Ljubljana related
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, 7 February
LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS), the largest party in parliament, started formal talks in a bid to form coalition with the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), both junior partners in the outgoing coalition, and opposition New Slovenia (NSi).
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a trade gap of EUR 564 million in 2019 as growth in goods imports outpaced growth in exports. Exports rose by 8.5% to EUR 33.47 billion and imports increased by 10.9% to EUR 34.04 billion, the Statistics Office said.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec was adamant that Slovenia would insist on its position that drastic cuts to cohesion funds planned under the Finnish proposal for the EU's next long-term budget were unacceptable, as he discussed the issue with EU Council President Charles Michel.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Marjan Šarec expressed "moderate realism" about the arbitration implementation impasse with Croatia, saying that if both countries had elections the same year, there would be more time to reflect on the issue in a more relaxed manner.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian police released data showing a total of 16,099 illegal crossings of the border for 2019, almost 74% more than in 2018. Citizens of Pakistan were involved in a total of 4,101 illegal crossings, followed by citizens of Algeria (1,892) and Afghanistan (1,733).
LJUBLJANA- The Prešeren Prizes, the top national accolades in arts and culture, were conferred on the eve of Culture Day. The two lifetime achievement prizes went to photographer Stojan Kerbler and choreographer and dancer Milko Šparemblek.
LJUBLJANA - A day after DeSUS head Aleksandra Pivec received death threats warning her not to join an SDS-led coalition, the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said a package containing an unknown powder had been sent to the party headquarters. The powder turned out to be harmless.
LJUBLJANA - The newly opened Ljubljana mosque hosted the first prayer. With 3,000-4,000 Muslim worshippers attending, some had to be put up in a number of other venues apart from the prayer hall.
WASHINGTON, US - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dobran Božič concluded a working visit to Washington where met Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach and Assistant Secretary of European Affairs Phil Reeker.
LJUBLJANA - Health officials warned that flu season was in full swing and that the disease was widespread, with some deeming the situation unprecedented and borderline extreme. The majority of patients are children aged up to 14.
SATURDAY, 8 February
LJUBLJANA - Poems by France Prešeren were read at several events on Culture Day, as Slovenia paid tribute to its most celebrated poet. A number of museums and galleries were open free of charge.
BELGRADE - MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD), the chair of the European Parliament's Delegation to Serbia, vowed that the bloc would continue assisting the country in ensuring a fair election in April, as she paid a visit to Serbia together with European Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilčik (EPP).
SUNDAY, 9 February
VALENCIA, Spain - Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) the Tour of Valencia 2020, having won stages two and four of the race earlier this week.
MONDAY, 10 February
ANKARA, Turkey - Outgoing Foreign Minister Miro Cerar called for a strengthening of trust between the EU and Turkey, including in the fight against illegal migration, as he met his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara at the outset of a two-day official visit to the country. The next day he attended a business conference in Istanbul.
LJUBLJANA - Ksenija Klampfer, the outgoing labour minister, announced she was quitting the SMC in protest against the party entering coalition talks with the SDS. Moreover, Miro Cerar, the former leader of the SMC, ruled out being part of a government led by SDS leader Janez Janša.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry condemned a smear campaign in which the Italian neo-Fascist movement CasaPound put up banners describing World War II Partisans as assassins, issuing a protest following a recent attempt to deny the suffering of Slovenians at the hands of Fascists.
SKOPJE, Macedonia - Speaker Dejan Židan started a two-day visit to North Macedonia by meeting his host and counterpart Talat Xhaferi. The pair confirmed excellent bilateral relations and expressed support for closer economic cooperation.
LJUBLJANA - The SDS threatened outgoing PM Marjan Šarec with a lawsuit unless he apologised for stating last month on public TV Slovenija that the SDS "being financed by Hungary".
LJUBLJANA - After the appointment of Nada Drobne Popovič as the CEO of energy group Petrol in January, the supervisory board filled the remaining two vacancies on the management board by appointing Matija Bitenc and Jože Bajuk board members effective on 11 March.
LJUBLJANA - Strong winds, in particular in the east of the country, toppled trees, damaged roofs and disrupted power supply 9 and 10 February. A motorist was killed when a tree fell on his car.
LJUBLJANA - The National Bureau of Investigation arrested five police officers operating at the Gruškovje and Zavrč border crossings with Croatia suspected of having accepted bribes for stamping the passports of third-country Schengen zone residents to allow them to prolong their stay beyond the permitted 90-day period.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output increased by 3% last year, the sixth consecutive year of growth. The growth was driven by a 3.4% growth in manufacturing, while the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industries and mining slowed down.
TUESDAY, 11 February
SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan addressed the North Macedonian parliament as it ratified the country's NATO accession protocol. In his speech, Židan reiterated that Slovenia supported North Macedonia's accession to both NATO and the EU.
LJUBLJANA - The public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported that the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the funding of some media outlets close to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). Web portal Necenzurirano.si reported on 10 February that the media had received EUR 1.5 million from Hungarians with ties to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.
LJUBLJANA - Women remain under-represented in STEM, especially at senior levels. Unconscious bias, double standards and gender stereotypes are some of the reasons why headway towards gender equality in this field remains sluggish. The University of Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest, has been dominated by men since it was established a century ago.
LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that Semenarna, the biggest seed producer in the country, had been sold for EUR 5.5 million to the Serbian Dušan Mojsilović businessman and his Agromarket company, which will make the latter one of the biggest seed producers and sellers in the region.
WEDNESDAY, 12 February
LJUBLJANA - The executive committee of NSi decided to give its head Matej Tonin and his team full support in the SDS-led negotiations on a new government. Tonin now has the mandate to negotiate on the programme and staffing decisions of the potential new government.
LJUBLJANA - The SMC deputy group head Igor Zorčič indicated that a snap election-entailing alliance proposed the LMŠ looked increasingly unlikely, while coalition talks with the SDS were going as expected. He also indicated that staffing questions were open not only about ministry distribution but also about the potential prime minister.
LJUBLJANA - The SDS accused the LMŠ of leaking classified information to journalists about Hungarian financing of media outlets with close ties to the party.
LJUBLJANA - TV Slovenija reported that a criminal complaint had been filed against chief market inspector Andrejka Grlić by tax inspectors over her interference in their cases, including stopping inspections to protect selected individuals.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee unanimously postponed a Left-sponsored proposal to declare support to the protection of political and civil liberties in Spain. The MPs agreed that dialogue on tackling the Catalan issue between the governments in Barcelona and Madrid should be given time.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said after a farewell meeting with Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović that her picking Slovenia for her last visit had not been a coincidence, since Slovenia and Croatia were neighbouring and friendly countries.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian companies wondering about the future relationship with their UK partners after Brexit were assured at an event held by the British Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and the British Embassy that Britons wanted to preserve the close business ties.
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Environment Committee unanimously endorsed the proposed national environmental protection programme by 2030, despite criticism of the lack of concrete measures therein.
LJUBLJANA - Environmental NGOs labelled the draft National Energy and Climate Plan not ambitious enough. Carbon neutrality by 2050 is too far off, Slovenia should aim for 2040 and should strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than only 40% by 2030.
LJUBLJANA - Staš Ravter, who was the director of the Slovenian Cinematheque between 2005 and 2010, was appointed director of the SNG Opera and Ballet theatre in Ljubljana, ending a leadership hiatus that lasted for almost two years.
THURSDAY, 13 February
LJUBLJANA - SDS head Janez Janša, who is trying to build a coalition, said that in terms of content, a coalition able of tackling current issues and some delays is possible. Moreover, MPs of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) were wooed by SMC head Zdravko Počivalšek to support the Janša coalition.
LJUBLJANA - The Journalists' Association (DNS) condemned in the strongest terms "intensive attacks" on journalists reporting about alleged funding for the publishers of media close to the SDS from the circles of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian bishops issued a pastoral letter, calling on believers to demonstrate their patriotic duty and responsibility for the common good by casting their vote come the election or voting time.
LJUBLJANA - Motorway company DARS signed a EUR 90 million 22-year loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of a second tube of the Karavanke tunnel. The loan represents roughly half of the investment value of the entire project.
LJUBLJANA - A tie-up between the cargo division of state-owned rail operator Slovenske Železnice and the Czech energy and industrial group EPH is expected to be wrapped up in the first quarter of the year, Slovenske Železnice director Dušan Mes told Dnevnik.
LJUBLJANA- The government decided for Slovenia to send over 1.2 million face masks to China to help it contain the coronavirus outbreak.
LJUBLJANA - In its winter economic forecast, the EU Commission has kept Slovenia's economic forecast unchanged at 2.7% for 2020 and 2021, more than double the eurozone average.
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, 31 January
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The EU Court of Justice decided that the lawsuit Slovenia brought against Croatia over its refusal to implement the 2017 border arbitration award is inadmissible, but it said that both countries nevertheless had to endeavour to resolve this dispute in accordance with international law.
LJUBLJANA - A group of 59 MPs - one short of the necessary majority - tabled amendments that would abolish electoral districts and introduce a relative preferential vote in general elections. The proposal comes after the Constitutional Court declared the size of electoral districts for general election unconstitutional at the end of 2018.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Borut Pahor and outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec stressed the importance of a strong and united EU in the face of Brexit at the annual reception for the diplomatic corps.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a budget surplus of EUR 224.6 million, or 0.5% of GDP, in 2019 compared to a surplus of 1.1% in 2018, showed preliminary figures by the Finance Ministry. Budget revenue rose by 1.4% to EUR 10.14 billion and expenditure increased by 4.7% to EUR 9.91 billion. However, the ministry pointed out the 2018 surplus was a result of two major one-off events.
LJUBLJANA - Janez Stanovnik, one of the most notable Slovenian politicians in the period leading up to independence and the face of the Slovenian WWII Veterans' Association after 2003, died aged 97. Stanovnik was the last president of the Slovenian presidency under the former Yugoslavia between 1988 and 1990.
LJUBLJANA - Some 6.2 million tourists visited Slovenia last year, a 5% increase compared to 2018. The number of overnight stays grew 0.6% to roughly 15.8 million, Statistics Office data showed.
SATURDAY, 1 February
BEJA, Portugal - Friends of Cohesion, an informal group of EU members of which Slovenia is a part, called for a fair EU budget in the next seven-year period in which funding for cohesion should not be cut. Igor Mally, state secretary at the prime minister's office, said "we should stick to the proposal presented in the spring of 2018 by the European Commission".
SUNDAY, 2 February
ZAGREB, Croatia - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan told the Croatian newspaper Večernji List that Slovenia and Croatia had many common interests but rather than cooperating they were flexing their muscles.
KLAGENFURT, Austria - Jože Marketz, a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria, was installed as the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt.
MONDAY, 3 February
LJUBLJANA - A week after PM Marjan Šarec resigned, the leader of the opposition Demorats (SDS) Janez Janša invited parliamentary parties to talks on a new centre-right coalition for 7 February. Already on 31 January Modern Centre Party (SMC) leader Zdravko Počivalšek expressed interest in a new coalition, which could give Janša a chance for the necessary majority should he also get either the National Party (SNS) or the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) on board along with New Slovenia (NSi). A parallel coalition initiative was launched by the small centre-left Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB).
OBREŽJE - Members of the Trade Union of Police Officers (SPS) staged a four-hour token strike, with the union's head Kristjan Mlekuš saying the situation in the police force was critical. Describing the strike as a warning for Slovenia's next government, he argued the police force would collapse due to understaffing unless the situation was addressed.
LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana mosque will be inaugurated in June after the end of Ramadan, while it will already start operating in about a week, Mufti Nedžad Grabus announced. Grabus pointed out the Muslim Cultural Centre Ljubljana means Muslims in Slovenia were finally getting their own space for prayer and activities. The project will end up costing slightly over EUR 34 million, the bulk of which came from donors from Qatar.
LJUBLJANA - Car parts maker Hidria announced it had developed innovative aluminium steering wheel system casings for next generation hybrid and electric BMW cars, winning a EUR 30 million contract running until 2030.
TUESDAY, 4 February
LJUBLJANA - Borut Pahor launched three days of consultations with deputy group heads on the way forward following the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec. The talks showed mid-sized parties are keeping their options open. The president said he might call another series of talks by the end of the month.
BRNIK - The bankruptcy estate of air carrier Adria Airways was reported to be worth EUR 6.23 million, of which EUR 3.15 million is the title to its office building at Ljubljana airport. Official receiver Janez Pustatičnik believes that due to its complexity, the receivership is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2024.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian national postal operator stopped accepting mail for China until further notice after its partner air carriers suspended flights to the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Cyclist Primož Roglič, the winner of the Tour of Spain, and world champion kayaker Eva Terčelj were declared the winners of the Bloudek Prizes for sporting achievements, the highest national awards for current and lifetime success in sports.
WEDNESDAY, 5 February
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry advised against any non-urgent travel to China. The ministry said that people should not travel to any areas that are under quarantine due to the novel 2019 coronavirus.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia welcomed a European Commission proposal for a reform of the EU membership process that provides stronger sanctioning of aspiring EU members if they backslide on their reform efforts.
LJUBLJANA - NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, formally completed its takeover of Abanka by transferring the EUR 444 million purchase consideration to the state. The two banks will be merged into a single legal entity this year, creating a strong rival to market leader NLB.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total hit 79,841 at the end of January, an increase of 6% from December that is mainly due to the expiry of fixed-term job contracts. The figure is still 3.6% lower than in January 2019, data from the Employment Service showed.
LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, completed the issue of EUR 120 million worth of subordinate bonds in a second such issue since November last year.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian executives are quite pessimistic about the prospects for global economic growth this year with more than half of those surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) thinking that growth will slow down.
LJUBLJANA - A survey conducted by the Slovenian central bank showed that Slovenian banks are unlikely to follow suit of some banks abroad that have started charging fees for household sight deposits to compensate for the loss of earnings due to negative interest rates.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia saw the biggest slump in the volume of retail trade among EU members in December compared to the same month a year earlier, and one of the biggest month-on-month drops, showed data from Eurostat.
THURSDAY, 6 February
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor appointed Robert Šumi, a lecturer at the police academy, the next head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. Šumi is succeeding Boris Štefanec, who sought a second term but was snubbed, having faced years of heavy criticism about his performance.
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) would win an election with 18.2% of the vote, followed by the LMŠ of outgoing PM Marjan Šarec with 16.3%, Delo's opinion poll suggested. 62.8% of respondents favour an early election, and over 26% would prefer a new government coalition to be formed with the existing parliamentary parties.
LJUBLJANA - Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leader Aleksandra Pivec received a death threat via a letter warning her against entering a coalition with the Democratic Party (SDS).
LJUBLJANA - The government approved Slovenian Sovereign Holding's (SSH) asset management plan for 2020, which contains a long-awaited plan to consolidate, manage and restructure tourism companies. While the consolidation plan has been months in the making, the government did not provide any details about it after the session.
LJUBLJANA - Backing the Justice Ministry and taking a step further than the government proposal that upgraded animals from things to living beings, the parliamentary Justice Committee voted in favour of an amendment to the property code law that defines animals as sentient beings.
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, 24 January
ZAGREB, Croatia - Attending an informal meeting of EU home ministers in Zagreb, Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar said that "mounting fully functioning Frontex operations in the Western Balkans as soon as possible and signing status agreements with the region's countries" was necessary for the effective management of migrations.
LJUBLJANA - The opposition-led parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services released a report finding that an acquaintance of PM Marjan Šarec was given special treatment when she was hired by the intelligence agency SOVA. The commission also found systemic flaws in SOVA staffing.
LJUBLJANA - A group of NGOs, including Amnesty International Slovenija and the Legal and Information Centre, said that by handing asylum seekers over to the Croatian authorities, Slovenia was aggravating one of the most severe humanitarian crises in Europe and contravening the law.
LJUBLJANA - In its first reaction to the controversy about the Supreme Court's decision to quash the 1946 conviction of collaborationist official Leon Rupnik, the Justice Ministry said that court decisions in appeals over post-war judgements were not denying the abject nature of concrete cases, nor did they rehabilitate perpetrators.
NEW YORK, US - Luka Dončić was selected as a Western Conference starter for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, becoming the youngest European and the first Slovenian ever to be selected directly to play in the prestigious exhibition game.
SATURDAY, 25 January
LJUBLJANA - Rajko Kozmelj, director of Slovenia's intelligence and security agency SOVA, told Delo he would insist the agency be given new powers to fight violent extremism as had been envisaged in the draft resolution on the national security strategy, which was however later amended to scrap the new powers that many found problematic.
LJUBLJANA - Culture Minister Zoran Poznič said in an interview with Delo that Mladinska Knjiga, the country's No.1 publisher, would be transferred from the bad bank to Slovenian Sovereign Holding and labelled a strategic investment.
MARIBOR - A statement encouraging people to seek role models in themselves won physician and humanitarian worker Ninna Kozorog the Spade of the Year award, presented by Večer for the statement that its readership believe best captured the zeitgeist of last year.
SUNDAY, 26 January
POKLJUKA - France's Quentin Fillon Maillet won the men's 15km mass start event of the Biathlon World Cup meet at Pokljuka, finishing the the race ahead of Benedikt Doll of Germany and Norwegian Johannes Thingnes Boe. Hanna Oeberg of Sweden won the women's 12.5km mass start, ahead of Italian Lisa Vittozzi and France's Anais Bescond. The best Slovenian competitor was Jakov Fak, who finished 21st.
MONDAY, 27 January
LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec announced his resignation after Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj stepped down, to some extend due to differences regarding a bill scrapping top-up health insurance. Šarec said he could not achieve what he had set out to do with the current minority coalition and called for snap election. Most parties agreed this would be the best scenario but indicated that all options were open, including the formation of a new coalition.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's coordination group for monitoring and managing contagious diseases discussed the coronavirus outbreak in China, announcing Slovenia was prepared for a potential outbreak.
LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) protested against what it perceives as the state opening the door wide to builders from third countries. This brings disloyal competition to Slovenian companies and results in fewer jobs and lower wages for Slovenian workers, the GZS said.
OSWIECIM, Poland/LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor, accompanied by Slovenian internment camp survivors, attended a memorial marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp.
LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia stood at 4.1 percentage points in January, up 1.1 percentage points on December but eight percentage points below the January 2019 level. The second consecutive monthly increase comes after the sentiment index fell to 2.4 points in November, the lowest since late 2014, in what was the fourth consecutive month of decline.
TUESDAY, 28 January
BRDO PRI KRANJU - A day after resigning as prime minister, Marjan Šarec denied the reason behind the move was that his own team was falling apart. But he admitted that to continue successfully as prime minister he would have had to carry out a broader government reshuffle, which would be "too risky" at the moment.
LJUBLJANA - A poll conducted by Ninamedia for Dnevnik suggested that more than 60% of Slovenians want a new election after the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec. Šarec's arguments convinced more than half of the respondents.
LONDON, UK - The British Home Office said that roughly half of some 5,000 Slovenians living in the UK had applied for settled or pre-settled status ahead of Brexit. Slovenian Ambassador to the UK Tadej Rupel said he expected the number of Slovenians in the UK to "drop somewhat, but not drastically".
LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc and Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek assured the public that the National Energy and Climate Plan, which sets out energy and climate change mitigation measures until 2030, would be adopted by the government by the end of February, despite PM Marjan Šarec's surprise resignation.
LOGATEC - Lonstroff, the Swiss subsidiary of Sumitomo Rubber Industries, announced it had launched elastomer production in Logatec this month. Currently, the facility employs almost 40 people, with the company planning to expand capacity and workforce over the course of two months.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police reported busting an international drug ring in cooperation with police forces from Croatia and several other European countries, seizing 120 kilos of amphetamine and arresting 20 people in nearly 50 raids. The investigation uncovered the biggest synthetic drugs lab in Slovenia to date.
WEDNESDAY, 29 January
LJUBLJANA - The government formally ended its term as the National Assembly took note of PM Marjan Šarec's resignation, relegating the cabinet to caretaker status. The end of the government term kicks off formal talks that will lead either to a new coalition or a snap election.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to pass amendments that would abolish supplementary health insurance, a motion which had split the coalition and was one of the reasons why PM Marjan Šarec stepped down. The legislation was rejected in a 51:32 vote.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia expressed reservations about a Middle East peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, stressing that lasting peace and stability were only possible as a result of "direct, equal and comprehensive negotiations between Israel and Palestine".
BRUSSELS, Belgium - After Brexit agreement was ratified in the European Parliament, Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) and Franc Bogovič EPP/SLS) expressed hope that London and Brussels would reach a good agreement on future relations, while Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) said the consequences of Brexit would be felt both in the EU and in the UK.
LJUBLJANA - UK Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey told the STA that the rights of the estimated 800 UK nationals living in Slovenia were protected under the December EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, which also protected Slovenians in the UK. Arrangements for British people coming to live permanently in Slovenia after 2020 and vice-versa are yet to be decided.
ROGAŠKA SLATINA - Glassworks Steklarna Rogaška announced it would lay off up to 200 of its 830 workers to increase efficiency in the face of constant changes in consumer habits and in the business environment.
THURSDAY, 30 January
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces announced Slovenia had sent six army instructors back to Iraq as part of the international operation Inherent Resolve in Erbil to train Iraqi security forces, after the previous contingent was evacuated following Iran's missile attacks on Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops.
LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS), Social Democrats (SD) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) initiated preparations for a snap election after the Marjan Šarec government collapsed. While the SDS said it had already shortlisted the candidates, it said all options remained open, including talks on a new coalition, a position also reiterated by SD and DeSUS.
NOVO MESTO - The group around the Novo Mesto-based drug maker Krka generated EUR 1.49 billion in sales revenue in 2019, or 12% more than in the year before, while net profit was up 39% to EUR 242 million, according to an estimate released by the management board. Krka also announced that an internal inquiry had into suspected bribery at the company's Romanian subsidiary had shown that the allegations were unjustified as regards Krka Romania employees.
LJUBLJANA - Radio Slovenija reported that NATO inspectors checking Slovenia's compliance with the alliances' targets at the end of last week concluded that Slovenia was becoming an increasingly heavy burden for the alliance, having for years now failed to meet the promises given. The Defence Ministry said the findings of such inspections were not public and that the final report would be drawn up for the June NATO ministerial.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor picked Robert Šumi, a teacher at the police academy, as the next head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. Šumi was one of four candidates short-listed for the job by a vetting commission to replace Boris Štefanec, who was also among the candidates.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar met UK Ambassador Sophie Honey a day before the UK leaves the EU. Tweeting after the meeting, Cerar said effective approach to implementation of the divorce agreement was necessary on both sides. Honey thanked Slovenia for being constructive and helping ensure UK citizens' rights in Slovenia.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's national motorway company DARS and Turkish builder Cengiz signed the master agreement on the construction of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel, a step that comes more than two years after the original tender was published. Works could start in March, weather permitting.
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 January
LJUBLJANA - European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said it was urgent for all EU members to work together in tackling migrations. She said a new EU pact on migration and asylum should bring a fresh start in this field. Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar said Slovenia was ready to debate new concepts and had been constructive all along.
LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry said that the EU Commission would provide technical assistance in bringing about a green transition in Slovenia's mining regions. The country is also expected to reap the benefits of the emerging EUR 7.5 billion Just Transition Fund, where it should be entitled to roughly EUR 92 million.
LJUBLJANA - More than two dozen companies from Slovenia, China, Turkey and several other countries submitted bids for the principal construction works on the new rail section from Divača to Koper, kicking off what promises to be a fierce contest for an estimated EUR 700 million. The bidders include some of the biggest construction companies in the world.
LJUBLJANA - Croatian Ambassador to Slovenia Boris Grigić highlighted the importance of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans as he addressed Slovenian MPs to present Croatia's EU presidency's priorities in the first half of 2020. He said that the region would be brought closer to the EU when the desire and will for the enlargement was again stressed.
LJUBLJANA - Representatives of small business complained at a meeting with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec that their demands remained unmet, with PM assuring them the government was working on solving their problems. Branko Meh, the head of the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS), noted that small business represented 99.3% of the Slovenian economy.
LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry announced it was looking for a sustainable solution after Hungary had decided to stop importing sewage sludge, including from Slovenia. Minister Simon Zajc announced more concrete plans would be presented soon, adding that Slovenia was striving to become self-sufficient in this field.
SATURDAY, 18 January
LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec surprisingly defeated Defence Minister Karl Erjavec for the presidency of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), prompting Erjavec to announce his resignation as minister and withdrawal from public life. The option of a government reshuffle arising after these developments was ruled out as Pivec and PM Marjan Šarec met after her landslide win.
BERLIN, Germany - Slovenia's agriculture delegation talked about providing support to the Western Balkans countries in their EU enlargement efforts with the region's representatives as it attended the International Green Week agricultural trade show. They discussed assistance in implementation of EU regulations in particular.
SUNDAY, 19 January
LJUBLJANA - Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina told a memorial ceremony that the unimaginable horrors and hardship of that time must not be forgotten, urging standing up to hatred and xenophobia. President Borut Pahor said young generations should be reminded where hatred leads.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar attended a ministerial meeting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In his address, Cerar pledged Slovenia's continued commitment to preserving the awareness and historical records of the Holocaust, genocide against the Roma and persecution of other victims.
MONDAY, 20 January
LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry released a white paper on defence under which Slovenia's defence budget is to reach 2% of GDP, a NATO target, by 2035. The document also implies that unless the national army manages to attract more members, Slovenia would have to consider reintroducing conscription. At a subsequent debate at the National Council a number of concerns were raised, above all about plans to increase the number of soldiers and lack of focus on technological development.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said that Slovenia was willing to cooperate in a changed Operation Sophia to the best of its abilities and stressed that the country was seen as a reliable partner. His statements came after EU foreign ministers decided on upgrading the bloc's military operation in the Mediterranean by shifting its focus from migrants to the arms embargo on Libya.
LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad announced that twenty-one Venezuelans of Slovenian descent who asked for repatriation had already arrived in Slovenia. Of some 50 persons who asked for repatriation, 29 have been granted the status, while some of the applications are still being processed and are expected to be granted.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor was presented with the credentials of five new ambassadors, among them the new Ambassador of Russia, Timur Rafailovic Eyvazov, Italian Carlo Campanile and Australian Richard Travers Sadleir.
LJUBLJANA - A poll run by Dnevnik and Večer showed that a majority of Slovenians (over 54%) are in favour of the pull-out of troops from Iraq in the wake of Iran's attack on two airbases there. It also demonstrated strong backing for Slovenia's NATO membership. The strongest support for the pull-out was registered among leftist voters and youths.
LJUBLJANA - The party of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec (LMŠ) continued to lead the field in the latest Vox Populi poll, albeit with a slightly narrower margin ahead of the opposition Democrats (SDS). The LMŠ slipped back 0.8 percentage points from the month before to 19.4% as the SDS gained 0.3 points to 16.9%, shows the poll, conducted by Ninamedia for Dnevnik and Večer.
LJUBLJANA - Data from the Slovenian Bank Association showed that the number of loans approved by banks in Slovenia in November and December plummeted. The number of consumer loans dropped by around 60% over October and the number of housing loans by around 40%. The association said the surge was most probably a result of the central bank's announcement of the new lending curbs, which kicked in on 1 November.
TUESDAY, 21 January
DAVOS, Switzerland - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans was key to the region's stabilisation and transformation, as he spoke at a panel on resuming strategic dialogue in the region at the World Economic Forum. He reiterated Slovenia's disappointment with the EU's failure to launch accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.
LJUBLJANA - NLB bank asked the Constitutional Court to review tighter restrictions on lending imposed by the central bank in November. The bank expressed the belief that its request would be a matter of priority for the court because of the "radical effect" the measures had on the quality of Slovenians' lives.
CELJE - The Trade Union of Police Officers (SPS) announced they planned to stage a four-hour token strike on 3 February over the government's failure to fully implement commitments, agreed pay rises and promotions that had been made in the December 2018 agreement that had ended a protracted strike.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - After her first meeting with European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira, Slovenia's new Development and EU Cohesion Policy Minister Angelika Mlinar said that Slovenia had gone from below-average to above-average in drawing of EU funds at the end of last year. The EU Commission withdrew its warning that payments to Slovenia may be suspended due to problems with the IT system used in the process.
LJUBLJANA - The Finance Ministry confirmed that State Secretary Metod Dragonja would retire in March. The business newspaper Finance alleged that Dragonja was leaving mainly due to disagreements over the plans to extend the life of the Bank Assets Management Company and general disagreements with Alenka Bratušek, the leader of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), the political faction he belongs to.
WEDNESDAY, 22 January
JERUSALEM, Israel - President Borut Pahor arrived in Jerusalem to take part in the World Holocaust Forum, marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. He met his counterpart Reuven Rivlin, with whom he agreed that awareness was key if the world wanted to avoid the same atrocities again. The pair said that relations between the countries were built on firm foundations and a true friendship. The next day Pahor attended the ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust remembrance centre, where he laid a wreath.
DAVOS, Switzerland - Attending the World Economic Forum, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec participated in a debate on bringing artificial intelligence (AI) closer to the public sector. Artificial intelligence has the potential to serve humanity and benefit individuals and society, he highlighted, adding that cooperation and respecting human rights were key in tapping AI potential.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar discussed with MPs on the Foreign Policy Committee the situation in Libya and Iran and the recent annulment of the 1946 verdict against a collaborationist Slovenian general. Cerar commended the EU's determination to boost its diplomatic efforts for Libya. As for Iran, he said the EU was still making efforts to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.
LJUBLJANA - Nada Drobne Popović was appointed for full term as CEO of the energy group Petrol after she shifted from chief supervisor to acting CEO following the resignation of the Tomaž Berločnik-led management at the end of October. She was given 21 days to form her management team.
VELENJE - The household appliances maker Gorenje, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Hisense, announced that it would streamline its production by reducing the number employees in support services in production by 176 in different ways by mid-April due to "poor business results". The in-house trade union expressed concern, expecting the total number of dismissals to be rather high.
LJUBLJANA - The EU officials said at a meeting with the national task force for the management of brown bear, wolf and lynx that the key goal of European policies was cohabitation with large carnivores, thus nipping in the bud Slovenia's efforts to convince the EU Commission to loosen rules on the protection of large carnivores when animal populations are booming.
MALMÖ, Sweden - The Slovenian men's handball team made it among the top four teams at the European championships after finishing second in the main round Group II play. Slovenia attained their first goal at the tournament - a berth in one of the three qualifying tournaments for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
THURSDAY, 23 January
LJUBLJANA - Adria Airways operating licences were auctioned off to Air Adriatic, a newly established company owned by Slovenian developer and fruit importer Izet Rastoder, at the asking price of EUR 45,000. Receiver Janez Pustatičnik said that there were three bidders, "the asking price was accepted and there was no bidding".
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar urged the Defence Ministry to send Slovenia's six soldiers back to Iraq as soon as possible, or else the country's reputation will suffer. The Defence Ministry responded that the soldiers were ready to go back "as planned". Earlier, it was said they would return no later than 1 February.
JERUSALEM, Israel - President Borut Pahor held talks with his Italian counterpart Sergio Matterella focusing on the future of the EU and current issues that the bloc faces, including Brexit, the Western Balkans and migrations. The pair agreed that broader dialogue was needed for taking on these challenges.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranked 35th among 180 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index rankings for 2019, up one spot from the year before, making no major progress since 2012. TI Slovenia said the country's score was below the EU and OECD averages, highlighting there was an absence of any systemic measures to make the fight against corruption in Slovenia more efficient.
LJUBLJANA - Robert Strayer, the US deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international communications and information policy, was in Slovenia to raise concerns about the security aspect in deciding about 5G technology providers, suggesting providers from China could not be trusted.
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to formally seek a UNESCO listing of famed architect Jože Plečnik's (1872-1952) works in the capital Ljubljana after an earlier joint bid with the Czech Republic was abandoned. All of Plečnik's major works in Ljubljana will be nominated for the world heritage list, except for the dilapidated Bežigrad Stadium.
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What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 10 January
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor defended Slovenia's decision to evacuate troops from Iraq following an attack by Iran on the Erbil airbase where the six soldiers were stationed, saying a sovereign country had the right to assess whether its soldiers were safe or not. He said the evacuation was merely an early rotation of the team deployed to Erbil to train the Kurdish fighters. In another statement on 15 January, he said the temporary withdrawal would not tarnish Slovenia's reputation in the international community.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar called on the EU to play a greater role in the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as EU foreign ministers held an emergency session. He also reiterated Slovenia's commitment to remain a partner in the fight against IS and continue training Iraqi security forces.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank initiated a Constitutional Court challenge against a law that would require it to cover all repayments to those who lost their investments during the banking sector bailout in 2013. The law was passed in late-2019 and provides easier access to recourse for roughly 100,000 potential plaintiffs, both shareholders and holders of junior bonds, wiped out on instruction from the EU.
LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved tried to reassure the public that concerns about health risks related to 5G technology were given due attention. But while he deems the concerns legitimate, he also said Slovenia needed 5G as he addressed the press after a protest against the technology.
SATURDAY, 11 January
LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec criticised the way Slovenian military instructors had been pulled out of Iraq earlier in the week. "The last thing we wanted was media hype," he said on Twitter in reference to Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and President Borut Pahor, supreme commander of the Armed Forces, deciding to bring home Slovenia's six instructors stationed in Erbil after Iran's rocket attack of their base.
ADELBODEN, Switzerland - Skier Žan Kranjec won the giant slalom FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing race in Adelboden, taking the lead in the giant slalom rankings.
DRESDEN, Germany - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič won silver in the sprint event of FIS Cross-Country event in Dresden, taking the lead in the cross country sprint rankings.
LJUBLJANA - Renault's Clio, one of the best selling cars in Slovenia since its launch in 1990, was declared the Slovenian car of 2020, in a competition organised by the Slovenian automotive media for the 28th time.
SUNDAY, 12 January
LJUBLJANA - Janez Janša, leader of the opposition Democrats (SDS), told TV Slovenija in a rare interview that the Marjan Šarec government coalition was "clinically dead". Since the current balance of power in parliament makes it impossible to build a strong alternative majority, he thinks an early election is likely. Opposition New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin confirmed on 13 January his party was taking part in talks on a potential new coalition, which were ongoing at all times, but all coalition parties later denied being involved in any specific talks.
MONDAY, 13 January
LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc responded to calls for Slovenia to declare a state of climate emergency by saying that "concrete measures are more important than declaring a climate crisis". He believes it should be first determined if a majority in parliament supports the measures that would have to be taken if a climate emergency is declared.
LJUBLJANA - Five hospitals must return a total of EUR 4.9 million in restructuring funds they received from the state in 2017 to get out of the red because the funds were not spent within the deadline, which was however set retroactively, the newspaper Delo reported. While the Ljubljana Institute of Oncology has already returned the money, the other four hospitals intend to use all legal means to keep the money.
KRŠKO - Power utility group GEN, part of which is Slovenia's only N-plant NEK, reported EUR 2.2 billion in revenue and EUR 48 million in net profit in 2019. Investments totalled EUR 100 million.
LJUBLJANA - Austria's Human Rights Ombudsman Werner Amon, who is also secretary general of the International Ombudsman Institute, visited Slovenia to meet his counterpart Peter Svetina. The pair discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between ombudsmen in Europe.
LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry gave out its first environmental award, honouring maritime pilot Andrej Gorup, who prevented an environmental disaster in April 2019 by re-routing a Swedish oil tanker heading towards the port of Koper with an alarming speed.
LJUBLJANA - Some 84,350 new cars and vans were sold in Slovenia in 2019, a 1% drop over 2018. Volkswagen dominated the market, followed by Renault and Škoda, shows data released by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.
TUESDAY, 14 January
JERUSALEM, Israel - The Simon Wiesenthal Center criticised the recent decision by the Slovenian Supreme Court to annul the 1946 conviction of Leon Rupnik, who headed the Provisional Government of the Nazi-occupied Province of Ljubljana. In a letter sent to the Slovenian ambassador to Israel, the centre said the "shameful decision constitutes a shocking distortion of the history of the Holocaust and a horrific insult to Rupnik's many victims and their families".
LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad confirmed the first Venezuelans of Slovenian descent had already arrived in Slovenia as part of the largest repatriation project in the country, prompted by the Venezuela crisis. The office would not reveal any details, but the government set aside EUR 1.2 million for the project with 53 persons so far applying for resettlement.
ABU DHABI, UAE - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar attended a ministerial of the Slovenian-sponsored Green Group initiative to discuss preparations for the Expo 2020 Dubai. He also met his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Thani Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, the minister of climate change and environment.
LJUBLJANA - A higher court threw out the guilty verdict of radiologist Zoran Milošević over bribery because the case had become statute-barred following an appeal. Milošević had been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of ten months for accepting a EUR 7,200 bribe in exchange for making sure UKC Ljubljana, the country's largest hospital, chose a specific company as the supplier of a medicinal device. Milošević is also the chief defendant in a separate trial related to the biggest health corruption case in the country's history.
LJUBLJANA - Acclaimed playwright Simona Semenič won publisher Mladinska Knjiga's 10,000-euro Blue Bird Prize for the best as yet unpublished youth novel. Skrivno Društvo KRVZ (KRVZ Secret Society), to be released in April, tells a story about a group of friends and their adventures including dragons and secret maps.
WEDNESDAY, 15 January
LJUBLJANA - Photographer Stojan Kerbler, 81, and ballet dancer and choreographer Milko Šparemblek, 91, were declared the winners of this year's Prešeren Prize for lifetime achievements in the arts. This is the first time the Prešeren Prize has been given to a photographer. The awards, togehter with six minor Prešeren Fund Prizes for achievements in the past three years will be conferred on 7 February, the eve of Culture Day.
LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec said there was no reason for his government to fall, as he responded to an assessment by opposition Democrat (SDS) leader Janez Janša that the coalition was clinically dead. While he admitted problems did exist, Šarec said "if all of us worked for the same goal, we would be able to solve many of these problems".
LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec denied interfering in the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) pre-congress developments, and rejected the speculation that DeSUS leader Karel Erjavec's ministerial seat was at stake due to his awkward handling of troops' temporary withdrawal from Iraq.
LJUBLJANA - Dovolj.je, a Catholic civil society group dedicated to fighting against sexual abuse in the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church called for the resignation of Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore due to the church's persistent failure to tackle sexual abuse allegations. The Slovenian Bishops' Conference rejected the call, saying it was under Zore's chairmanship of the conference that the church had continued taking action against sexual abuse.
LJUBLJANA - A group of five Eritrean citizens whose asylum applications were rejected in December staged a protest against what they believe is systematic rejection of Eritreans by state authorities, whose decisions suggest that Eritrea is a safe country while it is actually among the most repressive regimes in the world. The Interior Ministry rejected the allegations, saying all applications were treated individually and all personal circumstances of every applicant were considered.
LJUBLJANA - Several hundred people turned up to protest in front of Government Palace over a provocative Christmas Eve Twitter post by Education Ministry State Secretary Jernej Štromajer that conservatives had interpreted as deriding Christmas and Christians. The protesters repeated their call for Štromajer's resignation.
THURSDAY, 16 January
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor completed a two-day round of consultations with parliamentary parties on the most suitable candidates for two Slovenian judges at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg. Klemen Podobnik and Jure Vidmar seem to enjoy the most support among deputy groups. Pahor will now have to send his nominations to parliament, where the candidates need to secure 46 votes to get appointed.
LJUBLJANA - Unhappy with the government's slow tackling of waiting times in the public health system, the Medical Chamber drafted a bill to reduce them, which the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) filed to parliament a few days ago. The chamber's president Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik said the bill would enable the ZZZS public health insurer to temporarily commission all medical services providers, including private entities, to carry out additional medical services.
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left failed in its attempt to make the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee condemn the use of US military force in the Middle East and call on the government to express opposition to the US policy on Iran. Several MPs accused the Left at the session of attempting to score political points.
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) tabled a legislative amendment to reinstate compulsory six-month military service to deter military threats, strengthen patriotism and improve the mental and physical fitness of the country's male population. The party says it has cross-partisan support.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia remains an attractive destination for Austrian investors; a survey of the representation of the Austrian economy in Slovenia, Advantage Austria Ljubljana, showed 75% of Austrian entrepreneurs believe the country will also be attractive for new investments this year, which is still much lower than the record-high of 91% from 2019.
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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 January
LJUBLJANA - One year into her term, Slovenian Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar was happy to report that crime clearance rate increased to over 50% from 47%, which she says is the success of the system, not just individuals. Bobnar told the STA in an interview that the police now handle many more cases of corruption, and that cracking down on such crime is a priority.
KLAGENFURT, Austria - The Slovenian ethnic minority in Austria expressed optimism about the coalition agreement between the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Greens, which aims to make Austria carbon-neutral by 2040 and pledges to increase funding for ethnic minorities. Umbrella minority organisations believe "better times" are on the horizon.
SATURDAY, 4 January
MARIBOR - Police apprehended Andrej Šiško, the self-styled leader of a militia who should have reported to prison to serve out his sentence for incitement to subversion of the constitutional order. He was apprehended at a commemoration of a major WWII battle in the Pohorje hills as he was about to approach President Borut Pahor.
VAL DI FIEMME, Italy - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič dominated the World Cup freestyle sprint event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in what was her third career World Cup win.
SUNDAY, 5 January
LJUBLJANA - Physician and humanitarian worker Ninna Kozorog, the head of Humanitarček, an NGO which has campaigned for assistance to retirees living in poverty, was declared the Slovenian Woman of the Year 2019 by the women's magazine Jana/Zarja. The association's activities include a project called Vida, which aims at highlighting the difficulties faced by the elderly in remote areas.
MONDAY, 6 January
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor called for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as he made an appeal for a peaceful resolution of disputes following the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the US. He acknowledged that the order by US President Donald Trump to kill Soleimani had "caused tensions across the Middle East and in the entire international community".
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Croatia's newly elected President Zoran Milanović, who made improving relations with Slovenia a priority. Although Milanović was prime minister when Croatia unilaterally withdrew from the border arbitration procedure, Pahor hopes dialogue will lead to the implementation of the border arbitration decision. Analyst Borut Šuklje said Slovenia should be cautious about Milanović's pronouncement.
LJUBLJANA - Four former top executives of Hypo Alpe Adria were sentenced to between six and eight years in prison for defrauding the now defunct financial group of several million euro through property transactions. The Ljubljana District Court found former Hypo Alpe Adria CEOs Anton Romih and Božidar Špan, former Hypo Leasing director general Andrej Potočnik and former Hypo Alpe Adria Consultance director Andrej Oblak guilty of abuse of office and money laundering.
TUESDAY, 7 January
LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Court fully upheld the Competition Protection Agency's decision to temporarily seize Mercator shares from the retailer's owner, Croatian group Agrokor. Agrokor's successor Fortenova announced it would use all legal means available to have the seizure annulled.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia successfully completed a EUR 1.5 billion ten-year eurobond issue, leveraging market appetite for fixed assets to secure a record-low coupon interest rate of 0.275%. The last bond issue a year ago came with a coupon rate of 1.188%.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar voiced support for a de-escalation of tensions in the conflict between Iran and the United States. "It is necessary to calm down the situation, prevent the triggering of any violence or threat," he said.
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minster Miro Cerar told a debate on the Western Balkans that with the new European Commission, EU enlargement to the region was increasingly likely. He announced the region's EU prospects would be a priority of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021.
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court announced it had rejected a petition in which Lekarna Ljubljana, the company operating a chain of pharmacies in greater Ljubljana, challenged a law prohibiting pharmacies from owning or controlling drug wholesalers and advertising pharmaceutical products.
WEDNESDAY, 8 January
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Defence Ministry announced the withdrawal of six soldiers from Erbil in northern Iraq after the base was attacked by Iran in retaliation for the killing of a senior general. The withdrawal followed the next day following a delay after Germany, which to provide logistical support, decided its troops would remain in Erbil.
LJUBLJANA - The health insurance institute ZZZS approved the 2020 financial plan. Expenditure is budgeted to increase by EUR 266 million compared to 2019 to EUR 3.32 billion. The institute is expected to operate at a EUR 10.4 million loss this year, which is to be covered by a surplus generated in the past.
LJUBLJANA - OTP, the Hungarian banking group which acquired SBK Banka from the French group Societe Generale last year, said it planned to grow organically and through takeovers. OTP CEO Sandor Csanyi said the group could attain a market share of between 25% and 30% in Slovenia; SKB was at 8% in 2018.
LJUBLJANA - The biggest health corruption case in Slovenia's history came to trial, with four defendants out of six who appeared pleading not guilty. One did not enter a plea, and one was allowed to leave the hearing early due to health reasons, and will enter his plea at the next hearing.
THURSDAY, 9 January
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and Defence Minister Karl Erjavec pledged Slovenia's continued commitment to the global anti-Daesh coalition, and its resolve to deploy a new rotation of troops to northern Iraq despite the decision to relocate the current rotation home early following Iran attacks on Erbil airport. The position was also backed by the parliamentary committees on defence and foreign policy.
LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court's annulment of the 1946 death sentencing of WWII general Leon Rupnik for collaboration with the Fascist Italian and Nazi German occupation drew protests from the Association of WWII Veterans, the Jewish Cultural Centre Ljubljana and the Social Democrats. The centre plans to inform the world public of the decision.
LJUBLJANA - A vetting commission endorsed four candidates for the head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, excluding the incumbent Boris Štefanec. President Borut Pahor will be able to make his pick from Štefanec's deputy Uroš Novak, Tina Brecelj, adviser to the Supreme Court president, Janez Pogorelec from the Government Office for Legislation and Robert Šumi from the Police Academy.
LJUBLJANA - Jadran Lenarčič, the long-serving director of the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia's top research institution, was declared the Person of 2019 by the newspaper publisher Delo.
LJUBLJANA - The Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) announced "podnebje" or climate as the Slovenian word of 2019. Second place went to "Šarecism", alluding to the discourse used by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, followed by "carbon-neutral".
MORAVČE - A large-scale wooden effigy of US President Donald Trump, which had recently been relocated to Moravče, some 30 kilometres east of Ljubljana, was torched during the night. The statue had originally been erected in Selo, a small village some 20 kilometres north of Ljubljana, in August, but was relocated to Moravče in late December.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's exports and imports rose by 4% and 0.4% respectively in November 2019 compared to the year before, the Statistics Office said, attributing this to the increased value of trade with EU non-member countries.
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What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 27 December
LJUBLJANA - Bank NLB and Belgian KBC, NLB's former owner, sold their life insurance company NLB Vita to the country's second biggest insurer Sava Re for an undisclosed amount believed to be in the EUR 20-30 million range. The sale means that NLB met the last of several conditions attached to the 2013 bailout.
ZAGREB, Croatia - Bankrupt Croatian conglomerate Agrokor, the owner of Slovenian retailer Mercator, turned to the EU to complain about the seizure of Mercator stock by Slovenian anti-trust authorities. In a letter to Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, Agrokor chairman Fabris Peruško said the procedures ran contrary to EU and Slovenian law and were motivated by "national political reasons".
SATURDAY, 28 December
LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec criticised some of his coalition partners in an interview with Dnevnik. He suggested he would not yield to pressure by DeSUS leader Karl Erjavec to act against Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, his main challenger for the party presidency, until there is firm evidence of any wrongdoing.
SUNDAY, 29 December
LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič dominated the World Cup freestyle sprint in Lenzerheide, the second event of the Tour de Ski series. This was the second World Cup win for the 24-year-old.
MONDAY, 30 December
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor offered to help the government undertake much-needed reforms, even as he acknowledged that structural reforms may lead to the demise of the Marjan Šarec government. He told TV Slovenia the government should pick a handful of projects and try to achieve consensus with his help.
CELJE - Three companies that form the heavily indebted retail group Tuš entered preventive financial restructuring. The restructuring for the holding company Tuš Holding, its retail arm Engrotuš and its real estate arm Tuš Nepremičnine was initiated at the request of the companies themselves and with the support of creditors.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded an above-average general government surplus in the third quarter of the year, as it reached EUR 193 million or more than triple that in the same period last year, the Statistics Office said. The surplus represented 1.6% of Slovenia's GDP.
MORAVČE - A giant wooden sculpture resembling US President Donald Trump, which stirred controversy in late summer when it was erected in the village of Sela, was officially unveiled at its new home in Moravče, north-east of Ljubljana. The night before the second unveiling, the effigy was defaced in an effort to add a Hitler-like moustache.
TUESDAY, 31 December
LJUBLJANA - A Vox Populi public opinion poll commissioned by Dnevnik showed that Slovenians are quite satisfied with their lives, with the respondents assessing the quality of life with an average mark of 3.38 on a one-to-five scale. It shows that persons younger than 30 are the most satisfied with their lives and that satisfaction correlates with the level of education.
WEDNESDAY, 1 January
LJUBLJANA - Tens of thousands of Slovenians ushered in the new year in the open, with the largest crowd of 55,000 gathering in four squares in Ljubljana. The capital also saw the traditional fireworks, while some major cities this time opted for quieter celebrations without fireworks.
LJUBLJANA - Uniform cigarette and tobacco packaging rolled out on New Year's Day under new rules, bearing graphic warnings of the adverse health effects of smoking and donning the Pantone 448 C dark brown hue, known as the ugliest colour in the world, to further deter anyone from picking up the harmful habit.
THURSDAY, 2 January
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry condemned attacks on coalition forces fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and an attack on the US Embassy compound in Baghdad in the strongest terms, urging the Iraqi authorities to ensure security of diplomatic missions in the country. In a response echoing the position of the EU, the Foreign Ministry expressed its condolences to the governments of the US and Iraq and to the families of those killed in the attacks.
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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 December
LJUBLJANA - Angelika Mlinar, new cohesion policy minister, took over at the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion. She said the key challenges were speeding up EU funds absorption and opening dialogue with other ministries.
LJUBLJANA - Lidija Ivanuša, an MP for the opposition National Party (SNS), defected to the opposition Democrats (SDS), a move that could further complicate the operational ability of the minority government.
LJUBLJANA - The coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) indicated it could part ways with MP Robert Polnar who was the only coalition MP to vote against appointing Angelika Mlinar cohesion policy minister. A decision was expected after New Year's.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police processed more than 15,200 illegal crossings of the border by the end of November this year, a 70% increase compared to the same period in 2018, fresh statistics showed.
LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of the motorway company DARS endorsed the selection of Turkish bidder Cengiz as the contractor to build the Slovenian section of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel for EUR 98.5 million, VAT excluded.
NOVO MESTO - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced that TPV, an automotive industry supplier, will receive EUR 6.5 million in state incentive for a EUR 49 million investment into production expansion after it reached two major deals with car makers Volvo Cars and BMW last year.
LJUBLJANA - Matej Pirc, the chief executive officer of the Bank Assets Management Company, told the STA that the bad bank could build rental apartments and retirement homes and provide for an additional 5,000 housing units, provided its mandate is extended beyond the currently planned end of operations in 2022.
LJUBLJANA - Home price growth accelerated in the third quarter of 2019, with average prices rising by 8.5% year on year and 3.1% over the previous quarter on the back of strong growth in prices of used flats, show Statistics Office figures.
SATURDAY, 21 December
LJUBLJANA - An audit conducted by the Environment Ministry found serious shortcomings in approval procedures for a stretch of an EU-subsidised sewerage project that some say could jeopardise the source of drinking water for 300,000 residents of Ljubljana.
PLANICA - Swede Jonna Sundling and France's Lucas Chanavat won respective Cross-Country World Cup sprint freestyle events in extremely bad weather conditions in Planica.
SUNDAY, 22 December
ERBIL, Iraq - Major General Alenka Ermenc, the chief of the general staff, visited Slovenian troops in Iraq.
ENGELBERG, Switzerland - Ski jumper Peter Prevc finished second at a World Cup event in Engelberg in what was his first podium result this winter.
ALTA BADIA, Italy - Slovenian alpine skier Žan Kranjec bagged his second podium finish in giant slalom World Cup this season, finishing third in Alta Badia.
MONDAY, 23 December
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor invoked independence-era unity as he called on political stakeholders to engage in dialogue and cooperation as a safeguard against potential threats against society and state in an address to the Independence and Unity Day ceremony.
LJUBLJANA - Deputy Speaker Jože Tanko of the opposition Democrats (SDS) pinpointed the judiciary as the most problematic area 29 years after Slovenia opted for independence. Addressing the parliament's ceremonial session before Independence and Unity Day, he said equality before law was not guaranteed to all.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor decorated constitutional jurist Peter Jambrek with the Golden Order of Merit and Austrian politician Erhard Busek with the Silver Order of Merit for their contribution to Slovenia's independence and international recognition.
CELJE - The Celje District Court sentenced Uroš Rotnik, the former boss of the Šoštanj coal-fired power station (TEŠ), to ten months suspended for stealing an income statement from the Financial Administration in November 2013.
LJUBLJANA - The owner and editor of the pozareport.si news portal, Bojan Požar, was ordered to pay Viktor Knavs, the father of US first lady Melania Trump, EUR 5,000 in damages and almost EUR 2,000 in litigation costs. He also has to publicly apologise for alleging Knavs was in prison due to tax evasion and illicit trade.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian researchers working abroad gathered for a symposium designed to establish and strengthen networking opportunities between Slovenian scholars abroad and those researching in Slovenia.
LJUBLJANA - Alfi, a private equity fund, acquired an 80% stake in Prevent & Deloza, Slovenia's leading maker of protective garments, for an undisclosed sum, a move it said would improve the company's development prospects and strengthen innovation.
TUESDAY, 24 December
LJUBLJANA - The National Council vetoed changes to the tonnage tax act which extend by ten years a special regulation under which shippers pay an alternative form of corporate tax.
LJUBLJANA/ZAGREB, Croatia - Agrokor, the owner of retailer Mercator, made good on its plan to challenge the seizure of 70% of Mercator shares by Slovenia's competition watchdog, as it appealed the decision at the Ljubljana Local Court.
WEDNESDAY, 25 December
LJUBLJANA - News portal 24ur.com reported that a brand new police helicopter, delivered in mid-October, was out of commission because of problems with the main rotor's transmission.
THURSDAY, 26 December
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia observed Independence and Unity Day, a bank holiday, remembering the 1990 independence referendum, in which people voted overwhelmingly for Slovenia to leave Yugoslavia.
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What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 13 December
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Marjan Šarec expressed satisfaction that nearly all EU members had reached an agreement on carbon neutrality by 2050, saying Slovenia was happy that each member state determines its own energy mix in sustainable energy transition, indicating it would substitute nuclear energy for thermal. He warned however that carbon neutrality should not come at the expense of cohesion funding.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Commenting on the Conservatives' landslide victory in the UK general election, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said Brexit by the end of January was probable and that a trade agreement with the UK could be reached next year if talks were conducted quickly.
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left made a renewed appeal on the government to push for Palestine's recognition at EU level, saying that in the EU failed to reach a consensus on the matter by the end of March 2020, Slovenia should take steps to recognise Palestine itself.
SEOUL, South Korea - Slovenia was ranked 13th in the Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index compiled by Solability, a sustainability think-tank based in Switzerland and South Korea, among a total of 180 countries. The country fared best in terms of governance efficiency, and worst in natural capital and resource management.
SATURDAY, 14 December
LJUBLJANA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged protecting multilateralism against unilateralism as he visited Slovenia for talks with his counterpart Miro Cerar and the country's top officials. Both ministers also welcomed a preliminary trade agreement reached between the US and China. Cerar said China was an indispensable strategic partner of the EU even if the two sides did not always share the same positions.
LJUBLJANA - Seasoned diplomat Andrej Logar told the weekly Večer that he had been tasked with reviving the Ljubljana-based International Center for Promotion of Enterprises, founded in 1974 at the UN's initiative to promote international cooperation of developing countries. "Since Slovenia does not have intensive contacts with African and Asian countries as potential ICPE members, the centre could be an important instrument of Slovenia's foreign policy," Logar said.
KOČEVSKA REKA - A ceremony attended by several independence-era figures marked the lining up of a territorial defence unit seen as a precursor to the Slovenian army on 17 December 1990, just a week before the country held its independence referendum. The keynote speaker, Igor Bavčar, the then interior minister who is now serving prison for money laundering liked to shares trading, said that challenges faced by the EU and NATO undermined the foundations of the EU as had been known for 30 years.
SUNDAY, 15 December
MADRID, Spain/LJUBLJANA - In response to the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid, which put off a decision on a rulebook for meeting Paris Agreement targets to 2020, Environment Minister Simon Zajc said the event was "a disappointment, as expected". Climate expert Lučka Kajfež Bogataj called the conference far from noteworthy, except for the fact that negotiators ignored calls for action by millions of young people and other citizens who demand change.
LJUBLJANA - The December Vox Populi poll showed the coalition Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) at the top of the party rankings with the support of 20.2% of respondents. The opposition Democrats (SDS) calme second at 16.6%. Moreover, 50.4% of respondents believe the government is doing a good job.
MONDAY, 16 December
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec told reporters that incorporating a new airline in full or partial state ownership after flag carrier Adria Airways went into receivership was not very likely, because of the highs risks entailed. The Bank Assets Management Company later said it was in talks with several European regional carriers to increase flight frequencies on major routes connecting Ljubljana.
LJUBLJANA - European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič urged the implementation of the European Green Deal, outlined by the European Commission the week before, as he met Slovenia's senior officials in his first official visit to the country as commissioner. He deems environmental issues one of Slovenia's major challenges for the future.
MADRID, Spain - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar presented Slovenia's stance on multilateralism and efforts related to climate change, sustainable development and gender equality on the final day of the Asia-Europe Meeting, he also held several bilateral meetings.
TRIESTE, Italy - Slovenian Consul General in Italy's Trieste Vojko Volk condemned the posters on which an Italian neo-fascist movement labelled five Slovenian victims of fascism as terrorists on 14 December, the eve of an event commemorating the victims, executed in 1941.
LJUBLJANA - Just over a year after its launch, the Ljubljana-based European Blockchain Hub, a cooperative designed to act as a platform bringing together blockchain stakeholders, declared bankruptcy, the main reason being that some stakeholders had failed to deliver.
PARIS, France - Slovenian painter Gregor Pratneker won the Eugene Boudin Prize at the Salon de Beaux Arts in Paris, a major international art showcase. He received the honour for his oil painting Spring in Mountains.
LJUBLJANA - The Youth Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation elected Slovenian Tea Jarc its president, making her the first Slovenian to elected president of a European trade union confederation.
TUESDAY, 17 December
NOVI SAD, Serbia - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec promised Slovenia's further assistance to Serbia in efforts to join the EU, as he visited the country with five ministers for a joint session of the two governments. Šarec said there was no alternative to Serbia joining the EU. His counterpart Ana Brnabić thanked Slovenia for its political and technical support.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank downgraded its projection for the country's economic growth for the year by 0.6 percentage points to 2.6%, decreasing the forecast for 2020 by 0.4 points to 2.5%, the level it is expected to remain in 2021 and 2022. The rates are above the euro area average.
PULA, Croatia - The Croatian media reported that Croatia's fisheries inspectors had imposed over 270 fines worth over EUR 490,000 on Slovenia fishermen for fishing in what Croatia claims is its part of the Piran Bay since 15 March 2018. Since Slovenia implemented the arbitration award in December 2017, it issued over EUR 1 million in fines against Croatian fishermen in Slovenian waters.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian troops serving in international missions and operations discussed security situation in an annual video conference with the Slovenian president, defence minister and the chief of the general staff. They reported being satisfied with their equipment, except for those in Latvia, who complained about the light armoured vehicles.
LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Stock Exchange marked its 30th anniversary with a ceremony at which its current boss Aleš Ipavec said the desire was to make the exchange more appealing to investors. The exchange was launched on 26 December 1989 as the Yugoslav Stock Exchange.
BELGRADE, Serbia - The Serbian newspaper Blic reported that Slovenia's largest bank, NLB, had submitted a binding bid to take over the Serbian state-owned bank Komercijalna Banka, along with Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International and Serbia's AIK Banka.
LJUBLJANA - Cyclist Primož Roglič, sport climber Janja Garnbret and the men's national volleyball team were declared athletes of the year by the Association of Sports Journalists.
WEDNESDAY, 18 December
LJUBLJANA - The Competition Protection Agency confirmed it had temporarily seized 70% of shares of retailer Mercator shares from its owner, Croatia's Agrokor, so that Agrokor pay a EUR 53.9 million fine for failure to notify its 2016 takeover of Slovenian-based bottled water company Costella. The decision is not yet final and Agrokor's successor, Fortenova said it would fight it with all means available. Fortenova described the agency's move as a coordinated effort to secure Slovenian suppliers of Mercator favoured position in Mercator group.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed a bill securing up to EUR 777 million in state loan guarantees for the construction of a new rail link connecting the Koper port and Divača, and two sections of an expressway connecting the north and south of the country.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly reviewed a report on the 2015 wiretapping scandal during the Slovenia-Croatia border arbitration process behind closed doors. The report, compiled by the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission, finds that the Slovenian government and the intel agency SOVA were not involved in the violation of the arbitration agreement, attributing the blame for the scandal, which Croatia used as an excuse to withdraw from the arbitration, on Simona Drenik, Slovenia's agent in the procedure.
WOLFSBURG, Germany - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and representatives of Slovenian automotive industry suppliers visited the headquarters of the Volkswagen Group in a bid to boost cooperation, especially in e-mobility and innovative solutions for carbon-neutral society.
WASHINGTON, US - Slovenia placed 35th in the 2019 Human Freedom Index, level with last year. Austria is the only neighbour doing better, ranking 13th.
THURSDAY, 19 December
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted 44:43 to appoint Angelika Mlinar, an ethnic Slovenian from Austria, minister without portfolio in charge of cohesion policy, as the government secured a slim minority after several days of uncertainty. Mlinar said the vote showed that "we want to overcome borders".
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Environment Minister Simon Zajc called on the EU to take taking into account specific circumstances of individual EU countries regarding their large-carnivore management, especially in cases like Slovenia's where animal populations are booming. He suggested the EU habitats directive may have to be changed.
LJUBLJANA - The National Public Health Institute said that the number of confirmed cases of measles infection in Slovenian population this year rose to 40 plus two in foreigners. In one outbreak, unofficially at the Škofja Loka company Knauf Insulation, a person got infected in Belgium before infecting six more people, one of whom infected a further eight.
LJUBLJANA - Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore told the STA he would like the Catholic Church to settle practical matters with the state, so they do not change with every change of government. Some of the things that needs addressing are education, social security contributions for priests and financing of heritage.
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption issued an opinion finding Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek was in conflict of interest in 2014, when she nominated herself for EU commissioner. Bratušek said she would challenge the claim, just as she had successfully challenged a previous opinion, which was dismissed by courts on procedural grounds.
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, 6 December
LJUBLJANA - Simona Drenik Bavdek, the official at the centre of the arbitration scandal, demanded the withdrawal of an incriminating report by the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services. She later lodged a claim with the Administrative Court demanding that the report be taken from the website because the parliamentary inquiry violated her human rights.
ROME, Italy - FM Miro Cerar and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio called for EU-level solutions to tackle migrations, including enhanced protection of the EU's external borders, reform of asylum law and cooperation with third countries.
LJUBLJANA - A productivity report compiled by IMAD, the government's macroeconomic think tank, showed that increasing productivity would be key to Slovenia's economic and social development, and to achieve the goal, innovation and R&D would have to be enhanced.
LJUBLJANA - Fortenova, the owner of Croatian conglomerate Agrokor's healthy assets, confirmed the goal of resolving open issues regarding Slovenian retailer Mercator by the end of the year, highlighting the role of local suppliers' interdependency with Mercator and the importance of keeping the headquarters in Ljubljana for the next several years.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič appointed Matjaž Malgaj as head of his team, while it was reported that Maja Kocijančič was the only Slovenian in a cabinet of another commissioner.
NEW YORK, US - Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić was named Sports Illustrated's 2019 Breakout of the Year. The Dallas Mavericks small forward, who made his NBA debut in 2018, was also awarded NBA player of the month for October and November.
SATURDAY, 7 December
LONDON, UK - The acclaimed SNG Maribor Ballet company led by choreographer Edward Clug put on two guest performances of Clug's celebrated work Radio and Juliet at the London Coliseum, the West End's largest theatre.
SUNDAY, 8 December
LJUBLJANA - The latest data released by the Statistics Office showed that international trade in goods and services remained Slovenia's most important cross-border economic activity in 2018. The value of exports and imports of goods and services rose annually by 9.3% and 10.4%, respectively.
LJUBLJANA - The Jury Grand Prix of the 16th Animateka international animated film festival was bestowed on Acid Rain by Polish director and animator Tomek Popakul. The film also won the audience award.
MONDAY, 9 December
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina/PRISHTINA, Kosovo - Visiting Slovenian soldiers deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, PM Marjan Šarec heard praise of them and stressed Slovenia was not considering diminishing its presence in the region. PM expressed regret over Kosovo transforming KFOR into a professional military force without changing the constitution.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - FM Miro Cerar said Slovenia did not support making decisions by qualified or any other kind of majority in the EU foreign policy. The country had signed an informal document which could be interpreted as paving the way for qualified majority, but FM stressed the document did not endorse this.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - FM Miro Cerar backed the decision by the EU's Foreign Affairs Council on launching preparations for a new EU regime to sanction human rights abusers. Meeting the foreign ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, FM called for starting EU accession talks with both countries by March next year.
BERLIN, Germany - Speaker Dejan Židan met President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble for informal talks about the six-month EU presidency spells (July 2020 - December 2021) held successively by Germany, Portugal and Slovenia.
LJUBLJANA - The coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) nominated Angelika Mlinar, a former Austrian MEP and a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria, for cohesion policy minister. The govt granted her citizenship request on 12 December, but her dual citizenship request in Austria is pending.
LJUBLJANA - The permanent consultative climate policy committee, a body attached to President Borut Pahor's office, recommended to the government and both chambers of parliament to consider declaring a climate and environmental emergency.
KRANJ - A fire broke out at Ekol, a hazardous waste processing plant, causing some EUR 40,000 damage, but the authorities later said it had not polluted the air or water. Nevertheless, it upset the locals, who have been warning for years about the hazard the Laze industrial zone poses to the environment and public health.
LJUBLJANA/LONDON, UK - British business newspaper Financial Times ranked the University of Ljubljana's School of Economics and Business among the 95 best business schools in Europe for the second consecutive years.
TUESDAY, 10 December
LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of telecoms Telekom Slovenije appointed Tomaž Seljak the new chairman for a full, four-year term. Seljak had previously served as interim chairman following the resignation of Matjaž Merkan in mid-November.
LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office data showed that Slovenia's external trade in goods continued to grow in October, despite a drop in trade with EU countries. However, imports rose at a faster rate year-on-year than exports, creating a trade deficit.
MADRID, Spain - Paris Agreement implementation will require the cooperation of everyone, Environment Minister Simon Zajc said at the COP25 climate summit. He later welcomed the European Green Deal, saying the strategy ensures a just transition to facilitate a green shift in the most vulnerable sectors and regions, including Slovenia's mining regions.
LJUBLJANA - Iskratel, the company that was outbid in a tender to build a motorway e-tolling system for lorries in 2016, brought a EUR 17.7 million damages suit against the motorway company DARS, arguing that the latter as well as the National Review Commission had abused the selection procedure.
LJUBLJANA - A debate discussing solutions aimed at increasing gender-balanced representation in Slovenia's electoral system heard calls for higher gender quotas and for the adoption of the zipper system. Speaker Dejan Židan expressed support for raising gender quotas from the current 35% to 40%.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranked 44th in the 2020 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), dropping one place compared to last year. The country scored the lowest in renewable energy and climate policy, while it did better in energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - A Ljubljana stadium designed by acclaimed architect Jože Plečnik in the 1920s was shortlisted as one of the 14 pieces of European cultural heritage that could be put on a list of seven most endangered pieces which will be revealed in March 2020.
WEDNESDAY, 11 December
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The EU's Court of Justice Advocate General Priit Pikamäe proposed for the court to rule inadmissible Slovenia's case against Croatia over the latter's failure to implement the 2017 border arbitration award. Top officials expressed surprised and hope the court would heed the country's legal arguments rather than follow the non-binding opinion.
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and his Macedonian counterpart Oliver Spasovski agreed joint policy and cooperation of all Western Balkan countries were needed for the effective management of migration on the Western Balkan route, as well as information exchange and fight against organised crime.
LJUBLJANA - Election legislation, provinces and climate change ranked prominently as the country's President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, Speaker Dejan Židan and National Council President Alojz Kovšca met for an end-of-year reception.
ZADAR, Croatia - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec attended the inauguration of an aircraft training centre set up in the framework of NATO's Multinational Special Aviation Programme, saying the centre was very important for strengthening interoperability.
THURSDAY, 12 December
BRUSSELS, Belgium - At an EU summit, PM Marjan Šarec said that the Finnish presidency's proposal for the EU's next long-term budget was very bad for Slovenia, because it proposed cutting cohesion funds for the country by 28% compared to the current period.
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry reported that Slovenia had joined a Green Group call for more ambitious measures in the face of climate change at the climate conference in Madrid, while Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said in Brussels that Slovenia advocated carbon neutrality for EU by 2050.
LJUBLJANA - The government granted the citizenship request by Angelika Mlinar, a former Austrian MEP who had been nominated to head the government office in charge of cohesion policy, under provisions of the citizenship act typically used to fast-track athletes' applications.
BLED - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec hosted his Hungarian counterpart Tibor Benko, with the pair discussing the security situation in the region as well as bolstering bilateral and regional defence and military cooperation.
ČRNOMELJ - Representatives of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) visited Črnomelj area to assess the migrant situation there, noting good practices as well as a number of issues, including "police violence against refugees".
LJUBLJANA - The office of President Borut Pahor asked the Interior Ministry to closely examine the case of an Afghan who is facing deportation from Slovenia, as it believes it stands out from usual cases. The man has lived in Slovenia since 2015, has a family here and speaks the language.
LJUBLJANA - Petrol shareholders decided that major deals concerning the acquisition and disposal of financial investments, other types of investments and sponsorship contracts that the energy firm has concluded since early 2015 be audited.
LJUBLJANA - The government said it would allocate EUR 10 million in 2021-2026 to support projects hosted by a Slovenian town to be designated a European Capital of Culture for 2025.
LJUBLJANA - Saop and Mit Informatika, which specialise in enterprise software, signed a business combination agreement creating a new major player on the Slovenian IT market.
All our posts in this series are here
