Politics

19 Jun 2021, 13:30 PM

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, 11 June
        LJUBLJANA - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan said that the government declassifying a 2011 document compiled by him on possible further paths in the process of Bosnia-Herzegovina's constitutional reform was a move to divert attention from the allegations that PM Janez Janša was spreading a non-paper on re-drawing of Western Balkans borders in the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The heads of four independent oversight state bodies signed a joint statement calling for appropriate communication in the country and respect for independent state bodies. Signed by the Information Commissioner, Commission for Corruption Prevention, Court of Audit and Human Rights Ombudsman, the statement expressed concern about the relentless pressure of politics on institutions.
        LJUBLJANA - The Prosecution Council announced it had proposed that the State Attorney's Office file a lawsuit against the government for breach of law to the detriment of public interest after the government annulled the procedure to appoint Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided on 10 June that Slovenia will donate 10,530 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the Czech Republic in an expression of solidarity. The donation will be made from one of the future supplies of the vaccine destined for Slovenia and will be delivered directly by Pfizer.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - It was announced that Slovenia had asked for a extension of the two-month term for the assessment of its national recovery and resilience plan along with Poland, Sweden, Croatia and Romania. The European Commission granted the request and the deadline was extended by two weeks.
        LJUBLJANA - A building in the centre of Ljubljana where the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) has its headquarters was defaced with paint the night before, an act that the party said reflected the growing intolerance in society.
        LJUBLJANA - The executive committee of FIBA Europe decided Slovenia will host the 2023 European Women Basketball Championship, with two groups of the preliminary round to be played in Celje and Koper, and the elimination round in the capital of Ljubljana.

SATURDAY, 12 June
        LJUBELJ - A ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Ljubelj labour camp, a Mauthausen sub-camp, heard warnings of the dangers of the spread of hatred. "There are too many politicians who sow hatred and politicians who allow and calmly observe this or pretend there is no danger," said keynote speaker Dragan Petrovec.
        LJUBLJANA - National Council President Alojz Kovšca argued in an interview with the STA that Slovenia would not be successful until politics was capable of compromise and the government featured individuals of leftist and rightist political proclivity. He also called for a stronger stance on sovereignty.

SUNDAY, 13 June
        LJUBLJANA - Igor Kršinar, a journalist for the magazine Reporter, initiated a private prosecution against PM Janez Janša over two Twitter posts in 2019 that implied he was a drug user. Kršinar said the claim that he was a drug user "exceeds the boundaries of appropriate and permitted communication".
        NOVO MESTO - Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar won the Tour of Slovenia, the country's biggest cycling road race, after defending the leading position in the final stage from Ljubljana to Novo Mesto. This marked the 25th career victory for the 22-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider, who won last year's Tour de France.

MONDAY, 14 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Arriving at a NATO summit, PM Janez Janša said Slovenia would not be able to reach the NATO target of 2% of GDP in defence spending by 2024, but it must do its homework. He noted that under the current government the spending trend had been reversed.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - China is NATO's key challenge, PM Janez Janša said ahead of a NATO summit. "The world has changed in the last three decades and threats have changed as well," Janša said, adding that China was definitely a topic that would dominate not only this but future summits as well.
        ROME, Italy - FM Anže Logar and his Italian counterpart Luigi di Maio chaired the 7th session of the Coordinating Committee of Ministers between Slovenia and Italy. They voiced the desire for stronger cooperation in security and migrations, infrastructure, sustainable mobility, industry, the green transition and science.
        LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj filed a criminal complaint against the opposition Left on suspicion of making false accusations against him in response to the party filing a complaint against him on suspicion of abuse of office. Olaj highlighted that the police were unbiased and professional.
        MEŽICA - TAB, the maker of starter batteries for cars and industrial batteries, announced it would launch production of lithium-ion cells in Prevalje in the first such facility in Slovenia in spring 2022 in a joint venture with the Chinese company Haidi Energy Technology.
        LJUBLJANA - Four former and current police officers who organised a police patrol in 2015 to pull over and breathalyze the then Public Administration Minister Boris Koprivnikar received suspended sentences at the Ljubljana District Court.
        LJUBLJANA - The average mark for the government's performance slightly increased for the second month in a row in the latest poll run by the newspaper Delo, however more than half of respondents remained unsatisfied with the government. The ruling SDS remained in the lead. The share of undecided voters rose to almost 20%.
        
TUESDAY, 15 June
        LJUBLJANA - Marjan Dikaučič, an official receiver, became Slovenia's new justice minister after a 44:41 vote in parliament. Dikaučič would not comment on the setback in the appointment of European delegated prosecutors from Slovenia, the reason for his predecessor's resignation.
        LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 epidemic, which was declared in Slovenia in October, officially ended, but all existing restrictions remained in place. Proof of either Covid recovery or vaccination or a negative test result will still be required in many cases.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor attended a ceremony at the Linden Tree of Reconciliation at Ljubljana's Žale cemetery, marking Day of Guilt, Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Recalling long-standing efforts to right wrongs, Pahor endorsed a declaration adopted by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU).
        CELJE - GE STEAM Power Systems, the legal successor to Alstom, struck a plea bargain with the prosecution in a case involving an alleged bribery scheme in the construction of TEŠ6. GE STEAM Power Systems agreed to pay EUR 23 million in damages plus EUR 50,000 in legal costs, subject to approval by the judge.
        LJUBLJANA - The SD leader Tanja Fajon proposed that four opposition parties forge a closer partnership, starting with a "partnership discussion" that would chart the way forward. Fajon wants the opposition to convince people of its capabilities.
        LJUBLJANA - With new coronavirus infections steadily declining, the NIJZ relaunched the active tracing of contacts of those who have tested positive, which had been suspended in autumn due to an unmanageable inflow of daily cases. Between 70 and 100 contact tracers will be available each day.
        LJUBLJANA - More than half of Slovenian respondents (51%) believe that corruption increased last year, showed the Global Corruption Barometer for the EU 2021, a survey by Transparency International. Responses by Slovenian participants suggested the second worst deterioration of the situation in the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court upheld a guilty verdict against Andrej Šiško, the leader of Štajerska Guard, a self-proclaimed militia, who was found guilty in March 2019 of trying to subvert the constitutional order. He had already served out his eight-month sentence.

WEDNESDAY, 16 June
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank markedly upgraded its economic growth forecast for the country, projecting the economy to expand by 5.2% this year, up 2.1 percentage points on the December forecast, followed by a 4.8% growth in 2022, up from 4.5%.
        BRNIK - A new passenger terminal was inaugurated at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport. The expansion brings 10,000 square metres of new surfaces. The new terminal will open on 1 July, just in time for the start of Slovenia's EU presidency.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded no daily Covid-19 deaths for the first time since 10 October as 83 new cases were logged, pushing the 7-day average case count and 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents below 100. Government data show 250,288 people had recovered from Covid-19 and 4,724 died had died.
        LJUBLJANA - US President Joe Biden sent his congratulations ahead of Statehood Day to President Borut Pahor. Biden sees the coming Slovenian EU presidency as a great opportunity for the country to contribute to the EU's resilience to health crises and cyber attacks.
        BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - FM Anže Logar argued for a credible continuation of the process to expand the EU to the Western Balkans as he took part in the Global Security Forum. Logar argued the EU should think geo-strategically and preserve and enhance a high level of trust for the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - It was announced that the government will host the College of European Commissioners, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as Slovenia takes over the rotating EU presidency on 1 July.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor nominated Damjan Kukovec, senior lecturer in law at Middlesex School of Law in London, for one of Slovenia's two judicial posts on the EU's General Court. Kukovec was endorsed as the most suitable out of eight candidates by the Judicial Council.
        LJUBLJANA - Finance reported that the Serbian AIK Banka was close to signing a deal to buy all of Russian Sberbank's operations in SE Europe, including those in Slovenia. A potential merger of Sberbank in Slovenia and Gorenjska Banka, which is owned by AIK, would create the third largest banking group in the country.

THURSDAY, 17 June
        LJUBLJANA - The government passed an emergency law to help the embattled tourism sector. The package is worth EUR 243.5 million, with new tourist vouchers accounting for the bulk of new spending. Businesses think the aid falls short.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted legislation that involves EUR 1.9 billion in spending on health investments over the next ten years for hospitals and educational institutions to beef up the capacity of the national health system. The money will be secured in regular annual budgets from 2021 to 2031.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to lift many existing restrictions in retail and services sectors as of 21 June, including the 10pm cap. A new restriction was introduced for public rallies and events with more than 100 persons. Participants of such events will need to be vaccinated, tested or reconvalescent from 21 June. The new rule will be in force until 27 June.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a long-awaited bill on long-term care. A gradual approach is planned and a special mandatory contribution for long-term care, a key component of the system, will be put in place later, by mid-2024 at the latest.
        ANTALYA, Turkey - FM Anže Logar attended a ministerial of the South-East European Cooperation Process, discussing the possibilities for regional cooperation. In his address, Logar highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation in the period following the Covid-19 pandemic.
        PODGORICA, Montenegro - Speaker Igor Zorčič started a two-day official visit to Montenegro by meeting his counterpart Aleksa Bečić. Zorčič said Slovenia would do everything in its power during its six-month stint at the helm of the Council of the EU to speed up Montenegro's EU accession talks.
        LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit assessed that Slovenia was partly successful in achieving the objectives of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the 2013-2019 period. It noted that 2030 targets were very ambitious and would be difficult to reach with the current structure and pace of measures.
        LJUBLJANA - Two members of the European Parliament from the Greens-European Free Alliance group concluded their three-day mission to Slovenia, assessing that, politically-speaking, the situation was very complex, and that they were leaving the country feeling concerned.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan announced at a virtual donors' conference in solidarity with Venezuela's migrants and refugees in Latin America that Slovenia will donate EUR 60,000.

 

19 Jun 2021, 11:30 AM

STA, 19 June 2021 - Janez Janša won another term at the helm of the Democratic Party (SDS) at a party congress in Slovenske Konjice on Saturday. He was endorsed by 650 of the 656 delegates as the only candidate for party head.

 

In his address after the vote, Janša thanked everyone who had organised the congress in challenging conditions. He pointed to the programme resolution adopted at the congress, which says that the party is already looking 30 years into the future.

While noting that his generation still had a lot to offer, he said a lot was expected from the party's youth wing in the coming years.

He said their time in the SDS, Slovenia and Europe was coming. "We know you are capable of accepting this challenge and that you will be up to the task."

He used the opportunity to point to 11 July and the referendum on the water act, saying that a yes vote would be a vote to protect drinking water. Those who will vote against will put drinking water in jeopardy, he said.

He said that those campaigning against the act were "more or less known names with known backgrounds", who had already bought plots on river banks, by the lakes and on the coast and were bothered by the act.

"Since people do not read acts it is our task to spread this truth among our team and convince them to vote in favour. We are the ones who are building, so we vote in favour," he stressed.

Janša said a challenging election year was ahead, so after a few months the team appointed today to party bodies would have to give their best.

He said that since many candidates were needed for elections, everyone would be given their chance.

SDS deputy group head Danijel Krivec said the committee's support to Janša had been expected. "There has always been some votes against and it was so this year as well, but the support was plebiscitary. We are happy with this result, all resolutions adopted and today's debate," he said after the congress.

The delegates at the 12th congress of the SDS adopted five programme resolutions addressing the problems of the youth and the elderly, and recognising the need for efforts for equal opportunities for both genders.

They also discussed a resolution entitled For Defence of the Constitutional Foundations of the Slovenian State, which warns of the danger of extremists and the Left. The document raised some dust in the past weeks, especially due to an assessment that any more tensions could lead to a civil war.

"We wished to warn that free functioning of anti-establishment movements, parties could create risks or lead to major political conflicts or even a civil war. We do not want that, that was just a warning," said SDS MEP Milan Zver.

He said some media had abused these statements in the past weeks, so some party committees had proposed that the controversial sections be scrapped but the delegates rejected this overwhelmingly.

The 62-year-old Janša, who is serving his third terms as prime minister, has been firmly at the helm of the SDS since 1993. Throughout this time, the party has always been at the top of party rankings.

He is the third SDS president of the party, which was initially called the Social-democratic Alliance of Slovenia and was renamed twice.

Its first president was France Tomšič, who led it between March 1989 and November 1989. He was succeeded by Jože Pučnik in 1989 - 1993.

Janša was elected party head at the congresses in 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021, and never had a rival except in 1993.

 

16 Jun 2021, 10:05 AM

STA, 15 June 2021 - Marjan Dikaučič, an official receiver, has become Slovenia's new justice minister after the National Assembly voted 44:41 in favour on Tuesday. He succeeds Lilijana Kozlovič, who resigned due to the government's decision to suspend the appointment of Slovenia's members of the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Who is Marjan Dikaučič?

Speaking to reporters after he was appointed, Dikaučič said the programme of work at the ministry had largely been determined already and was circumscribed by the presidency of the EU.

Among the tasks ahead, he singled out a reform of insolvency law, legislation on the protection of personal data, and legislation implementing several Constitutional Court decisions.

The 39-year-old earned a law degree in 2006 and passed his bar exam in 2009, whereupon he started working in the private sector to eventually become an official receiver managing insolvency procedures. He was not widely known in the public before his nomination.

The vote capped just four hours of debate during which the coalition highlighted his credentials in the legal profession and him not being a member of any "legal networks".

Dejan Kaloh, an MP for the Democrats (SDS), said this was a sign that Dikaučič will work free of pressure and can dedicate himself to the justice portfolio.

The Modern Centre Party (SMC), which nominated him, said he had a broad vision and would work for independence of the judiciary while putting justice at the core of his efforts.

MP Mojca Žnidarič said he knew the justice system from the inside and in his presentation he identified the key issues that needed to be addressed.

The opposition criticised his lack of experience and connections with insolvency procedures that some media report alleged involved shell companies.

Dikaučič dismissed any links to shell companies. "I am saddened about the political culture of certain individuals, who want nothing more than to discredit a person willing to do hit job responsibly," he said.

They also criticised his refusal to take a position on the Slovenian delegated prosecutors.

During the committee hearing last week, Dikaučič said he had to "avoid any act or word that could contaminate the procedure" given that legal action had been announced both by the Prosecution Council and the two candidates that had failed to be appointed.

In today's debate, LMŠ deputy group leader Brane Golubovič described him as a "shell candidate", with Prime Minister Janez Janša actually pulling the strings.

Left MP Željko Cigler said little was known about him and he had no political experience or professional credentials. His committee presentation was so general any candidate for any minister could have used it.

SAB deputy Maša Kociper said his refusal to speak about the delegated prosecutors' procedure cast him in a bad light, a point also raised by the Social Democrats (SD).

After the vote SMC president Zdravko Počivalšek said Dikaučič enjoyed the full trust of the party and the coalition. "I am confident he will realise all the commitments that we signed up for in the coalition agreement, and resolve all issues that have accumulated in this portfolio since then."

Prime Minister Janša was originally supposed to present the candidate but did not make an appearance in parliament.

Who is Marjan Dikaučič?

STA, 15 June 2021 - Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič, 39, joins the Janez Janša government as a newcomer to politics. He has promised a fresh and unburdened approach.

Having obtained a bachelor's degree in law in 2006, Dikaučič initially worked as trainee at the Ljubljana Higher Court. He passed the bar exam in 2009 and then pursued a career in the private sector.

He subsequently passed the exam for official receiver and started working as one. More recently, he has dedicated himself to the study of insolvency legislation, according to the official biography circulated by the Modern Centre Party (SMC).

Dikaučič has singled out insolvency law as one of his top priorities, arguing at last week's committee hearing that insolvency law had to protect honest businessmen and preserve the healthy portions of insolvent companies.

He told the committee he was currently working for a law firm but would not say which one. As for criticism that he lacks experience, he said he had sufficient experience and knew the system from the inside, including problems that smaller players in the judiciary face.

The SMC has stressed that Dikaučič is not dependent on any networks and would hence be able to do his job more easily, without pressure and excess baggage.

Dikaučič has unsuccessfully applied for director of the Šmarje pri Jelšah Community Health centre and for a position of notary public. In both cases, he was passed over for lack of experience.

His predecessor Lilijana Kozlovič resigned after the government annulled the procedure for the appointment of delegated prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Dikaučič would not state his position on the matter with the argument that he had to "avoid any act or word that could contaminate the procedure" given that legal action had been announced both by the Prosecution Council and the two candidates that had failed to be appointed.

Overall, he says he sees the justice minister primary as an arbiter who has to strike a balance between proposals and interests, within the justice system as well as between the judiciary and other systems in government.

15 Jun 2021, 13:49 PM

STA, 15 June 2021 - More than half of Slovenian respondents believe that corruption increased in Slovenia last year, shows Global Corruption Barometer for the EU 2021, a survey released by Transparency International (TI). Responses by Slovenian participants suggest the second worst deterioration of the situation in the EU.

Almost a third of European citizens think that 2020 saw a rise in corruption. Meanwhile, only respondents from Cyprus gave a worse assessment of the situation than those in Slovenia as 65% of them think that corruption flourished during the pandemic year of 2020. In Slovenia, the relevant rate is 51%.

Almost two-thirds (66%) of the Slovenian respondents said that citizens feared retaliatory measures upon reporting instances of corruption, which is the third highest rate in this category in the EU, behind Cyprus (76%) and Croatia (72%). This is cause for concern, said the head of TI Slovenija Alma Sedlar.

Almost 84% of the respondents in Slovenia said that corruption within the government was a big or a very big problem. What stands out is an increase in those who think that the Slovenian prime minister or members of his office are involved in corruptive practices (38.6%).

On a positive note, the share of those who believe that citizens could contribute to the fight against corruption has significantly increased, to 66.1%.

For the first time since the start of such polling, the survey focused on various types of personal experience of corruption. In Slovenia, 18% used personal connections to gain access to public services in 2020, the second lowest rate in the survey, which compares to the EU average of 33%. 4.1% of the Slovenian respondents bribed their way to public services.

Sedlar warned that even though Slovenia was a country where bribery was a rare occurrence, the increase in this category did not bode well for the situation, noting that the amount of those with experience of bribery in healthcare more than doubled to 4.6% compared to 2016.

Some 6% of the Slovenian respondents said that they or their acquaintances were asked to do sexual favours in exchange for access to some public services in the past five years, which is slightly below the EU average of 7%.

TI Slovenija pointed out in a press release that "it seems that there is no discussion on reforms to ensure a more effective prevention of corruption in Slovenia". The NGO said that its appeals to provide a more effective protection of whistleblowers, step up efforts to ensure transparency and come up with preventive measures in relation to the recovery plan had been ignored.

The survey was conducted between October and December 2020 among more than 40,000 adults across the EU. In Slovenia, the survey was carried out between 13 October and 19 November 2020 among 1,003 respondents.

Get a PDF of the full report here

15 Jun 2021, 11:37 AM

STA, 14 June 2021 - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj has filed a criminal complaint against the opposition Left for suspicion of making false accusations against him in response to the party pressing charges against him for suspicion of abuse of office.

"The police will continue to act in an unbiased manner and under the legal principle of equality before the law. I will continue to defend freedom of expression under the framework of respectful discourse," said Olaj, highlighting that he had never urged an investigation against any political party.

The Left accused Olaj last week of abuse of office. It alleges Olaj used a fake manifesto that has been attributed to the Left, which the party denies, to launch an investigation against the party on suspicion of inciting a forceful re-writing of the Constitution.

The party also filed criminal complaints against the ruling Democrats (SDS) and "its media network" on suspicion of a systemic spread of non-truths, and against an unknown perpetrator for allegations of forging the manifesto to discredit the party and incite politically-motivated hatred in society.

The manifesto had been circulated on social media and reported on by media with close ties to the SDS.

Olaj dismissed the allegations already last week, saying that the work of the police was based only on tasks assigned to them by the current legislation.

To press charges based on false accusations is punishable by an imprisonment of maximum two years.

14 Jun 2021, 13:27 PM

STA, 13 June 2021 - Igor Kršinar, a journalist for the right-wing political magazine Reporter, has initiated a private prosecution against Prime Minister Janez Janša over two Twitter posts in 2019 that implied he was a drug user.

In one tweet, in October 2019, Janša said about an article that Kršinar wrote. "Pure lie. Kršinar is already using heavy drugs." A month later, Janša shared a tweet by then MP Žan Mahnič, who wondered whether "Kršinar was mixing whiskey and Helex again".

The first tweet referred to an article describing proceedings at the Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services, which Kršinar subsequently corrected after getting access to the minutes of the meeting.

The second tweet referred to Kršinar's article about a "fake news factory" operated from the headquarters of the Democrats (SDS), Janša's party.

Kršinar says that since 2017 Janša has written disparagingly about Reporter and him personally, but the claim that he is a drug user "exceeds the boundaries of appropriate and permitted communication," the magazine said in an article published on Sunday.

Kršinar says he uses neither drugs nor is he an alcoholic and has never had problems with drug or alcohol abuse.

An arraignment hearing was scheduled for 26 May but was postponed until further notice because Kršinar's lawyer was ill.

Related: Janša Faces Retrial in “Washed-up Prostitutes” Defamation Case

13 Jun 2021, 10:35 AM

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 11 June 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Amateurish vaccination campaign

STA, 11 June 2021 – Mladina, the left-wing weekly, says in its latest editorial that Slovenia is running out of people interested in vaccination against Covid-19 and that the government has failed this key test due to "complete amateurism" in the public promotion of vaccination.

"There are almost no more candidates for vaccination, and we are not even at 40% yet", the weekly says under the headline Failed Vaccination, adding that this is not happening in any other country in Europe.

The government has failed the key test as it had promised a 70% vaccination rate at the beginning of June - this was an exaggeration, of course, because they wanted to get the public going, but no one expected such a poor result.

Mladina adds that the failure comes even though virtually all media have supported the campaign, in addition to the entire political class, public personalities and celebrities, who have been calling on people to get vaccinated.

"What has gone wrong," the weekly wonders, suggesting that the main problem for the government in the promotion of vaccination is "complete amateurism".

"It is already clear that they have created a simple, actually stupid public vaccination promotion campaign, that they have failed to make analyses by individual social and age groups, which is why they address the public as a whole, in the media."

For this reason, Mladina argues that anti-vaxxers and the malicious media are not the main problem of the vaccination fiasco, but "the government simply failing to do its job", which is why the number of vaccinated people is so low.

As one of the top Slovenian communication expert, who wants to remain anonymous because the current government is known for holding grudges, said: "This is so Slovenian: everybody who has power is interfering in everything."

"They always look to blame the people, whom they perceive as stupid and mislead, and who do not want to obey," Mladina quotes the expert, adding that this does not apply only to vaccination.

Reporter: SDS gearing up for election

STA, 7 June 2021 - The right-wing political magazine Reporter argues in Monday's editorial that recent actions by the ruling Democrats (SDS) indicate the party is preparing for an election, be it a snap election or a regular vote.

In a commentary entitled Pre-election Discreditation, the magazine lists two instances that it believes indicate the party is in campaign mode.

First, the SDS has started to demonise the Left, which serves to fire up its own electoral base rather than to reach across the isle.

"If [the Left] became an unacceptable coalition partner for the remaining left parties, the SDS would jump in and forge a grand coalition with them. But this is just wishful thinking by strategists on the right," according to Reporter.

And secondly, Požareport recently singled out two senior SDS MPs, Brako Grims and Jože Tanko, among MPs who may have cast invalid ballots in the recent attempt to oust Speaker Igor Zorčič.

"Just like before any election, a battle for 'electable' districts is already raging in the SDS. Grims and Tanko may be veterans and among the most high-profile MPs, but both are considered 'difficult' persons and some in the SDS would renounce them without feeling bad about it.

"Once discredited, they have fewer arguments for a new bid for a district that practically guarantees SDS deputies they will be elected to the National Assembly," the paper concludes.

All our posts in this series are here

12 Jun 2021, 10:33 AM

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 4 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - President Borut Pahor reiterated his call for joint efforts by all stakeholders in Slovenia to make EU presidency a success after holding talks with top EU officials. He said Slovenia could preserve and enhance its image as a reliable country capable of leading demanding dossiers, despite the current political uncertainty in the country.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia and Italy will soon start policing the shared border with joint police patrols, the interior ministers, Aleš Hojs and Luciana Lamorgese, said after a meeting. Hojs said the patrols would be relaunched as soon as possible equipped with modern technology and devices such as drones.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša formally nominated Marjan Dikaučič, an official receiver, Slovenia's new justice minister after the candidate was put forward by the Modern Centre Party (SMC). Dikaučič is slated to replace Lilijana Kozlovič, who resigned when the government annulled the call for applications for the country's European delegated prosecutors.
        STRASBOURG, France - The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged the Slovenian authorities in a memorandum to put a stop to the deterioration of the situation regarding media freedom and freedom of expression in the country. In the context of media freedom, she pointed to harassment, intimidation and criminal lawsuits against journalists. Prime Minister Janez Janša retorted by describing Mijatović as part of as "fake news network", which earned him a rebuke from several international organisations of journalists.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kövesi expressed concern about the deadlock in the appointment of European delegated prosecutors (EDP) from Slovenia, saying it would affect the efficiency of the office and trust in oversight of EU funds. But she said her hands over the situation were tied.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed in a unanimous vote amendments to the penal code that redefine sexual consent in line with the concept that only yes means yes. The vote was hailed as historic by MPs, who said the credit should go to the NGOs which mobilised the public to create a genuine social movement.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) officially took over 38 Oshkosh four-wheeled light tactical vehicles purchased from the US under a government-to-government deal. Another 37 vehicles are to be ordered this year.
        
SATURDAY, 5 June
        KOČEVSKI ROG - Retired Ljubljana Archbishop Anton Stres addressed the annual memorial and mass for victims of post-WWII reprisal killings in the Kočevski Rog woods, noting that that reconciliation was yet to be reached in Slovenia. He said the conditions for that include revealing truth about the post-war executions and condemning those who have committed the acts and forgiveness by those from the other side.
        VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis appointed Slovenian Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, as the new apostolic nuncio in Canada. Jurkovič has been the Holy See's permanent observer in several organisations in Geneva in the last five years.
        ANNECY, France - Golfer Pia Babnik scored the first Slovenian win at the Ladies European Tour as she won the EUR 200,000 Jabra Ladies Open tournament in the Evian Resort Golf Club in France, earning a ticket for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

SUNDAY, 6 June
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said he does not support a potential early election, arguing in an interview for TV Slovenija that a vote during Slovenia's EU presidency would mean the country misses a rare opportunity to strengthen its reputation on the international stage.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced he will award presidential decorations to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), the Koper bureau of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija and to the Slovenian bureau of Italian public broadcaster RAI.
        POZNAN, Poland - Slovenia's pair Špela Ponomarenko Janić and Anja Osterman won today's 200-metre race at the Canoe Sprint European Championships. This is their first gold from European or world championships.
        LJUBLJANA - The German youth football team won the UEFA U-21 European Championship by beating Portugal 1:0. Lukas Nmecha scored the only goal in the 49th minute to secure the third title for Germany since the competition began in 1978.

MONDAY, 7 June
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - European Commissioner for Promoting the European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas visited Slovenia before it assumes EU presidency on 1 July, discussing with Interior Minister Aleš Hojs the priorities of the presidency. Hojs said the new pact on migration and asylum was a priority in the field of internal affairs.
        SEOUL, South Korea - Foreign Minister Anže Logar started a two-day visit to South Korea by officially opening the first Slovenian embassy in Seoul. Janez Premože, a former Slovenian ambassador to India and China, has been named ambassador.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders reiterated his call for Slovenia to appoint European delegated prosecutors for the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) as soon as possible. He hopes that he could soon discuss the issue with the new Slovenian justice minister.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted members of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference for lunch as Slovenia marks the 30th anniversary of independence. Pahor and Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore made a joint statement on the occasion saying all Slovenians should stand together, just like they did during the independence efforts.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and China signed a protocol on the export of Slovenian poultry, a key precondition for the export of food products to the Asian country. Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek said a protocol on pork would follow soon.
        IZOLA - Slovenia assumed the two-year chairmanship of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development, a multi-stakeholder advisory body set up under the Barcelona convention, as the commission opened its 19th session.
        LJUBLJANA - Writer, publisher and editor Tanja Tuma was elected the new president of Slovenian PEN. She said she would like to open up Slovenian PEN to new members, foremost young writers.
        
TUESDAY, 8 June
        LUXEMBOURG - There was progress in the debate on the migration pact, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said as he attended an EU ministerial. The debate on strengthening the European Asylum Support Office's (EASO) mandate could be advanced already during Portugal's presidency, but if not, the Slovenian EU presidency should make it happen in the second half of the year.
        SEOUL, South Korea - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-Yong as he continued his two-day visit. The pair urged strengthening political and economic ties between Slovenia and South Korea.
        LJUBLJANA - Hungarian energy group MOL acquired a network of 120 service stations operated by Austrian energy group OMV in Slovenia, subject to regulatory approval. The purchase consideration for the outright stake in the company OMV Slovenija is EUR 301 million. MOL's subsidiary INA already holds a 7.75% stake.
        SLADKI VRH - A new production line at the Paloma hygienic paper factory has been launched. Worth EUR 41 million, this is the largest investment in the Slovenian paper industry in the last 40 years and will make Paloma a competence centre for high-quality tissue products within the Slovak SHP Group.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek and his Italian counterpart Stefano Patuanelli talked via video call to conclude that the countries cooperate well in agriculture. They agreed that Slovenia and Italy shared the same views on the common agricultural and fisheries policy.
        LJUBLJANA - Speaker Igor Zorčič decided not to call a plenary session to debate the opposition Left's party programme after the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) requested this last week, arguing the programme contained elements suggesting the Left could act against the country's constitutional order.
        NEW YORK, US - Slovenia and Kiribati established diplomatic relations. A joint statement to that effect was signed at the Slovenian Mission in New York by the Slovenian and Kiribati ambassadors at the UN, Darja Bavdaž Kuret and Teburoro Tito.

WEDNESDAY, 9 June
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted his Swiss counterpart Guy Parmelin for official talks to confirm the friendly relations between the two countries. The presidents agreed that relations could be further strengthened at both international and bilateral levels, in particular in business, research and science.
        PORTOROŽ - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and his Croatian counterpart Davor Božinović discussed strategies to facilitate border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia, for hauliers, tourists and daily commuters. While it was agreed a new checkpoint will open near Brežice for daily commuters, police were tasked with coming up with a solution at Obrežje and Gruškovje to enable a faster flow of lorries.
        LJUBLJANA - Jette Ostan Vejrup, a Danish-Slovenian actress born in 1962 who is member of the Ljubljana City Theatre, was declared the winner of this year's Borštnik Ring, Slovenia's top accolade for lifetime achievement in theatre acting. The jury said that Ostan Vejrup's breakthrough into Slovenian theatre has expanded its boundaries.
        LJUBLJANA - The coalition proposed amendments to the act on public contracting in healthcare under which prices of medical equipment would be regulated with a system of reference prices. A new government office would set the reference prices.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left filed criminal complaints against the ruling Democrats (SDS) and "its media network" for suspicion of a systemic spread of non-truths about the party's platform. The party also pressed charges against Police Commissioner Anton Olaj for suspicion of abuse of office.
        
THURSDAY, 10 June
        LJUBLJANA - The government declassified a 2011 document about possible further paths in the process of constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina, compiled by former Slovenian President Milan Kučan. The move comes after an alleged non-paper on border changes in the Western Balkans attributed to Slovenia had been circulated in the public. It was not immediately clear if this is document that had been subject to public scrutiny.
        PORTOROŽ - Brdo-Brijuni Process interior ministers discussed on the final day of their informal meeting illegal migration, highlighting the need for better cooperation. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs named data exchange with Western Balkan countries and the use of EU databases as possible solutions.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a regulation that details how the STA should perform its public service, and defines the scope of public service and its financing. STA staff said regulation did not address the underlying issues relevant to the agency's survival and development
        LJUBLJANA - Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), filed a criminal complaint against Katarina Bervar Sternad of the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy and lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar. He accused them of making false accusations against him over the suspension of STA funding.
        LJUBLJANA - Austrian author Josef Winkler was declared the winner of this year's International Vilenica Prize. Winkler said he knew quite a few previous Vilenica winners and was proud to be among them.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to extend the majority of existing coronavirus restrictions while slightly easing them in the cultural sector, where serving food and drinks will once again be permitted during cultural events.
        LJUBLJANA - Chinese company Huawei announced it planned to set up a regional logistic hub in Slovenia for some 19 markets of central and south-eastern Europe. As a result, the flow of its goods through the port of Koper will increase and new storage facilities will need to be built near Ljubljana airport.
        PARIS, France - Tamara Zidanšek lost in the semi-finals of the French Open in Paris to Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in what was only the second semi-final appearance for a Slovenian woman tennis player in the singles competition at a Grand Slam tournament in almost four decades and a half.

 

12 Jun 2021, 07:23 AM

STA, 11 June 2021 - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan believes the government declassifying a 2011 document on possible further paths in the process of constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina, compiled by him, is a move to divert attention from the allegations that PM Janez Janša was spreading a non-paper on re-drawing of borders in the Western Balkans.

Janša Denies Promoting Break-Up of Bosnia Along Ethnic Lines as Islamist Group Protests in Sarajevo

"I understand the government's decision to remove the confidentiality label from the document as diverting attention from the reproaches to the prime minister about disseminating a non-paper on the changing of borders in South-east Europe," Kučan told the STA on Friday.

This comes after the government said on Thursday it had declassified a document dated 26 January 2011 on "possible further paths for a successful process of the constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina".

In the announcement, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) noted that the document had been created based on a decision of the government that had been in office at the time.

It was the government of Borut Pahor (2008-2011) that appointed Slovenia's first President Milan Kučan as its special rapporteur on Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2010.

According to Kučan, the document has already been published in a book by historian Božo Repe, and "is no secret".

The document published on the government website today is indeed identical to the document published in the book mentioned by Kučan. And it is not the document that the news portal Necenzurirano released in April claiming that this was the non-paper attributed to Slovenia.

It is, however, not yet clear whether this is the document the government refers to as the STA is still waiting for government approval to access the document.

The government said yesterday that, "considering that the content of the document has for the most part been publicly known for several weeks, the conditions required for this document to retain the classified status no longer exist."

This is probably a reference to the content of the document possibly being similar to that of the alleged non-paper on border changes in the Western Balkans.

Kučan told the STA that he had prepared the report for the Borut Pahor government at the time as the prime minister was to speak about Bosnia-Herzegovina at a session of the European Council.

"In it I speak mostly about the EU needing to show more interest in Bosnia-Herzegovina which is, as I wrote, a non-functioning state, to bring it back on its feet so that it is capable of negotiating conditions for the EU accession," he added.

Kučan stressed that his report could by no means be compared with the controversial non-paper that allegedly speaks about new borders in the Western Balkans. It has been informally labelled as Slovenian as certain media reported that Janša had helped disseminate it, which the prime minister denies.

"There is not a single word in my document about changing borders," the former president said, adding that the government's move was about diverting attention from the non-paper, the discussion about which could not be concluded in such a way.

"I said about the non-paper in an interview with a Bosnian TV station ... that the prime minister of my country denies this and if he says so, then we probably should believe this," Kučan added.

Pahor, who currently serves his second term as the president of the republic, also took issue with the government declassifying the document, saying that it should have stayed confidential.

"This report is not intended for public, but for political decision-makers and I think that it should have remained such," he told the press as he visited the Muslim Cultural Centre in Ljubljana today.

The president noted that it was a document with a title, date and signatory, and that he had asked Kučan to compile it as it had been expected from Slovenia in a debate on Bosnia to have "special knowledge given its experience about the topic."

10 Jun 2021, 12:26 PM

STA, 9 June 2021 - Several international journalist organisations condemned Wednesday Prime Minister Janez Janša's tweet that said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović was "part of #fakenews network". This came after her warning about deteriorating media freedom in Slovenia. The organisations agree with her assessment of the situation.

"We welcome a memorandum by Commissioner Mijatović and share her concern over the deterioration of media freedom in Slovenia, which coincides with findings of our recent fact-finding mission in the country," said Article 19, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and OBC Transeuropa.

Their joint press release says that their findings on the situation will be part of a report produced by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) mission to Slovenia. The mission was conducted in late May and early June and the report is expected to be published in July.

Mijatović's office is independent and unbiased, which is also reflected in the memorandum, said the organisations, highlighting that the commissioner had not only released the report but also a six-page document displaying views by the Slovenian government.

"The tone and manner in which PM Janša voiced his disagreement with Commissioner Mijatović's memorandum are in our opinion completely inappropriate for a leader of a democratic EU country," the press release says.

Janša wrote in English on Twitter on Sunday: "Unfortunately, @Dunja_Mijatovic is part of #fakenews network. Well paid by our money."

The organisations pointed out that the irony was that exactly this kind of conduct by officials on social media raised the alarm in the memorandum, calling on Janša to refrain from such statements in the future and instead strive to remedy the alarming situation.

Janša has responded to the organisations' press release saying that "the manner in which @Dunja_Mijatovic is spreading lies about Slovenia is totally unacceptable". "And we will not tolerate this without telling the truth."

Mijatović urged the Slovenian authorities in the memorandum, published on Friday, to stop the deterioration of media freedom and freedom of expression in the country.

She raised concern over harassment, including sexist harassment against female journalists, intimidation, criminal lawsuits against reporters and the government's attitude to public media.

As part of preparations for the report, Mijatović held talks with President Borut Pahor and a number of ministers in April but not with Janša. She also talked to journalists of different media, politicians, experts and representatives of the civil society.

09 Jun 2021, 11:43 AM

STA, 8 June 2021 - The public service provided by the Slovenian Press Agency, STA would be subject to detailed new rules under a draft government regulation that the agency's director has described as yet another attempt to bypass two laws that require the government to provide public funding for the agency and as unlawful.

Unlike the law governing the STA, which provides broad outlines of the public service, the draft regulation defines exactly what the public service should look like.

It stipulates that special summaries of Slovenian and English news have to be open to the public, distinct from the news wire the agency markets to subscribers and available in a separate section of the web page.

At present, lead paragraphs and condensed news for radio stations are designated as public service and freely available.

Photos about key events and all content about minorities would also have to be available free of charge, the regulation determines.

The second set of provisions deals with the public service fee, introducing the concept of net expenses the agency incurs in the provision of public service.

In effect, the public service fee would cover the difference between total costs and commercial revenue, whereby even revenue for dedicated commercial projects the STA is performing for public bodies would count as public revenue.

The fee would be paid monthly based on the volume of public service performed in the month before; at present, the public funding, which is currently suspended, is paid monthly but does not specifically depend on monthly output.

The decree also deals with commercial services, requiring that any commercial activities be in compliance with generally accepted professional standards and the principles of truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, independence, and public accountability.

The STA would have to report quarterly to the Government Communications Office (UKOM) about the realisation of the business plan and UKOM would also annually evaluate whether the public service fee is lower or higher than net costs.

The oversight by UKOM also involves access to information about the STA financial and accounting practices.

Financially, the decree is estimated at EUR 2 million annually, which is broadly in line with what the agency has been receiving in the past.

The decree was announced last week as an attempt to end the impasse over financing that has left the agency without payment for public service for 159 days.

However, STA director Bojan Veselinovič has described it as "a new manoeuvre to bypass two laws that the government has been violating since the start of this year".

He said nobody had consulted with the agency about these changes, which would have been expected "if they actually wanted to do us good".

He also stressed that the EUR 2 million does not amount to actual funding, it is only an amount reserved for this purpose, while the final judgement about the funding would be up to the UKOM director.

Veselinovič announced legal action against the decree, saying the agency would "use all legal remedies" to challenge it in court.

A legal opinion commissioned by the STA makes similar points, arguing that the decree infringes on the fundamental principle of law which stipulates that executive regulations must be substantively based on the law they refer to.

It highlights as particular problematic the provision which states what kind of commercial services the STA may or may not perform, arguing that this has no place in a regulation that declaratively deals with its public service.

The Trade Union of Journalists (SNS) and the Association of Journalists (DNS) expressed opposition to the draft decree, assessing that it was unconstitutional and encroaching upon the editorial and managerial autonomy of the STA.

The SNS said it "represents the realisation of the politically motivated goal of the current government that it has pursued with the illegal suspension of financing of the public service of the STA, that is to subjugate the public service."

The DNS said that the decree was unnecessary, and that it would result in greater control by UKOM and its director over the independent public media outlet and "enable further extortion and applying of pressure on the STA."

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