STA, 15 January 2020 - The PSS trade union, one of the two trade unions in the Slovenian police force, which started a police strike to demand higher pay this week, has filed criminal charges against Interior Minister Aleš Hojs over his publishing of a document with pay data for nearly 9,000 members of the police force and ministry employees.

The PSS argues the publishing of the document on the first day of the strike was in breach of law. Hojs is suspected of abuse of personal data in relation to other criminal offences that would harm police officers.

The trade union claims that the minister had organised, planned and carried out the publishing of personal data, titles, police units and gross wages of police officers and investigators as a counter measure to the strike with which the union demands higher pay in accordance with a 2018 agreement that ended a previous strike.

The minister thus jeopardised the safety of certain police officers and investigators and caused irreparable damage to those police employees whose identity has been changed because of their undercover work, and those who are exposed to certain additional risks, the PSS says.

As unauthorised persons were given access to personal data of police officers and investigators, a major disturbance was created in internal safety of the state and the Schengen area, the unionists believe.

Not only the safety of police employees but the safety of their family members, children and other citizens they are in contact with has been put in danger, they add.

The minister acted irrationally, irresponsibly, disproportionally and spitefully, and caused irreparable damage, so no apology would do, the trade union says.

The PSS is also bothered by the fact that Hojs does not seem to regret the move but announced he would continue revealing data.

"This manoeuvre did not crush the strike of police employees, but achieved the exact opposite effect," said the trade union, which filed the criminal complaint through law firm Čeferin, Pogačnik, Novak, Koščak and partners.

The minister dismissed the allegations today, saying that police and ministry pay data were public information under the public sector salary system act. The released data are not labelled classified information, he told the STA.

According to him, the publishing of pay data is thus completely in line with the law. Special internal acts that would be in accordance with the law could be adopted to ensure confidentiality if needed, he said, adding that the police had so far not proposed that.

The ministry's disclosure of police pay information will also be discussed today by the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services, as questions were raised about potential violation of personal data protection and safety protocols. The Office of the Information Commissioner has said it sees nothing wrong with the document, as public sector pay is public information according to law.

STA, 14 January 2020 - The government has provisionally approved the release of overdue budget payments to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) as required by the 7th economic stimulus package, the Government Communications Office (UKOM) said on Thursday.

The provisional release of funds was cleared based on a message by EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager which "indicates the possibility of a positive European Commission decision regarding the transfer of state aid for the STA" as the government awaits a final decision, UKOM said.

The government turned to the Commission to inquire whether public service payments to the STA may constitute illegal state aid after an amendment was adopted to the 7th economic stimulus act stipulating that overdue liabilities to the STA must be settled.

The Commission indicated in its public statements that the STA public service payment did not fall under its purview and deferred to the Slovenian authorities.

The STA had not received statutory payment for its public service for October and November, or payment under a separate contract for the provision of commercial services to the public administration for the two months.

Today, overdue payments for both the public service and for the commercial services were released.

The STA met the development with a relief, while making a renewed appeal to the government to provide financing in 2021 without making it dependent on any further conditions.

"Financing of the public service provided by the STA cannot be a mere temporary solution, it is an obligation on the part of the government under law," the STA management and staff said in a press release.

They noted that Commissioners Margrethe Vestager and Vera Jourova, in their letter to the STA yesterday, made it clear the Commission's assessment as to whether financing of the STA was a matter of illegal state aid is unnecessary. They also noted the special role of public media and that EU member states should refrain from attempts to put pressure on them.

As the STA supervisory board has adopted the agency's business plan for 2021 and has submitted it to the government, the legal basis for the funding of the public service in this year has been met.

"The STA expects that the government will respect legislation and will fulfil its obligations, as the STA has been for almost 30 years fulfilling its obligation of keeping the public informed," the release from the STA reads.

The independence of the national press agency is guaranteed by the STA act, implemented in 2011 to regulate the agency's status in accordance with modern standards.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said on Twitter that "we have managed to resolve the current complication regarding the financing of the STA, which will receive funding for the performance of public service.

"However, the responsibility of everyone involved is to sort out the contractual relationship between the STA and the UKOM in avoidance of such problems recurring."

EANA, the European Alliance of News Agencies, which in December described the suspension of financing as a form of pressure on the agency, said this was "good news for our member".

The release of funds was also welcomed by the Slovenian Journalists' Association (DNS) and the Trade Union of Slovenian Journalists, which urged UKOM to also tackle the financing of the STA public service in 2021.

The DNS called the development a "small, but important step following a fast European reaction".

Regarding that the approval of funds was merely provisional, the trade union said in a Facebook post that the European Commission had already given its answer regarding the issue of state aid.

Quoting European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova, the union said an additional assessment by the Commission was not necessary if the annual aid amount was not higher than EUR 15 million, while the STA receives about EUR 2 million annually from the state to perform public service.

STA, 13 January 2020 - Some hundred protesters gathered in Republic Square in front of the National Assembly building on Wednesday to air their disagreements with Covid restrictions, including mask-wearing, and vaccine recommendations. A relatively heavy police presence was in force for the protest, which was peaceful and ended in about two hours. 

The police warned the demonstrators that public gatherings were not permitted during the epidemic as a helicopter circled the rally. A perimeter fence was also erected around the parliament building.

The protesters were ID-ed and urged to disperse, but they did not comply with the requests, expressing their disagreement by whistling at police officers.

The protest was not held by organisers of Friday anti-government protests which left an indelible mark in 2020 but were suspended due to the second epidemic wave and are now only evoked by occasional protest actions that heed prevention measures.

The opposition parties have also distanced themselves from today's demonstration, which was announced on social media by the civil initiative Maske Dol (Down with Masks) with its initiator Anica Bidar urging participants to protest peacefully.

Addressing them in Republic Square, she said that "corrupt politics that restricts all the freedom" should be stopped. "We want to be free, healthy, so we spread peace, love and health," she added, announcing a repeat protest.

Another person who encouraged people to attend the protest and was present there was Anis Ličina, who is allegedly one of the main initiators of the violent 5 November demonstrations.

Today's protest saw a number of Slovenian flags as well as banners warning about what the protesters see as dangers of Covid-19 vaccination. Slovenia's anthem was also sung.

The police said ahead of the protest that they were not encroaching on people's rights to assembly and freedom of expression, but given the extreme situation it was key to protect public health and comply with Covid rules.

More than 200 violations established at Wednesday's protest

STA, 14 January 2020 - The police have so far established more than 200 violations of the Covid rules banning public gatherings that were processed at Wednesday's protest by anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. Data gathered so far show no one was hurt during the demonstration, the Ljubljana Police Department said in a press release on Thursday. 

Coercive measures or the use of force by the police were applied against one person due to failure to comply with police orders.

So far, the police have established 118 violations of the public assembly act, 96 violations of the temporary Covid rules banning assemblies, one violation of the public order act and six violations of the ID act.

Objects that are not permitted at rallies were confiscated in six cases. Procedures have been launched against three persons - the protest's organisers.

The rally, which saw initially some 20 protesters gathering in Republic Square in front of the parliament building around 2pm, was also banned by an administrative decision, the police noted, adding they would continue with their investigation.

Altogether, the demonstration numbered some 100 protesters who oppose Covid restrictions. A relatively heavy police presence was in force for the protest, which was peaceful and ended in about two hours. Police officers IDed the demonstrators as a helicopter circled the rally.

The protest was not held by organisers of Friday anti-government protests, but was announced on social media by the civil initiative Maske Dol (Down with Masks) with its initiator Anica Bidar urging participants to protest peacefully.

Another person who encouraged people to attend the protest and was present there was Anis Ličina, who is allegedly one of the main initiators of the violent 5 November demonstrations.

STA, 11 January 2020 - US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard will leave Slovenia next week when the incoming US President Joe Biden is to be inaugurated, the embassy confirmed for the STA on Monday. Blanchard, a political appointee, sent her resignation notice to outgoing President Donald Trump today.

US ambassadors who have been appointed as a form of political patronage are personal representatives of the US president in countries where they serve, so it is common that they resign upon the arrival of the new administration, the Ljubljana-based embassy said.

"Ambassador Blanchard tendered her resignation to the president today as is customary. The ambassador expects her departure will coincide with the inauguration next week," the embassy wrote in a press release.

After Blanchard's departure, deputy ambassador Susan Falatko will step in until a new ambassador is appointed. It is not yet clear when that would happen.

The embassy staff will continue with their efforts to forward joint priorities and strengthen bilateral relations, the press release reads.

Blanchard was received by a number of Slovenian senior officials for farewell visits in recent days.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar thanked her today for her efforts to strengthen relations between Slovenia and the US during the challenging Covid-19 times.

Both Logar and Blanchard said they were glad of "the extraordinary progress made in relations between the countries", the Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik also met the outgoing ambassador today, thanking her for cooperation and wishing her all the best.

President Borut Pahor visited Blanchard at the embassy on Friday, later thanking her on Twitter for her contribution to relations between Slovenia and the US.

He also said he looked forward to cooperating with Biden and his administration, adding that the strengthening of the relations was to continue.

Blanchard was also hosted by parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič last week.

She assumed office in August 2019, succeeding Ambassador Brent Hartley, who arrived in Slovenia in February 2015 and whose three-year term expired in mid-July 2018.

Blanchard, who is not a career diplomat, was appointed the same way as numerous other US ambassadors, political appointees who have financially backed one of the US parties or presidential candidates.

She has co-founded the development foundation 100X that seeks to come up with innovative solutions to help eradicate poverty and improve lives of children worldwide. Blanchard has also co-founded B&M, a real estate investment management company.

STA, 11 January 2020 - The government expects that up to 10,000 new public rental apartments could be available within five to ten years under recently adopted housing act changes. "The key objective of housing policy is to secure more public rental flats," Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak told the press on Monday.

The amendments to the housing act, adopted by the government last week and submitted to parliament, allow the national housing fund and municipal housing funds to borrow more.

Vizjak expects the new rules would mean an extra EUR 200 million in fresh borrowing, with an additional EUR 100 million coming from the EU's recovery and resilience fund.

According to him, this will be quite a handful for the housing funds, and anyway "we don't want to exaggerate, we want sustainable growth".

While the extra borrowing will lead to new housing developments, a second major provision of the new act would establish a public service acting as an intermediary and manager of rental homes.

Vizjak said this public service would manage rental flats on behalf of owners who are currently reluctant to rent out their properties due to risks.

In this scheme, tenants would pay non-profit rent, while some of the gap to commercial rent would be covered by the state.

"We estimate 20% of flats are unoccupied in Slovenia. In Ljubljana alone it is estimated there are 25,000," Vizjak said.

The government expects about 100 apartments would enter this scheme in 2022, rising to 500 the year after and up to 2,000 per year beyond 2025.

Arguably the key measure of the bill is the gradual increase in non-profit rent over three years from EUR 2.63 to EUR 3.50 [ed. per m2?] in a system of points assigned to a property.

Non-profit rent has remained unchanged since 2007 and no longer allowed housing funds to earn a return on their assets that they would then reinvest into new housing.

To offset any negative impact on those with the lowest incomes, state subsidies will increase.

"This means the measure does not undermine the socio-economic status of the weakest while allowing housing funds ... to continue building non-profit flats."

Vizjak said these were the most urgent changes to housing legislation, while the government will embark on a comprehensive overhaul of housing legislation within a year.

STA, 11 January 2020 - The newspaper Dnevnik reported on Monday that judge Urška Klakočar Zupančič had lost her position as the head of the commonhold department of the Ljubljana Local Court due to her posts about Prime Minister Janez Janša in a closed Facebook group.

According to the newspaper, Klakočar Zupančič wrote among other things that "I hope that the age of Janšism will eventually become only a bitter memory, take care of yourselves until then".

She also labelled Janša as a "great dictator" and added that coronavirus in Slovenia had given rise to "frustrated characters with criminal past".

The president of the Ljubljana Local Court has also launched disciplinary proceedings against the judge, Dnevnik added.

The newspaper reported that Klakočar Zupančič had told the Judicial Council that the writing was of private nature, and that her Facebook "friend" had abused her trust.

The writings have found their way to Vinko Gorenak, a state secretary in the prime minister's office, who went public with them and asked the Judicial Council and the president of the Supreme Court to respond.

Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič labelled them as inappropriate, and the Judicial Council said it "condemned and regretted any action on the part of judges that creates the impression in public of political bias of judges as individuals and the judiciary as a whole".

In a session on 10 December the council also "emphasised that the use of disrespectful language in communication by a judge, be it public or private, disagrees with the integrity of a judge".

The council said that, regardless of the circumstances or conduct on the part of others, a judge has an obligation to maintain a dignitary attitude becoming of the post in expressing their opinions, thus preserving not only their own dignity, but also the authority and reputation of their position.

Noting that full privacy cannot be reckoned with in social networks, the Judicial Council said judges must be reserved and dignified also in their communication on social networks and follow the guidelines on judges' public and private comments as set out in the commentary of the Ethics Code.

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 8 January 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Govt decisions in epidemic politically motivated

STA, 8 January 2020 - The left-wing weekly Mladina argues in its latest commentary entitled For Political Reasons that PM Janez Janša decided to ease some coronavirus restrictions in mid-December for mere political reasons, as the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) was just about to leave the coalition and it became obvious that a motion of no-confidence would be tabled.

It makes very little difference if he decided on the move - which has not only rendered school reopening impossible but also jeopardised the lives and health of the people - to please the head of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), Zdravko Počivalšek, knowing that disobedient coalition MPs will have a harder time crossing to the opposition in a serious crisis.

This does not change the fact that he decided to expose people to risks and increase the burden on medical staff, which are on the verge of collapse, for purely political reasons.

His statement that the government decided to partly lift the restrictions during the holidays after the European Council assessed that the psychological consequences of the restrictions could do more harm than partly relaxing some, and that the government had been aware of the fact that this will have its consequences, is telling.

Firstly, it means he was fully aware of the consequences of his decision, and secondly, he has chosen his words carefully because he knows he is accountable for his decisions.

But the most important thing is that the PM is consciously concealing the truth, because Slovenia did not ease restrictions during the holidays but 10 days before Christmas, when all other countries introduced stricter measures to prevent an escalation during the holidays.

This why in Germany for example, the situation now is not as horrible as in Slovenia.

Janša is also trying to show that this was not his decision but the decision of the European Council. "This is not true. The European Council has made no such decision (debate and decisions are available at www.consilium.europa.eu), and, as previously mentioned, other countries acted differently," Mladina says.

By tailoring the truth like this, Janša has revealed he is aware of the fact that he is walking on thin ice. Data show no mercy. According to Mladina, the PM's actions should be yet another argument why SMC MPs should support a no-confidence motion on 15 January.

Reporter: KUL will persist in attempts to overthrow Janša

STA, 4 January 2020 - While the initial attempt by the informal Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL) to overthrow the government of Janez Janša may have been unsuccessful, the right-wing weekly Reporter says in its latest commentary that the KUL will probably continue with these attempts until the summer as it has nothing to lose.

Under the headline 2020 Would Not Let Us Out of Its Claws, the right-leaning weekly says that the plan is to convince the MPs of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) to switch to the KUL, but the past moves by its main names do not inspire trust in their political skills.

"The president of the LMŠ and former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec embarrassed himself with the resignation that, instead of early election, led to Janša assuming power. The first prime minister-designate candidate Jože P. Damijan has not been hiding from the very beginning that heading a government is the last thing he wants."

Reporter goes on to note that Luka Mesec, the coordinator of the Left who had been undermining the former coalition that he has supposedly officially supported, should himself be given a lot of credit for Janša's return to the Government Palace.

If the KUL also fails this month, it will only be the first of the battles in the war against Janša because, if the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) president Karl Erjavec is not successful, they will try with a new candidate for prime minister-designate.

"And then perhaps with someone else. They are ready to keep undermining him all the way to the summer and the start of Slovenia's presidency of the European Union? Why not," Reporter says, adding that the KUL parties have nothing to lose with unsuccessful attempts.

On the other hand, if they give up, they risk losing the trust of the part of the electorate that is willing to support them primarily because of their opposition to Janez Janša, and not because they like one of the leaders of these parties.

"It is true that they do not have very promising, respected and competent candidates to challenge Janša, but as the candidacy of Erjavec shows, desperate times call for desperate measures," concludes the commentary.

All our posts in this series are here

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, 1 January
        LJUBLJANA - Dušan Jovanović, one of the most prolific and acclaimed contemporary Slovenian theatre directors and playwrights, died aged 81. A prominent public intellectual, he directed over 90 theatre pieces and wrote over two dozen plays as well as essays and poetry in a career that spanned five decades. Jovanović also received numerous awards for his oeuvre including the Prešeren Prize for lifetime achievements and the Golden Order of Merit.

SATURDAY, 2 January
        LJUBLJANA - Rapid coronavirus testing became available for a limited time at five border crossings with Croatia and Ljubljana airport as a new government decree took effect expanding the list of quarantine exemptions.

SUNDAY, 3 January
        KOČEVJE/RIBNICA - The first Kočevje-bound passenger train since 1971 departed from the Ljubljana Rail Terminal as passenger service on the route resumed. Ten trains per day run between Ljubljana and Kočevje on workdays and eleven in the opposite direction. The journey lasts between an hour and ten minutes to an hour and 25 minutes.
        SLOVENSKA BISTRICA - President Borut Pahor laid a wreath at a memorial on the Pohorje Plateau dedicated to a Partisan unit slain by Nazi forces in 1943. He said this was an expression of gratitude to the fighters who sacrificed their lives for liberty.

MONDAY, 4 January
        LJUBLJANA - A new shipment of 16,575 doses of Covid-19 vaccines meant for health staff arrived in Slovenia, while community health centres around the country started providing rapid antigen testing.
        LJUBLJANA - Gyms and swimming pools reopened under strict conditions under a government decree that also allowed younger registered athletes who are members of national teams to train.
        LJUBLJANA - A number of large companies rolled out rapid testing for their employees. Some performed the tests in-house, others referred workers to community health centres.
        LJUBLJANA - Ski resorts demanded that the government abolish obligatory coronavirus tests for skiers. Unless the testing requirement is abolished, the resorts plan to mount a Constitutional Court challenge.

TUESDAY, 5 January
        LJUBLJANA - Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leader Karl Erjavec, tipped for a prime minister-designate, announced five centre-left opposition parties would file a motion of no-confidence in the Janez Janša government on 15 January. He counts on MPs from the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) to provide additional three votes the opposition lacks to succeed.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged a record 3,354 coronavirus infections from a combined 22,194 PCR and rapid antigen tests performed on Tuesday, as the positivity rate for PCR tests hit a record high.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued a new ten-year bond of EUR 1.75 billion due in 2031 and extended the existing 30-year bond issue due in 2050 by another EUR 250 million, the Finance Ministry said.
        LJUBLJANA - Children with special needs returned to classrooms after nearly three months of remote schooling a daj after after employees were tested for coronavirus.
        LJUBLJANA - Two members of the management board of Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), Boštjan Koler and Boris Medica, and supervisory board member Igor Kržan resigned over irregularities established in the sale of a 49% stake in the venture capital fund Meta Ingenium. They all stepped down in what was a mutual agreement with SSH, the state asset custodian said.
        LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, announced it will introduce fees for combined deposits by individuals which exceed EUR 250,000 in April. The monthly fee will amount to 0.04% and will be first charged in May.

WEDNESDAY, 6 January
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's top officials and MEPs condemned the storming of the US Capitol building. Prime Minister Janez Janša expressed the hope that the US democracy would overcome the crisis, while President Borut Pahor on Thursday described the storming as an "attack on the symbol of US democracy" and called for a peaceful transfer of power. The Foreign Ministry said it was looking forward to cooperating with the new US administration.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo disclosed findings from the still confidential draft audit report on PPE procurement during the spring wave of coronavirus, which found that the purchases were inefficient due to failings by both the current and previous governments. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the findings showed the allegations of massive corruption were baseless.
        LJUBLJANA - Matej Tonin, the defence minister and leader of New Slovenia (NSi), said the ruling coalition had "solid" 47 MP votes even after the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) quit the coalition. He is convinced the government will finish the term without major difficulties, adding he would not be surprised if the opposition failed to seek the planned vote of no confidence in the end.
        LJUBLJANA - The council of the opposition Left expressed support to a motion of no-confidence in the Janez Janša government with Karl Erjavec, the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), as candidate for prime minister-designate, the party said. Other opposition parties from the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL) have already backed Erjavec's candidacy.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša spoke in his capacity as interim health minister with Chen Shih-chung, the minister of health and welfare of Taiwan, via videolink to exchange views on the Covid-19 pandemic and share good practices. Janša thanked Chen for Taiwan's donation of protective masks in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic last April.
        LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 pandemic pushed up Slovenia's registered unemployment total to 87,283 at the end of December 2020, up 15.9% year-on-year, and 3.7% more than at the end of November last year. The Employment Service noted the growth in unemployment would have been even higher had it not been for the government's job retention schemes.
        LJUBLJANA - The government extended the shutdown of non-essential shops and services by another week until 13 January despite appeals by the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) and the Chamber of Commerce (TZS) to reopen small businesses and non-essential shops, respectively.

THURSDAY, 7 January
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that schools and kindergartens will remain closed at least until 18 January, also extending the existing restrictions in place and shutting down ski lifts.
        LJUBLJANA - An expert commission has found the death of a nursing home resident soon after she received the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is unlikely to be associated with the vaccination. The woman died because of comorbidities, Jelko Kacin, the government's Covid-19 spokesman, summed up the commission's findings.
        LJUBLJANA - Mass antigen rapid testing was suspended in Ljubljana due to unsuitable swabs, the Ljubljana Health Community Centre announced, adding that the step was based on a decision by the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, which found the swabs unsuitable because their producer is not known and the swabs have no required markings.
        VELENJE - Gorenje started the launch of TV sets in Velenje this week. More than 350 workers were already working at the Hisense Europe Electronic factory, and their number is to increase to 520 by the end of the month. As of next week, around 800 TV sets are to be produced a day.

STA, 7 January 2020 - As daily coronavirus cases hit a new record earlier this week, the government decided on Thursday that schools and kindergartens will remain closed at least until 18 January. While the majority of restrictions were extended, ski lifts will have to shut down once again tomorrow and there will be some minor changes to entering Slovenia.

It became clear at yesterday's meeting of government and teacher representatives that the government and medical experts were not in favour of reopening schools next week, not even for children in the first three years of primary school, which many had expected to happen already on 4 January.

The exception to the schools closure are special needs children, who went back to school on Tuesday in line with a recent Constitutional Court ruling.

The government intends to continue the dialogue and draft a proposal of a potential reopening model to send it to headteachers for discussion, Covid-19 spokesperson Jelko Kacin said after the government's session.

After closing before New Year's and reopening on 1 January, ski centres will have to close again on Friday for all except professional athletes, who will however need a permit from the Infrastructure Ministry.

Minister Jernej Vrtovec asked skiers and ski lift owners for understanding, saying the epidemiological situation was worrying and so were the projections.

Injuries could put more pressure on hospitals as the number of Covid-19 hospital admissions is expected to rise, the minister explained after the government session.

Vrtovec also pledged the state would help ski lift owners as it had before.

The Association of Slovenian Ski Lifts said it had in a way expected the decision and announced it would ask the government to cover their loss of income.

The ski season in Slovenia is relatively short, ending in mid March or early April, so not working now is "a financial catastrophe", it said in a release.

Also as of Saturday, training will be allowed only for top and professional athletes, and for younger athletes.

No changes were meanwhile made to restrictions applying to movement across municipal borders, which remain in place, or to public transport, which continues to run in the limited fashion.

Also as of Saturday, it will be possible to enter Slovenia with a negative PCR or rapid test, while rapid testing introduced recently at five border crossings with Croatia will no longer be available.

People entering Slovenia will have to produce a negative rapid or PRC test, and while the rapid tests have to be carried out in an EU or Schengen country, the PCR tests could also be carried out in a third country, more precisely in a few labs in Serbia and Bosnia as some other countries, explained Interior Minister Aleš Hojs.

The government moreover removed Finland from the red list of countries, which means that persons arriving from Finland will no longer have to quarantine or produce a negative coronavirus test on the border.

Moreover, an additional exception has been added to the list of those not requiring entry into Slovenia. As of Saturday persons crossing the border for the purposes of education will no longer have to prove they are virus free or quarantine.

There are no changes to the general quarantine rule, which says that a Slovenian citizens can end quarantine after five days with a negative test.

However, as of Saturday, the same rule will apply to those non-Slovenian nationals who have a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia.

The government also extended the shutdown of non-essential shops and services by another week, that is until 15 January, but added new exceptions to the existing ones.

The list of exceptions will now also include surveying services, cleaning services and pedicure, as well as construction works.

Moreover, museums and galleries will also have to shut their doors again on Saturday, while libraries will remain open for pick-up of pre-ordered books.

STA, 7 January 2020 - Senior Slovenian officials expressed concern over the storming of the US Capitol building on Wednesday, with President Borut Pahor condemning what he called an "attack on the symbol of US democracy" and Prime Minister Janez Janša expressing the hope that the US democracy would overcome the crisis.

"I condemn the attack on the symbol of American democracy. I condemn every form of violence," President Pahor wrote in a written statement on Thursday.

"Politicians must be aware of the consequences of our actions with full responsibility. We must be unitive and not disruptive. We must encourage tolerance, not hatred," added Pahor.

Izjava predsednika Republike Slovenije Boruta Pahorja. pic.twitter.com/kmTLMPw1K3

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) January 7, 2021

"I trust in democracy and emphasize the importance of firmness of its institutions, including elections as a foundation of democracy," said Pahor, expressing his condolences to the leaders of both houses of Congress and the relatives of the victims of yesterday's violence.

He is confident "the strength and vitality of American democracy will overcome these challenges as well". He called for a peaceful transfer of power to President elect Joe Biden, who he expects will "reunite what is now a now deeply divided America".

All should be very troubled by the violence taking place in Washington D.C. We hope American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis. Democracy presupposes peaceful protest, but violence and death threats —from Left or Right— are ALWAYS wrong. pic.twitter.com/WF49zECYEY

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) January 6, 2021

Responding to the developments yesterday, PM Janša said "all should be very troubled by the violence taking place in Washington D.C.".

"We hope American democracy is resilient, deeply rooted and will overcome this crisis. Democracy presupposes peaceful protest, but violence and death threats - from Left or Right - are ALWAYS wrong," he wrote on Twitter in English.

Today, Foreign Ministry described the developments as shocking. "This was an unacceptable attack on the pillar of American democracy, institutions and rule of law," the ministry said in a written statement.

"Peaceful assembly is legitimate in democratic societies, while any violence or incitement to violence is abject. We deeply regret the loss of lives," said the ministry, calling for dialogue.

Calling the US a friendly nation and ally, the ministry said the US has a long and strong tradition of democracy and US Congress certified Joe Biden's election victory regardless of the violence.

"We are confident that the transition of power and the search for answers to broader social challenges will proceed with full adherence to the high democratic principles," the ministry said, adding it was looking forward to cooperating with the new US administration and resuming strategic cooperation at all levels.

Watch @robertmooreitv's report from inside the Capitol building as the extraordinary events unfolded in Washington DChttps://t.co/krCQf1uQbx pic.twitter.com/SiWbzF5Nzs

— ITV News (@itvnews) January 6, 2021

Dogajanje v Washingtonu je sramoten napad na demokracijo, ki kliče po čimprejšnji predaji oblasti demokratično izvoljenemu predsedniku @JoeBiden.

— Igor Zorčič (@IgorZorcic) January 6, 2021

Images coming from the U.S. are deeply worrying. Such events pose threat to core values in all democratic world. Each country which is founded on the rule of law must respect this principle. I firmly believe President-Elect @JoeBiden can restore faith in the democratic process.

— Matej Tonin (@MatejTonin) January 6, 2021

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič described the events in Washington on Twitter as "a shameful attack on democracy that calls for a timely transition of power to the democratically elected president."

A fellow party member, Monika Gregorčič, speaking as the chair of the Foreign Policy Committee for the STA today, described the scenes seen in the US as an attack on the foundations of democracy.

She expressed concern as the idea at the root of democracy was being undermined in the "cradle of democracy", hoping for a peaceful transition of power to the president elect.

And Defence Minister Matej Tonin, writing on Twitter in English, said images coming from the US were "deeply worrying."

"Such events pose threat to core values in all democratic world. Each country which is founded on the rule of law must respect this principle. I firmly believe President-Elect [Joe Biden] can restore faith in the democratic process."

Several Slovenian members of the European Parliament also commented on the events on Twitter.

Ljudmila Novak (NSi/EPP) said President Donald Trump's were "dangerous", with the events showing that it is important what people say in public.