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.

Here's some music made under lockdown conditions to soundtrack this post:

FRIDAY, 24 April
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted the importance of solidarity and cooperation between EU countries during the coronavirus pandemic as they talked on the telephone, calling for faster and more efficient action on the part of EU institutions. Pahor's office said the presidents spoke mostly about the situation and relationships within the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - The head of the deputy group of the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Brane Golubović, said a vote of no-confidence in the entire government was in the cards after a whistleblower from the Commodities Reserves Agency came out with accusations of widespread political pressure in the purchasing of protective and other medical equipment to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commission vice-president and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova announced she had contacted Slovenian authorities over the media freedom situation in the country. "No hate, no threats, no personal attacks," reads part of Jourova's message to the government.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy and culture committees called on the Foreign Ministry to withdraw the government's controversial letter to the Council of Europe about the state of the media in Slovenia which says that the majority of the media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime. The committee also proposed public office holders refrain from restricting journalist work and editorial independence.
        LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 crisis severely affected March figures for tourism and retail business. Accommodation facilities recorded a 75% drop in arrivals and 67% fewer night stays over March 2019, while retail revenue fell by 15.1% year on year, the latest Statistics Office figures showed.

SATURDAY, 25 April
        LJUBLJANA - Embracing a dissenting opinion in a recent Constitutional Court ruling, which tasked the government with examining each week whether its lockdown restrictions remain justified, Prime Minister Janez Janša tweeted that "Slovenia unfortunately has the most politically biased Constitutional Court so far". "Double standards mean the death of any institution, especially judicial," he said.
        LJUBLJANA - The overhauled council of the Public Health Institute (NIJZ) selected Milan Krek, the head of the NIJZ's Koper unit, as the institute's new director before he was also cleared by the government a few days later. Krek appeared at government coronavirus briefings following the new government's clash with the institute's previous leadership.
        LJUBLJANA - Retailer Mercator reported its sales revenue increasing by 1.8% to EUR 2.14 billion in 2019 as net profit nearly tripled to EUR 4.7 million from EUR 1.6 million in 2018. Revenue from retail sales, Mercator's core business, increased by 2.2% to EUR 1.7 billion.
        AJDOVŠČINA - A paraglider was killed in a crash with an ultralight airplane that occurred near Ajdovščina. The paraglider and the airplane both crashed to the ground after the impact, but the pilot and passenger of the airplane survived, albeit with serious injuries.

SUNDAY, 26 April
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor told a national television talk show that he regretted the allegations of extensive political interference in the procurement of personal protective equipment reported in the media, as this had cast a shadow on what he assessed as otherwise excellent work of the government and parliament in the coronavirus crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Three Slovenian solders who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 returned to Slovenia from the NATO-led mission in Kosovo. The Slovenian Armed Forces said a military medical team had taken the infected soldiers to the Clinic for Infectious Disease in Ljubljana.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had a population of 2,095,861 on 1 January 2020, up 0.7% from a year earlier. The number of Slovenian citizens dropped in 2019 as the multi-year downward trend continued, with the number of immigrants increasing again, Statistics Office figures showed.

MONDAY, 27 April
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek expressed moderate optimism about the prospects of securing good and coordinated anti-coronavirus measures in tourism. Speaking after at a videoconference of the EU ministers in charge of tourism, the minister rejected concerns about possible discrimination based on passport.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor addressed citizens on Resistance Day calling for cooperation and mutual aid in crisis. Pahor said that "we are remembering the most difficult times and the bravest of people." The head of the WWII Veterans' Association, Marijan Križman, added that the Liberation Front was the foundation of Slovenia's independence.
        LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Despite a ban on public gatherings, small anti-government protests were held in Ljubljana, Maribor and several other cities. The protests were initiated by a Facebook group called Resistance against the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and saw police officers handing out fines for violation of quarantine rules.

TUESDAY, 28 April
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the second coronavirus stimulus package, which mainly consists of a EUR 2 billion guarantee scheme for loans to provide liquidity for companies. It also raises state funding for municipalities by around 6%. The original EUR 3 billion legislative package was amended to expand eligibility for benefits recipients by 190,000 to 1.2 million people.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed over the phone bilateral relations and the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The pair called for strengthening the friendly relations and the alliance between the two countries, and highlighted the importance of a close transatlantic partnership in facing the pandemic.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Following a videoconference with EU counterparts, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced that Slovenia would accept four unaccompanied minors from migration centres on Greek islands, under the condition they are younger than ten years.
        LJUBLJANA - A day after anti-government rallies were held across the country, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs expressed the expectation the police would follow his "guidelines" about tracking down the protesters through social media. The police meanwhile highlighted their autonomy, noting that they do not rely on public opinion or possible opinions of persons from the public and political arenas.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Transition to a low-carbon society could be a key part of growth strategy in the face of the coronavirus crisis, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec told his counterparts from the other EU members in an online informal ministerial meeting. He said green investments had the potential to substantially boost economic activity.
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Renault-owned car assembly plant and by far Slovenia's largest exporter, relaunched production after shutting down due to the coronavirus epidemic on 17 March. The resumption of operations will be gradual.

WEDNESDAY, 29 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government lifted a ban on non-essential travel outside the municipality of residence starting on 30 April as Prime Minister Janez Janša announced Slovenia had achieved a turnaround in the fight against coronavirus that allowed it to gradually ease restrictions. It was also announced that schools would start reopening on 18 May.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces' readiness for peacetime action improved from last year, while there has been no progress in its capacity for wartime action, which thus remains unsatisfactory for the sixth straight year, shows a report on the army's readiness presented to President Borut Pahor. The key reasons for the negative assessment are staff and funding shortages as well as outdated equipment.
        LJUBLJANA/BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his German counterpart Heiko Maas called for a common European solution to travel during the coronavirus pandemic after holding talks via video link. The opening of borders depends on how the pandemic develops in individual countries, and there is also a risk of a second wave. This is why Logar stressed that "one should be aware that opening up borders also has an impact on other countries".
        ZAGREB, Croatia - The Slovenian and Croatian ministers in charge of tourism, Zdravko Počivalšek and Gari Cappelli, met to discuss the possibilities for relaunching the sector. They agreed that a solution should at least be found for Slovenian owners of real estate in Croatia.
        LJUBLJANA - Libraries, galleries and museums were allowed to reopen under a government decree, but the vast majority remained closed. The institutions said they needed more time to prepare. They expect to be able to welcome the first visitors in early May.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislative changes that facilitate the completion of the planned power stations on the lower Sava river, including the last link in the chain, the Mokrice plant. The amendments relax conditions under which investors may apply for a construction permit and an environmental assessment.
        
THURSDAY, 30 April
        LJUBLJANA - Nursing homes, hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic, received permission from the government to open to visitors again subject to strict protective measures. Janez Cigler Kralj, the minister in charge of social affairs, said the government was guided by good epidemic figures and the stress the elderly are subjected to without visitors. Nursing homes said they would start admitting visitors next week.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed Slovenia's cooperation with the group, the Covid-19 pandemic and the EU's future as he received the ambassadors of the Visegrad Group accredited to Slovenia. Pahor described Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as Slovenia's "natural allies" but stressed Slovenia was part of the core EU countries.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič rejected criticism from Slovenia that he failed to provide protective equipment to his home country. "The European Commission doesn't have masks or any other protective equipment. We don't have a secret storage in the basement of Berlaymont to keep a stockpile of protective masks, gloves or suits," Lenarčič said in an interview with Brussels correspondents.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and UK Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey pointed to the role of cooperation in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as they marked Slovenia-UK Friendship Day. Pahor stressed that Slovenian-UK friendship is based on courage and humanity, which enables the two countries to build confident and multi-faceted relations.
        LJUBLJANA - Ivan Kopina was appointed the acting director of the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering. He will take over on 1 May from Branka Glojnarič, whom the government relieved of her duties.
        LJUBLJANA - The government issued several decrees to help agriculture cope with the loss of income resulting from the coronavirus epidemic. Over EUR 5 million was allocated for wine producers, EUR 3.3 million for cattle farmers, EUR 2.2 for homestays and EUR 1.4 million for the forestry sector.
        LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service reported having received almost 36,550 applications for more than 321,000 workers under the legislation providing state aid for wages and social security contributions for idled or quarantined workers amid the coronavirus epidemic. The first payments will be made on 11 May.
        LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia dropped by 1.2% in April compared to April 2019 and by 0.9% over March. Both the annual and monthly deflation rates mostly resulted from plummeting prices of petroleum products.

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, 17 April
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ordered the government to immediately verify the justification for restrictions on the movement of persons put in place to contain coronavirus, whereupon it must examine the justification every week. The court suspended a provision that says the measures will be in place "until the cessation of the reasons". The suspension remains until the judges reach a substantive decision.
        LJUBLJANA - The government's chief medical adviser for the coronavirus epidemic, Bojana Beović, announced the epidemic was believed to be under control allowing public life to gradually re-start. "The curve has now turned downwards and we can therefore start talking about a gradual relaxation of measures," she said. Between 17 and 22 April Slovenia recorded only 49 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, which means the total count rose to 1,366. The death toll was up by 9 to 79.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor started reaching out to European countries in a series of video addresses in the recipients' languages, expressing Slovenia's solidarity in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Broadcasting Union called on the Slovenian authorities to refrain from exerting political pressure on public broadcaster RTV Slovenija in the challenging times of the epidemic. On 21 April Reporters Without Borders and six other press freedom organisations urged the European Commission to put pressure on the Slovenian government and remind it of its responsibility to "protect the press". The country meanwhile advanced two spots in the latest Press Freedom Index to 32nd place.
        LJUBLJANA - As schools are closed due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Education Ministry cancelled nation-wide primary school exams for the first time since they were introduced for sixth and ninth grade students 20 years ago.
        KOPER - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec approved a 50% reduction in port fees for Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's only sea port, to make it more competitive. Vrtovec said the "discount" would remain in place until September and would be extended if necessary.
        MARIBOR - Five suspects charged with running illegal call centres operated by trafficked Taiwanese were found guilty of human trafficking by the Maribor District Court. The Slovenian ringleader Allen Cvek was sentenced to four years in prison and the rest to two months less.

SATURDAY, 18 April
        LJUBLJANA - As Slovenia managed to flatten the curve of coronavirus infections, restrictions to movement were eased a little. Accessing private land outside of one's municipality of residence for purposes such as maintenance and seasonal works was added to exceptions such as going to work, basic shopping, accessing emergency services, doing farm work and caring for family members.

SUNDAY, 19 April
        LJUBLJANA - The Paka Hotel in Velenje stopped serving as one of two hotels used for quarantine for Slovenians returning home from Covid-19 hotspots around the globe as the last two persons quarantined there left for home. The hotels were turned into quarantine centres as the government engaged in extensive repatriation efforts. It said it had repatriated 800 citizens between mid-February and mid-April, while a further 1,500 got home alone with some assistance.
        LJUBLJANA - The leaders of the opposition SocDem and Marjan Šarec List directed harsh criticism at the centre-right government, accusing it of manipulation and abuse of power under the pretext of the combat against coronavirus. SD leader Dejan Židan said he trusted the Slovenian police and army but did not trust the government. Former PM Šarec lambasted the government for attacks on the public broadcaster and contentious purchases of protective equipment.
        LJUBLJANA - A survey conducted by Valicon showed public trust in the institutions vitally important during the epidemic has increased, including in the health system, public broadcaster and the police. The government enjoys a negative level of trust at -40%, which is still better by 15 percentage points than in November 2019 and the best score for the government since the Slovenia Mirror survey was first conducted.

MONDAY, 20 April
        LJUBLJANA - Lockdown restrictions were further loosened, including with a reintroduction of public transport organised by businesses or local communities in order to get people to work. A string of retail and services establishments reopened, such as telecommunication operators, DIY stores, car showrooms, stores selling bicycles, technical goods and furniture, dry cleaners and some repair shops. Outdoor services such as gardening, roof and facade work, and food takeaways involving minimum contact, as well as sports such as tennis and golf received the green light too.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia launched comprehensive random population testing for coronavirus after invitations to take part were sent to 3,000 people picked in a representative sample. The survey is meant to give the authorities a reliable estimate of the extent of the epidemic and help plan the way out of the lockdown. Those agreeing to testing are visited by technicians, are swabbed and give blood samples for a serological test for antibodies.
        LJUBLJANA - Brigadier Robert Glavaš pledged to work to secure the Slovenian Armed Forces staffing and material resources as he formally took over as the chief of the general staff by accepting the SAF battle standard from his predecessor. Glavaš said he was aware financial sources would be limited during the coronavirus epidemic and potential economic slowdown coming in its wake.
        LJUBLJANA - The four left-leaning opposition parties announced they would seek a constitutional review of two articles from the first coronavirus emergency package, including one expanding police powers, as well as of the decree limiting movement to municipal borders.
        LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service said it had received more than 32,000 applications for more than 262,000 employees until Sunday under the legislation providing state subsidies for wages and social security contributions for workers temporary laid-off or quarantined due to the coronavirus epidemic. The final figure is expected to be up to 10% lower because of some employers filing multiple applications.
        LJUBLJANA - Interim data by the Employment Service showed that the coronavirus crisis continues to strongly affect the employment situation, albeit not as severely as in the first weeks. While the registered unemployment total rose by 7,955 between 1 and 17 April to 85,810, the figure for the final week of this period was 2,029.
        LJUBLJANA - The Health Inspectorate said it had launched more than 2,900 procedures and issued fines worth more than EUR 32,000 to people violating lockdown restrictions. The cases processed have been mostly referred to the inspectorate by the police and involved individuals.
        LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - The Democrats (SDS) of PM Janez Janša, at 22.5%, persisted at the top of the ratings in the latest Vox Populi poll, while the former ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) fell to 9.8%, which compares to more than 19% in January and 15% in March. The government's performance was rated successful by 65%.
        LJUBLJANA - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car maker Renault, continues to top the Delo list of Slovenia's largest exporters, followed by pharmaceutical companies Lek and Krka, and the household appliances maker Gorenje, the only four companies whose exports exceeded a billion euro in 2019.

TUESDAY, 21 April
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government adopted a second coronavirus stimulus package, proposing the state provide quick liquidity aid to companies to the tune of EUR 2 billion. Loans to micro companies and SMEs will be guaranteed for up to 80% of the principal, and up to 70% for large companies. The package will be debated by parliament next week, along with corrections to the EUR 3 billion-worth first package, including relaxed conditions for companies to apply for wage subsidies, and expansion in the number of people eligible for benefits.
        LJUBLJANA - Amid mounting pressure over faults in dodgy procurement of PPE, the government replaced Agency for Commodity Reserves director Anton Zakrajšek, who had asked to be relieved of his duties while on sick leave due to Covid-19. While Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said transparency needed to be restored and indicated Zakrajšek had been pulling strings, Zakrajšek protested vehemently, suggesting the Economy Ministry had been calling all the shots in procurement. Zakrajšek was succeeded by ex-Kobilarna Lipica stud farm boss Toni Rumpf.
        LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus situation in the four nursing homes that have accounted for over three quarters of all Covid-19 deaths in Slovenia escalated further and new solutions began to be sought after two hospitals told by the Health Ministry to accept nursing home users with mild or asymptomatic Covid-19 offered resistance.
        LJUBLJANA - The plan to repatriate Slovenians from Venezuela has been put on hold due to the coronavirus epidemic, with the authorities announcing that repatriation will resume as soon as possible. Twenty-one Slovenians had been repatriated from the South American country before the pandemic broke out.

WEDNESDAY, 22 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government decreed that the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) share with the police information about individuals who have been ordered to go into self-isolation, quarantine or undergo treatment for Covid-19. The Health Ministry said about 2,900 quarantine orders had been issued to date. Some 1,500 are currently in effect.
        VELENJE - News broke that the Chinese-owned group Hisense Europe was planning to close 2,200 jobs by the end of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, including 1,000 in Slovenia where it owns hosuehold appliance maker Gorenje. The latter confirmed the reports, saying the step was the result of Hisense Europe incurring a loss in the first quarter of the year, which is to further deepen in the second quarter. Hisense Europe employs almost 5,600 workers in Slovenia.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Participating in an EU ministerial on the bloc's approach to its neighbours to the east, Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed support for the reform processes under way in Ukraine. He said measures to fight the pandemic should not be abused for geopolitical pressure, spread of misinformation or failure to implement agreements.
        LJUBLJANA - The police said they were investigating a suspected theft of protective equipment in the UKC Ljubljana hospital. It said that a 31-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, both from Ljubljana, seem to have made 40,000 euro by selling the stolen equipment online. Unofficially, the suspects were UKC Ljubljana employees.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces received five new military ambulances donated by the US. Defence Minister Matej Tonin and US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard were present as the shipment arrived in Koper.
        LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Monika Pintar Mesarič as the acting director of the Infrastructure Agency, appointing Liljana Herga in her place for up to six months. Herga has so far headed the agency's road maintenance and traffic safety department. A possible change hinted at last week by Planet TV when reporting about an allegedly contentious tender to set up a SCADA system for the railway infrastructure.
        
THURSDAY, 23 April
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) said it would initiate a vote of no-confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over his role in the purchases of protective personal equipment. Počivalšek responded with a tweet saying he saw the upcoming debate in parliament as an opportunity to "lay out all the evidence", including about how the Šarec government had handled the crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia plans to intensify the construction of fencing on the border with Croatia and expand the use of other technical means to control the border and prevent illegal migrations, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced. The government is also pushing to give the army certain police powers on the border. While it has failed to get the opposition on board for this, pressure increased earlier in the week with a petition signed by mayors of 23 border municipalities, who argued the novel coronavirus would spread massively among migrants.
        LJUBLJANA - Former President Milan Kučan said in an interview that the government's measures to fight the epidemic were adequate, but he is worried some of them could affect democracy.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian banks received just over 5,000 requests for deferral of loan payments from companies struggling with the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic by 10 April, data from the central bank show. Nearly 7,000 such requests have been made by individuals. Banks said they had adopted proactive approaches to addressing clients' problems and that solutions were being sought on a case-by-case basis.
        LJUBLJANA - Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Andrej Vizjak announced a deregulation of construction legislation that he argues will substantially speed up construction in this crucial period. A key segment of the proposed changes envisages the integration of several construction permit procedures while ridding potential investors of the obligation to first obtain claims over the land slated for construction. Moreover, only NGOs with more than 50 members will be able to appeal permit decrees.

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, 10 April
        LJUBLJANA - Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj hailed the agreement reached by EU finance ministers on a fiscal package to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic as a step in the right direction. Šircelj said member states had different views but managed to close ranks and forge a compromise.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor commented on a cable sent by Slovenia to the Council of Europe (CoE) in response to a warning about pressure on the media by saying it made sense to wait for an official explanation by the prime minister and foreign minister to see if the letter's content was in fact Slovenia's official position.
        LJUBLJANA - Reviewing cooperation between Slovenia and the Holy See, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Apostolic Nuncio Jean-Marie Speich agreed that bilateral relations should be deepened. Logar pointed to the importance of spiritual care in the time of the coronavirus pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - The public health insurer ZZZS said it expects the coronavirus crisis to slash its revenue by around EUR 215 million this year, while higher expenditure is expected on top of that, to the tune of EUR 30 million due to higher sick leave costs alone.
        BRNIK - More than twenty tonnes of protective equipment, including face masks for medical staff, was delivered from China to the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, one of the largest such shipments since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - A new regulation entered into force requiring consumers above the age of 65 to prove their age with an identity card to enter grocery shops during dedicated opening hours.

SATURDAY, 11 April
        LJUBLJANA - Alojz Uran, who served as the Archbishop of Ljubljana in 2004-2009, a time of significant financial turmoil for the Church, died at the age of 75. Uran was named the Archbishop of Ljubljana in October 2004, succeeding Archbishop Franc Rode, and resigned in November 2009, officially due to health problems.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU/LJUBLJANA - The government met to discuss guidelines for additional measures to mitigate the effect of the coronavirus epidemic on the economy, with PM Janez Janša announcing that put all measures for securing liquidity of companies would be combined into a single package.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree which shortens the quarantine period for persons entering Slovenia to one week from two weeks. They can spend the time at home or at a location agreed with the civil defence. The decree entered into force on 12 April.
        LJUBLJANA - About a month after the government of Janez Janša was sworn in, a poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo showed that more than 43% of the respondents assessed the government's work as positive. But the high support did not reflect in support for the coalition parties.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor told Dnevnik in an interview that he intended to end his political career after his term ends in 2022.

SUNDAY, 12 April
        LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Police Officers appealed to Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner to immediately recall face masks that had been supplied to the police due to their questionable efficiency in protecting against COVID-19 infection after police has concluded the supplies are not certified protective shields but hygienic masks meant for non-medical purposes.

MONDAY, 13 April
        BRNIK - A new shipment of protective equipment from China was delivered to the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, including 20 tonnes of protective masks, goggles and suits for medical staff, and protective gloves. The delivery was made by Public Digital Infrastructure, a company owned by gaming millionaire Joc Pečečnik, under a EUR 30 million-plus contract with the state.
        
TUESDAY, 14 April
        WASHINGTON, US - The IMF forecast Slovenia's gross domestic product (GDP) to shrink by 8% this year compared to 2019 as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic in what is a drastic downgrade compared to the projection from last autumn, when Slovenia was forecast to record 2.9% GDP growth.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed lawyer and security expert Janez Stušek the new director of the SOVA intelligence and security agency, effective on 15 April. The five-year term comes with the option of re-appointment.
        LJUBLJANA - The government's chief medical advisor for the coronavirus epidemic, Bojana Beović, said Slovenia would not be able to start relaxing lockdown measures this week as yet, stressing the easing would depend on when the health authorities determined the epidemic was tailing off.
        LJUBLJANA - Figures released by the National Institute of Public Health showed that more than 80% of people who died of coronavirus in Slovenia were older than 75 years and almost 60% were older than 85. All the deceased were older than 45, but the number of deaths rose with age.
        LJUBLJANA - A contentious letter sent by the government to the Council of Europe (CoE) to claim the majority of the main media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime was defended by Foreign Minister Anže Logar in parliament as it was discussed by the foreign policy and culture committees. The letter was a response to an alert issued by the CoE Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists after PM Janez Janša tweeted that the public broadcaster was misleading the public and indicated that some of its staff should lose their jobs.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs indicated the coalition could tighten asylum legislation, including by using some of the proposals of the Miro Cerar government and mindful of a European Court of Human Rights's ruling that migrants who do not enter the country lawfully could be turned back.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) said it expected the tourism sector to see a 60-70% contraction this year if the relaxation of lockdown measures starts in June. If the restrictions last longer, the contraction is expected to be even sharper, STO director Maja Pak said.
        LJUBLJANA - Several companies, including household appliances maker Gorenje and sports goods maker Elan, which had suspended their production due to the coronavirus epidemic started gradually restarting operations and joining those that have only partly shut down or have not closed shop at all.

WEDNESDAY, 15 April
        ČRNOMELJ - President Borut Pahor and the defence and interior ministers, Matej Tonin and Aleš Hojs, visited the southern border area along the Kolpa river to call for the military to be given limited police powers, arguing that stronger joint border patrols were supported by the army and police, and the locals in the area.
        LJUBLJANA - Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, announced a random population testing for coronavirus on a sample of 1,000-1,500 residents to get a reliable estimate of the scope of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. The nation-wide testing is expected to begin next week.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The coronavirus crisis has shown Slovenia urgently needs a transport plane, Defence Minister Matej Tonin said after a videoconference of NATO defence ministers. The ministry has already initiated procedures, requested input from the military and formed a working group that will examine all acquisition options.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Ministry State Secretary Franc Breznik offered his resignation after he was caught speeding and drunk driving on 2 April. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs accepted the resignation the following day.
        LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry proposed that the National Public Health Institute share citizens' personal data with the police to help contain the coronavirus epidemic. If the motion is endorsed, the police will be privy to the information about the quarantine duration and other anti-COVID-19 restrictions imposed on the individual.
        LJUBLJANA - A majority of the eight-member contingent of the Slovenian Armed Forces serving in the European Union Training Mission in Mali returned home after training tasks there were suspended and focus put on containing the spread of coronavirus. Five soldiers returned home three days after one infected Slovenian soldier had been airlifted home.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia sent a package of aid to Bosnia-Herzegovina via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to help the country fight the coronavirus pandemic. The package included ten tents, 60 field beds, 50 sleeping bags, ten heaters, 1,500 blankets, 100 pieces of cutlery and 20 waste bag stands.
        
THURSDAY, 16 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Brigadier Robert Glavaš the new chief of the general staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF).
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press that the government plans to deploy soldiers if needed despite the fact that it was unable to muster the two-thirds majority in parliament to grant soldiers limited police powers to patrol the border. It plans to use a different legislative provision that allows a more limited form of deployment.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that hardware shops, car repair shops and showrooms will reopen on 20 April and hair and beauty salons on 4 May.
        LJUBLJANA - Police recorded 1,835 illegal crossings of the border in the first three months of the year, which is 6.5% more than in the same period last year. Most migrants came from Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan.
        MARIBOR - NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, reported a EUR 62.5 million net profit at group level and EUR 67.4 million at the level of the core bank for 2019, down EUR 10 million and EUR 8 million respectively on 2018.
        LJUBLJANA - The state-owned power group HSE reported EUR 29.7 million in net profit for last year, bouncing back from a EUR 11.8 million loss the year before after its subsidiary, the Šoštanj coal-fired power plant (TEŠ), posted its lowest loss since the contentious unit 6 became operational in 2015.
        LJUBLJANA - Economist and cultural studies expert Andrej Srakar said he was not thrilled with the government's measures taken so far to help the culture sector recover from the Covid-19 crisis but was nevertheless optimistic that the sector could recover within a year.
        MURSKA SOBOTA/LJUBLJANA - Hungary has donated seven pallets of protective equipment to the Murska Sobota hospital, including surgical masks, hazmat suits and disinfectants. Huawei Technologies provided 30,000 protective face masks and 100 tablet computers for disadvantaged children.
        LJUBLJANA - Amnesty International said in its latest report on human rights that Slovenia has failed to respect and protect the rights of migrants, while also pointing to what it believes is an inappropriate definition of rape, inadequate elderly care and treatment of the Roma.

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

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FRIDAY, 3 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government started discussing guidelines for a second fiscal stimulus package. It will focus on correcting any flaws in the first package, worth EUR 3 billion, and measures to boost the economy's liquidity.
        LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry announced that the rotations of contingents of the Slovenian Armed Forces in international operations and missions planned in the next three months would not be carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. The contingents which are currently abroad will need to extend their service for three months.
        LJUBLJANA - The government restricted the usage of drugs containing chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin to make sure enough of those substances are available to patients who need them.
        LJUBLJANA - Florist shops and nurseries reopened, with the government explaining that spring is a peak selling time for these businesses.
        DOBROVNIK - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec hailed a decision by orchids grower Ocean Orchids to also start growing vegetables as a case of rapid adaptation. She announced government measures to facilitate this.
        LJUBLJANA - The chair of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, Matjaž Nemec, expressed surprise because Slovenia failed to join a group of EU countries that have expressed concern about the risk of violations of the rule of law by measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. On Monday, Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič expressed support for the statement.
        SKOPJE, Macedonia - Slovenia donated to North Macedonia protective equipment worth EUR 110,000 to help the country fight the novel coronavirus.
        LJUBLJANA - Individuals and businesses donated over EUR 58,800 as they responded to the Finance Ministry's call to raise funds for Covid-19 relief. The donations went into the "budgetary reserve" and the government will report to parliament on the use on a monthly basis.
        LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus crisis started to take a toll on the unemployment situation in Slovenia and what had been a favourable trend until recently was reversed. The number of people registered as unemployed grew by 0.5% to 77,855 in March compared to February.
        LJUBLJANA - Thirty members of the Slovenian chapter of PEN International called on the Slovenian authorities to respect all citizens' rights guaranteed by law and constitution as measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic are being introduced.

SATURDAY, 4 April
        LJUBLJANA - All persons arriving in Slovenia from abroad now face a 14-day quarantine. They will be quarantined at home if possible and if not, they will be placed at facilities.
        LJUBLJANA - The bonuses for vital public sector staff envisaged by the government mega stimulus bill will be fully covered by the state, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said.
        LJUBLJANA - Police were checking compliance with movement restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus across the country, detecting no major violations.
        LJUBLJANA/KOPER - Due to the coronavirus epidemic, Ljubljana airport recorded a 20% drop in the amount of cargo transported in March. This was mostly the cargo transported in passenger planes, the airport operator Fraport Slovenija said.

SUNDAY, 5 April
        LJUBLJANA - Coronavirus death toll in Slovenia rose to 30 as infections topped 1,000.
        LJUBLJANA - Government spokesman Jelko Kacin announced that stringent lockdown restrictions introduced to fight the coronavirus epidemic would remain in place at least two to four more weeks.
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša rebuffed critics who have accused the government of sidelining public health professionals. He said the government had listened to a broader circle of experts beyond the domestic National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).

MONDAY, 6 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government said it was preparing measures to enable some industries to relaunch operations immediately after the Easter holidays if the current trend in the number of persons diagnosed with Covid-19 continues.
        LJUBLJANA - The Agency for Commodity Reserves delivered 66 mechanical ventilators to hospitals, as well as 1.83 million three-layer face masks and over 401,000 FFP2 masks the week before.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard met to mark the Slovenian-American Friendship and Alliance Day.
        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference recalled the first free multi-party elections in Slovenia 30 years ago likening the situation at the time to the coronavirus crisis in which the bishops see "our civic duty, responsibility" put to test again.
        NOVO MESTO/BEGUNJE/ŽIRI - Several Slovenian companies, including Adria Mobil, Alpina and Elan, announced they would shortly relaunch production after suspending or scaling it down amid the coronavirus epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian agriculture organisations raised concern about "huge" damage to business due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, urging the government to take a series of measures, including curbs on meat imports and increased purchase of produce for national commodity reserves.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian lawyer and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin told sport newspaper EkipaSN in an interview he believed Slovenian authorities should express a bit more optimistic view of the situation as the country is fighting the coronavirus epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - An OECD report found Slovenia to be one of the most transparent OECD countries in the field of public procurement, yet it recommended it to open up its public procurement procedures to more experimentation and innovative methods.
        KRANJ - A dystopian play by Tjaša Mislej about four workers working and living in a giant warehouse won this year's Slavko Grum Prize for best new Slovenian play.
        HOLMEC - The Holmec border crossing was partly reopened after Austria closed it as part of restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus.

TUESDAY, 7 April
        LJUBLJANA - More than five years after deciding the state must provide equal funding for public and private primary schools, the Constitutional Court specified that this applies only to the mandatory part of school curricula at private schools but not to non-mandatory curricula, such as morning and afternoon care, or remedial tutoring.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted with the needed two-thirds majority in favour of changes to the rules of procedure that allow it to hold sessions and vote remotely in exceptional circumstances such as the coronavirus epidemic or natural disaster.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislative changes that will shorten the period for laws, which cannot be challenged in referenda, to take effect. The changes are expected to speed up the implementation of laws designed to alleviate consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic by 8 days.
        LJUBLJANA - The business newspaper Finance reported, referring to Bloomberg, that the Slovenian state had borrowed another EUR 2.25 billion by carrying out a new 10-year bond issue and expanding the amounts of the previous two bond issues.
        LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council endorsed the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus epidemic and mitigate its consequences. For the most part the measures are in agreement with recommendations by international organisations and comparable in scope to measures taken by other countries. However, in the future the measures must be more targeted, simple and limited in duration.
        LJUBLJANA - Administered fuel prices in Slovenia dropped to eleven-year lows despite the government increasing excise duties the day before. Regular and diesel sold at service stations outside the motorway network dropped to euro per litre. The last time regular cost less than a euro was in April 2009 and diesel in May 2009.
        MARIBOR - Pošta Slovenije generated EUR 262.7 million in revenue last year, EUR 12 million more than the year before. While failing to disclose the profit figure, the company said it was substantially below projections. The main reason for the lower-than-expected profitability is a pay deal the company had struck with trade unions.

WEDNESDAY, 8 April
        LJUBLJANA - Hospital data indicated the novel coronavirus epidemic is stabilising, with hospitalisations and intensive care cases flat. A total of 108 persons were in hospital, of whom 34 in intensive care. So far 128 persons have been discharged from hospital.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed efforts to overcome the coronavirus pandemic with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella. The presidents underlined the importance of solidarity and cooperation among nations, and expressed regret at the EU's inability to respond earlier and more effectively. They expressed support for the measures adopted by the governments of their respective countries.
        LJUBLJANA - Medical Chamber head Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik urged the government to use all medical staff, including private doctors and dentists, to restart the country's healthcare when it begins to gradually exit the coronavirus crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - The central bank suspended for a year the payout of dividends by banks and savings banks. The measure is aimed at securing sufficient capital so that the system could better sustain potential losses and be able to supply the economy and individuals with loans.
        LJUBLJANA/STRASBOURG, France - Responding to criticism coming from the Council of Europe over pressure on the media in Slovenia, the government argued the situation was a result of media having "their origin in the former communist regime". The dispatch was criticised the next day by the Journalists' Association and the opposition, while coalition partners distanced themselves from it.
        LJUBLJANA - Vojko Urbas was appointed acting director of the Criminal Police Department and took over from his predecessor Boštjan Lindav. He was appointed by acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner, who has led the force since the Janez Janša government was appointed in mid-March.
        LJUBLJANA - The top leaders of major religious groups in Slovenia called on believers to stay home, pray and peruse religious texts as they addressed the daily government coronavirus press briefing.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Roma warned about tenacious discrimination and their communities struggling in the face of the coronavirus crisis as they observed International Roma Day.

THURSDAY, 9 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government's coronavirus spokesperson Jelko Kacin rejected interpretations Slovenia had decided to freeze membership payments to the World Health Organisation given that PM Janez Janša said everybody would need to follow the example of the US in taking this step.
        LJUBLJANA - Unofficial data from the Employment Service showed the registered unemployment total rising by 4,922 in the first eight days of April, jumping by 1,030 on 8 April alone.
        LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry said that Slovenia will ask for international assistance via NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre in securing transport for protective gear and other supplies to ensure there is enough equipment to battle the coronavirus epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša exchanged information on the current coronavirus situation with Friuli Venezia Giulia President Massimiliano Fedriga via videoconference.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's trade in goods continued to grow in February, the month before Slovenia introduced strict lockdown measures amid the coronavirus epidemic. Exports grew by 11.7% and imports by 5.9% over February 2019, data by the Statistics Office showed.
        NOVO MESTO - The supervisory and management boards of Krka proposed the shareholders of the drug maker be paid dividends of EUR 4.25 gross per share. Not only is the proposed payout almost a third higher than in 2019, Krka is actually one of few listed companies whose shareholders may get dividends this year.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of five Slovenian MEPs led by Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) called on the government to join EU countries helping and taking in unaccompanied refugee children stranded on Greek islands.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to allow non-urgent health services to resume under certain conditions after these have been suspended in the efforts to contain the coronavirus epidemic in the country.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenians are increasingly optimistic regarding the situation around the coronavirus epidemic, showed the latest survey by Valicon, as a vast majority of respondents believes that things are turning for the better.

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.

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, 20 March
        LJUBLJANA - Sweeping lockdown measures came into effect in Slovenia with the movement and gathering of people in public places banned until further notice with exemptions that allow society to function. This was as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 341.
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the first package of laws aimed at mitigating the impact of the coronavirus crisis, including subsidised pay for temporarily laid-off workers, credit payment and tax duty deferrals for companies, as well as trade restrictions for agriculture and food products. One act gives the government complete discretion in the use of budget funds approved for purposes not deemed part of legally binding tasks.
        LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec assured the public that there was enough basic foodstuffs in Slovenia for a few months with backup plans in place in case of disruption to existing food supply chains. She indicated the possibility of occasional problems in supply of imported fresh fruit and vegetables.
        LJUBLJANA - Facing a strike threat in protest against an emergency decree forcing grocery stores to be open from 8am to 8pm, the government pushed the closing time to 6pm, as demanded by the trade union of shop assistants. The restrictions do not apply to smaller retailers.
        LJUBLJANA - To ease the impact of the coronavirus fallout, the government issued a decree suspending certain contributions on electricity bills that will result in about 20% lower cost of power for households and small businesses until 31 May.
        LJUBLJANA - The governing council of the National Public Health Institute appointed Ivan Eržen acting director after the government relieved Nina Pirnat of her duties and moved her to the Health Ministry's Healthcare Directorate, unofficially due to her handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
        LJUBLJANA - Only days after being appointed, Miro Petek was dismissed as acting director of the Government Communication Office and replaced by Uroš Urbanija, a former STA home desk editor, who also worked as editor at the public broadcaster's news web portal MMC RTV Slovenija and commercial broadcaster Planet TV.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control joined efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine in cooperation with Slovenian and international companies, research institutes and universities. Its head Matjaž Peterko said development could take between less than a year and a few years.

SATURDAY, 21 March
        LJUBLJANA/ŠMARJE PRI JELŠAH - The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country rose by 42 to 383 with a total of 12,162 tests performed. Prime Minister Janez Janša visited the town of Šmarje pri Jelšah, the site of the second largest outbreak in the country, where the nursing home became a major hotspot.
        LJUBLJANA - Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government coronavirus crisis response unit, threatened that a ban would be imposed restricting people's movement to their municipality, a plan later shelved because of a low number of violations of existing lockdown measures.
        LJUBLJANA - Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, the Journalists' Association (DNS) and the Journalists' Trade Union condemned a Twitter post by Prime Minister Janez Janša in which he accused TV Slovenija of lying after running an interview with a trade unionist who expressed indignation about the pay rise for ministers and state secretaries. The government later announced a 30% cut in public office holders' pay during the epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - After the first week of school closure due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Education Minister Simona Kustec found that remote schooling was going very well while problems of some 700 students without access to computer or internet were being addressed.

SUNDAY, 22 March
        LJUBLJANA/METLIKA - Slovenia recorded a second coronavirus fatality as the number of confirmed cases rose by 31 in the past day to 414. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said that both patients who had died were in their 90s and had underlying health issues. The latest fatality was an elderly woman from the Metlika nursing home, like the man who died just over a week earlier. Visiting the facility, PM Janez Janša pledged an all out effort to supply enough protective equipment.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia sent emergency relief aid to Croatia in response to the neighbouring country's appeal for help via the European civil protection mechanism after a magnitude 5.3 earthquake hit the capital of Zagreb in the morning. Slovenia dispatched ten tents equipped to accommodate up to 80 people with 60 beds and 60 sleeping bags and 20 heating devices, valued at EUR 107,000.
        KLAGENFURT/GRAZ, Austria, KRŠKO - The Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) reported that a preventive examination of systems and equipment had not detected any damage or impact on operations caused by a severe earthquake in Zagreb that was felt in Slovenia as well. The Nuclear Safety Administration said the power station, situated near the border with Croatia and hence close to the earthquake's epicentre, operated normally. Meanwhile, several Austrian politicians reiterated their calls for the closure of Slovenia's sole nuclear power plant.

MONDAY, 23 March
        LJUBLJANA - A 67-year-old man with multiple underlying conditions died at the infectious diseases department at the UKC Ljubljana hospital in the third coronavirus-related death in the country as the number of confirmed cases rose by 28 in a day to 442. As many as 13,812 tests were conducted, as rules changed to expand testing to persons older than 60, those with other risk conditions and those with immunodeficiency disorders even if they only have mild symptoms.
        LJUBLJANA - After halving its economic growth forecast for Slovenia for 2020 to 1.5% less than a fortnight ago, the government economic think-tank IMAD projected a 6-8% contraction in the country's GDP due the worsening coronavirus crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - A survey by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) found 93% of the companies surveyed had serious difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic and its ramifications, with 40% expecting a more than 70% drop in revenue in March, a further 18% expect to halve their revenue and as many project a fall of at least 30%. The chamber estimated a stimulus package of between EUR 2-4 billion was needed to avert an economic and social crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar revealed following a videoconference with his EU counterparts that more than 1,000 Slovenians were still looking to get repatriated amid the travel restrictions across the globe prompted by the pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - A public opinion poll conducted for the commercial broadcaster POP TV before the lockdown measures, put the voter approval rating for the government at 45.4% and the ruling Democrats (SDS) in the lead among parties on 20%.
        LJUBLJANA - Jernej Pintar, director of the Ljubljana Technology Park, told the newspaper Finance that several groups of engineers were developing various types of ventilators to meet the demand among a growing number of Covid-19 patients; the first prototypes were turned on the day before after development of several versions started over a week ago.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) announced that MP Franc Trček, who left the opposition Left after the National Assembly appointed the Janez Janša cabinet, was joining their deputy faction, which hence members eleven deputies in the 90-strong lower chamber.

TUESDAY, 24 March
        LJUBLJANA - The government presented a package of economic stimulus measures worth roughly EUR 2 billion designed to protect jobs and keep society in general functioning through the crisis. The measures, yet to be hashed out in the form of legislation, include loan guarantees for companies, purchase of claims to companies, co-financing of social contributions, temporary basic income for the self-employed and a one-off allowance for pensioners. Matej Lahovnik, the economist who heads a special task force of economists and executives advising the government on the measures, said this was the biggest stimulus ever in Slovenian history. PM Janez Janša and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj assured the public that the funds to finance the package were sufficient, with reliable sources available to tap into. Both the opposition and businesses welcomed the package.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded the fourth coronavirus-related death as an elderly woman died at the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. The woman had multiple underlying chronic conditions and died "at a very advanced age". The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia was up by 38 in a day to 480.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued EUR 850 million worth of three-year bonds and increased by EUR 250 million the existing 10-year bond issue due in March 2029. The newspaper Finance reported that the required yield on the three-year bond is 0.253% and 0.695% on the nine-year debt.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan welcomed the decision of EU European affairs ministers who agreed via videoconference to let Albania and North Macedonia begin accession talks after a series of setbacks. Dovžan said the step was a vital political signal for the region indicating a path to EU membership. He also stressed the importance of the EU's practical approach in tackling other open issues in the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The Agency for Public Legal Records (AJPES) said that 779 sole proprietors had closed shop due to coronavirus-related measures between 1 and 20 March, which is 44% more than in the same period last year, 48% more than had been the case for 1-20 February and 29% more than in the 1-20 January period.
        LJUBLJANA - Fresh police data showed an increase in the flow of illegal migrants across the Slovenian border despite the coronavirus pandemic, a trend attributed to warmer weather. Last week alone, 234 migrants were recorded, but no one tested positive for the novel virus. Slovenian police recorded 1,165 cases of people crossing the border illegally in the first two months of the year, an increase of 80% compared with the same period a year ago.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Večer reported that former Istrabenz CEO Igor Bavčar and former Laško CEO Boško Šrot were allegedly among some 130 prisoners who were released early as a result of efforts to stem the coronavirus spread.
        LJUBLJANA - Due to plummeting of global oil prices amid the Russia-Saudi price war and the coronavirus turmoil, administered fuel prices in Slovenia slumped to a multi-year low. The price of regular sold at service stations outside the motorway network fell 17.6 cents to EUR 1.029 per litre, the lowest since May 2009, and diesel was down 12.9 cents to EUR 1.017, the lowest since March 2016.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) chairman Bogdan Gabrovec welcomed the decision to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, saying that common sense had prevailed. The OKS called on the government to include sport in its measures to mitigate the crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian basketball player Luka Dončić, one of the key players of the Dallas Mavericks and former member of Real Madrid, was named to the EuroLeague's 2010-2020 All-Decade Team, as a third pick after Spanish Juan Carlos Navarro and American Kyle Hines.

WEDNESDAY, 25 March
        VIENNA, Austria - Drago Jančar, arguably Slovenia's leading contemporary writer, won the Austrian State Prize for European Literature 2020. The life-time achievement award, handed out each year, comes with a check of EUR 25,000. "Taking an individual to penetratingly render understandable the delusions of our history: this is one of the big strengths of his literature," the jury wrote about the 71-year-old.
        LJUBLJANA - A fifth coronavirus-related death in Slovenia was confirmed as another resident died in the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in the country. The number of people infected rose by 48, the largest daily increase, to 526, 73 of whom healthcare workers.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reintroduced border checks with Austria at 13 checkpoints to restrict access to the country because of the coronavirus epidemic. The same rules already apply on the Italian border.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to wait before it formally proposes the activation of a legislative provision that gives the military limited police powers in controlling the border, saying it plans to consult parliamentary groups as a two-third majority is needed in parliament. The article's invocation had been endorsed by President Borut Pahor in his capacity of commander-in-chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Nine EU leaders, including Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša, called for eurozone countries to jointly issue debt, a coronabond, in order to fight the devastating impact of coronavirus on the European economies, in a letter to President of the European Council Charles Michel.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor endorsed the government action to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Slovenia as well as the EUR 2 billion stimulus package. In an interview broadcast on TV Slovenija, Pahor said the composition of the group of experts advising the government on the crisis measures inspired great confidence, and the measures themselves were a step in the right direction.
        LJUBLJANA - The first of two convoys designed to repatriate Serbian citizens stranded in Slovenia due to Serbia closing its borders to curb the coronavirus epidemic, including to its own citizens, headed for the country after the Slovenian government reached an agreement with Serbia to organise transport for around 400 Serbian citizens returning from other European countries. The other convoy left for Serbia on 26 March.
        LJUBLJANA - A major shipment of much needed personal protective equipment arrived in Slovenia from the Czech Republic as an increasing number of businesses were joining the effort to meet the needs. A plane carrying 25,700 surgical masks and 5,000 protective suits landed at Ljubljana airport. This was following the 23 March shipment of 125,000 surgical masks, 93,000 pairs of gloves, 856 Tyvek suits, 20,000 head covers and 2,550 shoe covers. Two companies in Slovenia launched protective face mask production.
        LJUBLJANA - The government's emergency response unit, set up on 13 March to help manage the response to the coronavirus crisis, was dissolved after all capacities attached to the unit had been taken over by the relevant ministries and their departments.
        LJUBLJANA - The government formally submitted to UNESCO the multi-national bid for placing the Lipizzan horse breeding and related practices on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Slovenian-led bid to include the tradition in the longer of the two UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists also includes Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Slovakia.

THURSDAY, 26 March
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Janez Janša, National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič and National Council President Alojz Kovšca met to discuss the functioning of political institutions and joint action during the coronavirus crisis. They said action must be effective but also democratic so as to prevent a decline of trust in democratic institutions.
        LJUBLJANA - A resident of the Metlika nursing home died of complications caused by the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths in Slovenia to six. Total number of Covid-19 cases confirmed so far is 562, with a A total of 17,294 tests having been conducted.
        LJUBLJANA - The central bank said in its latest report that the banking system remained strong capital- and liquidity-wise but should now brace for a fast drop in profitability. A total of EUR 15.4 million in pre-tax profit for banks in Slovenia was reported for January, a 61% decrease year-on-year.
        LJUBLJANA - A survey showed that Slovenians are still worried about the coronavirus epidemic, but an increasing number (57%) believe the situation is improving. Only a week ago, over 50% of those polled said the situation was getting worse.
        LJUBLJANA - The Manager Association said it had elected Medeja Lončar, the director of Siemens Slovenija and CEO of Siemens Hrvatska, its new president. Lončar, who is succeeding Aleksander Zalaznik after he served two three-year terms, has been among the leading entrepreneurs in Slovenia and Croatia and already served as the association's vice-president in the previous term.

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, while if just want everything on COVID-9, that's here

FRIDAY, 6 March
        LJUBLJANA - Janez Janša, the incoming prime minister, formally nominated his 16-member cabinet. Most of the nominees are senior politicians with prior experience in government, in particular in his previous cabinets. The Democrats (SDS) are slated to head seven ministers and will lead several key departments, including foreign affairs, finance and home policy.
        LJUBLJANA - Official statistics released ahead of International Women's Day showed that Slovenia ranks 8th among 120 countries on the OECD gender equality scale, however women earn nearly EUR 130 less a month than men, and two-thirds of pensioners below the poverty line are women. The share of discrimination in Slovenia was 12.9%, with discrimination within the family being the biggest problem.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will get a new biotechnological centre, located in Ljubljana, as the agreement on the construction of the Biotechnological Hub of the National Institute for Biology (NIB), valued at EUR 20.8 million, was signed. The 6,500-square-metre research centre is to be built by 2023. The EU is to chip in EUR 16 million.

SATURDAY, 7 March
        LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Aleš Šabeder issued a decree banning all public indoor events for 500-plus participants as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by four to 12. The ban was accompanied by a recommendation to organisers of smaller events to reconsider cancelling too.
        MARIBOR - The latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey showed that detection of business opportunities by individuals in Slovenia has been improving in recent years. Almost 58% of Slovenians perceived business opportunities last year, up from 38% in 2016, putting Slovenia 26th among the 50 surveyed countries around the world.
        HOLMEKOLLEN, Norway - Slovenia's ski jumpers grabbed third place at the Ski Jumping World Cup team event, finishing behind the victorious home team and Germany. This was the third consecutive podium placement for the Slovenian team, which finished fifth overall in the Nations Cup.

SUNDAY, 8 March
        LJUBLJANA/NOVO MESTO - Authenticity was confirmed of the first fragment of the meteor which disintegrated over Slovenia at the end of last month, after it was found last week in a village near Novo Mesto. A second chunk was found this week, also in the Novo Mesto area.
        LJUBLJANA - A report on the Slovenian-Croatian border arbitration agreement implementation showed that Croatian authorities initiated 913 proceedings against Slovenian fishermen for fishing in what Croatia claims is its part of the Piran Bay, while Slovenia has paid EUR 190,954 for legal assistance to the fishermen so far.

MONDAY, 9 March
        LJUBLJANA - As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia grew to 23, Health Minister Aleš Šabeder announced that all indoor events would be limited to 100 participants. A number of higher education institutions in the country started cancelling in-class lectures and moving instruction online.
        LJUBLJANA - The government announced a stimulus package worth close to EUR 1 billion to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on the economy. Short- and long-term measures such as tax deferrals, state guarantees and credit lines are planned, mostly from existing financial facilities, said Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek.
        LJUBLJANA - After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on EU member states to help unaccompanied migrant children on Greek islands, the Slovenian Interior Ministry said it had not received an official request and that the caretaker government could not decide on such an issue in any case.

TUESDAY, 10 March
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Policy Committee backed the foreign minister candidate Anže Logar after what was mostly a Croatia-focused confirmation hearing. While arguing new approaches would be needed, he asserted Slovenia would continue insisting Croatia honour the border arbitration decision after he had raised eyebrows with his statement it was time to switch to silent diplomacy.
        LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi) head Matej Tonin was backed for defence minister at committee level after he defended plans to gradually reintroduce conscription. He also announced higher defence spending, saying "NATO remains the best and cheapest insurance policy", and mentioned an idea to enlist older people who have received military training to help patrol the border.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court stayed the implementation of an act providing easier access to recourse for roughly 100,000 investors who lost their investments during the banking sector bailout of 2013. The announcement came two months after the central bank challenged the legislation over unlawful monetary financing and encroachment on the financial independence of the central bank.
        STRASBOURG, France - The European Court of Human Rights said that Slovenia has taken adequate steps to provide informal Roma settlements with drinking water, as it rejected an application by two Roma families who alleged violations of basic human rights because of inadequate access to drinking water and sanitation.
        LJUBLJANA - Javelin thrower Martina Ratej was suspended over doping suspicion based on a repeated analysis of a sample taken at the 2012 Olympics in London, where she placed 7th for her best career result. The Slovenian women's record holder is facing a penalty from World Athletics for the use of a banned clostebol metabolite.
        LJUBLJANA - The global decline in petroleum prices brought by the new coronavirus resulted in much cheaper motor fuel in Slovenia. Regulated prices of regular petrol and diesel dropped by almost 5% each to EUR 1.205 and EUR 1.146 per litre, respectively.

WEDNESDAY, 11 March
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia stepped up containment activities as the number of coronavirus cases rose 57. Spot checks were introduced at six points along the border with Italy, and all other road links with Italy closed. Passenger train service was suspended and two primary schools were shut down.
        LJUBLJANA - Andrej Šircelj, candidate for finance minister in the incoming Janez Janša government, indicated that the new government would pursue a more expansionary fiscal policy if needed to counter the adverse effects of the coronavirus, even though sustainable public finances would be a top priority.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior minister candidate Aleš Hojs told the parliamentary Home Policy Committee that effective protection of borders, not only because of migrants but also the coronavirus, and reduction of administrative burdens on police would be his first priority in the emerging government.
        LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS) brought a defamation suit against outgoing PM Marjan Šarec over what they say are his untruthful and insulting allegations that the party was being financed from Hungary. The lawsuit comes after the SDS threatened Šarec with a damages suit in mid-February unless he retracted certain comments.
        LJUBLJANA - The Home Affairs Committee struck down legislative amendments proposed by the outgoing government in order to outlaw the activity of self-styled village guards or militias patrolling the border with the intention to stop illegal migrants.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office reported that Slovenia had exported EUR 3 billion worth of goods in January while importing EUR 2.8 billion. Exports were up 10.6% and imports 5.2% in year-on-year comparison, and the export/import coverage was 107.5%.
        LILLEHAMMER, Norway - Slovenian ski jumpers Žiga Jelar and Timi Zajc finished second and third, respectively, in what turned to be the penultimate event of the World Cup season, as it was cut short due to the coronavirus outbreak. Peter Prevc finished 7th overall as the best Slovenian, while Zajc was second in the ski flying segment.
        
THURSDAY, 12 March
        LJUBLJANA - An epidemic was declared in Slovenia based on fresh data on the spreading of coronavirus showing an increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 96. Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec said this was done to better coordinate actions of the civil protection and other services. All educational institutions were ordered closed as of Monday. Major sporting events were cancelled as well, including the Alpine Ski World Cup ski meet in Kranjska Gora and the Ski Flying World Championship in Planica.
        LJUBLJANA - The incoming Janez Janša government announced sweeping lockdown measures it plans to take immediately after assuming office after infectious disease specialists issued an urgent appeal for public life to be brought to a standstill due to the coronavirus epidemic. Janša said the new government supported the appeal and would form a crisis centre at its first session after it takes office on Friday evening.
        LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced an expansion of the stimulus package meant to mitigate the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis. The announcement came as he was heard parliament in at the committee level and endorsed to continue as minister in the forthcoming Janez Janša government.
        ATHENS, Greece - Four Slovenian police officers started serving on the Greek-Turkey border as part of a 100-member Frontex rapid border intervention team which is helping Greece cope with the new migration wave. They will stay on the land border in the north-east of Greece at least until 6 May.
        LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed a bill providing subsidies to employers for wages paid out to employees on temporary lay-offs and in certain cases of self-quarantine resulting from the spreading of coronavirus. The state will aid employers who are not be able to provide work to at least 30% of their employees due to a decline in turnover. Worth some EUR 50 million, the legislation will be fast-tracked at the National Assembly.
        LJUBLJANA - IMAD, the government's macroeconomic forecaster, halved its GDP growth forecast for the year to 1.5% from 3% due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The projection is made under the assumption that the situation will calm down in the second half of the year. The forecast for 2021 was cut to 2.2% from 2.7%
        LJUBLJANA - The SBI TOP index on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange lost almost 9% to 753.70 points, the largest daily drop since it was launched in 2006, as major issues lost in excess of 10% on coronavirus concerns.

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

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FRIDAY, 28 February
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's GDP expanded by 2.4% in 2019 after growing by 1.7% in the final quarter year-on-year, showed the first estimate released by the Statistics Office. The annual increase is slightly below what had been announced in projections.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of NGOs staged a rally against the emerging centre-right coalition, with protesters urging the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and Modern Centre Party (SMC) in particular to reconsider their decisions to join the "coalition of hate" led the Democrats (SDS). More than
thousand people - 3,000, according to the organisers - gathered. The organisers later filed two criminal complaints, one against an unidentified person who shouted "Kill [SDS leader] Janša" in the crowd and the other against SDS MP Zvonko Černač, who reposted a Twitter post that announced violence against he protesters before the rally.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian web portal Oštro along with two more investigative journalism groups in the region run a report alleging that a Slovenia-based company owned by a Hungarian entrepreneur with ties to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban was used to launder illegal Hungarian government money and finance media propaganda in North Macedonia.
        LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia were up by 2% on average in February over the same month in 2019, mostly due to higher prices of food and housing. More expensive holiday packages were the main factor in the monthly inflation, which stood at 0.7%.
        LJUBLJANA - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole maritime port, reported its group net profit plunge by 32% to EUR 40.4 million in 2019 due to a slowdown of global trade.
        LJUBLJANA - The insurance group Sava reported collecting EUR 599.3 million in gross premiums last year, 9.7% more than in 2018, as its net profit rose 16.7% to EUR 50.2 million.
        KIDRIČEVO - The foreign-owned car upholstery maker Boxmark Leather announced it would lay off a total of 288 workers at its sole remaining Slovenian location, in Kidričevo, by the end of April.

SATURDAY, 29 February
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry welcomed the landmark peace agreement between the US and Afghanistan's Taliban, saying that only bilateral and inclusive dialogue striving for compromise solutions could ensure a successful agreement leading to sustainable peace and stability for all citizens of Afghanistan.
        LAHTI, Finland - The Slovenian men's ski jumping team placed second in the Ski Jumping World Cup event in Finland's Lahti, finishing behind Germany.

MONDAY, 2 March
        LJUBLJANA - Miro Cerar, the outgoing foreign minister, quit the party he founded, saying the Modern Centre Party (SMC) lost its face after joining the new coalition led by Janez Janša of the right-wing Democrats (SDS). His successor at the head of the SMC Zdravko Počivalšek said he had withdrawn an offer to Cerar to become parliamentary speaker before Cerar made the announcement.
        LJUBLJANA - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec announced in the face of a potential new migration wave that legislative changes granting additional powers to the army were ready and may be confirmed by parliament as needed.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Slovenian Association of Journalists in condemning the "intensive attacks" on journalists reporting about alleged funding from Hungary of media close to the Democrats (SDS).
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car maker Renault, suspended production for three days due to irregular supply of car parts from Turkey blamed partly on the coronavirus outbreak in China. Revoz also confirmed that it would produce the new electric version of the Renault Twingo, to be rolled out at the end of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - Triglav, Slovenia's leading insurance group, saw net profit increase 4% to almost EUR 84 million in 2019 on the back of an 11% increase in gross written premiums, which totalled EUR 1.18 billion, show unaudited results.
        LJUBLJANA - Ulay, a major contemporary visual artist best known as a pioneer of body art and collaborator of performance artist Marina Abramović, died aged 76.

TUESDAY, 3 March
        LJUBLJANA - Democrats (SDS) leader Janez Janša was appointed PM-designate, receiving the mandate to form his third government. Having forged a centre-right coalition with three more parties - the NSi, SMC and DeSUS -after Marjan Šarec resigned as PM, Janša won 52 votes in the 90-member legislature. The priorities listed by Janša include cutting red tape, launching a fund in which state assets would be pooled to help finance public pensions, liberalisation of the economy and more competition in education and healthcare.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar hosted his new North Macedonian counterpart Nakje Chulev for a meeting that focused on illegal migration, including the situation on the Turkish-Greek border. The pair agreed that the situation on the Greek-Turkish border required close monitoring and united response, with regular exchange of information being of essence.
        LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković and six co-defendants pleaded not guilty in a case focussing on EU funds abuse and bank fraud in the construction of the Stožice sports park as they faced the Ljubljana District Court. A total of nine defendants are indicted of abuse of office, fraud of EU funds, fraud to acquire a loan and forgery of documents in the multi-million euro project.
        LJUBLJANA - Bojan Požar, the editor of news portal Požareport received a judicial admonition for writing in 2016 that Viktor Knavs, the father of US First Lady Melania Trump, had been in prison for tax evasion. This comes after Požar was ordered to pay damages to Knavs in a related defamation lawsuit last year.
        LJUBLJANA - Actor Bojan Emeršič won the Silver Thistle for the most sexist statement of 2019. "I don't like the excessive emancipation of the last 15 years ... This affects erotics, which is not right, because men and women are different. Man has always been a hunter but is now losing his primary role," he said in an interview with Delo.

WEDNESDAY, 4 March
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded the first infection with the novel coronavirus. The infected person, aged about 60, had been on a trip to Morocco and returned home via Venice airport. Four more cases were confirmed a day later, including two persons who had been in contact with the first individual.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar announced Slovenia was deploying 35 police officers as part of a Frontex rapid border intervention team sent to Greece to help the country deal with an increased influx of migrants after Turkey decided to open its border with Greece.
        DOBOVA - Thirty citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan were found by Slovenian border police hiding in sealed wagons of a train carrying clay. The foreigners, including 12 children aged between five and fourteen as well as a woman in a late stage of pregnancy, were literally buried in clay.
        LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service said it had registered 77,484 unemployed people in February, 3% fewer than the month before and 4.1% fewer than in February 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - Lotrič Meroslovje, a meteorology company, was declared the winner of this year's Business Excellence Award conferred by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the SPIRIT agency.
        MARIBOR - Hydro power plant operator Dravske elektrarne Maribor (DEM) is claiming EUR 6.5 million in damages from the state after the government suspended the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the river Mura in the east in the face strong opposition by locals and environmentalists.
        VRHNIKA - Kemis, one of the two biggest hazardous waste management companies in Slovenia, was cut off power supply after building authorities found that much of the facility near Vrhnika had been rebuilt illegally following a May 2017 fire.

THURSDAY, 5 March
        LJUBLJANA - A bipartisan bill designed to reform electoral law by abolishing electoral districts and introducing a preference vote at the level of the existing eight electoral units, fell three votes short of the needed two-thirds majority of 60 votes to pass at the National Assembly.
        LJUBLJANA - Igor Zorčič, former deputy group leader of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), was elected parliamentary speaker by secret ballot in a 48:29 vote. He succeeds Social Democrat (SD) leader Dejan Židan, who stepped down as soon as Janez Janša was elected prime minister.
        LJUBLJANA - A proposal to reintroduce mandatory military service tabled by the Democrats (SDS) as one of the points on the agenda of the incoming ruling coalition was defeated in parliament in a 36:51 vote. The Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi), the two of the four parties forming the new SDS-led coalition, did not back the bill, same as the newly-formed opposition.
        LJUBLJANA - The caretaker government endorsed a scheme for drawing funds from the national climate fund in 2020-2023. Some EUR 350 million is projected to be available. A total of EUR 106.3 million is to be allocated for tackling climate change this year.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the national environmental protection programme for the period until 2030, whose implementation will cost an estimated 47 million to 53 million euro a year.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously endorsed the NSi-sponsored amendments to the penal code to extend the statute of limitations for gravest sexual offences to between 30 and 90 years, up from between 10 and 30 years. Parliament also endorsed an amendment to the property code law to introduce a new definition of animals as sentient living beings.
        LJUBLJANA - The Association of WWII Veterans, the Jewish Community in Slovenia and six victims of the WWII Home Guard militia have petitioned the Constitutional Court to review the recent decision of the Supreme Court to annual the 1946 treason verdict of Leon Rupnik, a Nazi collaborationist general.
        AJDOVŠČINA - The Slovenian ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel signed a letter of intent with Australian company Eyre to There Aviation for the production of the electric two-seaters Alpha Electro. In the first phase 15 aircraft are to be exported to Australia, later the aircraft would be produced there.

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, 21 February
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Coming out of an EU summit dedicated to the bloc's next seven-year budget, which ended without an agreement, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said the European Commission had presented a technical proposal which recipients of the cohesion funds rejected because they saw it as a "provocation".
        STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar started a two-day visit to Sweden by meeting Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde and Speaker Andreas Norlen. Zhe officials stressed the importance of an EU future for Western Balkan countries, and discussed sustainable development as well as the EU's challenges.
        LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar announced she would file a defamation complaint against Democrats (SDS) MP Žan Mahnič, the vice-chair of the parliamentary Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services (KNOVS), after he had accused her of lying about alleged spying on politicians by the police.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian banks generated a combined pre-tax profit of EUR 597.4 million last year, up 12.5% on the year before and the highest on record. Profit after tax rose by 8% to EUR 534.9 million, central bank figures show.

SATURDAY, 22 February
        MARIBOR - Two Slovenian passengers from the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess were flown home on a chartered flight, touching down in Maribor after being airlifted from Japan to Germany. The two, who will be in self-isolation at home for two weeks, were tested for the novel coronavirus at Maribor airport, and the results were negative.
        NEW YORK, US - Slovenia has advanced ten spots to place 21st in the 2020 Bloomberg Innovation Index, which is the greatest improvement among all 60 countries surveyed for the list. Slovenia scored a total of 73.93 points out of 100 possible, compared to 88.21 by the first-ranked Germany.

MONDAY, 24 February
        LJUBLJANA - The Secretariat of the National Security Council met to discuss Slovenia's preparedness for a coronavirus outbreak in the wake of the first reported cases in Italy. Health authorities in Slovenia said no additional protective measures were needed and denied persistent rumours of patients testing positive for the virus in Slovenia.
        THESSALONIKI, Greece - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar urged Western Balkan countries to make reform headway as he addressed a high-level conference in Thessaloniki designed to push forward the stalled EU enlargement process to the region. Cerar highlighted "the need for in-depth reforms, in particular in rule of law and the fight against corruption and organised crime".
        LJUBLJANA - A protest was held in front of the UK Embassy in Ljubljana as Britain started hearing a US case requesting extradition of WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange. Much like in other towns around the world, the protesters called for media freedom and the freedom of speech.

TUESDAY, 25 February
        LJUBLJANA - In a surprise move following a week of talks behind tightly closed doors, the top executive bodies of the Democrats (SDS), Modern Centre Party (SMC), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) confirmed they were forging a coalition led by SDS head Janez Janša. Outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said he was not surprised at the prospect of a new Janša government, which he saw from the start as one of the possible outcomes of his resignation.
        LJUBLJANA - Public institutions started taking precautionary measures to protect staff against coronavirus infections after first cases of the virus were confirmed in neighbouring Italy, Austria and Croatia, sparking fears of an outbreak in Slovenia. Schools started to cancel planned activities and field trips, while retailers reported increased footfall as shoppers grabbed by panic stocked up on essentials.
        MARIBOR - A company in Chinese ownership that used to lease the Maribor Airport plans to file a damage suit against the state after it terminated the lease in early 2019, whereupon the airport management was turned over to a state-owned consulting and engineering company. Aerodrom Maribor said it will demand EUR 2.1 million in damages plus costs and lost profits.

WEDNESDAY, 26 February
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor formally nominated Janez Janša, the leader of the Democrats (SDS), for prime minister after four parties reached an agreement to form a centre-right coalition. Janša said the coalition agreement showed the four parties were willing to seek compromise solutions and would work to tackle the most pressing issues that Slovenia faces.
        LJUBLJANA/BELGRADE, Serbia - The Slovenian NLB bank announced it had signed an agreement with the Serbian government to acquire the 83% state stake in the bank Komercijalna Banka. The deal worth EUR 387 million is pending regulatory approval and is expected to be finalised in the last quarter of the year. NLB's market share in Serbia by total assets will increase to over 12%.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia has made no progress in reforming long-term care. Some progress has been achieved in public procurement, and in labour market policies, and limited progress was detected in economic policies facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy, shows a European Commission report.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Two Slovenian regions, Savinjska in the east and the central Zasavska region, were designated among a hundred EU regions eligible for financing from the EU fund for a fair green transition. They will be entitled to EUR 92 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Central Slovenia, one of Slovenia's 12 statistical regions, will get EUR 93 million in EU and state subsidies for 21 development projects under an agreement signed by regional officials with the government. Just over EUR 45 million of the total funding comes from EU cohesion funds, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said.

THURSDAY, 27 February
        OTOČEC - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Croatia's Zoran Milanović called for the resolution of all open bilateral issues as they met just over a week after Milanović was sworn in. They urged the governments of both countries to work towards excellent relations in all fields.
        LJUBLJANA - The outgoing cabinet adopted measures to contain the new coronavirus in case it spreads to Slovenia. Most notably, it released strategic commodity reserves to ensure enough protective gear. The government however noted that borders with neighbouring countries would remain open since there was no reason for panic.
        LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government adopted the National Energy and Climate Plan, a set of energy policy and climate change mitigation measures until 2030. It called the document "a key step towards a climate-neutral Slovenia until 2050". Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek said the goal was to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 36%, improve energy efficiency by at least 35% and have at least 27% of energy come from renewable sources.

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, 14 February
        MUNICH, Germany - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec rebuked the EU over excessive self-absorption and inefficiency as he spoke on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Illustrating, he said the bloc was not even capable of agreeing its expansion to the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec urged for the chairs of "relevant parliamentary committees" to start actively discussing potentially problematic foreign funding of Slovenian parties and their media outlets. This followed media reports that Hungarian companies were financing media outlets close to Janez Janša's Democratic Party (SDS). Šarec also warned against a potential new Janša-led coalition government.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced he would hold a second round of consultations with parliamentary parties on 24 and 25 February to determine whether there is sufficient consensus for him to nominate a prime minister-designate.
        KOMEN - Addressing a World War II commemoration, President Borut Pahor expressed sadness over the "abuse of 10 February, the Foibe Remembrance Day," and regret that senior Italian officials ignored the historical truth Slovenia and Italy established together.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office reported that the value of construction work put in place in Slovenia increased by 3.3% in 2019, a significant slowdown compared to the 20% expansion in 2018.

SATURDAY, 15 February
        MURSKA SOBOTA - Addressing an event marking the 31st anniversary of the Democratic Party (SDS), its leader Janez Janša said a new early election was likely close despite the SDS being in talks with the Modern Centre Party (SMC), the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi) to form a government.
        LJUBLJANA - The Democratic Party (SDS) polled at 20.1% in a survey commissioned by broadcaster Nova24TV, up 1.8 percentage point from a week ago, followed by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) at 12.8% (down 4.4pp) and the Social Democrats (SD) at 6.5%.
        LJUBLJANA - Stojan Nikolić, the CEO of the power group HSE, indicated in an interview with Dnevnik that TEŠ6, Slovenia's newest coal-fired generator, was likely to close down early because its supplier, the Velenje mine, was unlikely to be viable after 2045.
        KRANJSKA GORA - Local Meta Hrovat paced third at the Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom event for the Golden Fox Cup along with Swiss Wendy Holdener, following Alice Robinson of New Zealand in first and Slovak Petra Vlhova in second. Vlhova secured the Golden Fox trophy by finishing first in the slalom on Sunday. The two-day event attracted 10,000 spectators.
        PTUJ - The 60th Kurentovanje carnival, Slovenia's largest, got under way, bringing together more than 2,200 traditional costumed figures or 44 groups from across the world, including four costumes protected by UNESCO.

SUNDAY, 16 February
        MUNICH, Germany - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar attended panels on the Western Balkans and the Three Seas Initiative and held a number of bilateral meetings at the 2020 Munich Security Conference.
        BAD MITTERNDORF, Austria - Timi Zajc placed third at the Ski Jumping World Cup event to secure a second podium at the same venue after finishing second the day before for his third podium finish this winter.
        CHICAGO, US - Luka Dončić scored 8 points in the 2020 NBA All Star Game, contributing four passes for the winning Team LeBron, headed by the legendary LeBron James of the LA Lakers. Team LeBron won the game 157 to 155 against Team Giannis, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

MONDAY, 17 February
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar, attending the Foreign Affairs Council, assessed that European Council President Charles Michel's proposal for the EU's 2021-2027 budget was still inadequate for Slovenia despite slight improvements in cohesion policy.
        LJUBLJANA - Jernej Pavlič, secretary general of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), denied the speculation that the party was considering joining a potential centre-right government that is being formed by Janez Janša.
        LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS) gained 2.6 percentage points to 19.6% in the Vox Populi poll to overtake the LMŠ party of the outgoing PM Marjan Šarec, which slipped back 2.3 points to 17.1%. The poll, commissioned by the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer, also showed over half the respondents favoured a snap election.

TUESDAY, 18 February
        LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services, headed by vice-chair Žan Mahnič (SDS), made an unannounced visit to the National Bureau of Investigation examine the allegation that outgoing PM Marjan Šarec and his state secretary Damir Črnčec had abused intelligence and security services to "influence, threaten and extort MPs and leaderships of parties of the potential future coalition". Šarec and Črnčec denied the allegation as fake news propagated by the SDS. Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar denied any police spying, accusing Manhič of threatening her as she refused to hand over documentation she said exceeded the commission's powers. In response, parties urged for the allegations to be investigated. The police and the Information Commissioner are looking into the matter.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Donald Tusk, the head of the European People's Party (EPP), pleaded with the Slovenian members of the EPP not to waste the chance to take "leadership in both the parliament and the government", after meeting New Slovenia (NSi) head Matej Tonin. NSi is one of the parties in talks to form a government led by the fellow EPP member Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee and the government were briefed by health officials that Slovenia was well prepared for early diagnosis in case of an outbreak of the novel coronavirus. However, MPs were also told that hospitals could not handle a great number of patients.
        LJUBLJANA - A petition addressed to PM Marjan Šarec and backed by 12,700 individuals and 255 organisations called for the government to take more resolute action to decarbonise the energy, transport and agriculture sectors.
        LJUBLJANA - Police statistics showed the number of cases of illegal border crossing nearly doubled (+85%) year-on-year to 595 in January. Most of the migrants were returned to Croatia.
        LJUBLJANA - The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) endorsed a regular annual adjustment of pensions to wage and consumer prices growth as a result of which pensioners will get a 3.2% rise at the end of the month. Higher pensions will cost the pension fund EUR 172 million a year.
        LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the state company managing the construction of the new railway between the port of Koper and Divača, announced it would ask Markomark Nival, the bidder that won the subsequently annulled tender for the first of several bridges on the planned track, to change its subcontractor which cited flawed reference in the bid. This was after the National Review Commission said 2TDK had been right to doubt the reference but should not have annulled the tender.
        LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Journalists and Journalists' Association protested against layoffs at Delo, the largest newspaper publisher in the country, saying the management was demolishing the newspaper and Slovenian journalism by shedding a quarter of its workforce within three years.
        LJUBLJANA - The energy company Petrol confirmed that it had been chosen as the best bidder to acquire E3, the subsidiary of the power distributor Elektro Primorska which is one of the largest electricity sellers in the country. The newspaper Finance reported that Petrol would pay EUR 15 million for E3, which would raise its share in the electricity retail market to 20%.

WEDNESDAY, 19 February
        LJUBLJANA - A group of NGOs successfully challenged the decision of the Environment Agency that no environmental impact assessment is necessary for the 20-year life-span extension for Slovenia's sole nuclear power plant.
        LJUBLJANA - Tourism companies and tourism and hospitality trade unions signed an annex to the collective bargaining agreement to increase the lowest basic wages; these will go up by 5% on 1 March and 5.25% more on 1 July, and the holiday allowance will increase by EUR 100 to EUR 1,150.
        SLOVENJ GRADEC - The 14th annual auction of valuable timber saw a record EUR 2 million worth of logs change hands. More than half of the wood was sold abroad with the biggest buyer coming from China. A 100-year old sycamore maple log was sold to a German buyer for EUR 29,160 or EUR 14,414 per cubic metre, which the organizers described as an absolute record.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology announced Slovenian companies were now able to do business on Amazon Europe. This was after the US tech company made technical adjustments to include Slovenia among supported countries.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee called on the corruption watchdog to look into appointments of heads of culture institutions made by the Culture Ministry due to suspicions of politically-motivated staffing. Culture Minister Zoran Poznič denied the allegations.
        LJUBLJANA - Film director Ema Kugler was declared the winner of this year's Štiglic lifetime achievement award in film and theatre directing. She will receive the accolade given out by the Association of Slovenian Directors at an award ceremony on 27 February.

THURSDAY, 20 February
        LJUBLJANA - Two of the six Slovenian passengers quarantined for over a fortnight on the cruise ship Diamond Princess in the Japanese port of Yokohama tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The other four tested negative. Two of arrived in Slovenia on a commercial flight and were placed under a 14-day quarantine, while two are still waiting to return.
        BRUSSELS - Arriving for an EU summit aiming to reach a consensus on the bloc's budget for 2021-2027, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said Slovenia could not accept the latest compromise proposal under which it would lose 24% in cohesion funds. He said negotiations would be tough.
        LJUBLJANA - RTV Slovenija, the public broadcaster, warned of escalating attacks on its journalists, editors and other staff in recent days in the form of threatening and offensive phone calls, e-mails, letters and social network posts, condemning them in the strongest terms as an attack on journalism.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's largest bank, NLB reported its group net profit decrease by 5% to EUR 193.6 million last year. The core bank's profit rose by 6.5% to EUR 176.1 million.

All our posts in this series are here