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This summary is provided by the STA:

Cap on petrol prices lifted as of 1 May

LJUBLJANA - The government decided not the extend the cap on the price of regular petrol and diesel introduced in March, saying that the petroleum products market had stabilised. This means the price, both retail and wholesale, will be freely formed on the market again as of 1 May. The Economy Ministry said that the goal of protecting consumers had been achieved and that the market had stabilised.

Annual inflation accelerates to 6.9% in April

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation accelerated to 6.9% in April, up 1.5 percentage points from March and level with the rate in February. Data from the Statistics Office shows a surge in prices of petroleum products contributed 1.5 percentage points to the headline rate, as much as a 9.2% increase in prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages. Contained by administrative measures, electricity prices dropped by 21.6% to reduce the annual inflation rate by 0.8 points.

Ministry defends Boxer specs after criticism about equipment

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry said that the 45 Boxer armoured vehicles Slovenia is buying through OCCAR satisfy all technical demands as it responded Friday to a report alleging that equipment had been pared down to hit a low enough price point. Only "less important technical requirements" were dropped in negotiations for the purchase of the vehicles, it said.

Slovenia to send additional material aid to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will send Ukraine material assistance in the form of IP phones, computers, petrol generators, antennas and cables, the government decided. The estimated value of the aid, including transport, is nearly EUR 180,000. The project will be carried out through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Trade union urges quality and secure jobs for youth

LJUBLJANA - The youth trade union Mladi Plus expects the forthcoming government to adopt a regulatory framework for platform work, address precarious work arrangements among the young and step up the prosecution of labour rights violations. It also wants social dialogue and the inclusion of the young into policy making. Addressing reporters ahead of Labour Day, the union's representatives pointed to the growing proportion of the long-term unemployed among the young.

NIJZ head sees plans for his dismissal as political pressure

LJUBLJANA - The head of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Milan Krek, finds the announcement of his potential dismissal by the likeliest PM-designate Robert Golob as a form of unacceptable political interference. He told the STA he did not intend to offer his resignation after the new government is sworn in. Krek has been widely criticised for botching the response to the pandemic and pandering to the government while ignoring experts.

Hungarian foreign minister visits Lendava

LENDAVA - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto paid a visit to Lendava, eastern Slovenia, for talks with the MP for the Hungarian minority and the mayor of the bilingual city. Ferenc Horvath was re-elected MP on Sunday and Szijjarto congratulated him saying Hungary was very satisfied with the work he was doing. He said Hungary would continue to work for the preservation of strong cross-border ties.

Terme Čatež rebounds after Covid slump

ČATEŽ OB SAVI - Terme Čatež, one of Slovenia's largest tourism companies, returned to black in 2021. Sales revenue rose by more than a third to EUR 25.2 million and net profit stood at EUR 5.5 million after a EUR 4 million loss the year before. The number of nights rose by over a quarter to almost 538,000, shows the company's annual report.

Survey unemployment rate continues to drop

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's ILO-compatible survey unemployment rate dropped to 4% in March, down by 0.1 percentage point on February and 1.1 percentage point lower year-on-year. The Statistics Office estimates there were some 41,000 unemployed people in Slovenia last month. Half the unemployed aged 15-74 in March were men with their unemployment rate at 3.7%, lower than 4.4% among women.

Minister Andrijanič makes WEF 2022 Class of Young Global Leaders

GENEVA, Switzerland - Digital Transformation Minister Mark Boris Andrijanič has made the 2022 Class of Young Global Leaders announced by the World Economic Forum (WEF), an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation. Joining 109 other leaders aged 30-40, he is listed in the category of promising public figures. "It is an honour to be the first Slovenian to join this inspiring community in more than 10 years," Andrijanič said on Twitter.

Podobnik to withdraw as SLS head

LJUBLJANA - The president of the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) Marjan Podobnik announced on Friday he would not stand for another them at the helm of the party at the autumn congress after its failed comeback attempt in Sunday's general election. He will however try to make the party "younger and fresher," he announced on Twitter.

New mystery thriller TV series to premiere on TV Slovenija

LJUBLJANA - A new Slovenian TV series tailor-made for fans of TV dramas imbued with a sense of mystery and thriller will premiere on TV Slovenija on Sunday evening. The 8-episode series Trigrad is set in a fictional remote village of the same name in the mountainous area in north-western Slovenia. Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Sonja Prosenc, it stars Marko Mandić, one of Slovenia's most renowned actors, along with Katarina Stegnar and Suzana Krevh.

Some 1,250 new Covid cases on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 1,251 new coronavirus infections for Thursday as hospitalisations decreased. The 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population has declined by five to 635, but the 7-day average of new cases climbed by 15 to 870. The total of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 as their primary condition dropped to 88 and another four patients died, Health Ministry data shows.

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Govt adopts European semester docs, leaves things open for new cabinet

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted and forwarded to the European Commission the Stability Programme and the National Reform Programme for 2022. Citing the recent general election and major uncertainty in light of the Ukraine war, it inserted no new measures in the plans, deciding to leave these to the incoming cabinet. The Stability Programme, which was adopted with a delay, only includes a scenario of unchanged policies. The National Reform Programme features an overview of key measures, reforms and investment plans adopted in the recent period.

IMAD projects 4.2% growth for Slovenia this year

LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) downgraded its growth projection for Slovenia for this year from 4.7% in the autumn forecast to 4.2% in the spring forecast, expecting growth to slow down to 3% next year and to 2.8% in 2024 on the back of uncertainties linked to the war in Ukraine, high energy prices and disrupted supply chains. The government was supposed to sign off the forecast, which is a basis for government budgeting, a month ago, but it waited until today, after the general election.

Pahor talks Ukraine war, W Balkans situation with Steinmeier

BERLIN, Germany - President Borut Pahor held working talks with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine and exchange views on the situation in the Western Balkans. They spoke about Russia's aggression against Ukraine and expressed their deep concern about this flagrant violation of the international order. They agreed that the situation should provide an additional inspiration for Europe to take a step forward in its deepening cooperation, said Pahor.

Reduced excise on energy products extended by end of July

LJUBLJANA - The government extended the validity of reduced excise duties on electricity, motor fuels, heating oil and natural gas for heating for three more months until 31 July. The reduced excise duties on energy products first kicked in on 1 February as part of a package of measures to mitigate the impact of energy price hikes on the population and businesses. Meanwhile, it is not clear whether the government will extend administered prices of petrol and diesel fuel beyond the end of this month.

Motion to end terms of several ambassadors

LJUBLJANA - The government proposes that the terms of five ambassadors - to Slovakia, Denmark, Italy, United Arab Emirates and Egypt - end in the summer. It is now up to President Borut Pahor to consider the proposal. The centre-left opposition has raised issues with certain appointments affiliated with the outgoing government. By the end of August, some fifteen ambassadors are expected to leave for new posts.

Govt more than doubles funds for army's ICT system

LJUBLJANA - The government raised the funds allocated for the purchase of relocatable communication and information systems for the Slovenian Armed Forces from EUR 12.8 million to EUR 30.4 million, VAT included. A press release issued by the Defence Ministry said the initial value was based on a rough estimate, which had to be adjusted based on investment documentation and market research.

SD vice president Nemec to replace Fajon in European Parliament

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Matjaž Nemec, a SocDem vice president and MP, is to fill the European Parliament seat to be vacated by the party's head Tanja Fajon as she starts her term in the Slovenian National Assembly, which was entrusted to her at last Sunday's general election. Nemec came in third among the party's candidates in the 2019 European Parliament election. Fajon and Milan Brglez ended up going to Brussels.

SSH looking into appointment of postal operator boss

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) is reported to have launched an independent inquiry into the appointment of Tomaž Kokot, who became full-fledged director general of postal operator Pošta Slovenije several months ago amid allegations of political staffing. The newspaper Delo and portal Necenzurirano reported law firm Ulčar & Partnerji was commissioned to look into relevant procedures to establish whether they were carried out professionally and in line with the law and the company's rules.

Sole bid for Koper-Divača track tunnel systems rejected

LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the state-run company managing the construction of the new railway track between the port city of Koper and the Divača junction inland, discarded the sole bid for the construction of rail and tunnel systems on the track because it was too expensive. The value of the contract subject to the tender was capped at EUR 142.2 million, VAT excluded, while the sole bid estimated the cost at EUR 198.54 million, which means it was more than EUR 50 million above the limit value.

Only 279 new Covid-19 cases on bank holiday

LJUBLJANA - Another 279 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Wednesday, a bank holiday, as the 7-day average of new cases dropped to 855 and the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population dropped to 640. The number of patients treated in hospitals for Covid-19 remained level at 99 but the number of those requiring intensive care dropped by two from yesterday to 12, as one patient died, according to the Health Ministry.

Three Slovenian cities picked for EU climate-neutral project

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Eight Slovenian cities applied for the European Commission's Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities 2030 Mission, and three of them, Ljubljana, Kranj and Velenje, have been chosen to participate in the 100-city project, which
will receive EUR 360 million in 2022-2023 through the Horizon Europe programme.

Ljubljana club fail to make EuroCup semis

LJUBLJANA - Cedevita Olimpija ended its winning streak in the EuroCup Basketball competition by losing to Frutti Extra Bursaspor of Turkey 83:85 to the disappointment of the capacity crowd in Ljubljana's Stožice Arena on Wednesday evening. The home team had a 14-point deficit at half-time but got a chance to win in the final two minutes as Yogi Ferrell scored two three-pointers and three free throws as well as doing a lay up. Jacob Pullen then scored a three-pointer a tenth of a second after the buzzer sound.

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Top officials mark Day of Uprising Against the Occupation

LJUBLJANA - Marking Day of Uprising Against the Occupation, President Borut Pahor said the holiday celebrated the rebellious spirit that is part of the Slovenian identity, noting Slovenians had twice stood up to occupiers in the past century. Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič highlighted Slovenia had great development potential and that efforts should be made to realise it. The main national ceremony took place on Tuesday evening, but was neither attended by Pahor nor Zorčič due to several contentious issues.

Logar talks Slovenia-India cooperation with Jaishankar

NEW DELHI, India - Paying a visit to India, Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2022 forum in New Delhi to discuss several issues, including cooperation between Slovenia and India, the Foreign Ministry said. The pair discussed the consequences of the war in Ukraine on Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the areas of security and energy.

Golob: No need for discomfort in Slovenia-Croatia relations post-election

LJUBLJANA - Robert Golob, the most likely candidate for PM-designate after Sunday's general election, told TV Slovenija on Tuesday evening there was no need for Croatian politicians to feel uneasy about Slovenia-Croatia relations or open issues after the election. He reiterated his stance that the arbitration award agreement was the cornerstone for any talks attempting to resolve the open border issues between Slovenia and Croatia.

Govt extends cap on Covid test prices

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted on Tuesday an amendment to the regulation on setting maximum prices for rapid antigen testing services and maximum prices for Covid self-tests to extend the capped prices until 30 June, said the Government Communications Office. Last year the price of a rapid antigen test was capped at EUR 7 and the price of a self-test that people use at home themselves at EUR 2.50, without VAT.

CoE media freedom report warns about situation in Slovenia

STRASBOURG, France - The latest report by 15 media freedom partner organisations to the Council of Europe's Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists warned about the 2021 situation in Slovenia, noting assaults against journalists, the financial draining of the STA and the misuse of state funds to promote pro-government propaganda. Slovenia is among the CoE countries where the highest number of cases of harassment and intimidation of journalists was recorded.

Lendava marks Slovenian Holocaust Remembrance Day

LENDAVA - Lendava, a town in the north-easternmost part of Slovenia, marked Slovenian Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the local Jewish cemetery. This year marks 78 years since the mass deportation of Slovenian Jews from the Prekmurje region began. The municipality also participates in a project paying tribute to the once vibrant Jewish community in the region.

Covid cases down week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,135 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday, down both in daily and weekly comparison. Hospitalisations kept decreasing, and an additional one person with Covid died, fresh official data shows. An estimated number of 14,800 people are still actively infected in the country, down by nearly 500 on the previous day. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population dropped to 699.

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Pahor says PM-designate could be proposed around 23 May

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor told election winner Robert Golob he would "fully cooperate" in efforts to make sure Slovenia gets a new government soon. He plans to nominate the prime minister-designate around 23 May, which would pave the way for the appointment of the new government in early June. "We want an operational government before the holiday," Golob said after he was received by Pahor for their first one-on-one after Sunday's election. He said the country needed to get ready if the Covid pandemic surges again, and it needed to prepare for high energy prices in autumn.

Purchase of Boxer armoured vehicles to cost EUR 343m

LJUBLJANA - The purchase of 45 Boxer armoured vehicles that Slovenia plans to acquire through the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) will cost EUR 343 million including tax, the Defence Ministry said after the agreement with the OCCAR entered into effect following a Constitutional Court ruling that upheld a ban on a referendum on the matter. The deal involves 45 vehicles with armament, logistics services and project management costs. The purchase is "essential for the creation of the Slovenian Armed Forces' key capacity, which has been delayed for a long time - a medium-sized battalion battlegroup" that Slovenia will contribute "as a serious NATO member."

Janša casts Golob as pro-Russian

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša alleged in a series of Twitter posts that Robert Golob, who defeated him in Sunday's general election with his Freedom Movement, is pro-Russian. "You really called those pro Russian guys "liberals"? Check your sources, please," Janša tweeted this afternoon, tagging a number of foreign media, including The New York Times, Reuters and Fox News. He described the Freedom Party, which foreign media designated as centrist and liberal, as "pro-Russian," backing his claims with alleged pro-Russian positions of the party's backers that he said had an "anti-European, pro-Russian background".

Pahor and Milanović discuss Brdo-Brijuni process

ZAGREB, Croatia - Slovenian President Borut Pahor held working talks with Croatian President Zoran Milanović. The discussion focused on the next Brdo-Brijuni Process meeting and current issues in the region and in Europe. As co-chairs of the initiative, they propose that the next meeting take place in Slovenia, the president's office said. The pair also plan to meet in Rijeka, Croatia on 10 May to mark the 30th anniversary of the Union of Slovenian Associations in Rijeka.

Slovenia ready for military, humanitarian assistance to Ukraine

BERLIN, Germany - Slovenia supports Ukraine in its battle against Russia's aggression and is willing to provide military and humanitarian assistance, Defence Minister Matej Tonin said as he attended a meeting of a 40-country contact group for Ukraine at Ramstein airbase. Tonin used the occasion to talk to his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht about the realisation of an agreement under which Slovenia would give Yugoslav-era tanks to Ukraine via Germany in exchange for newer German-made armoured vehicles.

SD vice-president resigns over poor election result

LJUBLJANA - Jernej Pikalo has stepped down as one of the four vice-presidents of the Social Democrats (SD) over what he says is a poor election result for the party, which has won almost 7% of the vote and will have seven seats in the 90-strong parliament. Pikalo told the STA that he would like to encourage a discussion on what went wrong and how to proceed, adding he could offer a number of reasons for such a poor result. Noting he had nothing to do with it because he had not stood for election, Pikalo believes the idea of social democracy is best for people so it deserves more support than it won.

Doctor sentenced to three years in prison for accepting bribe

LJUBLJANA - Neuroradiologist Zoran Milošević was found guilty on Monday of accepting EUR 101,300 in gifts and of money laundering in a case involving the purchase of brain aneurysm closure coils, and sentenced to three years in prison and fined EUR 50,000. The Ljubljana District Court did not accept the prosecution's proposals to freeze Milošević's medical licence for two years, while ordering that the proceeds of crime be seized and the defendant cover the court fees. The defence has already announced an appeal.

Student wounded in shooting accident in Žužemberk school

ŽUŽEMBERK - A 13-year-old student sustained light injuries when a shot was inadvertently fired from a pistol on Tuesday morning in a primary school in Žužemberk, a small town about 50 kilometres south-east of Ljubljana. The accident was the result of careless handling of the weapon brought to school by a 14-year-old student. The firearm went off in a changing room in the presence of multiple students, Novo Mesto police spokesman Robert Perc said.

Covid situation stable despite spike in new cases

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,546 new cases of coronavirus infection were recorded in Slovenia on Monday, a rise of 1,089 from Monday last week, when testing was low because of Easter. However, the number of estimated active cases in the country has dropped by 1,078 to 15,286 in a day, Health Ministry data shows. There are now 90 patients treated for coronavirus as their main diagnosis at regular Covid wards, down 13 from yesterday, and 15 in intensive care, down 2. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped by 1 to 771. Four persons died.

Slovenia earmarks EUR 10m for environment-friendly lorries

LJUBLJANA - The infrastructure and environment ministries have set aside EUR 10 million from the Climate Fund to promote more environmentally friendly road freight vehicles that run either on electricity or gas. The funds will be distributed to transport operators by electricity market operator Borzen. The grants are intended to co-finance the purchase of gas or electric lorries and buses, new tyres, the retrofitting of vehicles with aerodynamic parts to reduce air resistance and the decommissioning of old vehicles, Vrtovec said on the occasion. This will contribute to ensuring the green transition and lower fuel consumption.

Slovenian researchers get three ERC grants

LJUBLJANA - Projects led by astrophysicist Maruša Bradač, who researches the early history of the universe, and mathematician Franc Forstnerič, who works on Holomorphic partial differential relations, secured nearly EUR 2.1 million and EUR 1.5 million respectively as part of the European Research Council 2021 Advanced Grants competition. Forstnerič's is Slovenia's first ever maths project to win this prestigious grant. A third Advanced Grant, worth EUR 2.5 million, went to Koper Scientific Research Centre historian Borut Klabjan, who explores the history of cross-border practices in the Alps-Adriatic.

Two US Slovenians honoured with Medal of Merit

WASHINGTON - Slovenia has honoured American Slovenians Mark Ryavec and Stephen Antalics with the Medal of Merit for their efforts for the US to recognise independent Slovenia in the early 1990s. Slovenian Ambassador to the US Tone Kajzer handed them the decorations on behalf of President Borut Pahor at the Slovenian Embassy in Washington, DC, on Monday.

Postojna ready to receive orphans from Ukraine

POSTOJNA - A total of 20 orphans from Ukraine, aged 1-7, will arrive in Slovenia in the coming days to be accommodated near Postojna, with Mayor Igor Marentič saying that everything is ready for their arrival and that locals are offering help. The children will presumably arrive on the first day after the May Day holidays, at the start of next week, according to the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. The Ukrainian authorities must still give a go-ahead for their relocation.

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Golob to informally meet Pahor, coalition talks to start Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - Robert Golob, the head of the Freedom Movement party, the election winner, is expected to meet President Borut Pahor informally on Tuesday as the most likely candidate for the prime minister-designate. Talks with the Social Democrats (SD) and Left on forming a new coalition are also expected on that day. Golob discussed the party's priorities and candidates for ministerial posts with Radio Koper, saying his party will also talk potential cooperation with the LMŠ and SAB parties that did not make it into parliament.

Foreign policy analyst expects new govt to pursue moderate rhetoric, continue current govt's good projects

LJUBLJANA - Political analyst Marko Lovec believes that the new government should appear less frequently on the covers of foreign newspapers, pursue a moderate pro-EU policy and "will bring the rhetoric in line with its actual actions in foreign policy". He also hopes it will be mature enough to continue the good projects of the current government, for instance in relations with Croatia, where "things are moving in the right direction and it would be a shame not to continue" from there.

Diplomat Cerar expects new govt to continue active foreign policy

LJUBLJANA - Diplomat Božo Cerar expects the new government to continue the active foreign policy from the past two years. He sees the country's EU and NATO membership, a commitment to good relations with neighbours, and assistance to former Yugoslav countries in their bids to join the EU as the constants in Slovenia's foreign policy, and expects the new government to build on them. The war in Ukraine, active economic diplomacy and Slovenia's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council are the three main tasks ahead for the new government, he said.

Analyst Tomšič does not expect problems with coalition building

LJUBLJANA - Political analyst Matevž Tomšič does not expect the Freedom Movement to have major problems forming a government given that it can pick among several coalition partners and govern with only one other party if necessary. "He'll be able to avoid blackmail or setting of conditions since everyone will be replaceable," Tomšič, a professor at the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica, told the STA. The government is likely to be formed fairly quickly, but this is no guarantee that the coalition will function smoothly, he said.

Analyst: Election outcome defeat for KUL, outgoing govt

LJUBLJANA - Andraž Zorko, director of the pollster Valicon, sees the election outcome as a "cruel" defeat for the KUL coalition of centre-left parties and "quite a bad one" for the Janez Janša government. He believes tactical vote prevailed as voters were keen to defeat Janša. Most of the vote they lost went to Robert Golob's Freedom Movement for a record tally of 40 seats. "History has been made again in Slovenian parliamentary democracy. And it was KUL parties, in particular the LMŠ and SAB, that were the victims of this rise."

Commentator does not see KUL as losers

LJUBLJANA - The result of the election is not a defeat for the informal KUL coalition of centre-left parties despite two of the four dropping out of parliament since they paved the way for Freedom Movement's victory, political commentator, blogger and podcaster Aljaž Pengov Bitenc told the STA. Absent what the KUL parties had been doing for two years, Robert Golob would not have happened. "He was able to achieve such a result based on what they were doing and what civil society movements have been doing. I don't know whether this is defeat," he said.

Chamber of Commerce hoping for good cooperation with new govt

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) expects of the upcoming new ruling coalition to be open to the needs of business and to incorporate measures for the improvement of the business environment into the coalition agreement. Slovenian business executives said on Sunday they would like to see a new government formed as soon as possible, one with a strong majority in parliament and able to overcome the left-right divisions to the benefit of the Slovenian economy.

Youth: Housing, precarious work, mental heath priorities for new govt

LJUBLJANA - The National Youth Council wants the new government to address housing, precarious work and mental health as priorities concerning the young in Slovenia. In a statement for the STA, they said they want to be a key partner when the government starts addressing these issues. It expects the government to systematically address "the hard situation in which the youth have found themselves".

Both minority MPs re-elected

LJUBLJANA - The incumbent MPs for the Italian and Hungarian minorities, Felice Žiža and Ferenc Horváth, secured re-election on Sunday. Žiža got 60.8% of the vote to beat Maurizio Tremul among the members of the Italian community who cast their ballot. In the Hungarian community, Horváth got 58.3% of the vote ahead of Mihael Kasaš (23.2%) and Otto Močnek (18.5%). They expect a constructive relationship with the new government.

Record number of women make it to parliament

LJUBLJANA - As many as 36 women have been elected to the 90-seat National Assembly, which translates into 40% of all MPs, a record figure ever since Slovenia gained independence. The Freedom Movement, the election winner, leads the way - it has not only the largest number of women MPs but more than half of its elected candidates are women.

Pahor to visit Croatia and Germany this week

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will be on two working visits this week - first in Zagreb on Tuesday at the invitation of his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanović, and then in Berlin to meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday, the president's office said. Pahor and Milanović will discuss current issues in the region and Europe, and an in-depth discussion on various topical issues in European and international politics will be on the agenda in Berlin.

Pahor, Janša congratulate Macron on being re-elected

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Janez Janša congratulated Emmanuel Macron on being elected the president of France for a second term in Sunday's run-off of the presidential election. Both believe Slovenia and France will continue with their good cooperation, noting the importance of working together to tackle current challenges and issues.

Fajon leaving European Parliament after being elected MP

LJUBLJANA - Social Democrats (SD) president Tanja Fajon will end her term as member of the European Parliament as she was elected an MP in the Slovenian National Assembly in Sunday's general election. The two posts are incompatible. The name of the successor to her MEP seat will depend on the coalition negotiations with the election winner, the Freedom Movement, said Jure Tanko, an assistant in Fajon's MEP office.

Lenarčič congratulates Golob, looking forward to cooperation

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European commissioner from Slovenia, Janez Lenarčič, who is in charge of crisis management, congratulated Robert Golob and his Freedom Movement party on Sunday on winning the general election in Slovenia. Several MEPs from other countries welcomed the election outcome, whereas European People's Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber lauded the SDS party of Janez Janša for its work in the past two years. The EU Commission meanwhile expectedly declined to comment on the election result.

Signatures filed to parliament to repeal several laws

LJUBLJANA - The 8 March Institute filed to parliament some 10,000 signatures in support of its bill aimed at repealing several government-sponsored laws the NGO finds harmful. We expect the new government to support the bill as its first move, and proceed to address the situation at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, its head Nika Kovač said.

Tourism recovers in first quarter

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded close to 700,000 tourist arrivals in the first quarter of the year, a more than ten-fold increase over the year before and more than in the same period in 2021, Statistics Office figures show. Domestic tourists accounted for roughly 53% of the total, with guests from Croatia, Italy, Austria and Hungary accounting for the bulk of foreign arrivals. Total tourist stays were just below two million.

Covid hospitalisations up slightly despite declining caseload

LJUBLJANA - The number of patients in hospital with Covid has risen slightly despite the continued decrease in the number of new cases, which were down 18% over the week before to 328 on Sunday. The number of those hospitalised with Covid as their primary or secondary condition rose by nine to 230, whereas the number of ICU cases dropped by three to 30. Four patients with Covid died, Health Ministry data show.

Slovenian kid suspected of having hepatitis of unknown origin

LJUBLJANA - One child in Slovenia is suspected of having fallen ill with hepatitis of unknown origin, Mojca Matičič, an infectologist at UKC Ljubljana hospital, told the press. Further test results are yet to come in, but the child's condition is good. She said that scientists are yet to determine what causes the disease, which has been affecting children in Europe and the US.

Prolific painter France Slana dies

ŠKOFJA LOKA - One of Slovenia's most prolific painters France Slana has died, aged 95, several media reported. He was most known for his oil paintings and watercolours, but also for his prints, painted ceramics and tapestries. Slana was a painter of classical themes as his work is centred around landscape, figurative and still-life painting. He was one of the 1964 recipients of the Prešeren Fund Prize.

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Freedom Movement, wins election, centre-left gets majority

LJUBLJANA - Newcomer Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won the general election in a landslide, capturing 34.5% of the vote and an unprecedented 40 seats in the 90-member National Assembly, show near-final results after 98% of the votes have been counted. Preliminary turnout exceeded 68%, the highest since 2000. Prime Minister Janez Janša's Democrats (SDS) lost only one percentage point on 2018 to hit 23.6%, but because only five parties made it to parliament compared to nine four years ago, it increased its number of seats from 25 to 28. The NSi got eight seats on 6.9% of the vote, the SocDems ended with 6.6% and seven seats, and the left with 4.3% and five seats. The overall number of parties that made it to parliament dropped to five from nine as SAB, LMŠ, SNS, DeSUS and Connecting Slovenia failed to make the 4% threshold. Turnout exceeded 68%, the highest since 2000.

Freedom Movement president Golob declares victory

LJUBLJANA - Robert Golob, the head of the new Freedom Movement party, declared a victory that he said would bring freedom into the country. He said true strength lay only in a team, a group of people, and no individual can attain what a cohesive and committed team can. He highlighted the high voter turnout, one of the highest in Slovenia's history, saying this was what gave additional weight to the election outcome. He also noted this came with great responsibility. Civil society has also contributed to the high turnout, he said.

SDS head and departing PM says his party stronger post election

LJUBLJANA - The departing Prime Minister Janez Janša, the leader of the Democrats (SDS), congratulated the relative winner of the general election, Robert Golob, and his Freedom Movement party in his initial reaction to the election outcome. He assessed that the SDS will come out stronger of this election due to a higher number of seats in parliament. Janša thanked all the voters who voted for his party, the SDS's election team and coalition partners. He is glad the voter turnout was high, saying the party wished such a turnout would be seen in every election. This election has displayed people's dissatisfaction with the opposition, he said, as the opposition was "practically swept out of the parliament".

NSi hails improvement in election, will be constructive

LJUBLJANA - The coalition New Slovenia (NSi) secured third place in the election and leader Matej Tonin declared the party would likely be in the opposition in the next term, where it would be constructive as Slovenia is facing many challenges. "New Slovenia is not afraid of challenges that are ahead of us and we will, most probably in the opposition, work hard that Slovenia will be doing better in the future," he added. If it ends up in the opposition, the party will not be a "radical or disruptive opposition", he said, adding that the party had learned that "throwing spanners in the works takes you out of parliament."

SocDems satisfied over attainment of common goal

LJUBLJANA - Social Democrats (SD) leader Tanja Fajon said her party was satisfied over "the attainment of the common goal", meaning that the new government will no longer be centre-right but centre-left. "People have been hungry for change and we must enable this change now." She described the election outcome as an unusual situation since only a handful of parties have made it into parliament. The party has a plan for the future and lots of potential. They will be a "stable factor in the new government to help ensure not just normality but also social justice and democracy".

Left leader Mesec to seek vote of confidence after election flop

LJUBLJANA - As the support for the opposition Left's almost halved compared to the 2018 vote, Left coordinator Luka Mesec said that the result was bad and significantly below expectations. He thus decided to seek a vote of confidence in the entire leadership. The entire executive committee will offer its resignation to the party council on Monday, Mesec told the press after almost all votes have been counted, showing that the Left has won some 4.2% of the vote to get five MPs in the National Assembly. "The offer of resignation means that we will talk about what went wrong. The fact is that the result is not what we had expected," he added.

Unions expect new govt to relaunch social dialogue

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions believe the election outcome shows voters have rejected the direction in which the current Janez Janša government has led Slovenia. They want social dialogue to be restored and a social pact reached under the new government, while the trade union of teachers wants their strike demands to be addressed. The election result shows Slovenia will have a stable majority government which will be much more in favour of democratic decision-making and social dialogue, ZSSS trade union confederation head Lidija Jerkič told the STA.

Doctors expect new govt to tackle issues in healthcare

LJUBLJANA - Medical organisations expect the new government formed after the election to deal with issues in public healthcare system as a priority with one of their demands being proper pay for doctors. FIDES, the trade union of doctors and dentists, said the new government would have to move from promises to action as soon as possible. The Medical Chamber called for a health system that will provide timely, accessible, safe and quality health services to every citizen based on the solidarity principle.

Group led by man with Covid enters Electoral Commission HQ

LJUBLJANA - A group led by ex-soldier Ladislav Troha and dubbed the Conscious Residents of Slovenia came to the seat of the National Electoral Commission (DVK). After they failed to respond to calls to leave the premises and stop obstructing the commission's work, the DVK called the police. Troha is reportedly infected with coronavirus. The group Conscious Residents of Slovenia, consisting of coronavirus deniers and anti-vaccination protesters, stormed the headquarters of the Slovenian public broadcaster last September, managing to get into the newsroom studio before the police intervened.

Minister says persecution of Carinthian Slovenians has left fateful mark

KLAGENFURT, Austria - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch addressed a ceremony in Klagenfurt on Saturday to mark the 80th anniversary of the first wave of persecution of Carinthian Slovenians. She said that the persecution had been an injustice that had not yet been given a proper place in the Austrian and Carinthian history. However, she also pointed to steps towards reconciliation, noting the apology of the Austrian president on the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite and the recent apology of Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser on the 80th anniversary of the persecution, both of which were delivered in Slovenian.

Sip Šempeter sales, profit up significantly in 2021

ŠEMPETER V SAVINJSKI DOLINI - Sip Šempeter, which specialises in the development and production of farm machinery, saw both sales revenue and profit rise in 2021 after a decline a year earlier. Net sales revenue rose by 30% to EUR 42.1 million and net profit jumped by 46% to EUR 4.2 million. According to director Uroš Korže, this is due to higher productivity, and optimisation and digitalisation of work processes as well as good cost management in the face of inflation.

Coronavirus infections continue to drop

LJUBLJANA - A total of 489 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Saturday in what is a continuation of a week-on-week drop in cases. According to the Health Ministry, 221 patients with Covid as their primary or secondary condition are hospitalised, up three from the day before, including 33 in intensive care, five more. Two patients died.

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Covid situation stable

LJUBLJANA - The Covid situation in Slovenia remains stable. A total of 1,043 new case were reported for Friday, down by a fifth on the week before, Health Ministry data show. The overall number of patients with Covid as their primary or secondary condition declined by 26 to 218 and the number of ICU cases stood at 28. Seven people died.

Bosch Rexroth plans to relocate to Brnik

LJUBLJANA - The high-tech company Bosch Rexroth plans to open a new facility at an industrial park close to Ljubljana Airport and move all its existing production and development locations there. The EUR 13.2 million investment is expected to create 123 new jobs supported by a EUR 800,000 incentive from the government, which is yet to be confirmed.

Road haulage exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2021

LJUBLJANA - After dipping in 2020 due to coronavirus and lockdowns, Slovenian road haulage surged in 2021 to exceed pre-pandemic levels, Statistics Office data show. Lorries registered in Slovenia carried 98.9 million tonnes of goods and performed 25 billion tonne-kilometres, respectively up by 9% and 10%.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia reportedly sending tanks to Ukraine in a weapon swap

BERLIN, Germany - The German news agency dpa reported that Germany had concluded agreements to send heavy weapons to Ukraine with several other European countries, including Slovenia, which would send its tanks to Ukraine in return for tanks and armoured personnel carriers from Germany's own stock. The Slovenian Defence Ministry initially said it could not comment, but then told the STA that Defence Minister Matej Tonin and his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht discussed via video call on Wednesday "how allied countries can help Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, and from this aspect, various ways in which Slovenia and Germany can jointly help Ukraine".

Janša and Blinken discuss support for Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined in a phone call the need to continue supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity with strong security support. Blinken thanked Slovenia for its clear support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Janša expressed gratitude for the US's strategically important role in providing security of the European NATO members and for its diplomatic, humanitarian and defence efforts to help Ukraine. The pair also condemned the atrocities of the Russian forces in the war against Ukraine and stressed that Moscow should be held accountable, Janša's office said.

Turnout reaches almost 5% in first two days of early voting

LJUBLJANA - A total of 84,209 people or 4.97% of all eligible voters cast their ballots in the first two days of the three-day early voting for the 24 April general election, a significant increase over what was already a record turnout in early voting for the waters act referendum last July. The figure also exceeds the overall turnout for the 2018 early voting, which was at 3.1%.

Valicon expects tough battle for election victory, high turnout

LJUBLJANA - Pollster Valicon expects a tough battle for election victory this Sunday. The Freedom Movement is just slightly ahead of the Democrats (SDS) and the Social Democrats (SD), New Slovenia (NSi) and the Left will most probably get into parliament. The fate of three parties - Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and Connecting Slovenia - is to be decided by tactical voters. Resni.ca and the Pirates may also become parliamentary parties, but the actual turnout will be decisive. Valicon estimates the turnout will be at around 68%, at least 62% but possibly even at 73%.

SD says it will be cornerstone of stability in next govt

LJUBLJANA - The Social Democrats (SD) will continue defending the fundamental values of social justice and democracy, SD leader Tanja Fajon said as she addressed the party's last major event before the general election. She is convinced that the SD will be the cornerstone of stability in the new government. "We'll protect the social justice of Slovenia, we will guarantee that we have democracy in the country, that all people live in freedom." Judging by the high turnout in early voting, Fajon believes that voters want change, a new start.

Parliamentary speaker urges votes to go to the polls

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič urged voters to go to the polls this Sunday, as he termed the general election "a holiday of democracy" in a statement. Zorčič, who is not standing for election, called on voters to take a decision on their future and vote for those whom them trust. Some 1.7 voters will head to the polls on Sunday in what will be the ninth election for a new, 90-seat parliament. The newly-elected MPs are expected to hold their maiden session on 13 May.

Slovenian pavilion opens at 59th Venice Biennale (adds)

VENICE, Italy - The Slovenian pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale opened with the exhibition of paintings by Marko Jakše, one of Slovenia's most acclaimed painters, known for his surrealist Daliesque canvases. Jakše represents Slovenia at the prestigious visual art exhibition with the Without a Master display, which brings 13 canvases the 62-year-old artist has made in this century. The pavilion was inaugurated by Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti, but Jakše could not attend the opening.

Illegal crossings of border up almost 80% in first quarter

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police recorded 2,023 attempts at illegal crossing of the border in the first three months of the year, an increase of 77.5% over the same period last year. Afghanis accounted for over a third of all those intercepted, the latest police statistics show. A total of 664 migrants were returned to foreign law enforcement, a 60% increase over the year before, with the vast majority returned to Croatia.

Poll shows Slovenians increasingly distrustful of media

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians are increasingly distrustful of the education system and teachers and the media and journalists with the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija sinking most in their regard, a Velicon poll suggests. The Covid-19 epidemic caused major shifts in public trust in institutions and professions, but as the police and healthcare and doctors have since regained some trust in the eyes of the public, media and education keep loosing it. Slovenian small businesses continue to top the ranking of trustworthy institutions, the level of trust in which has increased further since the last poll in October 2021 to 65 on the scale of -100 to +100.

Heating oil price regulation extended by a month

LJUBLJANA - The government extended the regulation of heating oil prices under which retailers' margin is capped at six cents per litre. The decree entered into force today and is valid for 30 days. The base price to which the margin is added is calculated as a 14-day average price that takes into account prices on Mediterranean markets, the euro-dollar exchange rate and several other variables.

Telekom Slovenije net profit up 52% to EUR 38m last year, revenue flat

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije posted a group net profit of EUR 37.9 million for 2021, an increase of 52% over the year before, on sales revenue that was broadly flat at EUR 648.2 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, amortisation and depreciation (EBITDA) totalled EUR 220.8 million, an increase of 5%, with earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reaching EUR 51.7 million in 2021, up 21%, the company said. The group earmarked a total of EUR 208.2 million for investments in 2021.

Petrol shareholders to get EUR 30 dividend

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of energy company Petrol decided to distribute practically the entire distributable profit from last year, or EUR 61.8 million, meaning that they will receive EUR 30 gross per share, which is EUR 8 more than in 2021. The shareholders also confirmed the management's proposal to split one Petrol share into 20 shares in order to improve liquidity and attract new investors. The revevant procedures will get under way on 19 August to no cost or inconvenience to the shareholders.

Bad bank ups pre-tax profit by 57% to EUR 63m last year

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company finished 2021 with EUR 178.4 million in revenue from asset management and a pre-tax profit of EUR 63.2 million, up by 57% year-on-year. The average annual return on equity, whose target value under law is set at 8%, reached 25%, the annual report shows. From its inception in March 2013 until the end of last year, the bad bank generated over EUR 2.083 billion in revenue, which is 100.2% of the cumulative transferred value of assets it got from commercial banks.

SID Bank reports profit surge as lending up by 10%

LJUBLJANA - SID Banka, the state-owned development bank, nearly trebled net profit in 2021 to EUR 24 million while keeping up high-level of crediting to help the economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The volume of lending was up by about 10%. The bank's total assets declined by 2.5% in a year to EUR 2.83 billion as of the end of 2021, which is still 18% above the figure in 2019 before the Covid-19 crisis. In the introduction to the annual report, SID Banka CEO Damijan Dolinar said 2021 was a period of the economy's adjustment in the wake contraction caused by Covid-19 where the bank helped by retaining a high level of financing.

Mutual fund managers call for favourable taxation to encourage investment

LJUBLJANA - Mutual fund management companies, looking for ways to popularise investments in funds as deposits in banks are reaching record levels, addressed a call ahead of the general election for a more favourable taxation in order to encourage investments. "We expect from the new government equal treatment in terms of regulation of tax incentives for all players on the capital market," said Mira Koporčić Veljić of the Slovenian Investment Fund Association.

Nova KBM shareholders allocate almost EUR 109m for dividends

MARIBOR - The shareholders of Nova KBM bank decided that almost EUR 109 million of last year's distributable profit will be allocated for dividends, or EUR 10.89 gross per share, according to the minutes of last week's shareholder meeting. The bank's distributable profit stood at EUR 446.52 million, with EUR 337.59 remaining undistributed.

Public health institute proposes priority vaccination for Ukrainian children

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health proposed that Ukrainian child refugees be vaccinated in line with the vaccination schedule in place for Slovenian children, arguing it was of paramount importance for public health in the country that refugees be vaccinated. Jabs against measles and polio have been singled out as a top priority for children in the event they do not have written documentation or it cannot be reliably proven otherwise that they have been inoculated against the two viruses.

Coronavirus cases down by fifth on week before

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,255 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, a week-on-week decrease of almost 20%. Hospital numbers declined, Health Ministry data show. Three patients with Covid-19 died. The overall number of patients with Covid stood at 245 this morning, down by 14, of whom 99 were in hospital with Covid as their primary diagnosis, down by six.

New gene bank for Šentjernej rooster opens

ŠENTJERNEJ - A new gene bank with some 100 specimens of the Šentjernej rooster breed opened in Šentjernej, south-east, today. The project is a collaboration of the cultural and ethnological association Gallus Bartholomaeus, the Agriculture Ministry and the Department of Natural Sciences at Ljubljana's Biotehnical Faculty. Some EUR 20,000 were annually invested in the the project by 2010, with the ministry and the faculty funding experts, while breeders helped cover the remaining costs.

Translator Koncut conferred French Arts and Letters Order

LJUBLJANA - The French Institute in Slovenia decorated translator Suzana Koncut with the rank of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters for her work in literary translation, notably in the past six years. The second-rank cross was conferred on Koncut on Wednesday for her numerous translations of French plays, works on humanities and social sciences, as well as comics.

Maribor launches bike share system

MARIBOR - The city of Maribor launched a bicycle sharing system called Mbajk that currently comprises 21 docking stations and 210 bicycles spread across the broader area of the city centre. The first hour of rental is free of charge. The system is scheduled to officially open after the May Day holidays. The bikes are for single-ride hire, not for multi-hour or full-day hire.

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This summary is provided by the STA: