What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 15 October
LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the EU Parliament's LIBE committee visiting Slovenia on a fact-finding mission expressed concern mainly at the tone of public debate, calling for the issues of STA funding and European delegated prosecutor appointments to be addressed urgently. The delegation found that "public institutions in Slovenia work well". Slovenian MEP Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS), who had been a member of the delegation, said the latter was the mission's main finding. She also complained about the mission's secrecy and non-transparency.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU Commission said there was no room for anti-Semitism in the EU and social networks were no place for personal attacks as it responded to a tweet by PM Janez Janša about "Soros's puppets" which sparked an avalanche of criticism. The centre-left opposition condemned the tweet, urging the junior coalition partners to distance themselves from this or exit the government. The NSi urged Janša to apologise, whereas the SMC said it did not support such statements by the PM. The Ljubljana Jewish Cultural Centre and the European Jewish Congress condemned the tweet too.
PORTOROŽ - Speaker Igor Zorčič accused the government of destroying the legal system and subjugating it to its political goals. He pointed to rule by decree, disregard of media legislation, and dismissive attitude to members of a fact-finding mission of the EU Parliament as examples of this.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor nominated philosophy of law professor Rok Svetlič for a post on the Constitutional Court, in what is the fourth attempt in over a year to find a candidate who has cross-partisan support in parliament. During his subsequent presentation, Svetlič denied the allegation that he talked of shooting migrants at a debate in the summer of 2020.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Georgia expressed a commitment to boost ties, in particular in trade, as FM Anže Logar hosted his counterpart David Zalkaliani. Logar said he was confident Georgia's new consulate in the seaside town of Portorož would contribute to that, and Zalkaliani expressed Georgia's full commitment to the EU.
PODGORICA, Montenegro - Defence Minister Matej Tonin was on a working visit to Montenegro to meet his counterpart Olivera Injac in Podgorica and attend the To Be Secure international security forum in Budva. The ministers were happy the activities they had agreed at their recent meetings were being implemented at military level and in other fields.
LJUBLJANA - The country's major trade unions called on the National Assembly to vote down legislative proposals that have not been talked through on the tripartite forum featuring the government, employers and unions as they accused the government of ignoring social dialogue. Minister Janez Cigler Kralj responded by saying the door had always been open to the social partners.
LJUBLJANA - The government decided that police officers who provided security during the EU-Western Balkans summit on 5 and 6 October will receive performance bonuses, as will civil servants who participated in the security arrangements for the event. A total of 2,380 staff will receive bonus pay.
LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Danilo Lončarič acting director of the Government Office for Demographic Affairs, effective immediately. The appointment comes after the government decided a month ago to postpone the launch of the new office until Friday, 15 October.
LJUBLJANA - Manica Janežič Ambrožič, the TV news programme editor at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, stepped down, saying she had decided to do so because she disagreed with changes to the programme and production plan for the news programme for 2022. The management labelled her move as a "complete surprise", while TV Slovenija's news programmes staff and the Slovenian Journalist Trade Union (SNS) regretted the resignation and expressed concern.
SATURDAY, 16 October
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) set out their election manifesto with the promise of major changes over the next decade, unveiling proposals to boost public healthcare and economic value added, raise the minimum wage and pensions and gradually reduce work week to 32 hours, as well as measures to move to climate neutrality. The manifesto will be adopted early next year after a broad public debate.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian International Ladies' Association held its annual charity bazaar. Organised with the help of 35 embassies, the event featured culinary delights and unique products from various countries. The proceeds have been allocated to charities and institutions helping children.
SUNDAY, 17 October
LJUBLJANA - It was announced PM Janez Janša will lead a seizable delegation to the upcoming COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Numbering more than 50 people, the delegation will include Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj and Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec. The costs of the participation are estimated at EUR 1.2 million.
MONDAY, 18 October
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša announced that after the rising energy prices are discussed later this week at EU level, the government will take all the measures allowed within the single European market. He mentioned the options of regulating margins and providing energy vouchers for vulnerable households. He said domestic and European experts assured so far that the current situation was seasonal.
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša dismissed the statement by opposition SD leader Tanja Fajon that Slovenia was being stripped of dossiers as part of its current EU presidency. Janša said that passing dossiers onto the next presiding country was usual and that many dossiers had been passed onto Slovenia from the preceding presidencies, as the current presidency was the first fully operational one since the outbreak of Covid-19.
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - FM Anže Logar took part in the Foreign Affairs Council, telling RTV Slovenija that the most important topic from the perspective of the Slovenian EU presidency had been the debate on Eastern Partnership. The FMs prepared a ministerial meeting with six eastern partners, which will be held on 15 November. The EU would like to bring the countries closer together in terms of politics and business.
LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council said that the Slovenian economy is recovering after the epidemic quite quickly and in 2022, departure from fiscal rules will not be possible in the absence of extraordinary circumstances, as it assessed the budget documents for 2022 and 2023. It warned of unrealistic planning of expenditure. The Finance Ministry said it was focused on gradual lifting of crisis measures and recovery, so special attention had been given to investment.
WASHINGTON, US - Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj held several meetings as part of the annual session of the IMF and World Bank between 11 and 18 October. Bernardin Akitoby, chief of the IMF mission for Slovenia, said the upgraded economic forecast for Slovenia was a result of appropriate measures taken during the pandemic. The IMF projected a 6.3% growth for this year and 4.6% for 2022.
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court issued two decisions finding several provisions of regulations that formed the legal basis for remote schooling in primary schools and schools for special-needs children incompatible with the law. In one case the court argued the law gave the Education Ministry too much leeway in determining when remote schooling should be ordered.
LJUBLJANA - The STA's supervisory board appointed Igor Kadunc the agency's acting director to take over from outgoing Bojan Veselinovič on 31 October, while taking over as full-fledged director on 1 January 2022. The chief supervisor said the majority of supervisors had voted for the appointment of Kadunc, the only candidate to have applied for the job.
LJUBLJANA - Supervision at the General Police Administration carried out by the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission (KNOVS) confirmed the leadership of the Interior Ministry, including Minister Aleš Hojs, was present in two operational centres of the police during the 5 October protest, KNOVS chair Matjaž Nemec said, labelling it "rather unusual". Hojs said he had not been giving any instructions.
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said the response to the Covid-19 pandemic had been belated in particular in countries where governments needed to get parliamentary approval to take measures, as he addressed an international online conference on governments and public sector post-recovery.
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia/ZAGREB, Croatia - Slovenian and Croatian presidents Borut Pahor and Zoran Milanović unveiled a bust to Croatian writer Ljudevit Gaj (1809-1872) in Ljubljana and one to Slovenian poet France Prešeren (1800-1849) in Zagreb, highlighting the neighbourly relations between the two countries.
TRIESTE - The SKGZ minority organisation in Italy expressed concern over a substantial shift to the right in the local elections in Trieste as centre-right Mayor Roberto Dipiazza was re-elected and the far-right Brothers of Italy became the second strongest party. SKGZ head Ksenija Dobrila told the STA that Trieste had confirmed its extremely conservative essence.
SAO PAOLO, Brazil - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch completed her ten-day visit to Latin America, during which she visited the Slovenian communities in Argentina and Brazil, the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad said. Among other things, Jaklitsch discussed economic cooperation and challenges of Slovenian education.
TUESDAY, 19 October
LJUBLJANA - After commercial broadcaster POP TV released a recording of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak, the then economy minister, urging businessman Bojan Petan in 2007 to avoid paying taxes in relation to spa Terme Čatež, Vizjak denied saying those things, calling the recording "a collage" and manipulation, which he attributed to "garbage mafia". Junior coalition partners called on him to provide explanations, while the centre-left opposition demanded his resignation. In the recording, Vizjak also offered Petan cooperation by the state and the supervisory board if he agreed to his terms.
LJUBLJANA - The web portal of the commercial broadcaster POP TV reported that the Murska Sobota District Court had opened a formal investigation against Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič over suspicion of tax evasion and document falsification in his previous job. Dikaučič has been denying any wrongdoing.
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan chaired a session of the General Affairs Council which discussed the rule of law, including the primacy of the EU law, after the recent decision of the Polish constitutional court. Dovžan said Slovenia hoped for "constructive dialogue" between the EU Commission and Poland to bridge the differences.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 2,145 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number of confirmed infections since 12 January. The share of positive tests stood at 29.1% after it was at nearly 32% the day before, the highest since early January. The death toll since the start of the epidemic exceeded 5,000, according to government data.
LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found that Slovenia was partly successful in drawing EU cohesion funds in the 2014-2020 period. The actual revenue of the state budget from EU cohesion policy was much lower than planned. All the key documents for drawing the funds had been adopted but a plan of relevant activities had not been prepared.
LJUBLJANA/BLED - The Judicial Council warned in its 2020 report that the system under which Supreme Court judges are elected by parliament was not appropriate. It also pointed to the undermining of the judiciary's reputation. Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič said a day earlier that the judiciary was a key and ultimate defender of the rule of law.
LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) acted on its announcement that it would propose that the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) be expelled from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the wake of PM Janez Janša's tweet about "Soros puppets". The SAB sent a letter to ALDE proposing to initiate proceedings to expel the SMC.
LJUBLJANA - Kolektiv 99, an NGO protecting consumer and workers' rights, announced it had filed a class-action lawsuit with the Ljubljana District Court to claim EUR 27.5 million from US multinational corporation Apple for damages it allegedly caused to Slovenian consumers by deliberately slowing down and reducing the functionality of certain iPhone models.
WEDNESDAY, 20 October
LJUBLJANA - Acting on growing energy prices, the government reintroduced administered pricing of heating oil by issuing a regulation on the pricing of petroleum products. Distributors will have to limit their margin to a maximum of six cents per litre of heating oil as of 9 November. Pricing will be based on the prescribed methodology as the average 14-day price.
LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties and the deputy group of unaffiliated MPs tabled a motion of no-confidence in Interior Minister Aleš Hojs. The parties hold him responsible for the state of emergency in the country, police violence at protests, and for a demeaning attitude towards the public and experts who disagree with the government.
LJUBLJANA - The passage in parliament of a long-term programme for the development of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) until 2035 has been put on hold as the Left has submitted a proposal for a consultative referendum, saying the document pursues wrong goals policy- and priority-wise.
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša discussed the significance of social dialogue, cooperation, green and digital transition, lifelong learning and sustainable work as he addressed a virtual Tripartite Social Summit ahead of the EU summit. On behalf of the Slovenian presidency he highlighted the importance of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša had a video call with Apple CEO Tim Cook with a release from the Government Communication Office saying they talked about legislative acts that are being coordinated in the EU in the field of digital transformation, and about the importance of cybersecurity in digitalisation services.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act on the implementation of the 2021 and 2022 budgets that set up a special budget fund, where the money from the recovery and resilient mechanism will be collected. The fund will be managed by the Office for Recovery and Resilience, which will be led by Janet Mravljak as acting head.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the energy supply act, a piece of legislation that defines relationships between energy companies and end consumers, introduces the right to conclude a contract with dynamic prices, provides the legal basis for energy communities, and defines the concept of energy poverty.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act governing the organisation and work of the police force. The changes pertain to the status and autonomy of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), placing it under the Criminal Police Directorate. The centre-left opposition argued the amendments would lead to politicisation of police.
LJUBLJANA - An omnibus de-bureaucratisation bill passed first reading in a 45:40 vote. While coalition MPs welcomed it as a good start towards less red tape in the public administration, opposition MPs were more reserved, with the centre-left MPs voting against, arguing the bill has practically nothing to do with de-bureaucratisation.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the corporate income tax act which upgrade existing reliefs and add some new. The bill was put forward by the government as part of a package designed to stimulate the post-pandemic recovery. The loss of budget revenue as a result of the changes is estimated at around EUR 27 million.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted a reception for equality ombudsmen from SE Europe to mark the start of their fifth regional conference, which is held in Slovenia this year. The president highlighted the importance of public dialogue during the Covid-19 pandemic.
THURSDAY, 21 October
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and four other EU countries have drawn up a proposal to transform the EU's existing battle groups into a rapid reaction force in an initiative prompted by the experience of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan where the EU had to rely on the US, the Germany press agency dpa reported. The Defence Ministry confirmed that Slovenia had participated in drawing up the proposal from the field of crisis management.
NOVA GORICA/GORIZIA, Italy - President Borut Pahor presented his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella with the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service, Slovenia's highest honour. The two were also the bordering cities of Nova Gorica and Gorizia to hail their title as the 2025 European Capital of Culture.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The NATO defence ministers, including Slovenia's Matej Tonin, confirmed the alliance's capability goals, with the most demanding capability goals for Slovenia as of new including only one battalion-size battlegroup instead of two. The country has also been tasked with establishing a medium-sized reconnaissance battalion, the Defence Ministry said.
RAVNE NA KOROŠKEM - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek confirmed the government is considering introducing energy vouchers to help the most vulnerable groups of population cope with rising prices, but also said they hoped such measures would not be necessary. He noted that the issue of rising energy prices is a complex one and thus not easy to tackle.
LJUBLJANA - Novartis has signed an initial agreement to use its manufacturing facility in Ljubljana to fill the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19. The Novartis Technical Operations site will fill at least 24 million doses in its sterile manufacturing facilities in 2022, the Swiss pharma company announced.
LJUBLJANA - United Media, the media division of United Group, reported a takeover of Slovenian publishing company Adria Media at the country's Competition Protection Agency (AVK). United Media and Adria Media signed a cooperation agreement last year.
LJUBLJANA - Energy companies Petrol and OMV Slovenija, leading providers of petroleum products in Slovenia, said they would abide by a new government regulation re-introducing administered heating oil prices which will kick in on 9 November. Petrol and OMV Slovenija will thus have to limit the distributors' margin to a maximum of six cents per litre of heating oil.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Patrushev discussed possible forms of cooperation in the field of agriculture and rural development at a bilateral meeting and signed an action plan to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
LJUBLJANA - Svetlana Makarovič, a leading Slovenian poet and children's author, won this year's Ježek Award, an accolade celebrating creative and witty radio and television works. Makarovič was described as the most representative contemporary author of fairy tales who has also made her mark on theatre and chanson.
WARSAW, Poland - Alexander Gadjiev, representing Slovenia and Italy, won second place at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, sharing it with Kyohei Sorita from Japan. Gadjiev also won the Krystian Zimerman Prize for the best performance of a Chopin sonata.
