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President Pahor
03 Jul 2021, 15:22 PM

Pahor: Minister Hojs Should Apologise for "Swine" Comment, Janša Should Be Careful in EU Parliament

STA, 3 July 2021 - President Borut Pahor assessed that Interior Minister Aleš Hojs saying that the term "swine" could apply to a key player in the EU administration is unbecoming of the post he holds. Hojs must find a way to apologise, said Pahor, adding that PM Janez Janša should also pay attention to this in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

Hojs caused confusion at Friday's briefing for Brussels correspondents, with the journalists interpreting one of his replies as taking aim at European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans with a pearls-swine metaphor.

They journalists confronted Hojs about the "do not cast pearls before swine" comment he made on Twitter about the Yellow Jackets, a far-right group linked to neo-Nazis which was removed from last Friday's anti-government protests in Ljubljana.

The minister responded by saying he did not refer to anyone as "swine" and later added that, taking into account what was said on Thursday, when the College of European Commissioners visited Slovenia, his comment might as well apply to a key player in the EU administration.

The journalists' first impression was that this was probably an allusion to Timmermans, who boycotted a group photo because of Prime Minister Janez Janša's comments about links between Slovenian judges and the Social Democrats (SD).

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of an event in Črna na Koroškem on Saturday, Pahor said that politicians and public personalities were obliged to refrain from words that some could understand as insulting.

Hojs's words are unbecoming of someone who holds such a senior position, he added.

"Especially when he speaks not only on his own behalf, on behalf of the government and our country, but on behalf of the EU Council, he must be extra careful what and how he says something so that it does not get met with lack of understanding.

We don't need to agree, he does not need to present a position that is necessarily acceptable for all, but it must be uttered respectfully," the president added.

Pahor also noted that Prime Minister Janez Janša is to present the Slovenian presidency's agenda to the European Parliament plenary on Tuesday and answer questions from MEPs.

The president hopes that Janša will be able to resist the temptation to "say everything that he thinks, in a way that he would perhaps want to, and that everything that he says will be said on behalf of Slovenia.

"He should be careful in doing so. I don't want to give advice, but I would like to see everything go well on Tuesday," said Pahor, assessing that Janša's appearance in the European Parliament could be decisive in Slovenia winning over the European parliament.

"The parliament is difficult to win over. One needs to be very crafty and the prime minister can be very crafty. But the questions is whether he will be crafty enough on Tuesday so that we win over the authority to chair the Council in such demanding dossiers," he concluded.

Last Week in Slovenia: 25 June - 1 July, 2021
03 Jul 2021, 06:39 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 25 June - 1 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, 25 June
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša symbolically took over the presidency of the EU from Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva at the Statehood Day ceremony. He warned against using double standards and said that as the presiding country, Slovenia would fight for equal standards for everyone.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor made an appeal for a new national consensus in his address to the Statehood Day ceremony, highlighting the importance of shared goals and cooperation. He also called for a respect of differences and diversity. The prime ministers of Austria, Croatia and Hungary, the foreign minister of Italy, and the president of the European Council also congratulated Slovenia on the 30th anniversary of its independence as they addressed the ceremony.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša told reporters as part of the EU summit that there would be enough Covid-19 vaccine and that now the key problem would be how to utilise all resources so that as many people as possible got vaccinated. As for the new Hungarian law on the LGBTIQ community, he said Slovenia did not want to be part of any new divisions in Europe.
        LJUBLJANA - Organisers of weekly anti-government protests staged an alternative celebration of Statehood Day, with the crowd filling Prešeren Square as speakers criticised political elites. In inviting people to the protest, the organisers said the event was open to all people who recognise that this is a holiday of the people, not a holiday of political elites.
        LJUBLJANA - Several international NGOs promoting freedom of the press called on the Slovenian government to refrain during the presidency of the EU Council from attempts to undermine initiatives that aim to improve the conditions for freedom of the press in EU member states and in EU candidate countries
        LJUBLJANA - The Romanian Orthodox Church announced it had established a parish in Ljubljana in order to provide spiritual care for the Romanian diaspora. "It is a moral obligation to take care of all Romanians, wherever they are," said Patriarch Daniel.
        LJUBLJANA - The pandemic severely affected population statistics in Slovenia in 2020, as a high death rate was coupled with fewer births. Life expectancy declined by almost a year, Statistics Office said.

SATURDAY, 26 June
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his German and Portuguese counterparts, Heiko Maas and Augusto Santos Silva called for EU enlargement to the Western Balkans in an op-ed published on the BalkanInsight web portal, describing such efforts as a strategic and shared interest.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša discussed the values of independence as well as what he called high treason in an interview with the commercial broadcaster Nova24TV, saying that while independence never divided the nation it did divide politics, owning to those for whom an independent Slovenia was not an "intimate option".
        ŠMARJEŠKE TOPLICE/ŠENTJERNEJ - A meeting discussing Slovenia's green future was held under the auspices of President Borut Pahor, who stressed the need for a consensus on the green future of the country. Robert Golob, chairman of Gen-I, which organised the conference, highlighted the importance of joint efforts to fight climate change.
        MARIBOR - Maribor held its second Pride Parade, a week after a similar event was held in Ljubljana, with the city's local authorities and the university joining. The organisers said they had distributed all the 300 promotional bracelets among the participants.

SUNDAY, 27 June
        BERLIN, Germany - Slovenia as a whole was removed from the list of Covid risk areas by Germany, which means those who arrive in Germany from Slovenia by land can enter without restrictions. The change in Slovenia's status comes after parts of the country were already removed from the list of risk areas in mid-June.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and the first prime minister of the independent Slovenia, Lojze Peterle, noted the vital role that the Slovenian diaspora played in the independence efforts, as they addressed the 27th annual get-together of Slovenians living abroad.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša attended a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the first session of the Slovenian World Congress where a commemorative plaque was unveiled. He was presented with a distinction awarded to individuals and institutions whose activities strengthen the national consciousness of their compatriots.
        TOMAJ - Josip Osti, a Sarajevo-born poet, writer and translator who earned international acclaim for his literary work as well as praise for his efforts in linking different cultures, died in his home town of Tomaj at the age of 76.
        
MONDAY, 28 June
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin informed his German counterpart Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as she visited Slovenia that the government would purchase German eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles Boxer for the Slovenian Armed Forces. The ministers called for greater cooperation and announced a joint task force.
        ROME, Italy - Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in the ministerial session of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, pledging Slovenia's commitment to enhanced cooperation against the militant group. Logar also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič said Slovenia would seek to accelerate the enlargement process during its presidency of the Council of the EU as he took part in the summit between the European Parliament and parliamentary speakers from the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ruled that the interpretation by the National Assembly of the provisions of the criminal procedure act that instruct destruction of evidence obtained by means of covert surveillance if no criminal prosecution is initiated in two years after evidence is obtained is unconstitutional.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor nominated law professor Janez Kranjc, an associate member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), for a vacancy on the Constitutional Court. Pahor's office described Kranjc as a highly esteemed law expert both at home and abroad.
        LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj ordered supervision of the work of the Ljubljana Police Administration in policing the 25 June alternative celebration of Statehood Day by anti-government protesters in Prešeren Square. He said there were doubts as to whether all protesters were treated the same.
        LJUBLJANA - The government as the STA's sole shareholder asked its communication office to transfer EUR 845,000 advance to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) for the expenses related to the performance of public service once the STA provides UKOM with access to business documentation for the last ten years and if a contract on public service is signed.
        BRESTANICA - The Brestanica Thermal Plant (TEB) inaugurated its seventh gas unit in an investment valued at EUR 26.4 million. The 56-megawatt Unit 7 and the 53-megawatt Unit 6, which has been in operation since 2018, will replace three lower capacity units that are nearing the end of their lifespan.
        
TUESDAY, 29 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia presented to Brusssels correspondents the priorities of its presidency of the Council of the EU with the Fit for 55 legislative package attracting the most interest. Slovenia's Permanent Representative to the EU Iztok Jarc said Slovenia hoped for a breakthrough in accession negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania by September to provide for a better atmosphere ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia on 6 October.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - PM Janez Janša met the ambassadors of the EU member states for a working lunch, to note that the key challenges of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU are the Covid-19 situation, economic recovery, improving resilience, the Conference on the Future of Europe and EU enlargement, the government said.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Five MEPs and a German MP called on the European Commission and the European Council to take measures regarding the situation in Slovenia. They think that the Commission should trigger the mechanism under which funds are conditional upon the respect of the rule of law due to pressures on the media and judiciary.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to call in reserve police to make up for absences as active police force members take on additional tasks to protect the events during Slovenia's EU presidency, secure the border and to provide the security at sporting events. About 2,000 reserve police deployments are estimated to be required.
        LONDON, UK - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) upgraded by 1.5 percentage points its GDP growth forecast for Slovenia in 2021 to 5%. The institution expects that Slovenia's economy will expand by a further 4% next year.
        AJDOVŠČINA - Slovenian military pilots are to train on and test aircraft produced by the light aircraft maker Pipistrel under an agreement signed by Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Pipistrel director Ivo Boscarol. The sides also agreed a special partnership that includes efforts to obtain EU and NATO funds for development projects.

WEDNESDAY, 30 June
        MARIBOR - Podravje, Slovenia's second largest region, was offered the prospect of EU-subsidised investment for a development breakthrough as the government toured the region. Prime Minister Janez Janša said the goal was to keep young people, in particularly the highly-educated, at home.
        PODLEHNIK - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the Gruškovje border crossing to meet with mayors of municipalities located along the southern Schengen border as part of the government's visit to the Podravje region. He announced the deployment of reserve police officers to help guard the border.
        LJUBLJANA - National Assembly President Igor Zorčič symbolically took over from Portugal the parliamentary dimension of the presidency of the Council of the EU today alongside National Council President Alojz Kovšca. Slovenia's presidency will mainly focus on the EU's post-pandemic recovery and efforts to strengthen the bloc's resilience, Zorčič he said.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, urged the Slovenian EU presidency to provide better protection to refugees in Europe and around the world. It also called for an agreement on the EU pact on migrations and asylum.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian government is overseeing an increasingly systematic effort to undermine critical media, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups warned in a report released after conducting a virtual fact-finding mission to Slovenia in late May and early June.
        LJUBLJANA - Pope Francis appointed Andrej Saje the new bishop of Novo Mesto. The priest of the Ljubljana Archdiocese and native of the town in south-eastern Slovenia has previously worked as a judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Court in Ljubljana and teacher at the Ljubljana Faculty of Theology.
        LJUBLJANA - Unhappy with collective bargaining with the government, professional firefighters went on a token strike. The trade union of professional firefighters said the strike was not directed at the people and they would not feel it as firefighters would still protect lives and property.
        LJUBLJANA - Measures to mitigate the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic affected Slovenia's public finances also in the first quarter of the year, with the general government deficit amounting to EUR 969 million or 8.3% of the country's GDP, the Statistics Office said. This is somewhat less than in the last quarter of 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia increased by 2.4% to EUR 16.6 billion last year despite there being no major takeovers like the year before, according to a report from the central bank. Austria ranks as the biggest investor with a 25.6% share in the total value of incoming FDI.
        RENNES, France - Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogačar won stage five of the Tour de France race. Last year's winner of the Tour was 19 seconds faster than Stefan Küng from Switzerland in the 27.2-kilometre individual time trial between Changé and Laval Espace Mayenne.

THURSDAY, 1 July
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Rule of law was one of the main topics discussed during the visit by the College of Commissioners. Prime Minister Janez Janša said that in a rule of law, final decisions are in the hands of courts. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was important to always respect the rule of law and European values.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Janša said the procedure to appoint European delegated prosecutors (EDPs) from Slovenia could be wrapped up by the autumn. "How fast the procedure will be depends on those who participate in it ... in my assessment it could be concluded by the autumn if everybody does their job."
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU enlargement is one of Slovenian EU presidency priorities and a response to strategic challenges, Prime Minister Janez Janša said after a meeting between the government and the EU Commission delegation marking the start of the presidency stint. In the next six months there will be a return to addressing enlargement as a strategic response to open issues.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Janša and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the EU's post-covid recovery as a major issue that Slovenia's EU presidency will deal with. The past 15 months had shown that "the EU has been part of the solution during this time," according to Janša, who said resilience, recovery and the EU's strategic autonomy were among the Slovenian presidency's priorities.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Media freedom was one of the topics that the College of Commissioners discussed as they met the government at the outset of Slovenia's presidency of the EU. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expects that Slovenia will swiftly sort out the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and ensure its independence.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission endorsed on Slovenia's EUR 2.5 billion national recovery and resilience plan. Pending confirmation by member states, Slovenia will be able to draw EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 705 million in loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
        LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court struck down an application by the pair of prosecutors who have been approved for Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors before the government annulled the appointment procedure on procedural grounds. It said it had set aside the lawsuit and the request for a temporary stay on the government's decision.
        BRNIK - The new passenger terminal at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport received its first passengers in what the airport operator labelled as a landmark in Slovenian aviation history. "It is a great event ... as Slovenia has gotten infrastructure that it had long desired," Fraport Slovenija director Zmago Skobir said.
        LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition rejected the coalition's call for a political truce during Slovenia's EU presidency. They are determined to continue to use all the available means at their disposal and are not ruling out a new attempt at a vote of no confidence.
        STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Slovenia turned fully green on the map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), as the western part of the country joined the eastern part, which made it to the green list last week.
        KOPER - An honorary consulate of Hungary was inaugurated in Koper, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto highlighting the strategic position of Koper for Hungarian companies and good relations between Slovenia and Hungary.

EU Commissioner Timmermans Avoids Group Photo in Protest at Janša
02 Jul 2021, 16:54 PM

EU Commissioner Timmermans Avoids Group Photo in Protest at Janša

STA, 1 July 2021 - The European Commission's Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans did not participate in the family photo after Thursday's meeting of the College of Commissioners and the Slovenian government, reportedly due to Prime Minister Janez Janša's comments about links between Slovenian judges and the Social Democrats (SD).

Matjaž Nemec, an SD deputy, said on Twitter that Timmermans refused to join the photo in protest at Janša showing a photo from a May Day picnic at which several judges were in the company of SD politicians, construing it as proof that the party controls the judiciary.

The "family photo", sans Frans The photos in question, in a tweet from Aleš Hojs, Slovenia's Minister of the Interior

Timmermans did not comment, but reports by several other media, including the German and Austrian press agencies, dpa and APA, and the Austrian magazine Die Presse, corroborate the version of events.

APA quotes a source present at the meeting as saying that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said judges were allowed to have personal histories and that they deserve respectful treatment, even when they have a different political proclivity.

Von der Leyen appeared to refer to the event at the subsequent press conference when she said that political dialogue demanded all democratic political parties be respected, adding that judges have the right to have a history.

Timmermans hails from the ranks of the European Socialists and was their Spitzenkandidat in the 2018 elections to the European Parliament.

PM Janša and European Commission President von der Leyen
02 Jul 2021, 12:20 PM

Janša & von der Leyen Discuss Rule of Law, European Values

STA, 1 July 2021 - Rule of law was one of the main topics discussed during Thursday's visit by the College of Commissioners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was important to always respect the rule of law and European values. Prime Minister Janez Janša said that in a rule of law, final decisions are in the hands of courts.

"This civilisation does not exist without rule of law. But in a rule of law, courts always have the final say in disputes," Janša said.

"We have problems with independence of courts in Slovenia, we acknowledge that and we've never concealed it. We discussed this today in an intensive debate with the European Commission."

According to Janša, the fundamental problem with rule of law in Slovenia is that "we have largely not satisfied the recommendations that we got when we entered the EU."

"We asked the European Commission today to help us with that - how to satisfy the recommendations so that we are not accused of violating the independence of the judiciary," he said.

Von der Leyen said trust was the EU's most valuable asset. This includes trust in an independent judicial system and in independent media, with sufficient financing.

She said democracy and the rule of law were never a concluded process, it involves a permanent effort to achieve a rule of law status befitting a democracy.

The EU Council presidency has an important role to play in questions of the rule of law, she said, noting that the Commission would prepare rule of law reports for member states by the middle or end of July.

Both Janša and von der Leyen also commented on the controversial Hungarian LGBTQ law.

Janša said that the debate at last week's EU summit had been heated but that parents' right to raise their children needed to be respected, as do historical differences between member states. He said Slovenia could play the role of broker.

Von der Leyen, on the other hand, said the debate was never about parents' rights, it was about respecting minorities such as the LGBTQ community.

Respect of minorities is enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty and as guardian of the treaties, the Commission would demand a formal explanation from Hungary regarding the protection of minorities.

Slovenia's Recovery Plan Endorsed by EU Commission, With €1.8bn Grants, €705mn Loans
01 Jul 2021, 16:21 PM

Slovenia's Recovery Plan Endorsed by EU Commission, With €1.8bn Grants, €705mn Loans

STA, 1 July 2021 - The European Commission endorsed on Thursday Slovenia's EUR 2.5 billion national recovery and resilience plan. Pending confirmation by member states, Slovenia will be able to draw EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 705 million in loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Slovenia will spend the funds, equivalent to 5.4% of the country's GDP, to support 33 reforms and 50 investments laid out in the plan.

Member states had to strike a balance between reforms and investments in their national plan, and comply with the condition that 37% of funds are set aside for green goals and 20% for digital goals.

Slovenia's plan earmarks 42.4% for green transition goals and 21.4% for digital goals, with 30% set aside for the promotion of smart and inclusive growth, 15% for health, and 13% for digital transformation.

Slovenia plans to spend EUR 230 million on energy efficiency and seismic renovation of buildings, EUR 292 million on investments in railway infrastructure, and EUR 54 million on drinking water supply.

In the digital segment, EUR 114 million has been set aside for digital literacy and lifelong learning, EUR 83 million for digitalisation of healthcare, and EUR 44 million for the digital transition of business.

EUR 79 million in spending is planned to set up a long-term care system, EUR 110 million for increasing the resilience of the health system, EUR 60 million for affordable housing, and EUR 28 million for a faster entry of the young into the labour market.

To boost productivity and innovation, Slovenia plans to spend EUR 305 million to support private investments and reforms to improve the business environment.

The Commission said the Slovenian plan includes "an extensive set of mutually reinforcing reforms and investments that contribute to effectively addressing all or a significant subset of the economic and social challenges outlined in the country-specific recommendations."

It includes important reforms on long-term care, healthcare, pensions and labour market, education and skills, R&D and innovation, business environment and public procurement.

The plan represents "a comprehensive and adequately balanced response to Slovenia's economic and social situation, thereby contributing appropriately to all six pillars referred to in the RRF Regulation."

The Commission assessed the plan across eleven categories, giving ten As and one B.

Confirmation by the Council is expected within four weeks, whereupon an agreement will be signed and Slovenia can get EUR 231 million in pre-financing. Individual payments will be carried out according to the agreement, either in full or on a pro rata basis.

Slovenian Parliamanr
01 Jul 2021, 15:44 PM

Slovenia’s Opposition Will Continue to Oppose Janša During EU Presidency

STA, 1 July 2021 - The centre-left opposition has rejected the coalition's call for a political truce during Slovenia's EU presidency. They are determined to continue to use all the available means at their disposal and are not ruling out a new attempt at a vote of no confidence.

The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) says that if they gave up the instruments at their disposal as the largest opposition party they would also give up democracy.

"When the constitution and laws are being kept violated, when media freedom and fiscal stability are being threatened, when experts and civilian society are not being let to participate in environment legislation, when the government forgets about the problems of children and youth resulting from the epidemic, it's the duty of the opposition not to keep quiet, regardless of the presidency," LMŠ deputy group leader Brane Golubovič said on Thursday as Slovenia formally assumed the rotating EU presidency.

He believes Slovenia will carry out its presidency tasks correctly in technical terms owning to the professionalism of Slovenian diplomats and technical officials.

Similarly, the Left said it "could not and must not" change its positions about the the ruling coalition's record in office for the sake of the presidency with deputy Matej Tašner Vatovec saying Slovenia still needed an early election.

The party criticised the national recovery and resilience plan, which the European Commission approved today, saying it "confounds every vision and all basic principles of democracy".

The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) would like the government to successfully perform its tasks during the presidency because that would benefit Slovenia's reputation. "We are afraid, however, that this government has already made a negative mark in Europe due to all the statements, letters, tweets and mainly actions," SAB deputy leader Maša Kociper said.

She said the opposition would continue to "keep an eye on the government" and they were not ruling out a vote of no confidence if all opposition parties agreed on the motion.

In a somewhat different vein, Tanja Fajon, the leader of the Social Democrats (SD), wished for Slovenia to use the presidency to "mitigate the disastrous impression it has made in Europe in the past year" in the spirit of European values and solidarity.

In a video address on her Twitter profile, Fajon said Slovenia's international reputation was at its lowest ever. "Due to the prime ministers' actions [Slovenia] has been treated on several occasions as a country that has been straying aside from the European path and values."

She said it was dangerous that the violations seen in Hungary and Poland were being promoted in Slovenia.

She would like for the Slovenian presidency to contribute to enhancing recovery and resilience so that Europe to revive its vision as the world's greenest and most innovative economy, but she believes it would take different ambitions to achieve those goals than the ones that the government showed in the national recovery and resilience plan.

Janša: Schools May Stayed Closed in Autumn if Vaccination Numbers Too Low
01 Jul 2021, 10:25 AM

Janša: Schools May Stayed Closed in Autumn if Vaccination Numbers Too Low

STA, 30 June 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša raised the prospect of schools having to be kept closed in the autumn unless everyone gets vaccinated against Covid-19, while he also discussed EU presidency and investment in the Podravje region in a radio interview during the government's visit to the north-eastern region on Wednesday.

"If we get vaccinated, schools and kindergartens will be open in the autumn, if we don't, they won't be and we'll be paying the price again," he told an interview with Radio City.

Like the health minister before him, Janša said it was just a question of time when the more virulent Delta variant of coronavirus would spread and how intensively.

"We have an answer to it and it's vaccination," he said. "Seeing what's happening in Britain, which has one of the highest rates of vaccination and at the same time the most Delta variant, we are no longer talking percentages, we're talking we must all get vaccinated," Janša said.

As Slovenia assumes the rotating EU presidency tomorrow, Janša said the government would get organised so it could continue with regional visits in the coming months and make sure the available funding, including from the EU, be distributed and invested fairly and effectively.

"The government's visit to the region at a time when it is assuming the presidency is a symbolic gesture showing this government will not forget about Slovenia even during the presidency."

Slovenia's eastern cohesion region, which includes Podravje, has EUR 400 more available for investment over the next seven years than in the previous period, Janša said, promising "substantial financial injections" for Maribor.

He pledged the government would do everything in its power to keep the headquarters of NKBM bank, which has recently been acquired by the Hungarian bank OTP, in Maribor. "We'll contact the owners and persuade them that Slovenia is not just Ljubljana, that it's this government's plan to decentralise Slovenia."

The Commissioners
30 Jun 2021, 13:23 PM

EU Commissioners in Slovenia Thursday for Start of EU Presidency (Background)

STA, 30 June 2021 - The government will host the College of European Commissioners for a working visit on Thursday as Slovenia formally takes over the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. On the occasion, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will present an assessment of Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan.

Such working meetings between the entire College of Commissioners and the government of the presiding country are customary whenever a country starts the rotating presidency with the aim being to review priorities for the next six months.

Slovenia's presidency is expected to focus on tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery, enhancing resilience for future crises, green and digital transition and the efforts to push ahead with the enlargement process.

The official programme of the visit is not available yet but the visit is expected to take one day. Before the Covid-19 pandemic such visits typically lasted two days.

While the working meeting with the German government was held in a virtual format, and the visit to Lisbon was downsized, the entire College of Commissioners is expected in Slovenia. Working meetings are to be held at Brdo estate north-west of Ljubljana.

The proceedings are to get under way with a meeting between von der Leyen and Prime Minister Janez Janša, followed by meetings between commissioners and ministers by five thematic sections: the European Green Deal, digital transformation, recovery and resilience, foreign relations with the emphasis on the Western Balkans and migration, security, the rule of law and the Conference on the Future of Europe.

After a working lunch, Janša and von der Leyen are to address a joint press conference. In the afternoon, meetings with President Borut Pahor and National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič are planned.

Upon the Commission's visit, it is customary for the presiding country to organise a ceremony to launch the presidency. In the case of Slovenia, the guests are expected to travel to Bled for the premiere of the ballet Water Man, but this part of the programme has not been confirmed yet.

Between Wednesday and Saturday a group of about 50 Brussels-based correspondents will be visiting Slovenia, which too is in keeping with the custom at the start of each presidency.

While in Slovenia, the Commission president is expected to announce the assessment of Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan. The Commission has not yet adopted such an assessment but it appears Slovenia will become the 13th EU country to get a positive mark.

Once the Commission has given its go-ahead, the plan, which will provide the basis to tap into EU recovery funds, also needs to be endorsed by EU member states. First confirmations are expected on 13 July, at the first session of EU finance ministers under Slovenia's guide.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa indicated at the end of last week that confirmations in mid-July can be expected by the twelve countries that were the first to get the positive assessment. Slovenia would thus not be among them.

The Commission has so far endorsed the recovery plans of Portugal, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Slovakia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, Belgium and France.

It is not clear yet when the first member states can expect to in fact get recovery funds. The Commission has so far borrowed EUR 20 billion in financial markets by issuing the first ten-year bond. Brussels has been indicating the member states with approved plans could get first funds in July.

Asked by the STA whether von der Leyen will broach issues of media freedom, STA financing and delays in the appointment of Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors in her meeting with PM Janša, the Commission said merely it would be possible to pose questions about the topics of talks at Thursday's press conference.

The European Commission has on several occasions called on Slovenia to appoint its delegated prosecutors as part of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which has recently become operational. It remains the only of the participating countries that has not yet appointed its delegated prosecutors.

Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders has recently expressed the expectation for Slovenia to meet its obligations by 1 July, that is by the start of its presidency. If not he indicated that legal action could be initiated against Slovenia.

The Commission has also repeatedly expressed concern over the media situation in Slovenia, in particular over the attempts to undermine sustainable financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

In response to the government decree on the STA a week ago, the Commission said it expected swift solutions to unlock financing that need to fully reserve the agency's independence. I also said that it should be checked at the national level whether the new decree complied with the exiting legislation on the STA.

Govt Will Fund Slovenian Press Agency, If Certain Conditions Are Met
28 Jun 2021, 16:57 PM

Govt Will Fund Slovenian Press Agency, If Certain Conditions Are Met

STA, 28 June 2021 - The government has asked its communication office to transfer a EUR 845,000 advance to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) for the expected expenses related to the performance of public service once the STA provides UKOM with access into business documentation for the last ten years and if a contract on public service is signed.

The advance must be transferred within three days following the day the STA director allows authorised persons of the Government Communication Office (UKOM) to access the documentation and if the contract for 2021 is signed by then.

The proposals from the government as the sole founder and shareholder of the national press agency were confirmed at the annual general meeting today.

STA director Bojan Veselinovič is obligated to allow authorised representatives of UKOM immediate access to data and information about the internal organisational and accounting and financial structure of business processes and access to the entire documentation on financial operations since 28 June 2011.

On the other hand, with the purpose of "ensuring comprehensive and undisrupted performance of public service", the government asked UKOM director Uroš Urbanija to transfer to the STA a EUR 845,000 advance for the expected expenses related to the performance of public service.

Another condition is that the STA sign by then with UKOM director a contract for the performance of public service for 2021 and provides public availability of the content on the website that corresponds to the public service from the relevant legal act.

The final and overall amount of compensation for the performance of public service since 1 January will be established by UKOM in accordance with the relevant regulation that has been recently adopted.

The government also instructed Veselinovič to withdraw within 48 hours the lawsuit seeking payment for the public service from UKOM at the Ljubljana District Court, and to report about this to UKOM.

In a press release issued after the meeting, UKOM said it was the government's duty to see to efficient use of the taxpayers' money, while the agency's duty was to use the money as efficiently as possible and to keep the government comprehensively up to date on the spending.

UKOM finds that most of the STA's online content is only available to subscribers and free access is only available to short news ledes, so most of the public exert their right to being informed by reading the web portals of other providers, which provide full summaries of news reports for free as they pay for the commercial services provided by the STA.

The release sad the government pegged the financing of the public service to the scope of the public service performed under the STA business plan in order to expand the scope of the public service provided.

"If the government provided the fee for the public service in advance as so far, it would renounce the only mechanism allowing it to check to what extent the STA business plan has in fact been implemented, nor could it encourage the STA to its increased implementation," UKOM said.

UKOM says it hopes the STA management and supervisory board would realise the STA's mission is to strengthen the public service rather than increase commercial activities. The government detailed such mode of financing in the decree on the STA public service, which had to be aligned with EU law.

UKOM also "condemned in the strongest terms" as misleading the STA management's interpreting the government's demand to report on the use of the taxpayers' money as the government's interference in editorial policy.

Veselinovič welcomed the "government's announcement that it will supposedly end the suspension of financing of the STA", saying the STA would have sent all business information and documents to UKOM long ago had it demanded it in a legal way.

He said that it was only at today's shareholders meeting that the government had legally authorised UKOM to gain insight into the STA documentation, although the documentation had been in the government building since April.

"Once UKOM tells us what information about the operations of the STA in the past decade it wants and in what way, the STA will send it. We have no problems whatsoever with this, as the STA operates transparently and it is scrutinised by authorised auditors."

As for the new contract, Veselinovič said that the law "stipulates financing of the STA in accordance with the adopted business plan for this year regardless of whether a contract has been signed or not."

Regarding the call on the director to withdraw the lawsuit seeking payment for the public service from UKOM, he said that the STA management would consult legal experts about this.

After the STA receives the 845,000 advance, it will withdraw the proposal for the court to order UKOM to make due payments for public service before the final decision is made, because the liquidity of the agency will no longer be at risk, he added.

The Association of Slovenian Journalists (DNS) repeated that the government has a duty under two pieces of legislation to pay the STA for the public service, describing additional conditions that are being set for the financing and which would increase the UKOM director's control over the STA's operations as extortion.

"The government must be aware it is overstepping its legal powers, but counts on it that being in a financial pinch, the STA will be forced to consent to its terms," the DNS said, adding it would follow the developments further.

The STA has been without government payment for its public service for 179 days.

What Mladina & Demokracija Are Saying This Week: Investigate COVID Deaths vs Slovenian Independence
27 Jun 2021, 11:30 AM

What Mladina & Demokracija Are Saying This Week: Investigate COVID Deaths vs Slovenian Independence

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 25 May 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Investigate excess Covid-related deaths

STA, 24 June 2021 - In its latest editorial, Mladina looks at Slovenia's infamous statistics on excess Covid-19 deaths, infections and low vaccination rates, and calls for investigations into responsibility for the failure to control the epidemic under the headline It Is Time. To Speak About The Dead.

As the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic in Slovenia is waning and the third is on the horizon, the left-wing weekly says that it is time to speak about the excessive and unnecessary deaths caused by the epidemic, adding that "we need to find the reasons behind this and prevent it from happening again."

Mladina adds that Slovenia is among the world's top ten countries in several ill-famed statistical categories related to infections, deaths and vaccination.

"In Slovenia, there have been up to 1,500 excess deaths - at least 30% too many people died in the second wave compared to comparable countries. Now that things have calmed down, at least temporarily, the people responsible for excess deaths must be held accountable."

Mladina then points the finger at PM Janez Janša, former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar, Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj and the head of the national advisory group for Covid-19 vaccination, Bojana Beović.

"They deliberately left sick elderly people in nursing homes and forced people to go to work despite infections and dangerous contacts. When someone takes up public office, they acquire rights, but also assume responsibilities."

Mladina says that blame for excessive deaths also lies with those medical professionals who "allowed themselves to be instrumentalised by politics and give it credibility in marginalising the only relevant professionals in this case, the epidemiologists."

"In countries with low immunisation rates, among which Slovenia is shamefully high, things will be much worse, and these people, starting with Janša, are incapable of finding solutions. The public does not respect them and does not follow them either.

"None of them is willing to assume responsibility for excess deaths and back down. They are aware that by holding on to their positions, they are also preventing investigation into their responsibility from taking place," concludes the editorial.

Demokracija: Slovenian independence

STA, 24 June 2021 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija praises Slovenia's independence and the process of achieving it in its latest editorial on Thursday, saying that Statehood Day marks the most important national holiday and the day when Slovenians gained their greatest asset - a sovereign state.

Under the headline Celebrating the Hallowed Time of the Slovenian Nation, the commentary begins with saying that "patriotism means love and respect for the homeland, the cultural heritage and traditions of our ancestors, who for centuries longed for the homeland to become a country."

"Through love for our nation, traditions, religion and culture, we survived communism, the worst form of totalitarianism, and the heroes of that time (1990-1991) were able to muster the strength to unleash a national charge in spite of the betrayals of the transitional left, which constantly opposed independence."

The weekly then says that "the first democratic elections in 1990 formally abolished the one-party rule, but they were not fair, as the League of Communists, led by Milan Kučan, retained as much as a third of the legislative power and then did everything it could to prevent independence."

"They did not succeed, even though they scared Slovenians into how we were too small, saying that the Yugoslav Army would trample us. Us good people stood together and proved how wrong they were and how evil their intentions were."

Demokracija adds that "after we gained an independent and sovereign country, it seemed for a moment that our children would now grow up in a fairer, kinder, more democratic and free environment. Unfortunately, the cleansing (lustration) did not take place."

"Slovenian people worked hard and wanted to patiently help the young country to progress. All that was destroyed by ideological successors of communism. That is why the current Prime Minister Janez Janša is right to point out that, although Slovenia became independent, it did become liberated."

The weekly also hails "the hallowed time of the Slovenian nation, its heroes, ancestors, roots and lineage," concluding the commentary with "Happy birthday and long live Slovenia! God bless our country and God bless the Slovenian people."

All our posts in this series are here

Last Week in Slovenia: 18 - 24 June, 2021
26 Jun 2021, 14:07 PM

Last Week in Slovenia: 18 - 24 June, 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, 18 June
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said in an interview with the STA that he believed Slovenians could be proud of what the country had achieved in the last 30 years. He acknowledged there is a rift in society now but not as deep as some made it out to be. He warned that an election as such will not necessarily result in change, even if there is a change in government.
        PARIS, France - Slovenia's EU presidency priorities and the shared interests of both countries in the EU topped the agenda as Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian. Logar highlighted the Conference on the Future of Europe as a shared interest of the successive EU presidencies.
        LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) sees Slovenia's losing five spots in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking as a serious warning, pointing to a shortage of IT apprentices or qualified foreign experts at companies.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted changes to the communicable diseases act after the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional parts of it and thus measures introduced during the epidemic.
        MARIBOR - Police said four suspects had been remanded in custody following a series of police raids earlier this week in connection to illegal dumping of nearly 200 tonnes of sewage sludge in a village south of Maribor, as new dumpsites were discovered around Slovenia. Six suspects and two legal entities face criminal charges.
        LJUBLJANA - Bankarium, a museum of Slovenian banking managed by the NLB Group, opened in Ljubljana to give visitors an insight into the history of Slovenian banking, experience banking practice and broaden their financial knowledge.

SATURDAY, 19 June
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told the Indian news channel Wion the EU had not done enough to limit the growing threat from China, arguing it had put its economic interests before its values. He welcomed the conclusions on China adopted at the recent G7 summit and the recent NATO summit, saying "the freedom loving countries have started taking China seriously for the first time in all of its dimensions". He also said China was a bigger challenge than Russia.
        SLOVENSKE KONJICE - Janez Janša won his ninth term at the helm of the Democratic Party (SDS) at a party congress to lead the party uninterruptedly since 1993. He was endorsed by 650 of the 656 delegates as the only candidate for the post. Addressing the delegates, he said the SDS is the only party founded before Slovenia's independence that is still in one piece, still in parliament and still a political force with the largest voter support.
        LJUBLJANA - The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) elected Ljubo Jasnič, a former secretary general of the party, the new party leader at a congress. He received 54 out of 117 votes. Addressing the delegates, he said everything would be done for DeSUS to enter parliament again at the next election.
        STRASBOURG, France - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan took part in the first plenary of the Conference on the Future of Europe. In his video address he called for continuation of EU integration and boosting the bloc's resilience.
        LJUBLJANA - Rating agency Fitch affirmed Slovenia's credit rating at A with a stable outlook, the Finance Ministry said, adding that this showed the agency acknowledged Slovenia's strong institutional structure, focus on human development and a credible policy framework supported by EU membership.
        LJUBLJANA - The Pride Parade was held under the slogan Resist the Oppression as a culmination of a week-long festival, the first time accompanied by the Balkan Trans Intersex March, which pointed to issues faced by members of the transgender, intersex and non-normative sexuality communities.

SUNDAY, 20 June
        LJUBLJANA - The STA celebrated its 30th anniversary with a ceremony in front of its headquarters in Ljubljana amid a rather uncertain financial situation to mark 20 June in 1991, when it published its first news article, just a few days before the declaration of Slovenia's independence.
        PORTOROŽ - Organised by the University of Primorska, the 8th European Congress of Mathematics started to bring together more than 1,700 mathematicians from across the globe in a hybrid format. One of the world's major events of its kind id due to close on 26 June.

MONDAY, 21 June
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša described arguments about political unity over Slovenia's independence 30 years ago as a "bad myth" in an interview with public broadcaster TV Slovenija ahead of the 30th anniversary of independence, but acknowledged the people's unity as the key factor to the step. Listing Slovenia's key achievements over the past 30 years, he noted Slovenia's being recognised as the world's 5th safest country, as well as becoming part of the EU, NATO, Schengen etc.
        LJUBLJANA - The leaders of the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) were critical of the current government in an interview with TV Slovenija, regretting that Slovenia is so divided as the 30th anniversary of independence approaches.
        LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry presented a long-term programme for the Slovenian Armed Forces that envisages a different structure, organisation and equipping, an overhaul of the system of military education and training and a financial framework for realising these plans. The number of soldiers is to gradually rise to 10,000 by 2035.
        NEW YORK, US - Boštjan Malovrh, until now Slovenia's deputy ambassador to China, succeeded Darja Bavdaž Kuret as Slovenia's Ambassador at the UN.
        LISBON, Portugal - Janez Cigler Kralj, Slovenia's minister of social affairs and equal opportunities, signed the Lisbon declaration on the European platform on combatting homelessness, as he attended a high-level conference on homelessness organised by Portugal's EU presidency and the European Commission.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee hosted a debate on the future of governance in the EU as part of the Conference on the Future of Europe, with jurists floating an idea to found a European institute of constitutional democracy. Jurist Peter Jambrek said it would focus on fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court said it ruled that turning down a foreigner's application for a residence permit in the country of residence of their close relatives could interfere with the person's right to family life even when that person committed a crime. The court adopted the position in granting an appeal by a woman whose application for her husband to be granted an extension of the residence permit was rejected.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia introduced an option for residents to choose with which vaccine they would like to be vaccinated against Covid, while the government adopted a set of measures to scale up vaccination by making it more accessible. It tasked the Health Ministry with organising a large number of mobile vaccination units, which were launched in Ljubljana on 23 June.
        STRASBOURG, France - The Slovenian women's basketball team was knocked out of the 2021 EuroBasket Women with a defeat against Russia (93:75) in the quarter-finals qualification.

TUESDAY, 22 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian FM Anže Logar told the Euractiv news portal in an interview that the EU should move "as soon as possible" from a wait-and-see approach to a problem-solving strategy in dealing with the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - Wolfgang Sobotka, the speaker of the Austrian parliament, paid an official visit to Slovenia to meet his counterpart Igor Zorčič, PM Janez Janša and President Borut Pahor. The focus of the talks was on the EU and its enlargement to the Western Balkans, and bilateral relations, including minority issues.
        LJUBLJANA - First Vice-President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola met representatives of both houses of Slovenia's parliament to discuss the parliamentary aspect of Slovenia's EU presidency. She said the priorities of the Slovenian presidency were similar to the priorities of the European Parliament.
        MUNICH, Germany - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met Bavarian State Minister for European and International Affairs Melanie Huml in Munich for discussions that focused on the efforts to deepen political and trade relations between Bavaria and Slovenia and the challenges of the Slovenian EU presidency. The ministers also attended the closing part of the 32nd session of the standing bilateral Bavaria-Slovenia commission, which agreed a number of cooperation projects.
        LISBON, Portugal - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs took part in a meeting of EU and US ministers in charge of justice and home affairs which discussed cooperation in the combat against terrorism and cybercrime, as well as migration, among other issues.
        LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore looked back upon the path walked since Slovenia declared independence 30 years ago, finding the nation had largely attained its goals, as he celebrated Mass for the Homeland, which was also attended by Slovenia's senior officials.
        LJUBLJANA - The Strategic Council for Digitalisation presented the first package of measures promoting digitalisation, which the government endorsed at its last week's session. The council, set up in April, included solutions for the digitalisation of public administration, healthcare, education and business.
        LJUBLJANA - State-owned power group HSE posted a net loss of EUR 184.1 million in 2020 after reporting EUR 29.7 million in net profit in 2019. The Šoštanj coal-fired power plant (TEŠ) alone generated EUR 280.4 million in net loss. Meanwhile, the group's sales revenue was record high, at EUR 1.8 billion.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) launched a platform for reporting attacks on journalists that will keep track and monitor such attacks as well as raise awareness about the issue.
        LJUBLJANA - The latest measurements of school children's fitness show the Covid epidemic has severely impaired their physical efficiency, making 10% addicted to digital devices, and increasing the share of overweight kids by 30%. Revealing the results, experts from the Ljubljana Faculty of Sport proposed several measures to address the issues, such as no more school closures, no homework, and subsidies for sport activity for low-income children.

WEDNESDAY, 23 June
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued its first sustainability bond to finance exclusively sustainable projects. Demand for the EUR 1 billion bond with a 10-year maturity date outstripped supply by far. Since Slovenia issued the green bond as the first Central or East European country and as the second EU member state, the Finance Ministry labelled the transaction a milestone.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor decorated the STA with the Order of Merit in recognition of its "irreplaceable mission" in the media space for the past 30 years and its vital role in the period when Slovenia was gaining independence. He also decorated the Koper bureau of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija and the Slovenian bureau of Italian public broadcaster RAI.
        ROME, Italy - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek signed a letter of intent on cooperation in spacial activities for peaceful purposes with the Italian Space Agency as part of a two-day visit to Italy. He also met Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti with the pair calling for boosting economic cooperation.
        NOVA GORICA/GORIZIA, Italy - Senior officials from Slovenia and Italy marked the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence in Europe Square, which links the city of Nova Gorica with its Italian counterpart Gorizia in what President Borut Pahor hailed as an "unprecedented" occasion.
        LJUBLJANA - Susan K. Falatko, the chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Slovenia, told the STA that the embassy is closely monitoring the debate about the financing of the STA, whose importance should not be underestimated. She said the US is looking forward to cooperating with the Slovenian EU presidency, as many of the priorities of the presidency corresponded to those of the US, one of the being the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The Kresnik Prize for best novel of the year went to Borut Kraševec for his debut novel Agni, which the jury praised as challenging the reader's fixed perceptions about the novel as the genre as well as about life in general as it fuses various voices.
        LJUBLJANA - The CIVICUS international alliance of NGOs placed Slovenia on its list of countries to be monitored for a decline in fundamental civil liberties, which draws attention to countries where there is a serious and rapid decline in respect for civic space.
        KOPER - A 100-metre extension to Quay I of the container terminal at the Koper port was inaugurated in what the port operator's CEO Dimitrij Zadel said was a key strategic project that would allow Slovenia's sole maritime port to preserve its leadership in container transshipment in the North Adriatic.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's insurance industry saw a decline in combined profit last year despite an increase in gross written premium. Business was affected by low interest rates and the financial crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Gorazd Čibej, director of the Agency for Insurance Supervision, said.
        SOLKAN - A 13-year-old boy drowned in the river Soča on the kayak route near Solkan, in what is the second teenage death in this area in less than a year. A tree branch apparently caught his life jacker, pushing him into the water and under a rock.
        LJUBLJANA - An exhibition entitled Impressions 30 opened at the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum, presenting personal memories of Slovenians around the world from 30 years ago when Slovenia became independent, along with additional material published by Slovenians abroad.

THURSDAY, 24 June
        LJUBLJANA - Portugal will hand to Slovenia as the next EU presiding country many dossiers, including the endorsement of national recovery and resilience plans and EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, Portuguese FM Augusto Santos Silva said after meeting his counterpart Anže Logar. He said he was confident that Slovenia's presidency could make a breakthrough in relation to accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania. "I believe this will be a major achievement of the Slovenian presidency."
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian PM Janez Janša is among the EU leaders attending a summit in Brussels dedicated to tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, post-pandemic economic recovery, migrations, and relations with Russia and Turkey. Janša did not make a doorstep statement or take questions from reporters on arrival.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia test-introduced the European digital Covid certificate, while the system will be fully up and running next week, Health Minister Janez Poklukar told the press. For registered uses with digital identity, the certificate became available on the zVem portal this evening.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a spending ceiling for the coming two years, capping expenditure at EUR 13.30 billion in 2022 and at EUR 13.05 billion in 2023. The cap on outlays for 2022 was raised by EUR 701.5 million, while for 2023, the outlays are planned to drop by EUR 255.2 million compared to 2022.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted the annual investment plan for the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) worth around EUR 73,4 million, which will enable the Defence Ministry to conclude contracts on investments to build an infantry battalion group and a special operations unit, as well as buy a transport plane and light 4X4 armoured vehicles.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders reiterated his concerns over the fact that Slovenia has still not appointed its European delegated prosecutors. He contacted Slovenian Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič today to voice his concerns and request explanations for the situation.
        LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition called for Slovenia's top officials to protest against Hungary's controversial new anti-LGBTQ law, voicing disappointment over Slovenia's failure to join the 16 EU countries that expressed their concern over the law in a joint statement.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's business sentiment improved for the 7th straight month in June. The indicator is now at 8 percentage points, up 2.2 points from May and up 31.2 points year-on-year, the Statistics Office reported.

 

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