17 Jul 2021, 12:36 PM

Last Week in Slovenia: 9 - 15 July, 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, 9 July
        LJUBLJANA - The prime ministers of Visegrad Group countries endorsed the priorities of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU as they held talks with Prime Minister Janez Janša, who said the statement the four adopted at their recent summit largely reflected Slovenia's priorities and to a large extent the positions that Slovenia had about several topical issues.
        LJUBLJANA - The Justice Ministry published a new call for applications for two European delegated prosecutors after the previous one was annulled. The State Prosecutor's Council indicated it would not go along with the new call.
        SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Borut Pahor said at a meeting of leaders from the Three Seas Initiative that the initiative could only be successful if it acted in line with the goals, priorities and policies of the EU. He said one strategic goal must always be pursued, and that is sustainable development.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU ministers in charge of employment and social policy concluded a two-day informal meeting with the conclusion that to have resilient and inclusive labour markets, a regular and constructive dialogue with the civil society needs to be boosted.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenians who wish to mix different coronavirus vaccines will be allowed to do that under new guidance issued by the National Institute of Public Health. The general rule is that the same vaccine be used for both shots, but if individuals express the wish to mix vaccines, they can do it.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the audiovisual media services act under which content providers will have to earmark 6% of their gross annual revenue to a special fund to finance European audiovisual production. It was originally proposed that the levy be set at 2%, but the coalition partners pushed through an amendment raising the share to 6%.
        LJUBLJANA - An investigation into the conduct of the police at the 25 June anti-government rally found no fault in the decision of police officers to remove a far-right group, though several irregularities in the policing of the event had been detected.

SATURDAY, 10 July
TRIESTE, Italy - President Borut Pahor said during a visit to Trieste that National Hall, which used to be the centre of the Slovenian community in Trieste, should be returned to the Slovenian community there as soon as possible, the symbolic restitution having taken place a year ago. Pahor was also conferred the Tre Sigilli di Trieste, the city's highest honour.

SUNDAY, 11 July
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian voters overwhelmingly rejected the changes to the waters act in a referendum. More than 86% voted against and the statutory requirement that at least 20% of all voters must be against for a law to be rejected was satisfied as well. Turnout exceeded 46%, the highest in a referendum since 2007.
        TEHRAN, Iran/LJUBLJANA - The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Slovenia's Ambassador to Iran Kristina Radej over Prime Minister Janez Janša's call for an inquiry into a 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran at the Free Iran World Summit, an event hosted by the Iranian diaspora.

MONDAY, 12 July
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša nominated Mark Boris Andrijanič, the chair of the Strategic Council for Digitalisation and head of public policy for Central and Eastern Europe at Uber, to head the forthcoming Digital Transformation Office as a minister without portfolio.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador to Slovenia over Prime Minister Janez Janša's recent statement about a 1988 massacre in Iran, to explain that Slovenia always advocates human rights and fundamental freedoms and that Slovenia's activities are never directed against any particular country.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, vetoed the amendments to the communicable diseases act that the National Assembly passed the week before in order to replace provisions that had been struck down by the Constitutional Court.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - As part of the Slovenian EU presidency, Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti opened an exhibition of contemporary Slovenian visual arts at the European Parliament, entitled We Live in Exciting Times. The minister opposed the initial concept of the show, but was pleased with the end result.
        LJUBLJANA - Trade unions called on the government to withdraw a legislative proposal that would eliminate employee representatives from management of the Health Insurance Institute (ZSSS), which collects and manages mandatory health insurance contributions.

TUESDAY, 13 July
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed in a 49:17 vote a resolution on climate strategy until 2050 under which Slovenia commits to become climate neutral in the coming 30 years. Before backing it, coalition MPs added a provision saying that Slovenia will use nuclear energy in the long term.
        PRAGUE, Czechia - President Borut Pahor called for a strong and effective Europe as he appeared as a speaker at the Prague European Summit, recalling the bloc's fundamental values such as rule of law that he said should be understood the same way.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly rejected President Borut Pahor's nominee for Constitutional Court judge, Janez Kranjc. He received 45 votes in a secret ballot, one short of the required majority, as 43 MPs voted against and one ballot was invalid.
        LJUBLJANA - Damjan Kukovec, senior lecturer in law at Middlesex School of Law in London, was endorsed as a candidate for judge at the EU General Court, the National Assembly having voted 74:15 in his favour in a secret ballot.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly reappointed Irena Vodopivec Jean a vice-governor of the central bank. She will assume another six-year term after her current one ends on 6 October.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed in a 51:11 vote amendments to the service in the Slovenian Armed Forces act which aim to address long-standing labour issues and the specific rights and responsibilities of soldiers during service.
        LJUBLJANA - Jaroš Britovšek was appointed director general of the Defence Ministry's Intelligence and Security Service (OVS) for a full term by the government, having served as acting director since March.
        MURSKA SOBOTA - Mura, Slovenia's football champions, made it to the second round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League after crushing North Macedonia's Shkendija 5:0 to advance on an aggregate score of 6:0.

WEDNESDAY, 14 July
        LJUBLJANA - Senior officials issued appeals for personal responsibility to avert a new lockdown. The Covid-19 danger is still present, "but responsibility for your health and the health of your loved ones is entirely in your hands," Prime Minister Janez Janša said.
        LJUBLJANA - WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge, President Borut Pahor and Health Minister Janez Poklukar stressed the importance of vaccination and warned of the rapid spread of the Delta variant in view of the resurgence of infections, as they visited the Ljubljana vaccination centre.
        LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition said they were considering mounting a fresh attempt to oust the Janez Janša government after failing with a vote of no confidence in February and an impeachment in May. This time, they will carry out the plan only if they are certain of their majority, SocDem leader Tanja Fajon said.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Association of Judges expressed concern and indignation after the National Assembly failed to endorse two candidates for supreme judges over their past decisions, a move that they say undermines judges' independence and fundamental principles of the rule of law.
        PAU, France - Slovenia's cycling star and yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogačar won the 17th stage of the Tour de France to increase his overall lead.

THURSDAY, 15 July
        LJUBLJANA - The ruling coalition voted to postpone the vote on the bill creating a new demographic fund and voted against amendments to the communicable diseases act in a revote after they were vetoed by the upper chamber. Announcing the move, PM Janez Janša said they did not want such an important topic as the demographic fund to be decided on in such a heated political situation, while he said the new communicable diseases act was no longer needed now that all deputy group leaders called for vaccination.
        KOSTANJEVICA NA KRKI - The presidents of Slovenia, Austria and Croatia, Borut Pahor, Alexander Van der Bellen and Zoran Milanović, urged stepping up vaccination against Covid-19 and threw their support behind the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans, as they met for the 8th trilateral meeting. They also touched on the issue of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant.
        LJUBLJANA - Tighter rules for entering Slovenia took effect. The colour-coded list of countries was replaced with the requirement that passengers who wish to enter the country need to have a Covid certificate regardless of where they come from.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša announced that those who have been vaccinated against Covid, have recovered from it or have been tested would be allowed to have as few restrictions in public life as possible, while rapid tests will be no longer be free of charge from mid-August.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a coalition-sponsored bill to increase funds for private primary schools to implement two Constitutional Court rulings after several previous attempts to do so failed. The bill secures 100% state funding of private primary schools' obligatory curriculum, up from 85% now.
        LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak told an online debate the discussion on the Fit for 55 package should not just be about the goals but also about how to achieve these goals in the best, fairest and most responsible way to protect the competitiveness of the Slovenian and European economy.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs chaired an informal session of EU home affairs ministers, which he said showed that stances between EU members in talks on the EU pact on migration and asylum were still quite diverging but they showed political will for progress.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - European Commissioner Ylva Johansson expressed her disappointment because the issue of STA financing has still not been resolved, saying she got the impression after meeting Interior Minister Aleš Hojs back in April that the issue would soon be solved.
        DUBLIN, Ireland - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Irish counterpart Simon Coveney attended a ceremony to inaugurate the new premises of the Slovenian Embassy in Dublin with Logar calling the reopening of the embassy "an important milestone" in the efforts to further enhance political, economic, cultural and other ties between the two countries.
        KRANJ - The Kranj District Court handed down an eight-month suspended prison sentence with a probation period of five years to a 20-year-old from Kropa who planned a shooting spree in April, after he was found guilty of attempted trafficking in weapons. He said that he regretted his actions and apologized.
        PAU - Tadej Pogačar won a second stage at the Tour de France in as many days to increase his overall lead and secure the polka-dot jersey of best climber. He has all but secured the overall victory on Sunday, having a 5:45 minute lead ahead of the runner up, Dane Jonas Vingegaard.

15 Jul 2021, 11:38 AM

Slovenia’s Opposition Considering a Fresh, Better Organised Attempt to Defeat Janša

STA, 14 July 2021 - The centre-left opposition are considering mounting a fresh attempt to oust the Janez Janša government after failing with a vote of no confidence in February and an impeachment in May. This time, they will carry out the plan only if they are certain of their majority.

If the opposition gathers 46 votes, it will table a motion of no confidence, SocDem leader Tanja Fajon said on Wednesday after meeting the leaders of the LMŠ, Left, SAB and unaffiliated MPs.

#PredsednicaSD @TFajon po srečanju opozicije: Če bomo zbrali 46 poslanskih podpisov, bomo ponovno vložili konstruktivno nezaupnico. Ključna je odločitev DeSUS in glasovanja ta teden v DZ o štirih pomembnih odločitvah, med drugim o zakonu o demografskem skladu in odločanje o ZNB. pic.twitter.com/8z2xBpciub
— Socialni demokrati (@strankaSD) July 14, 2021

The five deputy groups do not have 46 votes among them and are counting on the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), which was split in the two previous attempts and did not deliver the majority.

DeSUS has been in disarray for months and under its latest president, Ljubo Jasnič, disputes between the party leadership and its MPs, who tend to vote with the government, have not been ironed out.

According to Fajon, the centre-left opposition will keep an eye on four key votes this week, including on the law on the national demographic fund and the new digital transformation minister, to see how DeSUS votes.

While a vote of no confidence in the entire government requires the proponents to put forward a candidate for prime minister, Fajon indicated a name had not been chosen yet.

"But any one of us who shows this interest or ambition should be ready," she said.

The attempt comes after the government suffered several defeats within just days. After a new waters act was overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum, the National Council vetoed amendments to the communicable diseases act and the candidate for the new Constitutional Court judge was not confirmed.

14 Jul 2021, 14:26 PM

Illegal Migration Fell a Third in First 6 Months of 2021, Most from Afghanistan, Pakistan

STA, 14 July 2021 - Police dealt with 3,343 illegal border crossings in the first half of the year, almost a third fewer than in the same period last year, when there were 5,127. The most frequently processed illegal migrants were from Afghanistan (644) and Pakistan (633).

As noted by the police, there has been a sharp decline in the number of Pakistani and particularly Moroccan nationals, as the number of illegal migrants continues to be affected by the limited mobility due to the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lately there has been a marked increase in the number of migrants from Bangladesh, as there were 442 in the first six months of 2021 and only 173 in the same period last year. There has also been a slight increase in the number of migrants coming from Kosovo, Turkey and Iran.

The most dramatic decrease was seen in the numbers of migrants from Morocco, as their number dropped from 1,327 in the first half of last year to just 70 this year. The number of migrants arriving from Pakistan has also dropped, from 1,276 in the January-June period last year to 633 in the same period this year.

The highest number of illegal entries at internal EU borders happened at the border with Hungary this year, which shows that problems at this border seem to be increasing. The most exposed border in this respect is still the border with Croatia.

According to the data on illegal crossings of the border by individual police departments, far fewer migrants were processed in the areas covered by the police departments of Ljubljana and Novo Mesto, while increases were recorded in Maribor, Murska Sobota, Celje and Koper.

The total number of persons who were returned to the Slovenian police (77) and of those returned to foreign authorities (1,636) has also decreased slightly in 2021, compared to the same period last year (413 and 3,157, respectively).

The number of illegal migrants who declare their intention to apply for international protection has decreased, except in the case of Pakistani nationals. However, migrants still mostly resume their journey after reaching Slovenia, heading towards their destination countries.

The total number of applications for international protection received by Slovenian authorities in the first six months of 2021 is quite similar to the same period in 2020, standing at 1,270 and 1,467 respectively.

14 Jul 2021, 11:57 AM

Criminal Police Investigating Harassment of MPs in Front of Parliament

STA, 13 July 2021 - Criminal police are investigating last week's harassment of a number of MPs by anti-maskers in front of the National Assembly, while police security around the parliament building and of parliament staff has also been strengthened, the Ljubljana Police Department said in a written statement on Tuesday.

More MPs than initially reported were a target of harassment and threats, the police said, noting that "the numbers show that these were not individual accidental expressions of people's dissatisfaction with MPs".

The statement does not say how many MPs have been attacked after changes to the infectious diseases act was passed last Wednesday, but a number of MPs publicly said they had been threatened and even spat at by a group of people when leaving the National Assembly.

Speaker Igor Zorčič said on Monday that the National Assembly was considering pressing charges against the attackers, while it had been agreed that security of the National Assembly and its staff should be improved.

The Ljubljana Police Department also said today that the perpetrators had tried to influence how MPs should vote.

According to MP Jožef Horvat from the coalition New Slovenia (NSi), the group that surrounded him wanted to know how he had voted on the changes to the law. He believes Zorčič will not hesitate to take action, but also regrets that deputy group leaders were not unanimous on the matter on Friday when they met with the speaker as, he said, some left the meeting prematurely.

MPs Mojca Škrinjar, Alenka Jeraj and Janez Moškrič from the ruling Democrats (SDS) also spoke today about recent verbal harassments and threats they experienced when entering or leaving the parliament building.

The perpetrators jostled the two female MPs and none of the MPs received help by the police or security, the MPs said.

Jeraj highlighted that such conduct was unacceptable, saying she expected the competent authorities to take action in line with the law.

"We've been raising alarm for a long time, since slogan Death to Janšism started being tolerated, warning what this will lead to," she said, adding that the MPs had also turned to Speaker Zorčič but this came to nothing.

Prime Minister Janez Janša warned on Twitter that violence against MPs had been on the rise.

A parliamentary session or a session of the National Security Council or both would be needed to give the police and prosecution a chance to explain how they plan to curb "this spiral of violence", he said.

Opposition MPs also condemned the violence with National Party (SNS) leader Zmago Jelinčič saying the police should respond immediately and blaming leftist progressive media for the developments.

Marjan Šarec of his eponymous LMŠ party said that the situation was a reflection of today's society where everyone is allowed to do as they please. He said the MPs had not been harassed by leftists, but "boys and girls from all walks of life who joined forces and are now against everything".

Left's deputy group head Matej T. Vatovec sees the reason for the developments in the SDS's year-long actions and their rhetoric of division.

Matjaž Han, the head of SocDems deputy faction, called on his colleagues in parliament to de-escalate the situation, saying there were MPs both on the left and right poles of the political spectrum who incited hate speech. He also dismissed claims by some that anti-government protesters known as Friday cyclists had something to do with this harassment.

The government amended the infectious diseases act after the Constitutional Court declared parts of it and by extension the measures introduced during the epidemic unconstitutional because they gave the government too much leeway in introducing restrictions that affect fundamental rights.

The upper chamber vetoed the amendments yesterday in an unexpected move since no group of councillors had demanded a veto; the National Council simply met to automatically debate vetoes of all major laws to facilitate their prompt implementation.

13 Jul 2021, 11:56 AM

Exhibition of Slovenian Art Finally Opens in European Parliament to Mark EU Presidency

STA, 13 July 2021 - As part of the Slovenian EU presidency, Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti opened an exhibition of contemporary Slovenian visual art at the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday, entitled We Live in Exciting Times. The preparations hit a snag, but the minister was pleased with the final result.

The exhibition was opened by Minister Simoniti and Karol Karski, a Polish MEP from the Eurosceptic political group European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), who is also the Quaestor and Chair of the Parliament's Art Committee.

"It is beautifully and clearly laid out, the art is attractive and encourages passers-by to stop," Minister Simoniti said about the display, noting the significance of the exhibition being held in the European Parliament.

The participating Slovenian painters, sculptors and photographers, selected by curator Marko Košan from the Koroška Gallery of Fine Arts, are Uroš Abram, Suzana Brborović, Nina Čelhar, Tina Dobrajc, Mito Gegič, Aleksij Kobal, Herman Pivk, Ana Sluga, Miha Štrukelj, Lujo Vodopivec, Sašo Vrabič, Uroš Weinberger and Joni Zakonjšek.

The paintings are displayed on the walls of the parliamentary corridors. The exhibition also features paintings by Jasmina Cibic, Arjan Pregl, Andrej Jemec, Lojze Logar and Gašper Jemec, and a sculpture by Drago Tršar, which are part of the European Parliament collection.

The way in which these works were to be included represented the stumbling block in the preparations for the exhibition, traditionally set up by each country during its EU presidency in cooperation with the European Parliament since 2011.

Simoniti cancelled Slovenia's exhibition in May on the grounds that he was not informed of the conditions in time. He disliked the fact that the Parliament wanted to present its own collection of works by Slovenian authors at the same time, because "Slovenia is an independent and sovereign country that will decide what to exhibit on its own."

However, the Koroška Gallery of Fine Arts, which was commissioned to select the works, announced at the time that the exhibition would be set up under the conditions confirmed at the start of the preparations.

A few days later, the Ministry of Culture confirmed the exhibition, announced that it would be installed under the conditions requested by the minister and that Slovenia's selected works and the works from the European Parliament's permanent collection would be exhibited in two parts.

Minister Simoniti commented on these complications on Monday by saying that he wanted the exhibition to be set up the way it is today - first with artists selected from Slovenia, and then those from the European Parliament's collection, adding that the concept was turned on its head before. "The exhibition is set up the way I wanted it and I think it is set up well," he said.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament said that the concept was the same as originally envisaged, explaining that it is still one exhibition, but in two parts. They saw the complications as the result of misunderstandings, which they had never truly understood very well.

Asked whether the concept was the same as originally envisaged, Simoniti replied, "No, the concept is not the same. The catalogue is not the same. That was precisely the point, and it was often misunderstood in public, also because it was opportune to make an event out of a non-event, and that is why this has occurred."

Asked how he would comment on the allegations that he did not approve of one of the authors, Arjan Pregl, Simoniti replied that these allegations were false.

13 Jul 2021, 11:44 AM

National Council Vetoes Communicable Diseases Act that Critics Say Gave Govt Too Much Power

STA, 12 July 2021 - The National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, vetoed in an 18:13 vote on Monday the amendments to the communicable diseases act that the National Assembly passed last week in order to replace provisions that have been struck down by the Constitutional Court.

The veto comes as a surprise since it had not been demanded by any particular group of councillors. The proceedings were just a continuation of the National Council's practice, introduced at the outset of the epidemic, to automatically debate vetoes of all major laws before the expiry of the seven-day veto period to make sure they may be implemented as soon as possible.

The law was amended after the Constitutional Court declared parts of the act and by extension the measures introduced during the epidemic unconstitutional because they gave the government too much leeway in introducing restrictions that affect fundamental rights.

The amended act determines that expert assessments are required for some measures, and that certain indicators must be taken into account when restrictions are adopted. It also introduces curbs on the duration and location of the measures.

Critics, including centre-left opposition parties, have attacked the amendments as merely affirming the government overreach.

Several councillors echoed these concerns today, in particular with regard to government powers, urging the National Assembly to come up with better solutions.

The amendments were passed in a partisan 44:42 vote last week. To override the veto, at least 46 MPs must vote in favour, a majority that the current government does not have.

The other two laws that the National Council debated today, the latest stimulus law for the tourism and hospitality sector and a law on emergency measures in the healthcare sector, passed muster and can now be enacted.

12 Jul 2021, 10:49 AM

Analyst: High Youth Referendum Turnout, Resounding Loss for Govt, Spell Trouble for Janša

STA, 11 July 2021 - The rejection of the new waters act is a vote of no confidence in the government by the people, who have succeeded in doing what the opposition had failed to do in parliament, according to political analyst Andraž Zorko, who sees the high turnout as an indicator of topics that may feature prominently in future elections.

Voters Strongly Reject Water Development Act in Referendum

Zorko, an analyst for the pollster Valicon and host of a political podcast, noted that over 635,000 people voted against, which is half the number of all voters who cast their votes in the 2018 general election.

"This is yet another very tangible sign what would happen today if this were an election day," he told the STA. "This means that this government de facto no longer has legitimacy".

He said another milestone judging from testimony from polling stations is turnout by youths, which indicates that politics in general, not just this government, will have to change its approach to legislation.

In general, environmental issues are what activates youths. "It is more than obvious that interest among youths is significantly higher because they realise this is about the world that they, not the current decision-makers, will live in."

Slovenians overall are very green and environmentally conscious and these issues will in future affect the activation and turnout of younger voters in particular, he said.

12 Jul 2021, 07:15 AM

Voters Strongly Reject Water Development Act in Referendum

STA, 11 July 2021 - Slovenian voters have overwhelmingly rejected the new waters act in a referendum on Sunday. More than 86% voted against, show near-final unofficial results. The statutory requirement that at least 20% of all voters must be against for a law to be rejected has been satisfied as well.

After more than 99% of the votes were counted, the tally showed 86.6% voting against and 13.4% in favour of the law.

Turnout was just shy of 46%, the highest in a referendum since 2007. It was the highest in Ljubljana, at nearly 50%, and lowest in the Ptuj electoral unit, at almost 37%, according to preliminary data by the National Electoral Commission.

The law was overwhelmingly rejected in all 88 electoral districts, with the share of the no-vote exceeding 80% in almost all districts.

The referendum revolved around provisions of the new law that determine the development of coastal, lakeside and riverside areas.

It was initiated by a grassroots movement of mostly NGOs that objected to provisions that they say would lead to too much development, damage public access to waters and potentially jeopardise groundwater.

The no-vote is a sign that people have had it with obstruction of democratic rights and indicates their disagreement with current policies, Nika Kovač of the Institute 8 March said in an early comment.

"There are claims that the votes were emotional. And I say yes, they definitely were. But they were based on a clear opinion of experts and the work of environmental organisations that the authorities constantly ignored," she said.

Uroš Macerl of the environmental NGO Eko Krog said that people had demonstrated that water and nature were something they were not prepared to give up and perhaps the greatest assets of Slovenia. "This is a victory of courage and activation of good people who wish to change things for the better," he said.

Macerl highlighted that this was also a victory of the young, noting that young people showed they would fight for their future. "I really missed this in the past 10, 15 years of activism and I'm extremely glad," he said.

He also noted that quite a few parties that had been on the side of the experts in this referendum campaign had done many mistakes when it came to environmental policy in the past, urging them not to repeat these mistakes if they ever get to lead the country again.

The government claimed the opposite than the against camp, arguing that the new provision would in fact protect coastal, lakeside and riverside areas from over-development.

Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said the referendum had been stolen and misused to achieve other goals, including political targets.

"People have reacted emotionally ... voters were encouraged by some pamphlets that have nothing to do with the legislation's purpose," Vizjak told public broadcaster RTV Slovenija.

11 Jul 2021, 17:31 PM

Slovenian Speaker, Foreign Ministry Mark Srebrenica Memorial Day

STA, 11 July 2021 - Speaker Igor Zorčič and the Foreign Ministry paid tribute on Sunday to the victims of the Srebrenica massacre, which took place 26 years ago. The ministry said that relativisation or denial of the tragic event was unacceptable as Zorčič highlighted the role of Slovenia's EU presidency in efforts to achieve reconciliation in the Western Balkans.

Marking Srebrenica Memorial Day, which is observed on 11 July, the ministry pointed out that the anniversary was a warning to reawaken and preserve the memory of the victims and horrors that happened during the Bosnian War.

"Srebrenica will not and should not be forgotten - reconciliation is possible only if we remember and acknowledge the suffering and pain of the people. Denying or relativising these tragic events is unacceptable," the ministry wrote in a press release.

The Western Balkans region is still heavily burdened by memories and a painful historical experience, the ministry said, adding that reconciliation processes should be stepped up as that was the only way for all generations to fulfil their potential and contribute to the well-being, stability and security of the region.

"The strengthening of reconciliation and cooperation is of great value for the progress of all countries in the region on their European path. Slovenia strives for a conciliation process for the Western Balkan region's stability within the framework of its foreign policy priorities and as an EU presiding country," the press release reads.

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič also stressed the role of the Slovenian EU presidency in the efforts to effect reconciliation in the region.

"The European Union will have, with the help of Slovenia as the EU presiding country, the best opportunity in the next six months to take a step forward towards the integration of Western Balkan countries. Only a joint, European future will be a lasting guarantee for stability and peace in the region and Europe," he wrote.

All of us together, countries in the Western Balkans and the EU, owe this to the Srebrenica victims. We owe this to our children and the generations yet unborn so that they could live in harmony and peace in this area, he added.

11 Jul 2021, 17:18 PM

Iran Summons Slovenian Ambassador Over Janša's Comments

STA, 11 July 2021 - The Iranian Foreign Ministry has summoned Slovenia's Ambassador to Iran, Kristina Radej, over Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša's recent calls for an inquiry into a 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran, Iranian media reported. Tehran has asked for an explanation from the Slovenian government.

Iran's IRNA news agency reported that the country's Foreign Ministry summoned on Sunday the Slovenian ambassador in Tehran. The reason for the step is Janša's video address at a recent Free Iran World Summit, an annual global event organised by the Iranian diaspora, which Tehran described as an online meeting of "a terrorist group".

The ministry condemned Janša's appearance at the summit during the talk with Ambassador Radej. The Iranian officials told the ambassador that the appearance was "unacceptable, against diplomatic norms and spirit" of bilateral relations, IRNA reported.

The Slovenian ambassador was also told that supporting terrorist organisations was not in line with the United Nations Charter, international principles or human rights values.

Radej assured the officials that she would inform the Slovenian government about Iran's objection to Janša's step.

Janša appeared at the virtual summit on Saturday, urging an independent inquiry into the 1988 massacre. In his video message he expressed support for setting up a UN-led commission of inquiry into allegations of state-ordered executions of thousands of political prisoners after the move had been called for by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman.

Janša, the prime minister of a country that is currently at the helm of the Council of the EU, said "this is especially important in light of the fact that the regime's next president will be Ebrahim Raisi, who is accused by Amnesty International of crimes against humanity for his role in the massacre".

"The Iranian regime must be held accountable for human rights violations and the international community must be firmer on this," he said.

The STA has put a number of queries regarding the developments to the Slovenian Foreign Ministry and awaits the answers.

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