What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 1 May
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša made the case for unorthodox policies to battle the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic as he sent out a message on Labour Day. He suggested tax and social systems will have to be reformed, which would include consideration of universal basic income.
LJUBLJANA - In a Labour Day address, President Borut Pahor emphasised the important role of the state as evident in the ongoing response to the coronavirus epidemic. The state "does not exist merely to have an army or police. It is also a welfare state, a state governed by the rule of law."
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Janez Lenarčič, the Slovenian EU commissioner in charge of crisis management, said the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for the EU to play a greater role in health and civil protection. He plans to propose that the Commission directly order equipment for the strategic European stockpile.
LJUBLJANA - Thousands of cyclists took to the streets, accusing the government of curtailing civil liberties in what was the latest in a series of protests targeting the government's anti-coronavirus and other policies. The rally was organised by twenty-odd self-organised groups and civil society organisations on Facebook.
LJUBLJANA - LGBT+ rights NGOs acknowledged that preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 are necessary but also warn that lockdown restrictions have resulted in the loss of safe spaces.
BRNIK - The Foreign Ministry said Slovenia had received 12 tonnes of protective personal equipment from China. The shipment contained 30,000 N95 masks, 700,000 surgical masks, 20,000 protective overalls, 10,000 goggles and 30,000 gloves.
VATICAN CITY - Vatican News reported that Mitja Leskovar, a Slovenian priest who has been with the Vatican's diplomatic service for nearly two decades, was appointed the apostolic nuncio to Iraq.
SATURDAY, 2 May
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek was still enjoying his trust in the wake of accusations of political pressure in the purchasing of personal protective equipment and ventilators. Janša added that a government report on the procurement would be sent to parliament next week.
SUNDAY, 3 May
LJUBLJANA - It was a second consecutive day that none of the persons tested for coronavirus tested positive, coming after what was the first day with in Slovenia no new infections since the first infection was confirmed on 4 March.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Union of Journalists said in a statement marking World Press Freedom Day that the media sector had adjusted to the epidemic situation quickly and effectively but it faced great uncertainty after the corona crisis was over and the government is increasing this uncertainty.
BERLIN, Germany - Slovenian freelance journalist Blaž Zgaga, a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, was one of 17 recipients of the Freedom of Speech Award given out by the German public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle to journalists from 14 countries who have been persecuted for coronavirus reporting.
MONDAY, 4 May
LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties filed a motion of no confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, accusing him of being responsible for profiteering of individuals and companies in the purchases of personal protective equipment. The motion has little chance of succeeding as coalition parties indicated their support for the minister and even the opposition National Party (SNS) said it would not vote for his dismissal.
LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry decided to rescind a EUR 8 million contract with the company Geneplanet for the purchase of 220 Siriusmed R30 ventilators. This was proposed by Geneplanet after the ventilators came under fire as being unsuitable for Covid-19 patients. Geneplanet has already delivered 110 of these ventilators, but the final number of accepted venitlators will be 90.
LJUBLJANA - Lockdown restrictions were eased further as stores under 400m2 outside shopping malls reopened along with bar terraces, hair salons and beauty parlours. Some museums and libraries reopened and church services resumed. Despite the easing, strict physical distancing measures still apply.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia pledged EUR 13.76 million in a global online pledging marathon supporting research into a possible vaccine and treatment for coronavirus. More than EUR 7.4 billion has been raised in the EU campaign.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - As the National Security Council met for a session, the government decided to upgrade the national protection and rescue plan in the part pertaining to epidemics in order to address issues that may occur in the case of a possible second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic.
NOVA GORICA/KOBARID - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the communities along Slovenia's western border, announcing the reopening of two border check points with Italy and discussing the possibility of reopening several others.
LJUBLJANA - Verica Trstenjak, a former advocate general at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, was put forward as a candidate for a member of the supervisory board of Slovenia's largest bank, NLB. The vote on her appointment will be taken at the shareholders' meeting on 15 June.
LJUBLJANA - Police said it had recorded a 20% increase in domestic violence since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, when the period is compared with the same period last year. At the same time, the number of crimes against public order has decreased.
TUESDAY, 5 May
LJUBLJANA - The four coalition parties filed for a parliamentary inquiry to look into the situation, handling, stock, orders and purchases of protective and critical medical equipment needed to battle Covid-19 between 1 February and 20 April, and thus outmaneuvered the four centre-left opposition parties that submitted a rival motion for an relevant inquiry just hours later.
LJUBLJANA - After a video conference with his counterparts from the EU, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said Slovenia would not compromise the right to privacy for a mobile contact tracing app. Slovenia is among the countries in which the right to privacy is very restrictively defined, he added.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - As the EU ministers in charge of social affairs discussed national measures to tackle the coronavirus fallout, Slovenia's Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj agreed that the efforts should be boosted, adding that the crisis could be a stepping stone to a healthier balance between personal and professional lives.
LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce said the Covid-19 lockdown had resulted in the retail sector posting very worrying results. The sector as a whole could see a EUR 6-7 billion drop in sales this year, which represents over 20% of annual revenue.
LJUBLJANA - The official receiver of Adria Airways admitted EUR 87.7 million in claims from creditors out of a total of EUR 151 million reported since the air carrier entered into receivership last October. Few claims will be repaid, though, given that the bankruptcy estate is valued only at EUR 6 million.
BRNIK - Airport operator Fraport Slovenija called on the government to help with keeping the company afloat and completing a new passenger terminal in time. The terminal, valued at EUR 21 million, was to open before Slovenia takes the presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2021.
RIJEKA, Croatia - A consortium comprising Slovenia's Kolektor CPG, Croatia's GP Krk and Bosnia's Euroasfalt won a tender to build a state road in the Croatian port city of Rijeka. The three-kilometre road running on a very complex terrain will be built for EUR 61 million.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian courts were allowed to start holding hearings, deliver rulings and serve writes in non-urgent cases, after most activities were suspended on 16 March. Deadlines will still not apply in non-urgent cases in which writs would be served, according to guidance issued by the Supreme Court.
WEDNESDAY, 6 May
LJUBLJANA - A nationwide antibody study found that one in thirty Slovenians has probably been exposed to the novel coronavirus, meaning that about 2-4% of the population may have gained some sort of immunity to Covid-19. Miroslav Petrovec of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, which led the study, cautioned that this did not necessarily mean those people are immune to Covid-19.
LJUBLJANA - The government released a report on PPE purchases, saying all procurement was executed in line with protocol and amid difficult circumstances that were aggravated by the failure of former PM Marjan Šarec to react sooner. The report says all the ordered ventilators had expert backing. The opposition responded by saying it did not provide insight into the developments but was primarily meant as a defence of the government.
LJUBLJANA - Data from the Employment Service showed that the coronavirus crisis is taking a heavy toll on Slovenia's job market, as 10,793 people were added to the unemployment register in April alone, pushing the total up by 19.9% year-on-year to 88,648.
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission projected that Slovenia's GDP will drop by 7% this year, while a 6.7% recovery is expected in 2021 on the back of stimulus measures. The forecast is nevertheless somewhat better than for the entire eurozone on average, which stands at -7.7% for this year and +6.3% for next year.
LJUBLJANA - Acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner dismissed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Darko Muženič, appointing Igor Lamberger as the NBI's acting head. Lamberger served as a deputy president of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption from mid-2014 to mid-2019 and had previously worked for the Criminal Police Department.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša urged for a continuation of EU enlargement continue without any further delays despite the coronavirus epidemic as the EU held a virtual summit with the leaders of Western Balkan countries. The EU needs to stay active in the region despite all the challenges, the PM's office wrote.
LJUBLJANA - The government gave registered athletes the green light to start practising in outdoor facilities and to resume competitions in individual sports up to and including the national level, albeit without spectators.
LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry said that public transport in Slovenia will be relaunched on Monday, 11 May, after being suspended because of the coronavirus epidemic on 16 March.
LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court quashed a ruling that ordered the incumbent prime minister, Janez Janša, to pay EUR 6,000 in damages to a journalist for calling her a "washed-up prostitute" in a tweet. The journalist announced she will take her case to the Constitutional Court and the Journalists' Association (DNS) condemned the court's decision.
LJUBLJANA - Three NGOs announced they had asked the Constitutional Court to examine tighter standards for NGOs to participate in procedures in which building permits are issued, which were introduced with the changes to the first fiscal stimulus package the government adopted to help businesses and households cope with the Covid-19 epidemic.
LJUBLJANA - Zlatko Ficko was dismissed as director general of the SiDG state forestry company and chief supervisor Samo Mihelin was appointed in his place until a new management with full powers is appointed, but not longer than one year.
BRNIK - Fraport Slovenija, the company operating Ljubljana airport, said it posted an operating loss of EUR 2.4 million in the first quarter of the year. It generated EUR 6.9 million in revenue in the period, 32% year-on-year.
LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce said sales of new cars and vans plunged by 71% year-on-year in April and 39% in the first four months compared to the same period last year. Just 2,140 new cars and vans were sold in April, and 16,354 vehicles in the first four months of the year.
THURSDAY, 7 May
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and some parties condemned Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's posting a photo of a Greater Hungary map - with parts of it stretching into present-day Slovenia - as a way of wishing Hungarian secondary school students good luck in taking history exams. The Foreign Ministry said it would not comment on such issues unless they were clearly intended for historical revisionism.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian called in a video conference for a further strengthening of the strategic partnership between the two countries, also in light of their upcoming successive presidencies over the EU Council. Logar highlighted the car industry as crucial for both economies.
NOVA GORICA/TRIESTE, Italy - Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavič warned about the extreme economic as well as social ramifications of the Covid-19 epidemic for the western Goriška region, caused mostly due to restricted links between Slovenia and Italy.
KLAGENFURT, Austria - A group of Slovenian organisations in the Austrian province of Carinthia warned against attempts at historical revisionism and the denigrating of the Partisan liberation movement in the region. They stressed the Carinthian Partisans contributed to the victory over Nazism and the liberation of Austria.
LJUBLJANA - The Journalists' Association (DNS) condemned the Supreme Court's decision to quash a ruling that ordered Prime Minister Janez Janša to pay damages to a reporter after having called her a washed-up prostitute in a Twitter post in 2016. It said the ruling had a chilling effect on journalists.
LJUBLJANA - A Valicon survey showed the public's concern about the coronavirus had dropped under 60% for the first time since the middle of March, when the epidemic was declared. The uneasiness about the threat of the virus culminated at 86% in the week after the epidemic was declared and dropped to 57% this week.
ŠKOFLJICA - A 56-year-old man strolling in the woods near Škofljica, just south of Ljubljana, was attacked by a bear, getting out of the incident without life-threatening injuries. On average, two bear attacks on humans are recorded in Slovenia annually.
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