Politics

07 Aug 2021, 08:44 AM

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, 30 July
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian and Italian police resumed the joint patrolling of the border in a bid to prevent illegal migrations on the Balkan route after they were suspended more than a year ago due to Covid-19.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health launched a new mobile app enabling event organisers and service providers to check the validity of EU digital Covid certificates. The app scans QR codes on the certificates to check whether the person has been tested for, recovered from or vaccinated against Covid-19 without getting access to personal or health information of the person.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's national budget recorded a EUR 1.946 billion deficit in the first six months of the year, slightly more than in the same period in 2020, when it reached EUR 1.917 billion. Contributing the most to the deficit was an 18% growth in expenditure, which was mitigated by a 25.3% growth in revenue.
        LJUBLJANA - Annual inflation in Slovenia in July ran at 2%, mostly on the account of more expensive petroleum products. Petroleum products accounted for 1.2 percentage points of the annual inflation rate in July, as the prices of liquid fuels were up by 25.2%, diesel by 29.2% and petrol by 24.4%.
        LJUBLJANA - The Medical Chamber is investigating two doctors due to their contentious statements about Covid-19 vaccination and vaccines. Unofficially, one of them is a member of a prominent anti-vaccine doctors' movement and another is Nada Hiti, a GP who published a recording on social media after diluting an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine with water and urine and sending the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

SATURDAY, 31 July
        KRANJSKA GORA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek offered up Slovenia as a broker in geopolitical issues as he addressed an annual ceremony dedicated to Russian prisoners of WWI. "Our country has enough knowledge and even more economic results to get actively involved in the game of big players," he said at the Russian Chapel under the Vršič mountain pass.
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenian discuss thrower Kristjan Čeh crowned his maiden appearance at the Olympics with fifth place after he was considered one of the top contenders for a medal. "This is my first Olympic appearance, I was fifth, this is awesome," he said.
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenian shooter Živa Dvoršak achieved her best ever result at Olympic Games after finishing seventh in the rifle three position, the most prestigious shooting discipline.

SUNDAY, 1 August
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called on EU member states to provide aid to Lithuania in the face of "ongoing critical security situation" on the Lithuania-Belarus border due to illegal migration. Protection of the EU's external border is our common responsibility, Janša tweeted.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša tweeted "Krystsina is welcome in Slovenia" as he offered refuge to Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya amid reports that she was planning to seek asylum after the Belarusian Olympic Committee removed her from the national team for publicly criticising the coaches.
        MARIBOR - The 32nd Summer Puppet Pier festival dedicated to puppetry got under way in Maribor, putting Slovenian independent puppeteers in spotlight in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

MONDAY, 2 August
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank announced that stress tests conducted by the European Central Bank (ECB) and Banka Slovenije confirmed the stability of the Slovenian banking system. It pointed out that Slovenian banks would fare well even under unfavourable economic scenarios.
        LJUBLJANA - Telecommunications provider Telemach is suing telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije over alleged violations of regulatory decisions, demanding the payment of EUR 28.8 million in damages with default interest from 1 June until payment, according to a posting on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission approved a EUR 22.8 million Slovenian scheme to support companies in various sectors affected by the coronavirus outbreak and the restrictions implemented to limit the spread of the virus. The measure was approved under the State Aid Temporary Framework.
        BRNIK - Spanish flag carrier Iberia launched scheduled flights between Madrid and Ljubljana, with two weekly flights planned until the end of August. Madrid is the 12th destination available from Ljubljana airport, with at least three more expected by the end of September.
        PIVKA - Center Dina opened in Pivka to present three species of large carnivores living in Slovenia - the brown bear, wolf and lynx. It is a continuation of a European project Carnivora Dinarica, which is aimed at protecting the carnivores and promoting co-existence.

TUESDAY, 3 August
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenia advanced to the semi-finals of the Olympic basketball tournament in a historic feat by defeating Germany 94:70, going unbeaten since the start of the Olympics in what is their Olympic debut.
        LJUBLJANA - The latest coronavirus figures showed that Slovenia's daily coronavirus count hit 181, the highest daily increase since 9 June, as the test positivity rate exceeded 10%. Commenting, Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vinidšar said Slovenia is in the fourth wave of the epidemic, urging people to get vaccinated to stop the wave as soon as possible.
        LJUBLJANA - A tweet in which a member of the pro-Nazi Yellow Jackets who is also editor-in-chief of the recently established National Press Agency (NTA) labelled Adolf Hitler a hero caused an outcry, with opposition parties demanding a response from the government and law enforcement. The tweet by Urban Purgar, who is also the head of the recently-established Association for the Promotion of Traditional Values, will be investigated by the prosecution.

WEDNESDAY, 4 August
        LJUBLJANA - The Culture Ministry condemned the tweet labelling Adolf Hitler a hero by Urban Purgar, the president of the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Values, to which the ministry awarded the status of an NGO in public interest in June. It also said the status had been awarded in line with relevant rules.
        LJUBLJANA - The General Police Department confirmed three officers of the Ljubljana Police Department had been given written warnings before termination of employment due to legislation violation in relation to two separate protests - an alternative celebration of Statehood Day in Ljubljana on 25 June by anti-government protesters and a rally by anti-maskers in front of parliament from 5 to 7 July. Reportedly, all three officers hold senior positions.
        LJUBLJANA - Prosecutors Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir filed another suit against the government over its May decision not to appoint them Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors as proposed by the Justice Ministry after they were vetted by the Prosecution Council.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree setting down the method of checking compliance with the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule. To prevent personal data abuse, the user scanning the Covid certificate QR code using a relevant app will have access only to the certificate holder's name and year of birth. The Information Commissioner said personal data processing required a law, so she will ask the Constitutional Court to review the decree.
        LJUBLJANA - A total of 70,655 people were registered as unemployed in July, down 0.6% from June and as much as 21% from July 2020. The total kept falling despite the number of the newly registered rising by 54% from June to 5,443. The latter figure was still nearly 34% below last year's.
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenian sailors Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol finished fifth in the 470 class at the Tokyo Olympics, and Maruša Mišmaš Zrimšek placed sixth in the women's 3,000-metre steeplechase, improving her personal best and Slovenia's national record.

THURSDAY, 5 August
        TOKYO, Japan - The Slovenian men's basketball team lost 89:90 to France in the semi-finals of the Olympic basketball tournament and will play for the bronze medal against Australia on Saturday. This is Slovenia's first loss at what is the debut Olympics for the team.
        WARSAW, Poland - PM Janez Janša discussed the judiciary and the issue of primacy of EU law in an interview with the Polish news agency PAP, saying that EU law is above national laws, but not above member states' constitutions. He talked of the importance of understanding the countries' historical circumstances and starting positions.
        KLAGENFURT, Austria - The National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS) is critical of Austria's report to the Council of Europe on the implementation of the CoE Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The report suggests that everything is fine with ethnic minorities, which is not the case, said lawyer Rudi Vouk, the author of the NSKS response to the report.
        LJUBLJANA - SID Banka, Slovenia's development and export bank, announced it will get a new management in January 2022 as the term of the management board led by Sibil Svilan expires at the end of 2021. The fully state-owned bank will be led by Damijan Dolinar, with Gašpar Ogris Martič and Stanka Šarc Majdič serving as board members.
        TOKYO, Japan - Tina Šutej placed fifth in the women's pole vault at the Summer Olympics. The 32-year-old national record holder cleared 4.50 metres in the final but then failed to clear 4.70 metres to join the top four.
        LJUBLJANA - Property prices kept rising in Slovenia in 2020 while transactions on the property market decreased. Transactions rose in early 2021 to reach approximately the pre-pandemic 2019 levels in April, as prices keep rising, the Mapping and Surveying Authority said.
        TRIESTE, Italy - The first ever public demonstration of fully encrypted quantum communication between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia took place during a meeting of G20 digital economy ministers. It was the first time in history that fully quantum encrypted communication was made possible by means of optical fibres connecting three nodes.

 

05 Aug 2021, 16:56 PM

STA, 5 August 2021 - The government has adopted a decree setting down checking compliance with the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule. Under a decision taken at a correspondence session on Wednesday, the party scanning the Covid certificate QR code using a relevant app will have access only to the certificate holder's name and year of birth.

The decision comes after Milan Krek, the head of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), said on Tuesday that a legal basis for the app was in the works.

NIJZ told the STA on Thursday a new app will be launched today or tomorrow based on the decree after two apps have already been taken down, one due to privacy concerns and the other due to a risk of abuse.

The app, to be managed by NIJZ, will be used when the validity of the Covid certificate is checked using a QR code, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said.

If an individual produces another form to show compliance with the rule of being vaccinated, tested or reconvalescent under relevant laws, this certificate will be checked.

The decree says that checking compliance with the rule takes place if the person whose status will be checked consents to giving access to their personal data.

After the QR code is scanned, the app will not reveal which of the three conditions have been met to produce a valid Covid certificate.

The user of the app will only get access to the certificate holder's name and year of birth to prevent any abuse of the system.

The decree says that the app must not enable data storage or processing or be linked to any database, according to UKOM.

The decree has been published in the Official Gazette and is effective from today. It will be in place until other related decrees setting down Covid measures are revoked.

NIJZ released an app for checking the validity of Covid certificates on 23 July, when organisers of public events and gatherings became obligated to check visitors' certificates, only to delete it on the same day due to privacy concerns. Hospitality providers in Slovenia have been required to check guests' certificates since 26 July.

The second app was then launched on 30 July, revealing merely the fact the individual meets the Covid requirement, but experts have warned it paves the way for abuses.

Before the government adopted the latest decree, Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik warned that a relevant legal basis should be adopted to enable checking of Covid certificates in hospitality and event industries.

NIJZ replied to Prelesnik on Wednesday, presenting the latest method of checking compliance and highlighting that the new app was not linked with any database apart from the required central app server and a server storing rules to check validity of the certificates.

Today, Prelesnik said that she would suspend the app-related procedure to ask the Constitutional Court to review the decree.

She said in a press release any personal data processing interferes with human rights guaranteed by the constitution, so it cannot be regulated in a government decree.

"Adopting a government decree does not provide for the same level of democratic process as decision-making in parliament," she explained her decision.

Prelesnik said she understood the urgency of measures due to the epidemiological situation, but stressed that a law is needed to determine personal data processing.

04 Aug 2021, 12:16 PM

STA, 3 August 2021 - Ljubljana police have arrested seven suspects, of whom two foreigners, as part of two criminal rings that organised transport of over 200 illegal migrants from Bosnia-Herzegovina via Slovenia to Italy for financial gain in 2020 and 2021. Six suspects have been remanded in custody and one is in house arrest.

The first ring is suspected of having organised illegal crossing of the border and transport for 116 citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Ljubljana Police Department said on Tuesday.

The investigation targeted five suspects, each of whom had a specific task in the ring, which was led by a Slovenian citizen from the area of Ljubljana.

In Italy, the ring had at least three unidentified ring leaders.

The manner in which the ring helped illegal migrants get from Bosnia to Italy was such to pose a risk to the lives of the migrants, the police said.

Each illegal migrant was also charged some EUR 3,500 for the journey, with the ring estimated to have gained at least EUR 406,000 in illegal gain.

On 10 May Ljubljana police arrested three ring members, of whom two Slovenian citizens and one Bosnian.

The other ring is suspected of having organised illegal transport for at least 91 foreigners from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Bangladesh.

Six persons had been investigated, and four arrested in the sting on 17 June, of whom three were Slovenian citizens and one Serbian. The investigating judge then sent one of them into house arrest.

The gang is estimated to have gained at least around EUR 28,700.

In the first investigation, the Slovenian police cooperated with Italian authorities to exchange information, and in the second one with police from Italy and Croatia.

03 Aug 2021, 16:08 PM

STA, 3 August 2021 - A tweet in which the editor-in-chief of the recently established National Press Agency (NTA) labels Adolf Hilter a hero has raised dust in the Slovenian public and drew condemnation from part of politics, with opposition parties demanding a response from the government and relevant authorities.

Urban Purgar, the NTA editor-in-chief and president of the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Values, which operates the media outlet, tweeted on Sunday that "Hitler is #hero" to spark strong reactions and condemnations.

As the tweet has also raised the question of whether such a post is a criminal act, lawyer and criminal law teacher at the European Faculty of Law Blaž Kovačič Mlinar has told the N1 news portal that such statements cannot be labelled a criminal act in Slovenia.

Glorification of totalitarian regimes is not a criminal act in Slovenia, he said, adding that Purgar's tweet did not contain enough elements to qualify as hate speech.

Former Justice Minister Aleš Zalar meanwhile said on Twitter that glorifying Hitler, a symbol of Nazism, was a criminal act. "It is on the state prosecution to make a move. The reaction of the state's repressive apparatus must be immediate and strict."

Several political parties have said that such posts are unacceptable, with the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) demanding that the government and relevant authorities launch appropriate proceedings against Purgar ex officio.

"In democratic Slovenia, such posts and spreading of intolerance are absolutely unacceptable. We expect from all government parties to clearly condemn such glorification of Hitler and, above all, to take measures," the party added.

Purgar's post has been also condemned by Matej Tonin, the head of the coalition New Slovenia (NSi).

"European nations suffered in the past century due to three totalitarian regimes. Glorifying leaders who are responsible for the death of millions of people is reprehensible and has no place in modern society," he said.

Opposition Social Democrats (SD) deputy Marko Koprivc addressed an initiative to the government regarding the "provocations related to the glorification of neo-Nazi ideologies in Slovenian society".

He has proposed that the government and the Ministry of Culture strip the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Values of the status of a non-governmental organisation of public interest in the field of culture.

Koprivc also called on relevant authorities to initiate proceedings against the association and its president due to glorification of neo-Nazi ideologies and incitement of intolerance and hatred in the Slovenian society.

The government and the Culture Ministry should also publicly distance themselves from the ideas promoted by the so-called Yellow Jackets and "similar associations and groups" and make sure that such messages no longer enjoy their support.

The opposition Left thinks that this is a direct consequence of the "spreading of divisions and hatred" by the ruling Democrats (SDS), whose rhetoric "gives wings to such ideas."

The party added that numerous visible representatives of the SDS "flirt with neo-Nazi and neo-Fascist organisations, including the prime minister", which is why glorification of Hitler is not surprising.

"Being appalled and moralising is not enough. It is a criminal act that must be immediately penalised, and the status of the association and its financing abolished," the Left said.

The head of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), Ljubo Jasnič, also strongly condemned the post. "My parents and my close relatives have survived Fascism and the Dachau death camp as patriotic Slovenians of Primorska.

"Me and my friends witnessed the literal slaughtering in the Balkans, a genocide over a nation that could have been fatal for us as well. History obviously no longer teaches us," he told the STA.

The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said in its response for the STA that it "strongly condemned the post and expected from relevant bodies to act against the known person who glorified Hitler".

Opposition National Party (SNS) head Zmago Jelinčič blamed the post on "permissive parenting that has destroyed all traditional values and knowledge, including of history".

Purgar, who is also a member of the Yellow Jackets, a far-right group linked to neo-Nazis, meanwhile said on the NTA website that the purpose of the tweet was to "reveal all the misery of Slovenian 'left-wing politics' and journalism".

02 Aug 2021, 17:18 PM

STA, 2 August 2021 - A memorial ceremony was held in Sinagoga Maribor on Monday to mark Roma Holocaust Memorial Day to commemorate the victims of the genocide committed against the Roma in WWII. "This should be spoken about so that such things do not repeat," Amanda Fetahi of the Maribor Roma community said on the occasion.

Today's traditional event, called The Night When Violins Went Silent (Noč, ko so violine obmolknile), was hosted by the Sinagoga Maribor centre of Jewish culture and the Association Epeka with jurist Vera Klopčič talking about the recently adopted definition of antigypsyism/anti-Roma discrimination by member states of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

The definition stipulates that ceremonies remembering the victims of the Holocaust also mention the victims of Porajmos, the attempt at ethnic cleansing and genocide against Europe's Romani people by the Nazis in WWII.

"The remembrance of the Roma genocide had been pushed aside for a long time, kept silent in the activities for remembering the Holocaust. This definition obliges countries to include remembrance of the victims of the Romani genocide in awareness-raising activities," said Klopčič.

She stressed that these activities were of key importance for eliminating prejudices, collective intolerance and hatred towards the Roma and, consequently, equal inclusion of the Roma in the broader community. "It is important that this is talked about and that it is noted where such phenomena can lead to."

Association Epeka president Štefan Simončič said that the most burning problem was the unemployment rate among the Roma, which according to unofficial data in the Maribor area exceeds 90%. The association is thus mulling a lawsuit against the state over the inability to eliminate this problem.

"It is unheard of that 20 years after a huge amount of EU funds was invested in employment of the Roma, the employment rate is so low," he said, adding that the main reason for the lack of progress was "institutional discrimination. The Roma are being blamed, while the money is gone."

The Romani genocide will also be remembered on Friday in Murska Sobota and in Petanjci, where a tree will be planted in the Remembrance and Friendship Park to mark the 50th anniversary of the first international congress of the Roma.

This will be followed by a round table debate in Murska Sobota about the situation and expectations of the Roma in Europe and laying of a wreath at the memorial plaque remembering the Roma victims of WWII.

The international community has been marking Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August, with the day being chosen because on the night to 3 August 1944, almost 3,000 Roma, mostly women, children and elderly people, were killed at Auschwitz.

A total of 21,000 are believed to be killed at Auschwitz, coming from 14 European countries. The Roma were also being exterminated in other Nazi camps, with the most recent estimates putting the total number of victims between 1939 and 1945 at at least half a million.

02 Aug 2021, 12:00 PM

STA, 2 August 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has indicated Slovenia would be willing to offer refuge to Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya amid reports that she is planning to seek asylum after the Belarusian Olympic Committee removed her from the national team for publicly criticising the coaches.

The 24-year-old Belarusian athlete got into trouble on Sunday after she publicly criticised the coaching staff of her national team. The Belarusian media condemned her move, saying she had no team spirit, and she was expelled from the national team.

Tsimanouskaya was then brought to the airport to leave Tokyo on Sunday, but she decided to stay and ask for help from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Several countries and politicians have already offered protection or asylum to Tsimanouskaya, including Janša, who posted a tweet on Sunday evening saying: "Krystsina is welcome in Slovenia," in reply to a post by Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

STA, 2 August 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has indicated Slovenia would be willing to offer refuge to Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya amid reports that she is planning to seek asylum after the Belarusian Olympic Committee removed her from the national team for publicly criticising the coaches. The 24-year-old Belarusian athlete got into trouble on Sunday after she publicly criticised the coaching staff of her national team. The Belarusian media condemned her move, saying she had no team spirit, and she was expelled from the national team. Tsimanouskaya was then brought to the airport to leave Tokyo on Sunday, but she decided to stay and ask for help from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Several countries and politicians have already offered protection or asylum to Tsimanouskaya, including Janša, who posted a tweet on Sunday evening saying: "Krystsina is welcome in Slovenia," in reply to a post by Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. In her post, Tsikhanouskaya criticised the attempted forced return of the athlete to Belarus, pointing out that the case was reminiscent of the hijacking of a Ryanair plane at the end of May. At the time, the Belarusian authorities arrested opposition journalist Roman Protasevich and his partner, who were on a plane that was forced to land in Minsk. In another post, also retweeted by Janša, Tsikhanouskaya called on the IOC to launch an investigation against the Belarusian Olympic Committee and to ensure the safety of all Belarusian athletes.

In her post, Tsikhanouskaya criticised the attempted forced return of the athlete to Belarus, pointing out that the case was reminiscent of the hijacking of a Ryanair plane at the end of May.

At the time, the Belarusian authorities arrested opposition journalist Roman Protasevich and his partner, who were on a plane that was forced to land in Minsk.

In another post, also retweeted by Janša, Tsikhanouskaya called on the IOC to launch an investigation against the Belarusian Olympic Committee and to ensure the safety of all Belarusian athletes.

31 Jul 2021, 09:28 AM

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 30 July 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: New right-leaning party is being formed

STA, 30 July 2021 - The left-wing weekly Mladina says in its latest editorial that Prime Minister Janez Janša is working hard for a new right-leaning party that would present itself as centrist at the next general election. It says that the most likely candidate for leading such a party is Health Minister Janez Poklukar.

Despite the appearance that a new party is to emerge on the left, much more intensive work for a new party is under way on the right end of the political spectrum, says the paper, noting that Janša will need a third coalition partner besides New Slovenia if his Democrats (SDS) win the election.

Thus Janša is looking for a person that would seem different enough from him and acceptable to less engaged voters. Someone would give the impression he is willing to overcome the left-right divide.

"Increasingly many signs suggest Janša has already found such a person. Partly by chance, and partly it was planned: this is most probably the current health minister, Janez Poklukar, whom the previous Marjan Šarec-led coalition appointed the head of the Ljubljana UKC hospital."

He has experience in business, is a leader, a man who sees the public sector as a kind of company. His rhetoric significantly differs from the rudeness of other SDS politicians.

He has quickly climbed the popularity rankings and strikes people as a trustworthy person already because he is a doctor. He seems kind, moderate, acceptable.

He is not incompetent, as he has led UKC Ljubljana well, and is working hard as health minister.

However, Poklukar seems to have not even the slightest reservation towards Janša's actions in other fields. On the contrary, he faithfully serves Janša, and seems to have no problems with his interfering with the rule of law, harassing of certain groups of the population, Hungarisation, intolerance, attacks on the civil society and media.

The creation of a new party led by Poklukar has undoubtedly been backed by private insurers that are already leading the efforts for further privatisation of the Slovenian healthcare through his legislative proposals.

Creating Poklukar's party is thus a serious project that can succeed and that Janša is dependent on. If voters are fooled, the consequences will be very serious, warns Mladina in the commentary entitled New Party.

Demokracija: EU of overreach, betrayal of ideals

STA, 29 July 2021 - Looking at EU action against Hungary over its LGBT+ law, the right-wing weekly Demokracija argues in Thursday's commentary that this is about more than Hungary. "All EU countries will be punished if they resist," the magazine says in Bukovsky Was Right.

"The declaration of 'war' on Orban is merely a test for others who are in the cross-hairs just because of their conservative world view and because they dare to preserve the segment of their sovereignty that was never transferred to Brussels elites.

"This is why they face accusations of attacking minorities (sexual, racial), 'independent' media, divergence from the rule of law and other fabricated imputations," the commentator says.

Demokracija argues that fundamental EU documents clearly state that European culture is built on Christian foundations, whereas the new member states joined the bloc predominantly for economic reasons.

"What they are doing today at the Berlaymont is usurpation of power and a betrayal of the Europe of nations that is unprecedented in the history of the old continent.

"Core EU members (whatever that may mean) are far from the ideal of democracy and freedom as seen by countries that had spent decades suffering under Communist dictatorship."

All our posts in this series are here

31 Jul 2021, 07:32 AM

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, 23 July
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič rejected the accusation by Prime Minister Janez Janša that he was acting against Slovenia's interests, as he arrived for an EU ministerial, saying "Slovenia is being harmed by those who undermine the rule of law and media freedom, rather than those of us who warn of such conduct being problematic".
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - After an informal meeting of EU ministers for European affairs, Slovenian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan and European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič noted that it had been agreed that the EU must be integrated and coordinated in the time of crises. The pair also stressed the importance of cooperation with the Western Balkan countries.
        LJUBLJANA - Franci Matoz, a prominent lawyer best known as a long-time legal representative of PM Janez Janša and his Democratic Party (SDS), was named chairman of the board of directors of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), Slovenia's bad bank, just a day after the government appointed him a non-executive director to replace a director who stepped down last week.
        LJUBLJANA - Organisers of public events and gatherings became obligated to check visitors' Covid certificates. A mobile app was released and not long after deleted due to privacy concerns and a new one is in the works. Hospitality providers in Slovenia have been required to check guests' Covid certificates from Monday.
        LJUBLJANA - Web portal Necenzurirano reported that PM Janez Janša had been holidaying in Mauritius for almost 20 years, playing golf and socialising with lobbyist Božo Dimnik and entrepreneur Andrej Marčič, representatives of the largest healthcare suppliers in Slovenia. Part of the opposition demanded a debate in parliament.
        LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry made EUR 65 million available for the reduction in waiting times for health services. More than 20,000 patients are expected to benefit, according to Health Minister Janez Poklukar.
        LJUBLJANA - Fresh statistics showed Slovenia's tourism is picking up with visitor numbers and nights spent at accommodation facilities rising substantially year-on-year in June. Arrivals were up by 54.7% to over 375,000 and nights spent rose by 66.7% to over a million, data from the Statistics Office showed.
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, Renault's Novo Mesto-based assembly plant, said it would have two sets of collective leave this summer due to a shortage of chips that has plagued the automotive industry worldwide. The company said it would be difficult to meet production targets.

SATURDAY, 24 July
        TOKYO, Japan - Reigning Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar won the bronze medal in the men's cycling road race at the Tokyo Olympics in what was the first Olympic medal in cycling for Slovenia and the first medal for Slovenia at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
        BOVEC - Addressing the annual gathering of the ruling Democrats (SDS), the party leader, Janez Janša, called on the party members to step up in the 2022 election campaign. The PM said the party had been successfully steering Slovenia through the Covid-19 epidemic for almost a year and a half.
        LJUBLJANA - A EUR 15 million contract on the purchase of a multi-purpose helicopter for the police was signed by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and representatives of Italy's Leonardo Helicopters. The contract also includes delivery and maintenance of the AgustaWestland AW169, a twin-engine, 10-seat multi-purpose transport helicopter.
        ORMOŽ - Yummy, a 2019 Belgian comedy horror by Dutch director Lars Damoiseaux, won the Vicious Cat award as the 17th Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival came to a close.

MONDAY, 26 July
        TOKYO, Japan - Canoeist Benjamin Savšek convincingly won the men's C-1 slalom to earn the first gold medal for Slovenia at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the second overall medal for the country.
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenian superstar Luka Dončić scored 48 points as the basketball team cruised past Argentina to open their campaign at the Olympics with a 118:100 win. The first Olympics win for Slovenia came against the runners-up from the last World Cup.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU finance ministers endorsed another four national recovery and resilience plans, including Slovenia's, which the European Commission approved at the beginning of the month. Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said Slovenia would get the first funds, EUR 231 million of the EUR 2.5 billion plan, in September at the latest.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian state-owned development bank SID, its Croatian counterpart HBOR and the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed an agreement to establish a regional technology transfer platform under which universities and public research institutions will be able to tap on EUR 40 million to start up and commercialise their development projects.
        LJUBLJANA - An inquiry into police handling of an incident in front of the Parliament House in which several MPs were harassed by a group of anti-maskers in early July has found several flaws, including a lack of coordination and a plan of response and subsequent failure to protect the site.
        
TUESDAY, 27 July
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenian judoka Tina Trstenjak won the silver medal in the 63kg category at the Tokyo Olympics. The second-best-ranked in the category had to concede to the top-ranked Clarisse Agbegnenou of France in what was a replay of the gold medal match from the previous Olympics where Trstenjak won.
        LJUBLJANA - Matej Oštir and Tanja Frank Eler, the candidates picked by the State Prosecution Council for Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors before the nomination process was annulled by the government, also applied in a repeat call for the posts. The Justice Ministry later confirmed it had received two applications for the posts.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry shared on Twitter a statement by the EU condemning Turkey's unilateral steps regarding the town of Varosha in Cyprus. Slovenia supports all endeavours towards a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue in line with UN resolutions and European Union values, the ministry wrote.

WEDNESDAY, 28 July
        TOKYO, Japan - Bouncing back from difficulties in the Olympic road race, cycling star Primož Roglič outclassed the competition by more than a minute in the men's Olympic time trial to win the second gold for Slovenia in Tokyo and the second medal for Slovenian cycling at the ongoing Games.
        LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's landmarks designed by architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957), including the Triple Bridge, Congress Square and Žale Cemetery, have been included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in line with a decision adopted by the World Heritage Committee.
        LJUBLJANA - The annual ceremony in memory of Russian POWs who died building the Vršič pass during WWI that will be held on Saturday will mark a number of anniversaries, including 30 years of Slovenia's independence. Slovenian president Borut Pahor and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to declare the day of the annual ceremony Slovenia-Russia Friendship Day.
        LJUBLJANA - The list of countries whose PCR and rapid antigen tests for coronavirus are recognised by Slovenia was expanded to include Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tests from countries not on the list will be also accepted if they are of the standard compatible with tests in EU and Schengen countries.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Finance Ministry official Janez Mravljak to head the newly founded Recovery and Resilience Office as acting director starting from 2 August. The office was founded on 3 June under the Finance Ministry to coordinate and manage the implementation of the national recovery and resilience plan.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian PEN centre expressed support to the Montenegrin PEN centre and called on the international community, the EU and Slovenia's EU presidency to condemn what it sees as the violence inflicted on the Montenegrin nation and culture by the current Montenegrin government in cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Church and pro-Serbian players.
        
THURSDAY, 29 July
        NOVO MESTO - Pharma group Krka Group saw its net profit rise by 11% to EUR 177.4 million in the first six months on record sales revenue of EUR 808.6 million, according to unaudited data. Sales revenue was up by 1% compared with the same period last year and up 6% from the first half of 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - The group Telekom Slovenije generated EUR 317.6 million in sales revenue in the first half of the year, down 1% from the same period in 2020. Net profit was up by 44% to EUR 21.3 million.
        JESENICE - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec and his Austrian counterpart Leonore Gewessler took part in a ceremony marking the reopening of the Karavanke railway tunnel following a safety and technical upgrade. Vrtovec noted the upgrade would improve Slovenia's link with Austria. The ministers said that railways represented the backbone of the future of mobility.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's ILO-compatible survey unemployment rate fell to 4.8% in June, down 0.2 percentage points from May and half a point down from June a year ago, showed data released by the Statistics Office.
        TOKYO, Japan - Slovenia made it to the quarter-finals of the basketball tournament at the Tokyo Olympics after defeating the hosts Japan 116:81 for what is their second win in as many matches. Led by the NBA All-Star Luka Dončić, Slovenia were in the lead throughout the game.

30 Jul 2021, 15:21 PM

STA, 30 July 2021 - Proceedings have been launched against two doctors by the Medical Chamber tribunal due to their contentious statements about Covid-19 vaccination and vaccines, the chamber has told the STA. Unofficially, one of them is a member of an anti-vaccine doctors' movement.

The vast majority of health workers, including doctors, have been highlighting the importance of vaccination and other preventive measures against Covid-19, however a handful have taken a different stand, airing their anti-vaccine views on social media and via certain media outlets.

Unofficially, one of the doctors against whom the chamber has initiated proceedings is a member of the Slovenian Doctors' Initiative, a movement that has been present online since last autumn and is among the most prominent anti-vaccination groups on social media in the country. The movement also questions some preventive measures such as testing and mask-wearing.

The chamber, which is keeping a close watch on its members' public posts, making sure they are not unprofessional or unethical, has confirmed that it has received a number of complaints against doctors, most of whom are members of the initiative.

The chamber's committee in charge of legal-ethical issues has processed seven cases so far. More serious ones have been referred to the tribunal, which is currently investigating two cases.

According to unofficial information obtained by the STA, the other case involves Nada Hiti, a GP with the Domžale Health Centre who published a recording on social media after diluting an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine with water and urine and sending the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

Hearings in both cases are expected to be held in late August.

29 Jul 2021, 16:07 PM

STA, 29 July 2021 - The Social Democrats (SD) president and vice-president Tanja Fajon and Matjaž Nemec, respectively, called on Prime Minister Janez Janša to initiate an independent, voluntary forensic investigation of mobile devices of political leaders, journalists and civil society in the face of the Pegasus scandal.

Fajon said today Janša should explain what he was doing and talking about during his visit to the company selling the spyware Pegasus in Europe while in Israel in December 2020.

This comes after a consortium of media reported that hacking spyware sold by the Israeli NSO Group has been allegedly used by governments to target journalists, activists and political opponents.

Fajon also urged Janša to enable an "independent and voluntary forensic investigation of mobile devices, primarily of leaders of political parties but also investigative journalists and civil society, so that we'll actually know whether eavesdropping was actually taking place here as well".

Some European countries have already announced independent investigations, she noted.

If Janša fails to order an investigation until a certain deadline, European institutions or independent bodies will have to be asked to do it, Fajon said.

She said the European Parliament had been urged a few days ago to start dealing both with spying allegations on European ground as well as a rise in neo-Nazism and rightist extremism in Slovenia.

Nemec said he would call a session of the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission (KNOVS) to discuss the Pegasus scandal and allegations of political pressure on the police, especially in connection to the Yellow Jackets group.

He said that both journalists and politicians, including the prime minister and state secretary for national security in the prime minister's office Žan Mahnič, would be invited to the session that was to be held at the end of August.

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