
        LJUBLJANA - Sanremo, a film about life in a nursing home and dementia, by Miroslav Mandić was selected by a group of experts as the Slovenian entry for a nomination for the best international feature film award at the Oscars 2022.
        MOSCOW, Russia - Luka Potočar won silver in the men's lead event at the IFSC Climbing World Championships in what is the best career achievement for the 19-year-old and the 19th medal for Slovenia ever at the competition, the first in the lead event for men.

WEDNESDAY, 22 September
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament turned down in a 44:43 vote a controversial bill that would have introduced fines for indecent behaviour when detected by a police officer. Originally, the amendments to the protection of public order act envisaged fines of EUR 500-1,000 for insulting senior officials and their families, but after a backlash in the public, the definition was expanded to make indecent behaviour towards anyone punishable by a fine.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU energy ministers discussed ways to tackle rising power and gas prices. Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said the European Commission could clear certain short-term measures to curb price growth. Slovenian Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec meanwhile described the Commission's Fit for 55 package as a much needed step forward. The general consensus is that the package was good, but there is quite a bit of work ahead, he said.
        NEW YORK, US - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan called for an increase in aid for Yemen as he took part in a special event on the humanitarian crisis in the country on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
        LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a bill amending the budget implementation act for 2021-2022 to create a legal basis for effective use of EU funds for projects included in the national recovery and resilience plan, under which the country is to get EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 705 million in loans.
        LJUBLJANA - An audiovisual services act whose core provision was a 6% levy on content providers to finance a new fund for the production of domestic content fell two votes short in a parliamentary vote after it was vetoed by the upper chamber over sharp criticism by content providers and the Association of Slovenian Journalists.
        LJUBLJANA - The government approved a donation of 100,620 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Health Ministry said the donation was Slovenia's humanitarian aid to help the country cope with the pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill that seeks to better protect pets, increase their well-being and enhance the responsibility of their owners.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) reported its half-year net profit increasing more than five-fold year-on-year to EUR 26 million, chiefly as a result of much higher dividend entitlements. Return on equity rose to 6.4% from 4% in the first half of last year, and assets and capital increased by EUR 125 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian tobacco prices will rise in November and again in April next year under changes to the excise duty regulation adopted by the government, which should increase annual budget receipts by EUR 15.6 million.
        BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Slovenian kayak and canoe teams won two bronze medals at the outset of the Canoe Slalom World Championships, in the men's team slalom and the men's team whitewater event. Peter Kauzer, Martin Srabotnik and Niko Testen won the bronze medal in the men's team slalom behind France and Slovakia. In the whitewater event, Anže Urankar, Simon Oven and Nejc Žnidarčič were bested only by the surprise winners Germany and France.

THURSDAY, 23 September
        BUDAPEST, Hungary - PM Janez Janša attended the Demographic Summit in Budapest, which he labelled as one of the most important events in the debate on the future of Europe, as demographics is one of the most important issues in the EU. A joint statement adopted at the summit said family policies should remain in the domain of member states.
        VIENNA, Austria/NEW YORK, US - Slovenia was elected a member of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2021-2023. Foreign Minister Anže Logar said that membership was particularly important in the light of the return to the Iranian nuclear agreement.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU transport ministers discussed infrastructure for alternative fuels with Slovenia's Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec noting there were quite a few differences between the countries on the issue, but the "essential thing is not to lose the primary momentum and to keep the required level of ambition".
        STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The whole of Slovenia was dark red on the latest Covid-19 colour-coded map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as the only country or region on the map with such an epidemiological situation. Areas change to dark red when the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents exceeds 500, with Slovenia's at almost 650.
        LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council warned that the continued existence of exceptional circumstances should not be used to adopt measures that reflect the final stage of the political cycle, as it warned the government not to overdo stimulus spending considering that the economy is expanding fast.
        LJUBLJANA - Residential property prices rose by 4.5% in the second quarter of 2021 on the quarter before in the most substantial hike in ten years, the Statistics Office said. The value of transactions was the highest on record.
        LJUBLJANA - Retail group Mercator posted a net profit of EUR 10.6 million in the first half of the year after reporting a loss of EUR 69 million in the same period a year ago due to property revaluation and writedowns. Sales revenue was down 0.4% to EUR 1.1 billion.
        LJUBLJANA - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko kept her two stars in the new edition of the Michelin Guide Slovenia and all five one-starred restaurants kept theirs as Gostišče Grič in Horjul, led by chef Luka Košir, won its first. The coveted stars were awarded to Slovenian restaurants for the second time.

Politics

Janša Meets Members of European Parliament’s Identity and Democracy Group