03 Feb 2021, 15:33 PM

Alenka Bratušek Becomes MP for Stranka Alenke Bratušek after Sudden Death of Franc Kramar

STA, 3 February 2021 - Alenka Bratušek, the leader of the opposition party carrying her name (Stranka Alenke Bratušek, SAB ), was confirmed as a member of the National Assembly on Wednesday to succeed late Franc Kramar following a session convened in his honour.

In his address, National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič described Kramar as a man of action who earned respect for building bridges between people, while fellow party member Maša Kociper said he would be remembered as an upright and proud man.

"He was determined, persevering, full of energy and one of those who through his wisdom, composure and calm voice spread the spirit of cross-party cooperation from these benches," said the speaker.

Kramar died at the age of 60 on Saturday after a long illness had kept him away from parliament for a while. Before being elected to the National Assembly on the SAB party ticket in 2018 he served as mayor of Bohinj for twenty years (1994-2002 and 2006-18).

It was his service as the mayor and his efforts to reach a broad consensus to pass amendments to the legislation on the Triglav National Park that were listed among his achievements at the session, which was also attended by President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Janez Janša and National Council Speaker Alojz Kovšca.

Bratušek, 50, will succeed Kramar by virtue of her having achieved the second best result for her party in the Kranj electoral district.

She served as Slovenia's only woman prime minister to date between 20 March 2013 and 5 May 2014, at the time when the country was on the brink of having to ask for an international bailout.

03 Feb 2021, 12:01 PM

NGO Aims to Redefine Sexual Violence Based on “Yes Means Yes”

STA, 2 February 2021 - The NGO Inštitut 8. Marec filed an initiative in parliament on Tuesday to collect 5,000 signatures in support of its legislative proposal redefining the crimes of rape and sexual violence. The NGO proposes such crimes be treated in line with the consent principle "yes means yes".

A petition for redefining rape and sexual violence had been filed in January 2019. The then Justice Minister Andreja Katič promised changes in this respect, but neither the previous not the current government have proposed any systemic changes, Mojca Lukan from Inštitut 8. Marec told the press today.

"Because those in power are thus sending the message to victims of sexual violence that it was their own fault, we've decided to draw up a proposal ourselves," Lukan said.

The head of the NGO, Nika Kovač, said they had opted for the harder way because they did not want anyone to score political points.

"We heard voices yesterday bravely sharing their experiences, now is the time for us to form a movement together, to say 'it's enough' and change the legislation," she said, adding this was the only way to have fewer victims and to help victims speak up.

Currently, the law says sexual crimes must involve the use of force, which forces the victims to resist actively, thus risking even greater violence, Kristina Krajnc from the NGO said.

This means the perpetrators are often found not guilty if the victim is asleep, unconscious or numb. Such was a case processed by a court in Koper where a man accused of rape was acquitted because the victim was asleep when the rape started.

This is why the NGO proposes the principle "yes means yes", which has been adopted by many European countries.

The NGO said many victims of sexual violence at university institutions had turned to them. "This is something that is happening in all institutions with hierarchic relations," Kovač said.

She also pointed to a series of accusations of sexual harassment on Slovenske Železnice trains, saying "absolutely nothing has been done yet".

After receiving an initiative for legislative changes, the parliamentary speaker has seven days to inform the ministry in charge of the voting rights register and to set the deadline for the 60-day collecting of signatures.

If all the conditions are met, the motion enters the legislative process and the National Assembly processes it like any other bill.

The Justice Ministry welcomed the initiative but indicated it would press ahead with a previously proposed model known as "no means no", which NGOs including Inštitut 8. Marec do not consider as going far enough.

The ministry said far-reaching changes to the criminal code were being drawn up concerning consent in crimes against inviolability of sexual integrity.

It said "no means no" had been recognized by an expert group as the most sustainable model in that it will give law enforcement an effective prosecution tool while providing legal certainty to all those involved in a criminal procedure.

02 Feb 2021, 17:09 PM

Swastikas Spray-Painted on Christian NGO in Ljubljana

STA, 2 February 2021 - A building in Ljubljana housing the Zavod Iskreni, a Christian NGO, has been defaced as unknown perpetrators spray-painted two swastikas on its facade and entrance and wrote "Corruption?" on the door, in what is another in a series of similar recent incidents. The NGO thinks the defacing reflects Slovenia's current state of mind.

The investigation into the incident, which occurred in the night to Tuesday, is ongoing, the Ljubljana Police Department told the STA, adding that the defacing caused some EUR 2,000 in damage.

Responding to the incident, Zavod Iskreni said that the defacing mainly demonstrated Slovenia's state of mind, frustration, anger and growing intolerance. The latter is directed at someone who is not guilty of anything through political and media fuelling and inciting, the NGO wrote in its response for the STA.

It added that its staff and volunteers were not used to "such intensely negative political and media attention", so they were even more upset. The incident has only exacerbated the situation, Zavod Iskreni noted, calling on everyone, particularly politicians and media, to acknowledge the effects of such spotlight.

The NGO, which is best known for promoting family and Christian values and organising anti-abortion rallies and pickets, has lately been in the spotlight after it was one of the organisations selected to receive funding from the Labour Ministry for mitigation of the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

This prompted corruption allegations and a motion of no confidence in Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj, who used to have close ties to the organisation.

The defacing has been condemned by officials across the political spectrum.

"Radical political views that deny basic human rights to those who think differently or have different values have throughout history always led down a wrong path," New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin said on Twitter, calling for joint efforts promoting plurality, tolerance and respect for diversity.

"Do you understand how psychology works when you incite and pit people against someone?" Rok Čakš, the editor of conservative news portal Domovina, published by Zavod Iskreni, wrote on Twitter.

Razumete, kako deluje psihologija, ko podpihujete in hujskate ljudi proti nekomu?
Tole danes prostori Zavoda Iskreni v LJ: pic.twitter.com/qoSXx8qbN1
— Rok Č. (@Rok_DS) February 2, 2021

Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), responded to Čakš's tweet by describing the incident as unacceptable. He also said that "Tonin was right when he stressed that these were systemic attacks on Christians and our values", wondering where the police were.

The opposition SocDems as well as Jerca Korče, an MP of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the largest opposition parties, have condemned the latest incident.

The SD wrote on Twitter that corruption should be persecuted by competent authorities. "There is no space for violence and vandalism in democracy and there should not be."

The NGO is another in a series of targets which have been defaced recently.

On Friday evening, swastikas were spray-painted on a building in Trbovlje where Health Ministry State Secretary Alenka Forte, a medical doctor, has her office.

02 Feb 2021, 12:54 PM

Accusations of Sexual Harassment at Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film & Television, Faculty of Arts

STA, 2 February 2021 - Mia Skrbinac has become the first Slovenian actress to speak out publicly about sexual harassment as she revealed for TV Slovenija in a programme aired last night she had been sexually harassed for two years by a well-known actor and acting professor during her time as a student at the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television.

Speaking for the weekly magazine show Tednik, parts of which was also shown on the main evening news on the public broadcaster, the actress gave an account of how she had been subjected to psychological and physical violence from the professor, whom she would not name, during acting classes and outside class between 2014 and 2016.

"He would wait for me outside the toilets, at the Drama [theatre house] bar, and elsewhere," she said. She could not bring herself to speak out about what was happening to her during her study years. A fellow student of hers at the time, Sara Lucu, corroborated the professor's inappropriate behaviour for the programme.

Skrbinac has reported the sexual harassment to the University of Ljubljana, part of which is the academy, known for its acronym AGRFT. She is yet considering whether to bring a complaint against the professor with the police. She would not name the professor because she believes she is not the only one to have experienced harassment.

Other actors appearing on the programme backed her in coming forward. "Abuse of a position of power is a grave form of manipulation and as such morally and ethically unacceptable," said Nataša Barbara Gračner, an actress and AGRFT professor. Actor Saša Tabaković called on the academy "to protect the victims, establish what went on, and punish the professors involved".

AGRFT dean Tomaž Gubenšek announced action, but said the academy had not yet received any complaint. "In any case, the reaction will be sharp. I have zero tolerance to such things, students must be protected to feel safe during their studies," he said on the programme.

Gubenšek told the STA today that in the wake of sexual harassment disclosures in the region of the former Yugoslavia he sent out emails to students on 27 January urging them to report if they were harassed in any way, and promising them to handle every report with due care and discretion, regardless of whether it was anonymous or not.

He said the academy and the university was still waiting for a written statement or complaint from Skrbinac before taking appropriate steps as prescribed. As a first measure to protect the students, the academy will also organise all practical classes, when the coronavirus situation should permit them, so that there will always be two professors with the students.

During the time he has worked at the AGRFT he remembers only one case of sexual harassment being handled by the academy, about 12 or 13 years ago, but this was before his time as dean so he did not know about the details. He did not think any of his predecessors would conceal any such instances or complaints in the past.

The University of Ljubljana expressed regret about such developments, saying they took every complaint extremely seriously. The university has also appointed a taskforce to recognise various forms of violence in the academic space, which TV Slovenija said showed sexual harassment and violence at the colleges were a problem.

A student research group Rezistenca has conducted a survey among 1,500 students in which one in ten reported having faced sexual violence situations. Even those women students who have reported violence to those in charge were not taken seriously enough, the group's representative Rina Pleteršek told TV Slovanija.

She called for a systematic regulation of the matter at the level of the university and the state. "The victims should not suffer an ordeal such as students at the Faculty of Arts have," Pleteršek said.

Owing to allegations of sexual harassment from his women students, Igor Pribac, an associate professor of philosophy at the faculty, failed to be endorsed by the faculty's senate to continue to teach there in October. The senate has recently decided on his appeal, with the decision not made public yet but unofficial information suggests his appeal was denied.

In response to the latter case, the university trade union welcomed "pioneering steps toward consistent and stringent sanctions of sexual harassment in the academia", but regretted they only followed after the student council gave its adverse opinion on the professor's reappointment as a last resort after disciplinary procedures failed to produce appropriate results.

The union lauded the students for exposing themselves. It urged zero tolerance tolerance to harassment, consistent implementation of the measures to protect the dignity of the students and staff, and ending a tradition of "sweeping improprieties under the carpet".

The union finds it unacceptable that confidential material discussed on the faculty senate and containing protected personal data, in particular the victims', should have made its way into the media. "Such abuse of senators' rights [...] triggered politicising where a concrete case will serve as an excuse for attacks on higher education."

Meanwhile, the Association of Audiovisual Actors backed Skrbinac, condemning any abuse of power for any kind of violence in the strongest terms and urging the academy and the university to take a firmer stance on the problem, take sanctions against the professors involved and protect the victims.

Nika Kovač, the head of the NGO Inštitut 8. Marec, said witness testimonies collected as part of the #Metoo campaign in conjunction with the City of Women festival half a year ago suggested sexual harassment in the cultural domain was rather rife with the perpetrators usually figures who enjoyed high public esteem and being in a position of power in relation to the victims.

She believes Skrbinac put herself in a difficult situation by speaking out, but she also believes it will protect future generations of students and will help other students to act differently and come forward.

You can see the interview with Mia Skrbinac here

02 Feb 2021, 09:46 AM

Opposition Parties Propose Temporary Lifting of Govt Approval to Speed University Application Process

STA, 1 February 2021 - The opposition Left, backed by three opposition parties, proposes changes to the eighth stimulus package that would temporarily remove the provision saying that the government must okay the call for applications to enrol in university courses.

The move comes after the government did not give its consent to the release of Slovenia's call for enrolment into tertiary education institutions for the 2021-2022 academic year at last week's session.

The Higher Education Act sets down that the institutions publish the call at least six months prior to the start of the academic year, meaning on 1 April at the latest.

Time is running out though as the relevant timeline envisages the deadline to be set around 1 February.

Under the proposal tabled by the Left, the government's approval would not be necessary. The changes would also allow higher education institutions to accept more students than planned in case of greater interest.

Higher education institutions should be able to decide how many students they will accept on their own, the Left said, adding that their proposal, which was backed by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), was in line with a petition against destroying higher education and science published by the academia.

Members of the academia expressed protest against the government's interfering with higher education and science, saying the cabinet was making irrational moves that were undermining the systems that were among the pillars of this country.

The universities of Ljubljana, Maribor and Primorska, as well as the national high school and student organisations, several science and research institutes and trade unions said that the government's move was unexpected and not in line with the practice so far. They also added that just like in the previous years, the relevant document had been coordinated with the relevant ministry.

Mojca Škrinjar, an MP for the senior coalition Democrats (SDS), meanwhile said that there was a purpose in the government's power to decide about the number of openings at faculties. This is a strategic issue, not only in terms of education but also in terms of employability and development, she said.

"All government departments must give this serious thought," she said, adding it was right for the government to take the time it needs to see whether the existing proposal is good.

The Slovenian Democratic Youth (SDM), the SDS youth wing, also thinks the government acted responsibly since it warned that youth employability should be taken into account.

Emilia Stojmenova Duh, the head of SD's council for science, innovation and IT society, said in Maribor today that creating a conflict between science and technology, and humanities was misguided, as the society needed both.

According to her, the number of vacancies for studying science and technology, and humanities in Slovenia was comparable to the situation in other developed countries.

She said that the Employment Service had been looking into which are the professions of the future together with the Labour Ministry, universities and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS). "Such questions require a lot of dialogue with different stakeholders," she stressed.

The Left said that Janša's government had in the past already reduced the number of vacancies at faculties for humanities and favoured private institutions.

The party is convinced Janša is trying to "enforce a capital ideology and decisions on what is productive and what is not". He demands higher education that will serve the market, meaning the capital, and nothing else, the party said.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport published today a call for enrolment into colleges for the 2021/2022 school year, but not for universities and other tertiary education institutions.

02 Feb 2021, 09:28 AM

Pressure Continues to Reopen Schools

STA, 1 February 2021 - After protests calling against closure of schools in black-tiered regions were held in a number of towns this weekend, calls for reopening of schools from a several stakeholders continued on Monday.

The Headteachers' Association president Gregor Pečan intends to urge the government to reopen schools in the entire country if coronavirus testing among teachers conducted today shows no significant increase since a week ago.

In case of breakouts, the situation should be addressed locally, with individual classes going into isolation and switching to distance learning, he said.

Until 5pm today, 16,590 tests were conducted among teachers who teach in person with 229 coming back positive for a positivity rate of 1.4% - the same share as a week ago when 17,435 test were performed until 5pm and 244 returned positive, the Health Ministry told the STA.

Pečan said he believed most schools managed to provide today's mandatory testing without having to close for the day.

Currently, kindergartens and children in years one through three are back in schools in seven of Slovenia's 12 statistical regions. Schools and kindergartens in black-tiered regions are closed, providing only emergency childcare.

On Tuesday, schools reopened in nine regions, but only two days later the government decided that they close again in the Obalno-Kraška and Zasavje regions after the two regions slipped back into black tier due to an increase in coronavirus cases.

The decision was met with much disapproval and several hundred parents in the two regions, but also elsewhere, took to the streets this weekend.

Today, parents left their children's school bags in front of several schools in Zasavje and on the coast, while a school on the coast saw pupils boycotting remote lessons, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported.

Many parents do not agree with the closure, because the bulk of the new infections in the regions that slipped back into black were detected among elderly residents of care homes.

While protests are expected this afternoon as well, director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Milan Krek warned that they were sources of infection. "What's more, children took part as well. If any of them is infected, everybody will be," Krek warned.

The left-leaning opposition parties believe that schools should reopen as well, with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Social Democrats (SD), the Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) requesting an emergency session of the parliamentary Education Committee.

They intend to use the session to exert pressure to achieve that all children return to classrooms and kindergartens, said SAB deputy group head Maša Kociper.

Luka Mesec of the Left said that the opening and closing of schools indicated a complete lack of care for children and parents. He believes that the only way for the situation to improve is to "change the government as soon as possible".

Meanwhile, the education faculties of the Ljubljana and Primorska universities called on Education Minister Simona Kustec to allow the youngest pupils back into the classrooms.

31 Jan 2021, 16:35 PM

Protest Against School Closures in Koper

STA, 31 January 2021 - Several hundred people gathered in Koper to protest against closure of schools on Sunday after the Obalno-Kraška and Zasavje regions slipped back into black tier last week. The government decided schools should return to remote teaching and kindergartens close on Monday after pupils in grades one to three were allowed back for only four days last week.

The protest was initiated on social media and drew parents, as well as children and other protesters, carrying banners saying "Schools must remain open", "Enough! Zoom is cancelled!" and "Open kindergartens, shut down government!".

V Kopru se je zbralo večje število ljudi in zahtevalo odprtje šol. Tako kot v soboto v Trbovljah tudi koprski protestniki zahtevajo vrnitev otrok v šole in vrtce.
➡️ https://t.co/Woiwy7khai pic.twitter.com/PR3slkulM6
— TVSLOinfo (@InfoTVSLO) January 31, 2021

"Gremo v solo" vzklika Koper. #protest
Posted by Tatjana Tanackovic on Sunday, 31 January 2021

"This is not an uprising, this is not a revolution. This is a fight for the basic rights of all of us, but especially our children. We're here today to say no to additional destruction of our children's future," one of the parents said.

The protest in Koper comes a day after some 200 people protested the closure of schools in Trbovlje. Moreover, posts on social media suggest that today and tomorrow parents will be protesting in other parts of the country as well.

Prime Minister Janez Janša responded to the Trbovlje protest in a tweet this morning, labelling it "irrational and dangerous exploitation of children for political purposes in a time of epidemic."

Nerazumno in nevarno izkoriščanje otrok v politične namene v času epidemije. Poleg tega še nezakonit shod. Ravno zaradi take neodgovornosti se stanje v posamičnih regijah poslabšuje namesto obratno. https://t.co/Za3s4zmZEl
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) January 31, 2021

"The rally is also illegal. It is such irresponsible behaviour that worsens the situation in individual regions," Janša added, also retweeting a tweet saying that the organiser of the Trbovlje protest ran for the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) in the 2018 local election.

In nine of Slovenia's 12 administrative units, kindergartners and pupils in first three grades of primary school were allowed to return on Tuesday, after more than three months.

But on Thursday, the government decided to once again close the schools in Zasavje and Obalno-Kraška regions following an increase in coronavirus cases that pushed the regions back into tier black.

31 Jan 2021, 14:30 PM

Janša Suggests Too Many Studying Humanities, Too Few Sciences

STA, 31 January 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has wondered in a Facebook post whether Slovenia will have a competitive edge in the fourth industrial revolution compared to countries where there are twice as many people studying science and technology than humanities, whereas in Slovenia the share of the former is 37% and 39% of the latter.

This comes days after the government was expected to approve public universities' enrolment plans for next year. The proposal, sent to the government for approval by the Education Ministry, is to be discussed by the cabinet this week, Janša said on Friday.

Laying down the number of positions in public schools and faculties is one of the most important strategic decisions in any country, the prime minister said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

STRATEŠKE ODLOČITVE O NAŠI PRIHODNOSTI Sprejemamo slovenske in evropske resolucije o inovativnosti, umetni inteligenci,...
Posted by Janez Janša on Sunday, 31 January 2021

A bad decision may lead to the creation of thousands of youths without employment prospects, he said, adding that the government would pay the matter all due attention.

Pointing to numerous Slovenian and EU resolutions on innovation, AI and digitalisation, he said "we are saying that only innovation and new technologies can protect us from the effects of global warming. At the same time, we are planning enrolment in our public schools and faculties, determining the knowledge our children will have in 5, 10, 15 and 20 years":

"With a student structure of 39% in social sciences, humanities and arts compared to 37% in natural sciences, technology and IT, will Slovenia hold any competitive edge at all in the fourth industrial revolution compared against countries where this share is 1 to 2?" Janša wonders.

Plans also must take into account professional dynamics in real life, he said. "A good engineer or a doctor may become a good manager in the course of their professional career. But it is very rare that a good economics major, a philosopher or jurist becomes a good engineer or doctor in the course of their career."

The country needs knowledge both in humanities and technology. But the shares of the different professional profiles are determined by the demands of a specific time period, the needs of the business sector and public services, as well as other factors such as demographics and ecology, Janša said.

It is impossible to say exactly how many experts in which field will be needed in 5 or 20 years, but it is possible to see very clearly what highly-developed countries are doing, he said. It is also very clear what professionals have the hardest time finding work.

"Additional enrolment of a large number of unemployables despite possibilities to make realistic assessments verges on social madness," said Janša.

31 Jan 2021, 12:09 PM

Swastikas Spray-Painted Outside Health Official’s Office in Trbovlje

STA, 30 January 2021 - Three swastikas have been spray-painted on a building in Trbovlje where Health Ministry State Secretary Alenka Forte, a medical doctor, has her office. The police have launched an investigation, Forte said on Twitter on Saturday.

"Thank you, people of Trbovlje, for this display of gratitude for a doctor's 35 years of work in the local environment. For countless saved lives and dedicated work in the local community," she said.

Forte apologised in a follow-up tweet saying that there was no evidence this was done by a Trbovlje resident. She said police were already on the case.

Hvala Trboveljčani, takole izkazujete hvaležnost za 35 letno delo zdravnice v lokalnem okolju! Za nič koliko rešenih življenj in predano delo tudi v lokalni skupnosti. pic.twitter.com/3FHUqMpHWN
— Alenka Forte (@AlenkaForte) January 30, 2021

Opravičilo.
Res ni dokaza da je bil Trboveljčan, zato korogiram prvitni TW. Gre za neznanega vandalista, Policija dela. pic.twitter.com/68KVmohzNg
— Alenka Forte (@AlenkaForte) January 30, 2021

30 Jan 2021, 13:03 PM

Last Week in Slovenia: 22 - 28 January, 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, 22 January
        ZAGREB, Croatia - The foreign ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Anže Logar and Gordan Grlić Radman, assessed after talks, which focused on Croatia's exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea and included the border arbitration, that they had managed to raise the Slovenian-Croatian relations to a higher level in the past ten months. Logar also visited the earthquake-hit Petrinja area to express condolences to the victims' families and convey Slovenia's readiness to help.
        LJUBLJANA - Four opposition parties filed a motion to oust Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Janez Cigler Kralj over his work related to care homes during the epidemic and the ministry's decision to grant funds to an NGO with close links to the minister.
        LJUBLJANA - The travel quarantine exceptions list was expanded to allow citizens of Slovenia and other EU and Schengen countries to enter the country without quarantining if they had left to perform maintenance work on private property in another EU or Schengen country, or to provide care or aid or to visit their child, for no longer than 12 hours.
        LJUBLJANA - Health Ministry official Vesna Kerstin Petrič announced that, although testing for the coronavirus is not compulsory, teachers who did not want to get tested would not be allowed to teach in person in a classroom.
        LJUBLJANA - The Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry welcomed the US's return to the Paris Agreement, praising it as a positive development in global efforts to meet the commitments from the 2015 climate deal. "This will definitely represent a new element in the process aimed at starting the implementation of the Paris Agreement," it added.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Ambassador to Italy Tomaž Kunstelj and the foreign and culture ministries expressed their opposition to in any way promote a Slovenian-curated exhibition showcasing the imagery of heroism in the former Yugoslavia and involving the Ljubljana Museum of Modern Art to be put on at the MAXXI museum in Rome, the left-wing magazine Mladina reported.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar expressed concern about systematic violation of human rights in Belarus as he addressed a meeting of the UN Security Council on media freedom in the country. "Detaining and punishing journalists and media employees for their work is unacceptable," Logar was quoted as saying by his ministry.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Covid-19 contact tracing app, launched in summer 2020 as a measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, was upgraded to include many new features, including cross-border exchange of tracing keys.

SATURDAY, 23 January
        LJUBLJANA - Dnevnik reported that the Information Commissioner did not establish any irregularities in the police's access to the personal data of 44 politicians, including party and deputy group leaders. The procedure was launched last February after several politicians expressed concern their data might have been accessed by police without authorisation.
        LJUBLJANA - Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said in response to the ousting motion filed by the opposition that it was not based on facts, and that care homes had been understaffed and underfunded long before the coronavirus epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - Creditreform Rating, an European credit rating agency, affirmed Slovenia's AA- rating with a stable outlook. It said Slovenia had a strong economic environment, a flexible labour market while its private sector's indebtedness is low, which should contribute to the country's post-Covid recovery.

SUNDAY, 24 January
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša announced that the first case of the highly transmissible UK coronavirus variant had been officially confirmed in Slovenia in a Kosovo national who arrived from Belgium. The National Institute of Public Health said it planned to retroactively check tests from all regions that have come back positive since 11 January. The subsequent screening of 877 samples of positive PCR tests showed 16 had two genetic changes matching the highly virulent UK strain of the virus.
        LJUBLJANA - A public opinion poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV showed that almost 60% of the respondents would probably or very probably get vaccinated against Covid-19, which is three times more than last October.
        CAIRO, Egypt - Slovenia were knocked out of the World Men's Handball Championship after a 25:25 tie with the hosts Egypt in the last match of the main round. The next campaign for Slovenia are the qualifiers for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, which Slovenia will play in Germany on 12-14 March.
        ANTERSELVA, Italy - Slovenia's Jakov Fak finished third in the men's Biathlon World Cup mass start to announce good form ahead of the Biathlon World Championships, which will take place in Slovenia's Pokljuka on 9-21 February.
        LJUBNO OB SAVINJI - After Slovenia won the team Ski Jumping World Cup event for women a day earlier, Slovenia's Ema Klinec finished second in the individual event behind Eirin Maria Kvandal of Norway. It was the 12th podium finish for the 22-year-old Slovenian.

MONDAY, 25 January
        LJUBLJANA - The Microbiology Institute reported the confirmation of the highly virulent UK variant of coronavirus in three of the 291 samples taken from positive tests performed in Slovenia between 1 and 14 January, evidence that the variant had been in Slovenia before the first official case was confirmed last weekend.
        LJUBLJANA - Mass testing of thousands of teachers and other personnel in education was carried out in what was the largest such testing operation yet, as kindergartens and the first three grades of primary school reopened on the next day.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a new stimulus bill, with the extension of the furlough scheme until 30 April and minimum wage subsidies from January to June as the key measures. In the second half of the year, employers will be exempt from paying a part of social security contributions.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021 and bilateral cooperation were in the focus as FM Anže Logar held talks with his Belgian counterpart Sophie Wilmes. Logar stressed that Slovenia would place special emphasis on strengthening the EU's capacity to address health and other crises.
        ABU DHABI, UAE - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek met Emirati Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as he started an official visit to the United Arab Emirates. The pair agreed that bilateral cooperation could improve and expressed support for such efforts, as Slovenia is interested in strengthening ties in high-tech, green economy, pharmaceutical industry, artificial intelligence, logistic, health services and space technologies.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek said after an EU ministerial that Slovenia would like to allocate EUR 150 million of the EU recovery funds for agriculture. The main problem is a lack of projects that could draw funds fast enough, which is why the focus will be on investment and "soft" projects", he added.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia urged the European Commission to help EU pork producers, as Slovenian pork producers have suffered at least a 30% drop in revenue due extremely low prices, additional costs incurred because of African swine fever, and coronavirus-fuelled delays in some abattoirs.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs urged enhanced efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, as he attended a ministerial of the EU Internet Forum. "It is especially worrying that globally, the largest amount of footage of child abuse on the internet is exchanged in the EU," he said.
        KLAGENFURT, Austria - After another spray-painting of the Slovenian names on bilingual city limit signs in Austria's Carinthia, Slovenian minority organisations condemned the incidents once again. The National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS) said that these systemic and well-organised acts were attempts to erase the Slovenian language in the public.
        LJUBLJANA - The programming council of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija appointed Andrej Grah Whatmough the new director general. Currently the chair of the public broadcaster's supervisory board, he will succeed Igor Kadunc at the end of April.
        LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) increased its lead to just shy of eight points in the latest poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV. The SDS polled at 16.9%, down 0.3 percentage points from December, as the opposition SocDems lost 1.2 points to 7.9 to 9% in second.

TUESDAY, 26 January
        LJUBLJANA - After three months of remote learning, kindergartens and primary schools up to year three reopened in nine of Slovenia's twelve regions, with no major disruption was reported. Education Minister Simona Kustec announced that 53,306 children returned to school and 74,630 to kindergartens. Only a fraction of the teachers had tested positive.
        LJUBLJANA - The five deputies of the Pensioners Party (DeSUS) decided they will continue to work as a single parliamentary faction, but they have not yet decided whether to be a part of the opposition or cooperate with the coalition.
        LJUBLJANA - A new political movement called Povežimo Slovenijo (Unite Slovenia) has emerged with an initiative to bring together smaller parties, local initiatives and individuals to form a joint slate for the next general elections. The initiator, Nada Pavšer of the Greens, believes the list could get at least 20% in the next election.
        DUBAI, UAE - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek symbolically took over on behalf of Slovenia the management of the country's pavilion at the Expo 2020 in Dubai. The minister said "Slovenia will show know-how, innovation and energy" at the the largest such exposition yet that will take place between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2022.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court stayed the implementation of a provision from one of the coronavirus stimulus packages that extends accreditations to higher education institutions until it comes up with its final ruling on the matter.
        ZAGREB, Croatia - Barbara Antolić Vupora, the first ethnic Slovenian to be elected to the Croatian parliament, announced she would run for the head of the Varaždin county in the local election in May on the list of the biggest opposition party, the Social Democrats (SDP).
        LJUBLJANA - The Swiss pharma giant Novartis said it had invested EUR 204 million last year in its R&D and production capacities in Slovenia through its subsidiaries Lek, Sandoz and Novartis Pharma Services, in line with its plan to transform from a generics to an innovative pharmaceutical company.
        LJUBLJANA - The Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) finished last year with a EUR 87 million deficit, with revenue totalling EUR 3.25 billion or 4.9% more than in 2019, and expenditure amounting to EUR 3.34 billion, up 9.5%. Wage subsidies for sick leave represented the largest share in expenditure (16.4%).

WEDNESDAY, 27 January
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government decided to close shops and cultural institutions that reopened a few days ago in Obalno-Kraška and Zasavska, after the two regions no longer meet the criteria for the red tier under the exit strategy. The government also decided that stores selling food around the country will be able to sell socks and underwear again.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued a 60-year bond worth EUR 500 million, the second highest bond issue this year and one with longest maturity the country has ever issued. "The 60-year euro-denominated bonds were issued with 0.7% yield to maturity and a coupon rate of 0.6875% to the tune of EUR 0.5 billion," the Finance Ministry said.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged a total of 163,235 of coronavirus infections and 3,448 deaths since the start of the pandemic, with an estimated 17,572 active infections and a 7-day average of daily cases at 1,258, show data from the National Institute of Public Health as of 27 January. Covid-19 hospitalisations fell to 1,106 with 171 in intensive care. More than 51,650 people had been vaccinated, over 13,300 of whom had received a second jab already.
        LJUBLJANA - Maja Brkan was endorsed as nominee for a Slovenian judge on the General Court of the European Union in a near unanimous vote at the National Assembly. The associate professor of EU law at the Maastricht University's Faculty of Law will now need to pass an assessment by the court's vetting body to get the post.
        LJUBLJANA - The lower chamber of parliament failed to overturn the veto the upper chamber imposed on changes to the tonnage tax act, with only 17 MPs voting in favour, and 41 against the changes. The legislative motion was aimed at extending by another ten years a special regulation under which shipping companies pay an alternative, lower form of corporate income tax.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Commission appointed Jerneja Jug Jerše as the new head of its Representation in Slovenia. Jug Jerše, who will assume her duties in Ljubljana on 16 April, succeeds Zoran Stančič, who completed his five-year term as head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia at the end of last year.
        LJUBLJANA - United Media, the media division of United Group, plans to expand to the Slovenian market this year by setting up a news portal under the N1 brand, which is already active in the region. The Luxembourg-based United Media has already opened the Adria News subsidiary in Ljubljana under which the N1 Slovenija web portal will operate.
        LJUBLJANA - Revenue in retail in Slovenia was down last year by 9.7% compared to 2019, the Statistics Office reported. The largest drop, by 23.6%, was recorded by shops specialised in sale of motor fuels.
        ŠOŠTANJ - The city council of Šoštanj voted against coincineration of waste at the TEŠ thermal power plant. While TEŠ parent company boss said before the vote that the project would not go forward if all local communities opposed it, the Environmental Agency is yet to decide whether it will issue an environmental approval.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Bishops' Conference condemned all forms of violence and intolerance against the Church after two attacks in the past week. A can with flammable substance was blasted in the vicinity of a Catholic pastoral centre, while a balloon filled with paint was thrown at a fresco on the exterior of St Nicholas's Cathedral in Ljubljana.

THURSDAY, 28 January
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that schools and kindergartens in Zasavje and Obalno-Kraška regions will have to close once again next Monday. In the seven red-tiered regions, children will remain at home on Monday, as staff will get tested for coronavirus again, Education Minister Simona Kustec said.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Ministry State Secretary Anton Olaj was relieved of his duties and appointed the new police commissioner for a five-year term. Olaj served in the police force between 1981 and 2012, when he finished his police career as Novo Mesto Police Department director.
        LJUBLJANA - The Government Communication Office said that the government had ratified the EU Own Resources Decision, the legal basis to allow drawing post-Covid recovery funds. In 2021-2027, Slovenia should be able to draw EUR 5.2 billion.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Taking part in a virtual EU ministerial, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs allowed for the possibility to reach an agreement at the EU level on mandatory redistribution of migrants in crisis situations, but only if a threshold for the number of migrants to be accepted by an individual member state is determined in advance.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia made no headway in the 2020 Corruption Perception Index compiled annually by Transparency International. Like in 2019, it ranked 39th among 180 countries surveyed, and with a score of 60 points, it once again fell short of the EU average of 64 points and the OECD average of 67 points.
        NOVO MESTO - The pharmaceutical group Krka reported unaudited preliminary results for last year which say it generated a record EUR 1.53 billion in revenue, up 3% compared to 2019, and a record net profit, estimated at EUR 286.6 million, up 17% year-on-year.
        LJUBLJANA - Director of the Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) Stane Rožman is this year's recipient of the Manager Association award for lifetime achievement in management. Under his watch, NEK became one of the top ten best rated power stations in Europe, the association said. In his address to the virtual annual meeting of the Manager Association, PM Janez Janša appealed for managers to support the government in its bid to fight red tape.

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