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Catch up with the news from Slovenia, wherever you are
17 Oct 2021, 04:39 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 17 October 2021

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: 

SocDems set out election manifesto

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) set out their election manifesto with the promise of a new beginning and major changes over the next decade. In her address to the party conference, SD leader Tanja Fajon described the programme as a development-oriented vision which came in response to people's desire for change. The manifesto includes proposals to boost public healthcare and value added of the economy, raise the minimum wage and pensions and gradually reduce work week to 32 hours, as well as measures to move to climate neutrality. It will be adopted early next year after a broad public debate.

Coronavirus count hits six-month high

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 1,437 coronavirus cases on Friday in what is the highest daily tally since 30 March. This was as one out of four PCR tests came back positive, according to the National Institute of Public Health. Government reported four more Covid-19 fatalities as hospitalisations dropped to just below 400 and ICU cases rose to 119. The 7-day average of new cases increased to 927 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 people to 573.

Diplomatic charity bazaar held in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian International Ladies' Association held its annual charity bazaar in the centre of Ljubljana. Organised with the help of 35 embassies, the event was held early this year so it could take place outdoors after it was cancelled last year due to lockdown. The bazaar featured a number of stalls with culinary delights and unique products from various countries and a lively programme for children and grown-ups. The proceeds will be allocated to charities and institutions helping children.

Bill put forward to boost investment in green transition

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Ministry has put forward a bill to amend the investment promotion act in a bid to shift emphasis from labour-intensive to capital-intensive investments for green transition. The bill will make it possible to draw EUR 88.5 million in incentives from the European Recovery and Resilience Fund. The bill is seen as one of the first and key reform and investment measures under the national recovery and resilience plan. The proposal is subject to public consultation until 18 October.

Most power suppliers do not plan price hikes for households this year

LJUBLJANA - After Slovenia's largest energy company Petrol announced earlier this week that it will increase the price of electricity in December, some predicted that other suppliers would follow, but most suppliers now say that their prices of electricity for households will not increase until next year. However, most companies also said that increases could very well happen in 2022, as purchase prices are rising, having increased by more than 200% on international markets in the last year.

Catch up with the news from Slovenia, wherever you are
16 Oct 2021, 04:43 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 16 October 2021

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: 

EP mission concerned about tone of public debate in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the European Parliament's committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE) visiting Slovenia on a fact-finding mission expressed concern mainly at the tone of public debate, while also calling for the issues of STA funding and European delegated prosecutor appointments to be addressed urgently. After three days of meetings in Slovenia, the delegation is returning to Brussels to compile a report, but in their first observations they find that "public institutions in Slovenia work well", something the delegation's head Dutch MEP Sophie in 't Veld (Renew) described as reassuring. However, she said the delegation was struck by "members of the government engaging in kind of debate which I think is unfitting for civilised and democratic society".

Responding to PM Janša's tweet, EU reps say no space for anti-Semitism

BRUSSELS, Belgium - There is no room for anti-Semitism in the EU and social networks are no place for personal attacks, the European Commission said in response to a tweet by Prime Minister Janez Janša which sparked an avalanche of criticism. "We do not comment on comments, but let me make a few points clear. Social media should be a space for constructive and respectful debate, it should not be a place for personal attacks against individuals, as was the case with the tweet you mentioned," EU Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said.

Speaker says govt dismantling Slovenia's legal system

PORTOROŽ - Speaker Igor Zorčič has accused the government of destroying the legal system and subjugating it to its political goals. He pointed to rule by decree, disregard of media legislation, and dismissive attitude to members of a fact-finding mission of the European Parliament as examples of this. "When a branch of government does not honour the law, ignores it, and tailors it to its needs, then it is clear that the rule of law is being dismantled," he told the Days of Slovenian Jurists yesterday.

Slovenian MEP presents her take on fact-finding mission

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian MEP Romana Tomc, a member of the ruling Democrats (SDS), presented her view on the European Parliament's fact-finding mission to Slovenia, a member of which she has been over the past three days. The mission's main finding is that institutions function well, she said, but complained about its secrecy and non-transparency. Tomc, who was a member of the fact-finding mission as a representative of the European People's Party (EPP), took to Twitter saying the mission had found no major systemic violations by the government that would call for action on the part of the European Commission or Parliament.

Opposition say PM's tweets shameful, harmful for Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition condemned PM Janez Janša's response to the visit of a fact-finding mission of the European Parliament, in particular his tweets. These were labelled as harmful and detrimental to Slovenia's international image. It also urged the junior coalition partners to distance themselves from this or exit the government to enable an early election. Matej Tonin, the head of the coalition New Slovenia (NSi), urged Janša to apologise, whereas the head of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) Zdravko Počivalšek said he did not support such statements by the PM. Responding indirectly to the developments, President Borut Pahor said that impolite or even intolerant statements should be first and foremost resisted by the top state representatives, because their views can also be seen as the views of the state.

Rok Svetlič nominated Constitutional Court judge

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor nominated philosophy of law professor Rok Svetlič for a post on the Constitutional Court, in what is the fourth attempt in over a year to find a candidate who has cross-partisan support at the National Assembly. "After consultations with the leaders of all deputy groups and minority MPs, the president has concluded that Svetlič has sufficient support," Pahor's office said. The move comes after opposition factions voiced scepticism about anyone being electable in a hung parliament.

Commitment voiced to boost ties as Georgian foreign minister visits

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Georgia expressed a commitment to boost ties, in particular in trade, as Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted his counterpart David Zalkaliani. The ministers had a constructive discussion on various topics, advocating for enhancing bilateral cooperation in various areas, in particular in trade. Logar told reporters he was confident Georgia's new consulate in the seaside town of Portorož would contribute to that. Meanwhile, Zalkaliani expressed Georgia's full commitment to the EU.

Defence Minister Tonin visits Montenegro

PODGORICA, Montenegro - Defence Minister Matej Tonin was on a working visit to Montenegro to meet his counterpart Olivera Injac in Podgorica and attend the To Be Secure international security forum in Budva, the Defence Ministry said in a press release. The ministers were happy the activities they had agreed at their recent meetings were being implemented at military level and in other fields within the powers of the defence ministries. Tonin outlined the Slovenian EU presidency's activities to get the countries in the region closer to the EU, foremost the efforts regarding the common security and defence policy. At the To Be Secure forum, he pointed to the need to reflect on a new strategic concept, noting that as the EU presiding country, Slovenia advocated strengthening the NATO-EU strategic partnership.

MPs to conduct oversight at police HQ over crackdown on 5 October protest

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission will visit the police headquarters on Monday over the crackdown on the 5 October protest in Ljubljana in the wake of media reports suggesting the operation had been run by government officials, including Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and State Secretary for National Security at the PM's Office Žan Mahnič. Matjaž Nemec, the commission chair, said the delegation would conduct an interview with Police Commissioner Anton Olaj over developments pertaining to the protests and the police force's response. "We would like to check a great deal of facts within our remit," he said.

Unions urge MPs to vote down laws not subject to social dialogue

LJUBLJANA - The country's major trade unions called on the National Assembly to vote down legislative proposals that have not been talked through on the tripartite forum featuring the government, employers and unions as they accused the government of ignoring social dialogue. "We expect of MPs to reject the bills that are already in the parliamentary procedure but have not been coordinated on the Economic and Social Council," said Branimir Štrukelj, the head of the KSJS association of public sector trade. Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj responded by saying the door had been open to the social partners all along. This can be seen from "a number of ESS sessions and legislative proposals that we have discussed and harmonised with the social partners", he said in a press release.

EU ministers urge considering social aspects in future economic measures

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - EU employment and social affairs ministers met to discuss the future of the European Semester, arguing that future economic measures and reforms should take social dimensions into account in a consistent manner. The ministers held a "broad debate" on the future of the European Semester, with a strong role attributed to the European Pillar of Social Rights, Slovenia's Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Janez Cigler Kralj, who chaired the meeting, told a press conference.

Over 2,000 promised bonuses for security during W Balkans summit

LJUBLJANA - The government decided that police officers who provided security during the EU-Western Balkans summit on 5 and 6 October will receive performance bonuses, as will civil servants who participated in the security arrangements for the event. A total of 2,380 staff will thus receive bonus pay. While formal decisions have not been issued yet, it is expected that the eligible civil servants will receive bonuses equalling 10% or 20% of their base pay, at a total cost of EUR 875,000.

Demographic office gets acting director

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Danilo Lončarič acting director of the Government Office for Demographic Affairs as of today. The appointment comes after the government decided a month ago to postpone the launch of the new office until Friday, 15 October. Lončarič was appointed for the period until a full-fledged director is appointed through a call for applications, but for no more than six months, the Government Communication Office said after the correspondence session.

Govt tweaks exemptions from quarantine, donates vaccines to COVAX

LJUBLJANA - The government changed a decree setting out exemptions from mandatory quarantine after a high-risk contact, so that those vaccinated against Covid-19 will be exempted from this indefinitely for now. Those inoculated against Covid-19 have been so far exempted from compulsory self-isolation for up to nine months after becoming fully immunised, but now this condition will be lifted as epidemiologists consider the protection to last indefinitely until new facts are known and it is clear when a booster dose will be needed. The government also decided to donate an estimated 578,336 doses of the Vaxzevria vaccine, manufactured by AstraZeneca, to the COVAX facility.

Health Committee happy with more funds as it debates 2022, 2023 budgets

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee discussed the draft national budgets for 2022 and 2023 when the Health Ministry's budgets will stand at EUR 683 million and almost EUR 524 million, respectively. The drop in funds in 2023 is largely a result of less funds envisaged for managing the Covid-19 epidemic. State Secretary Robert Cugelj said the ministry's funds in the draft supplementary budget for 2022 are by EUR 389.7 million higher than planned when the 2022 budget was passed last November. A great deal of the rise is due to epidemic financing, investment (EUR 142 million), long-term care and health insurance for the socially deprived. Several opposition MPs welcomed a rise in funds for healthcare, but highlighted the fact that the state has to borrow to finance the budget.

Diesel hits new record

LJUBLJANA - The price of diesel at petrol stations along Slovenian motorways has reached a record high of around EUR 1.49 per litre. The previous record price of diesel was in October 2018, when drivers had to pay EUR 1.464 per litre, show Economy Ministry price data. Elsewhere in the country, diesel costs from EUR 1.402 to EUR 1.472 per litre, depending on location and provider. Regular petrol currently sells at around EUR 1.389 per litre, which is still below EUR 1.576 recorded in September 2012.

Slovenia plans purchase of new building for Brussels diplomatic mission

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The government approved the purchase of a new building in Brussels to house Slovenia's permanent representation to the EU and the embassy in Belgium, which are currently using rented premises from which they have to move by August 2023. The government decided to buy new premises rather than renovate Slovenia's old diplomatic building, which is considered inadequate from a security point of view. The project is worth EUR 21 million. The move to the new premises is planned for mid-2023.

Epidemiological curve continues to rise

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,100 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday for a test positivity rate of 21.4%, up more than 30% from a week ago. Another five Covid-19 patients have died, according to government data. Today, 403 patients are in hospitals, down three from the day before, including 116 in intensive care, one fewer than yesterday. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population increased by six to 552.

Govt urged again to change rules on when Covid pass becomes valid

MURSKA SOBOTA/LJUBLJANA - The advisory committee on immunisation and the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) have once again asked the government to change the system whereby a person's Covid pass becomes valid immediately after they are vaccinated. They propose that happens seven or 14 days after full vaccination. "We still think so, the ministry has been acquainted with this, but it is hard to say what will happen," Bojana Beović, head of the advisory committee, told the STA. The Health Ministry responded by saying that the decree on this matter only specified when a person obtains a valid vaccination certificate, but not that they have achieved protection from the virus through vaccination.

TV Slovenija news programme editor steps down

LJUBLJANA - Manica Janežič Ambrožič, the TV news programme editor at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, stepped down, saying she had decided to do so because she disagreed with changes to the programme and production plan for TV Slovenija's news programme for next year, RTV Slovenija said in a statement. The RTV Slovenija management labelled her move as a "complete surprise", and TV Slovenija acting director Valentin Areh urged her not to step down today. The public broadcaster also said that minor changes to the programme and production plan were necessary. For the time being, Janežič Ambrožič will stay on as acting TV news programme editor. TV Slovenija's news programmes staff and the Slovenian Journalist Trade Union (SNS) regretted Janežič Ambrožič's resignation. Both are worried about the planned cut in news programmes, which the SNS believes will take the public broadcaster away from European standards.

One in ten fails to take PCR test after positive rapid test

LJUBLJANA - Since Slovenia introduced a system to double check all positive coronavirus rapid antigen tests with the more reliable PCR tests, more than 4,000 of those who tested positive in screening tests have failed to take a PCR test and as a result have not been ordered to self-isolate and could have spread the infection. Marko Kern of the national Covid-19 tracker site reckons that out of those more than 4,000 people, infection would have likely been confirmed in around 3,300 individuals in PCR tests.

REM opens new business and production centre in Trebnje

TREBNJE - REM, a Trebnje-based manufacturer of prefabricated construction modules, opened a new business and production centre in the local industrial zone. The project, worth more than EUR 15 million and expected to create over 50 new jobs, was supported by a EUR 2.6 million government grant. In what is the company's largest single investment so far, REM plans to unify and automate production and increase capacity in the three existing locations.

Another automotive supplier forced to lay off workers

SLOVENJ GRADEC - With the global automotive industry running low on semiconductor chips and orders from car makers to car part suppliers cut, the Slovenj Gradec-based company Dani AFC has announced that it is forced to reduce its 304-strong workforce by a third. The company, which produces leather seat covers for high-end marques, is preparing a redundancy plan for some 100 workers, while its director Jožef Horvat hopes that the actual number of lay-offs will be lower.

Slovenian community in Italy marks 70th anniversary of its weekly

SAN PIETRO, Italy - The Slovenian community in the Italian region of Slavia Friulana will mark on Friday the 70th anniversary of its weekly Matajur, which is now called Novi Matajur. The newspaper of Slovenians living in the province of Udine, Italy, was first issued in 1950, but the celebration was moved to this year because of Covid. The anniversary, which was originally planned last year, will be marked tonight with the opening of an exhibition at the gallery of the Slovenian Culture Centre in San Pietro.

Swiss embassy celebrates 20th anniversary with special event

LJUBLJANA - The Embassy of Switzerland in Slovenia celebrated its 20th anniversary with a grand jubilee event at the Švicarija arts centre in Ljubljana's Tivoli Park. The cultural and culinary event entitled Tradition Meets Innovation included the showcasing of a robot preparing one of Switzerland's national dishes, cheese fondue. President Borut Pahor and Swiss Ambassador Denis Knobel addressed the event, and a special message by Swiss President Guy Parmelin was read out on his behalf. All of them highlighted outstanding relations between the two countries.

Catch up with the news from Slovenia, wherever you are
15 Oct 2021, 05:07 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 15 October 2021

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: 

Janša under fire over "Soros puppets" tweet

LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša faced criticism after publishing a tweet implying that many members of the European Parliament are "Soros puppets". "We urgently call on Janša to cease the provocations against members of the European Parliament. Attacks on members of this house are also attacks on European citizens," European Parliament President David Sassoli said on Twitter. Janša tweeted, and then deleted an image with the heading "13 of the 226 known Soros puppets in the EU parliament". Several MEPs accused him of anti-Semitism.

Government not planning to act on energy prices yet

LJUBLJANA - The government got acquainted with the current price trends in energy markets and decided not to take any action for now. "Slovenia is on the safe side for now, but it is absolutely necessary to invest more in renewables and in new nuclear technologies," Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said. The government set up a task force led by Vrtovec to keep an eye on the situation. It also got acquainted with the toolbox of measures presented by the EU Commission yesterday to tackle high prices. "It determined there is no need at this point for Slovenia to take any action. But if that is required, we are ready," he said.

Pahor, Čaputova praise W Balkans declaration, excellent relations

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Slovakian presidents, Borut Pahor and Zuzana Čaputova, praised bilateral relations as excellent as Čaputova paid an official visit. They stressed the role of cooperation at bilateral and EU levels to address social, political and economic challenges, and welcomed the EU-Western Balkans summit. The visit is "an expression of excellent bilateral relations, which are truly friendly, without open issues", Pahor said, while Čaputova said that challenges faced by Slovenia and Slovakia, including in dealing with the Covid pandemic, were also discussed.

Impasse over appointment of EU delegated prosecutors continues

LJUBLJANA - The Prosecution Council again rejected the government's stance that the first procedure for the appointment of European delegated prosecutors was not lawful and cannot be revisited. The council said it did not intend to come up with new candidates for Slovenia's two posts in the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), arguing that the first procedure has not yet been concluded given to recent decision by the Administrative Court.

Energy Chamber and businesses urge action in response to price hikes

LJUBLJANA - Soaring global energy prices are raising concerns in Slovenia, in particular in energy-intensive industry, which is already scaling down production in response to the situation. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and the Energy Chamber are calling on the government to act. Pots-pandemic recovery is one reason for the record-high hikes, but deeper reasons are linked to transition from fossil to renewable energy sources with prices of emission coupons going up as well, Ana Vučina Vršnak, the executive director of the Energy Chamber, has told the STA in an interview.

Left seeks for MPs to call on govt to regulate energy prices

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left demanded for the parliamentary committees on infrastructure and social affairs to meet for a joint emergency session due to soaring energy prices. One of their proposals is regulating gas and power prices for end users. Even though end users in Slovenia are not yet feeling the full extent of huge hikes in global gas prices due to sufficient stockpiles and prices guaranteed in long-term contracts the gas wholesaler Geoplin has with Russian suppliers, energy prices have started to go up for end consumers as well, the party said.

Proposal put forward to legalise assisted death

LJUBLJANA - Srebrna Nit, an association campaigning for dignified old age, has drawn up a bill to legalise assisted death in Slovenia. The NGO said their proposal would only permit assisted suicide, while euthanasia would only be possible as an exception. The proposal will first be subject to a six-month public consultation, after which it will be amended and submitted to parliament, backed by 5,000 signatures.

Pahor and Mattarella to visit twin border cities next week

LJUBLJANA - The presidents of Slovenia and Italy, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella, will visit Nova Gorica and Gorizia, the cities on each side of the Slovenian-Italian border, next Thursday to hail their title as the 2025 European Capital of Culture. On the occasion Pahor will decorate Mattarella with Slovenia's top state honour.

New coronavirus case count up 11% week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 1,081 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday in what is an 11% increase week-on-week. The test positivity rate stood at 20.1%. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population increased by seven to 546, and the rolling seven-day average of new daily cases was up by as many as 30 to 811. The government said that hospitalisations were down by 14 to 406 Covid-19 patients, of whom 117 are in intensive care, down by five compared to yesterday. Three Covid-19 patients died.

Beekeepers to receive EUR 1.3m in aid

LJUBLJANA - The state will allocate EUR 1.28 million in budget funds for aid to beekeepers who were hit by frost this year, the government decided. According to the Slovenian Beekeepers' Association, this year's season was the worst on record. The government's decree is the basis for providing aid to beekeepers who recorded a drop in revenue due to lower production.

New state secretary appointed at PM's office

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Polona Rifelj as state secretary at Prime Minister Janez Janša's office, effective on 20 October. She will join the eight other state secretaries there. Rifelj has been the head of Celje's main library since 2013. Prior to that she worked at the Celje municipality and the Agriculture Ministry, and in local media outlets.

Media advertising revenue down 10% last year

LJUBLJANA - Total revenue from advertising in leading media in Slovenia dropped by a good 10% to EUR 250 million in 2020 compared to 2019. The biggest drop was recorded in outdoor advertising and the smallest in print media, shows the annual report compiled by the magazine Marketing Magazin. Advertising revenue of print media has been falling for several years, and last year the biggest drop was witnessed by the newspaper Večer (-17%).

Pakistani smugglers of migrants sentenced to prison, expulsion

LJUBLJANA - Three Pakistani citizens were sentenced on Wednesday to prison for organising illegal transport of foreigners across Slovenia as part of a criminal ring, and will also be expelled from the country for several years, Dnevnik reported. The prosecution held that 12 members of the ring organised and transported, or cooperated in, unlawful transport of foreigners from the Croatian to Italian border, or from the Ljubljana Asylum Centre to Italy, in June 2019 and in June-to-October 2020. Among them were four Ljubljana taxi drivers, and three security guards from the asylum centre.

Two dead in shooting incident in Domžale

DOMŽALE - A 44-year-old and a 71-year-old died in a shooting incident in the Domžale area on Wednesday afternoon in what appears to be a murder suicide. The 44-year-old reportedly shot his father before committing suicide. The Ljubljana Police Department told the STA last night the police had been informed of the shooting at around 6:30pm yesterday. As officers arrived at the scene, they found two dead bodies in a house, and a rifle. The information gathered so far suggest that the young man shot the older man before shooting himself, the police said today.

Catch up with the news from Slovenia, wherever you are
14 Oct 2021, 04:40 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 14 October 2021

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: 

EU parliament fact-finding mission starts visit

LJUBLJANA - A fact-finding mission of the European Parliament started its visit to Slovenia with the head of the delegation, Dutch MEP Sophie in 't Veld (Renew), saying their goal was to gather facts not bring down the government. The head of the DRFMG monitoring group for democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights said the idea was to meet as many representatives of various spectres of society and institutions to get as wide as possible insight into developments in the country. She hopes they can meet Prime Minister Janez Janša sometime until Friday although a meeting has not been scheduled.

Janša for more inclusion of local and regional communities

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša outlined the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency to the European Committee of the Regions, highlighting post-Covid recovery, green transition and the EU's strategic autonomy, while also touching on subsidiarity. He argued for a greater degree of inclusion of local and regional communities and called for respecting subsidiarity and the fact that EU countries are representative democracies as a way to bring the EU closer to citizens.

Parliamentary inquiry told about pressure and reassignments in police force

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into alleged political interference in the police force conducted first interviews, hearing from the former leadership of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) about pressures during supervisions over the work of the NBI, as well as abut dismissals and reassignments under the current government. The session also dealt with the police search at the home of Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek in the summer of 2020 and whether he might have been forewarned.

One candidate for Constitutional Court potentially electable

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor indicated that one of the four candidates for Constitutional Court judge may have a chance to be appointed by the National Assembly, but he plans to undertake "additional inquiries" after completing a round of consultations with all deputy groups. "There are indications of sufficient support" for Rok Svetlič, an associate professor on philosophy of law who teaches at two private Slovenian law schools, the Alma Mater Europaea and the European Law School, Pahor's office said.

350 to lose jobs as Revoz scales down production

NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of Renault, announced it would scale down production over the uncertain situation in the car industry, switching from two to one and a half shifts in mid-November. As a result around 350 of the company's more than 2,400 workers will lose their jobs. A daily output of 650 cars will be reduced to 480. The company is "committed" to helping the displaced workers find new jobs together with the Employment Service and partner agencies, pointing to great demand in the labour market.

Tensions run high but weekly protest passes off peacefully

LJUBLJANA - Tensions were running high in Ljubljana as opponents of Covid-19 restrictions took to the stress for the fifth consecutive week, disrupting traffic in the town centre for several hours. A water cannon was at the ready as the police sought to disperse the crowd, but was not used. Unlike the week before the protest passed off peacefully, although police apprehended several protesters and used tear gas against individuals.

Slovenia records 1,227 new coronavirus cases in renewed uptick

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,227 new cases of coronavirus for Tuesday, the second day in a row that the case count increased on a weekly level. Almost 22% of all PCR tests came back positive. Another five Covid-19 patients died. Hospitalisations decreased to 420 as ICU cases were up by six to 122, according to government data. The National Institute of Public Health estimates there are currently some 11,500 active cases in the country. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped by ten to 539.

Ruling in STA debt enforcement claim expected by early December

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Court said that it would hand down a ruling in a debt enforcement case brought by the STA against the Government Communication Office (UKOM) at the end of November or early December. Judge Jelka Rozman said this was a purely legal issue that did not require testimony by witnesses, hence rejecting a proposal by the State Solicitor General to hear as a witness UKOM director Uroš Urbanija. Outgoing STA director Bojan Veselinovič said the matter could end up at the Higher Court, which makes it impossible to say how long it might take for any decision to become final.

Foreign Policy Committee goes through 2022-2023 budgets

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Policy Committee discussed the draft budgets for the Foreign Ministry for 2022 and 2023, which stand at EUR 131.96 million and EUR 109.15 million, respectively, down from EUR 148.93 million for this year. FM Anže Logar announced some of the funds in 2022 would be invested in improving the security of communication systems between diplomatic and consular offices. He also announced that Slovenia intended to open a new diplomatic and consular representation office, with the location yet to be selected.

Vrtovec discusses sustainable air transport post-pandemic

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec is attending in Brussels a conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation on sustainable air transport post-Covid pandemic. He is discussing pandemic-related challenges with the aim of ensuring greater commitment of the contracting states to post-pandemic recovery. While air transport in Europe is not far from pre-pandemic level, recovery of inter-continental travel is expected to take longer, which is why a lot of effort will need to be invested at ICAO level to revive global air travel, he said.

DeSUS MPs are not planning to change course

LJUBLJANA - After the council of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) adopted a resolution yesterday denying the government any further support, the party's MPs said they were planning to continue with the same course of action as so far where they agree what their vote will be on each legislative proposal on a case-by-case basis. Speaking to reporters, both MP Branko Simonovič and Ivan Hršak said they would continue to support proposals that they thought were good for the party and its voters.

Top innovators honoured

LJUBLJANA - Products developed by nine Slovenian companies, including foldable skis, a special steel, and cutting-edge valves, were honoured as top innovations as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) honoured the country's best innovators on Tuesday evening. The Occupational Activity Centre Zasavje won a special commendation for a project called Building an Inclusive, Innovative and Connected Zasavje, which was also the innovation of the year as selected by the public. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the innovators were the flag-bearers in the transition from the "commercialisation of brawn to commercialisation of brain".

Tourism to shift focus from numbers to quality

POSTOJNA - Tourism is in for a challenging period of recovery and transformation after the pandemic, agreed participants of Days of Slovenian Tourism in Postojna. "If we merely wanted to return to pre-pandemic times, we would have missed a valuable lesson. Now is the time for improvement and upgrades," said Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek. The event called for new indicators of success, focusing on the satisfaction of tourists and local population. Climate expert Lučka kajfež Bogataj urged applying indicators of green tourism such as the use of energy per night and the carbon footprint of visitors.

European audiovisual and media content discussed in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - A two-day international conference held as part of the Slovenian EU presidency in Ljubljana discussed the accessibility and competitiveness of European audiovisual and media content. Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti said only a strong European audiovisual sector could be competitive on the global market. Giuseppe Abbamonte, who is in charge of media policy at the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology at the Commission, said the Commission was monitoring the trends in audiovisual and media industries to make sure that European contents were not excluded.

Indigo Festival brings Varoufakis-Žižek talk, Mouse on Mars concert

LJUBLJANA - The 6th Indigo Festival, running at Cukrarna in Ljubljana until Friday, brings a series of events to offer a reflection on some of the most pressing issues of today's world under the slogan Mass Hypnosis. A talk between Slovenian philosopher of world renown Slavoj Žižek and Greek economist and left-wing movement DiEM leader Yanis Varoufakis is scheduled for 21 October. The organisers say the talk will be "far from a polite exchange of opinions by two like-minded colleagues".

Photo portraits by Nadar on show at National Gallery

LJUBLJANA - Masterpieces of Portraiture, an exhibition showcasing 41 portraits by the French 19th century photographer known as Nadar, opened at the National Gallery. Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, known from his 20s as Nadar, is credited with having significantly contributed to the development of photography as art. Some of his subjects include the writers Victor Hugo, George Sand, Charles Baudelaire, Emile Zola and Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, and the painters Eugene Delacroix, Gustave Courbet and Edouard Manet.

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13 Oct 2021, 05:07 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 13 October 2021

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: 

Logar vows Slovenia's support for Bosnia's EU accession efforts

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar assured his Bosnian counterpart Bisera Turković of Slovenia's support for Bosnia-Herzegovina's EU accession process, including when it comes to reforms the country needs to adopt to join the bloc. Turković said her country was ready for EU candidate status. Logar told Turković during her working visit that "empty statements saying the EU has no serious desire for enlargement should not and cannot be a reason to stall reforms".

EU ministers call for unified criteria regarding Covid pass

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The informal meeting of the EU health ministers in Brdo pri Kranju called for as unified as possible criteria for the implementation of the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule. Speaking after the hybrid event, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides also called for coordination. Asked about more unified rules regarding vaccination against Covid-19, Slovenian Minister Janez Poklukar said national authorities should adjust decisions to EMA's recommendations.

EU ministers reach deal on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - After tough talks, EU agriculture ministers chaired by Slovenia's Jože Podgoršek reached a political agreement in Luxembourg on the total allowable catch in the Baltic Sea next year which would cut the catch for some fish stocks. Podgoršek said the agreement was balancing the interests and socio-economic needs of the Baltic fishing communities with the long-term sustainability of fish stocks in the region. Debating the Fit for 55 package the ministers raised risks to the competitiveness of European agriculture and a potential impact on food prices.

Minister calls for safeguards in tech take-up by judiciary

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič warned at an EU ministerial forum on the digital judiciary that technological solutions being deployed in the judiciary, including artificial intelligence, must come with safeguards that will ensure the respect of fundamental rights. The forum is conceived as a platform for the exchange of experiences in digitalisation of the judiciary in individual member states.

Logar addresses OSCE Mediterranean Conference

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar discussed the need to build resilience to future crises and the importance of stability and security in the Mediterranean as addressed by video link the annual OSCE Mediterranean Conference. The conference was organised by Poland, which is chairing the group of OSCE Mediterranean partners. These are Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Israel. Logar also raised the issue of climate change as a security challenge and a threat multiplier.

State secretary attends Non-Aligned Movement event in Belgrade

BELGRADE, Serbia - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan attended an event marking the 60th anniversary of the first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia, on Monday to meet several Serbian officials on the sidelines of the event to discuss topical issues, such as Serbia's EU integration and succession to the former Yugoslavia.

Four opposition parties announce motion to oust interior minister

LJUBLJANA - Centre-left opposition parties announced a motion to oust Interior Minister Aleš Hojs over violent crackdown on protests, and politicisation of the police force. Hojs said he had not been acquainted with the content so he would not comment at this stage. The motion, which is to be filed next week, had been drawn up by the Left, with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) joining in.

DeSUS council denies support to govt, MPs disagree

LJUBLJANA - The council of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) adopted a document whereby it denies any further support to the government, while calling on the government to resign immediately and call a snap election. Addressing reporters, party leader Ljubo Jasnič said that while it may benefit individual members of DeSUS to support the government, such support was extremely harmful for the party. It is unlikely DeSUS MEPs will follow the decision as two of them present at the meeting opposed it.

Slovenia joins appeal to Brussels to label nuclear energy green

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Ten EU countries, Slovenia included, have asked the EU Commission to recognise nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source that should be part of the Union's transition towards climate neutrality and help reduce the bloc's energy dependence. The ten countries say nuclear is a "key affordable, stable and independent energy source" that could protect EU consumers from being "exposed to the volatility of prices," Euronews reported. PM Janez Janša said increasing production at nuclear power plants in Europe was essential to securing sufficient supply and achieving carbon-free society by 2050.

Govt expresses support for major green mobility project

IDRIJA - The government expressed support for an initiative by ten automotive suppliers to form a partnership with the government and scientists in the field of green mobility whose ultimate goal is to increase total annual sales of the automotive industry in Slovenia from EUR 3 billion today to EUR 5 billion by 2030. Prime Minister Janez Janša and other government officials were presented the project by the participating companies and the Slovenian Automotive Cluster as they visited Idrija, a major car part maker hub.

Petrol announces major price hikes as ministry analyses situation

LJUBLJANA - Petrol, Slovenia's largest energy company, will significantly increase the prices of electricity and natural gas on 1 December due to higher energy prices in international markets. Power is to go up by 30% and of natural gas by 12%. Other suppliers are expected to follow suit. Higher energy prices are a major problem for the entire EU economy not just for Slovenian's, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said. The situation is being analysed and he hopes solutions will be found for each segment.

IMF upgrades growth forecast for Slovenia

WASHINGTON, US - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded the forecast for the Slovenian economy. It projects the country's GDP will grow by 6.3% this year, up 2.4 percentage points from its spring forecast. The forecast for 2022 was however lifted by only 0.1 of a point, to 4.6%. The IMF forecast is now almost exactly the same as the projection by the government's macroeconomic think-tank IMAD made a month earlier.

Govt approves fiscal plan for 2022

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a draft budgetary plan for 2022 setting out the country's fiscal policy for next year. This is a document all EU members have to send to the European Commission as part of coordination of fiscal policies by mid-October. The plan projects for the general government deficit to fall from 7.5% of GDP this year to 5.4% in 2022 and further to 3.3% in 2023, while it should drop below 3% in 2024. Debt is to be reduced to 77.5% of GDP in 2022 and to 76% in 2023.

MPs told economy ministry's budget huge on recovery funds

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Committee discussed the draft 2022 and 2023 budgets for the relevant ministry, with the funds being increased for next year, while a cut is envisaged in 2023. Nevertheless, the ministry believes the set goals would be achieved in both years, while support for companies in recovering from the Covid-19 crisis would continue. The ministry's 2022 budget is being raised from EUR 289.3 million to EUR 360.4 million. In 2023, it is to get EUR 216.9 million.

Diaspora office looking at record budget in 2023

LJUBLJANA - The Office for Slovenians Abroad is to see its annual budget increase from EUR 10.17 million this year to EUR 10.7 million in 2022 and to a record EUR 11.3 million in 2023. This follows from the national budget documents for the coming two years that were reviewed by the parliamentary Commission for Slovenians Abroad. Commission members from the coalition and the opposition as well as State Secretary Dejan Valentinčič hailed the increase in budgetary funds for the office.

Tourism to get EUR 200m in investment funds

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced the Slovenian tourism industry would get EUR 200 million in investment funds through various calls in the near future, as Tourist Organisation (STO) director Maja Pak said the country would see an 11% rise in arrivals this year compared to 2020. The pair spoke to reporters in Ljubljana ahead of the Days of Slovenian Tourism, the industry's major annual event, to be held in Postojna over the next two days.

Number of new coronavirus cases up slightly week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - After a week-long downward trend, the number of new coronavirus topped 1,000 on Monday, standing at 1,005, in what is an increase over the week before. The PCR test positivity rate was at 22%. Hospitalisations are also up slightly today and one more Covid-19 patient has died, government data show.

CoE urges more focus on socially vulnerable women in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The first evaluation report on Slovenia's implementation of the Istanbul Convention notes a number of positive measures but points out that more attention should be paid to forms of violence against women other than domestic violence. The Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence highlighted Slovenia's significant progress "towards building a comprehensive legal, policy and institutional framework in the field of prevention of domestic violence" before and after its 2015 ratification of the convention.

Festival of Slovenian Film opens in Portorož

PORTOROŽ - The 24th Festival of Slovenian Film opened in the coastal town of Portorož with the screening of Inventura, a film by Darko Sink. Until Sunday, a total of 54 films will compete for the festival's awards. Inventura, which premiered at the San Sebastian film festival, is a story of a man whose illusions of the world come crumbling down. "The irony and force of this collapse can be compared to the present, when it is no longer clear what is true and what is 'fake'," Sink said about his first film.

Luka Dončić and Mark Cuban honoured as tourism ambassadors

LJUBLJANA - Young Slovenian basketball ace Luka Dončić is being honoured by the Slovenian tourism community with the Crystal Triglav, awarded to those who contribute the most to Slovenia's promotion around the world. Mark Cuban, the owner of Dončić's NBA team Dallas Mavericks, became the ambassador of Slovenian tourism for 2021. The award ceremony will be held in the Postojna Cave on Wednesday.

Slovenia fail to make it to World Cup after loss against Russia

MARIBOR - The Slovenian men's football team conceded defeat to Russia (1:2) in Maribor on Monday evening. Thus, Slovenia failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The eighth match of the qualification was fatal for the Slovenian side, which will miss out on the World Cup in Qatar. The team still has two more matches to play, one in Slovakia and one at home against Cyprus.

 

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12 Oct 2021, 04:36 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 12 October 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Pfizer jab recommended in Slovenia for under 30s

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced the government will follow the recommendation of the national advisory committee on immunisation to use the Pfizer vaccine for under 30-year-olds. In general, the use of mRNA vaccines will be recommended over viral vector vaccines. The latter can still be used for people with a contraindication to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines or at a special request. The decision comes after a 20-year-old woman died due to brain haemorrhaging and blood clots a fortnight after she received the single-shot Janssen vaccine.

186 coronavirus infections on Sunday, six deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 186 new coronavirus cases on Sunday as the curve of infections kept falling. Another six Covid-19 patients died. This morning 422 Covid-19 patients were treated in hospitals, five more than the day before, including 121 in intensive care, official data show. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents fell to 551 and the 7-day average dropped to 788.

Minister visits Slovenian community in Buenos Aires

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch is on a visit to the Slovenian community in Argentina, as part of which she attended on Sunday the 66th Slovenian Day, the main annual event of the community in Buenos Aires. Jaklitsch also marked the 65th anniversary of the Slovenian community centre San Justo. She thanked the community for its loyalty to the Slovenian identity and for contribution to Slovenia's recognition 30 years ago.

MPs discuss infrastructure, environment budgets for 2022-2023

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Committee of Infrastructure, the Environment and Spatial Planning discussed the proposed budgets for the infrastructure and environment ministries for the next two years, with the coalition MPs praising them as development-oriented. The budgets give the Infrastructure Ministry EUR 1.27 billion next year and EUR 1.29 billion in 2023. The budgets for the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry meanwhile stand at EUR 517 million and EUR 430.5 million. The opposition expressed concern about the high public debt and budget deficit.

More budget funds for culture, but NGOs complain about cut for self-employed

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee discussed a draft supplementary budget for 2022 and a draft budget for 2023, both of which raise funds for culture. The supplementary budget brings EUR 238 million, up EUR 8.4 million from the 2022 budget passed late last year, while the draft budget for 2023 brings culture a record EUR 244 million. Culture Ministry State Secretary Ignacija Fridl Jarc said there would be more funds for audiovisual media, publishing, media, public culture infrastructure, etc. The Asociacija NGO meanwhile criticised a cut for the non-governmental culture sector from EUR 6.4 million to EUR 3.6 million for 2022. Fridl Jarc said the funds for this segment were featured in many other "budget items", and if all were added, it became clear they were not being cut.

Committee debates media ownership, part of opposition walks out

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee debated media ownership and concentration in Slovenia, urging the Financial Administration to examine deals in the media conglomerate controlled by businessman Martin Odlazek from the past five years. It urged the Culture Ministry to draft legislation to prevent media concentration. The Economy Ministry was urged to call on the Competition Protection Agency (AVK) to play a more active role in preventing media concentration, among other resolutions adopted. The session was boycotted by all four centre-left opposition parties.

Centre-left parties tied, govt rating down in Delo poll

LJUBLJANA - Three centre-left opposition parties are very close together in the party rankings behind the ruling Democrats (SDS), who with 17.6% remain at the top in the latest Mediana poll conducted for the newspaper Delo. The SDS is followed by the Social Democrats (SD) at 8.7%, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) with 8.6% and the Left with 8.4%. Delo singled out the SD as the losers of the latest poll as the party's rating is down for the third straight month. The voter approval rating for the government has deteriorated.

Power group HSE entering retail electricity market

LJUBLJANA - Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE), the state-owned power company and the country's largest producer of electricity from renewable sources, will enter the retail electricity market by signing an agreement on Thursday to acquire a 51% stake in ECE, a company created in a merger of Elektro Celje and Elektro Gorenjska. "We will combine the best of our energies and jointly enhance our operations with the confidence, know-how and experience," said HSE.

Industrial output expanded in August

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output grew by 1.1% in August compared to July, expanding by 8.4% year-on-year, fresh data from the Statistics Office shows. The monthly growth was driven by a 7.2% growth in the electricity, gas and steam supply industry while a 9.8% growth in manufacturing contributed most to the annual growth. Industry also posted a 5.7% growth compared to August 2019.

Campaign launched against stigmatising mental health issues

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) launched a national campaign against stigmatisation of mental ilnesses that in particular aims at encouraging people with such issues to seek help. A round table debate accompanying the launch called for systemic changes to provide these people with access to services and support. Head of the project Branko Gabrovec said that the epidemic was an opportunity for systemic changes when it came to the rights and access in healthcare, including in mental health.

Two women stabbed in separate incidents

POSTOJNA/MARIBOR - Two women were stabbed this morning in separate incidents involving male perpetrators, both of whom have been apprehended, while the two wounded women have been hospitalised. The incident in Postojna involved a 22-year-old woman who was stabbed several times. The incident in Lehen in the Pohorje mountain range west of Maribor meanwhile involved a 29-year-old inflicting multiple wounds in the neck to a 48-year-old woman, who is said to be the mother of the attacker's partner.

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11 Oct 2021, 04:13 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 11 October 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Number of new coronavirus cases continues to drop week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 489 new coronavirus cases were detected with PCR tests in Slovenia on Saturday, as the downward trend of the past week continues, show data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The number of patients in hospitals continues to drop as well, according to the government. However, six more deaths were recorded. Currently, 417 Covid-19 patients need hospitalisation, of whom 120 require intensive care.

Slovenia calls for abolishing of death penalty on World Day Against the Death Penalty

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia called on the countries that still have the death penality to fully abolish it on World Day Against the Death Penalty. The death penalty, which Slovenia firmly opposes is inhumane, cruel, demining and final form of punishment, the Foreign Ministry wrote on Sunday. As this year's World Day Against the Death Penalty is dedicated to women who have been sentenced to death or executed and those who have been exonerated, the ministry noted that in some countries women were being discriminated because of their gender and thus put in a worse position than men.

Legal expert Ljubo Bavcon dies

LJUBLJANA - Ljubo Bavcon, professor emeritus of penal law at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, died aged 97, the newspaper Delo reported online. Bavcon is considered one of the most prominent legal experts of the second half of the 20th century. Bavcon, who was a prominent human rights activist during Slovenia's independence efforts, received the Golden Badge of Honour of Freedom in 1993 for his efforts. The University of Ljubljana bestowed him the title of professor emeritus of penal law in 1995.

Slovenia's sailboat finishes second at Barcolana

TRIESTE, Italy - Sailor Gašper Vinčec and his crew finished second at this year's Barcolana, the biggest mass start sailing regatta in the world, which took place in Trieste on Sunday. The winners were Italians led by Furio Benussi in the sailboat Arco. The Slovenians competed with Way of Life, a 27-metre sail boat, which was in the lead after the first two buoys but then a malfunction occurred, causing the sail to lower. The crew prevented the sailboat from tipping over and managed to fix it.

 

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10 Oct 2021, 04:35 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 10 October 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

SAB party adopts new programme

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) adopted a new programme at a party congress. The 15-point platform revolves around the welfare state supported by a strong economy, democracy and respect for the rule of law. "Everything we do, we do for the people and their future," Party leader Alenka Bratušek said. SAB, which describes itself as a social-liberal party, has put youths and pensioners at the top of its agenda.

EFJ expresses solidarity with Slovenian journalists

ZAGREB, Croatia - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has expressed solidarity with journalists working at the STA and public broadcaster RTV Slovenija as it urged the government to stop contributing to an environment in which verbal and physical harassment of journalists has become par for the course. It urged the government to restore financing of the STA and to make sure RTV Slovenija preserves its institutional autonomy and editorial independence.

Plurality in Delo poll in favour of early election

LJUBLJANA - A poll by Delo has found a plurality of voters in favour of a snap election, but a large share believe the government should serve our the rest of its term. A total of 47% favour a snap election and almost 42% believe the current term should end on schedule, with under 4% saying a new coalition should be formed in the current sitting of the National Assembly.

Case count at 883 as curve slopes downwards

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus pandemic has been in slow retreat in Slovenia for a week now with the latest daily case count, at 883, a tenth lower than in the week before. Five patients with Covid-19 died. The 14-day incidence is at 533, down six from yesterday. The overall number of Covid patients rose by ten to 423, whereas ICU cases rose by five to 120.

Pogačar caps season with Lombardy win

BERGAMO, Italy - Slovenian star cyclist Tadej Pogačar wrapped up the season in style by winning the last big race, Il Lombardia. The UAE Team Emirates rider claimed victory after winning his second straight Tour de France and the Liege-Bastogne-Liege this season: two monuments and the Tour in a single season is a historic feat which puts the 23-year-old alongside the likes of Eddy Merckx and Fausto Coppi.

Slovenia beat Malta in World Cup qualifier

VALLETTA, Malta - The Slovenian national football team beat Malta 4:0 in the qualifying for the World Cup on Friday night to remain in theoretical contention for a World Cup berth ahead of Monday's game against Russia. The Atalanta forward Josip Iličić scored two goals and Andraž Šporar and Benjamin Sešek added one each.

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09 Oct 2021, 04:57 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 9 October, 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Hojs supports letter of 12 EU members to use EU funds for border fences

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs endorsed a letter in which 12 EU states urge the European Commission to enable the use of EU funds to finace erecting fences on the EU borders, as he chaired a meeting of home affairs ministers in Luxembourg. Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said she understood the reasons for which member states set up fences, but does not think it a good idea to use EU money for this, stressing the funds for addressing migration challenges were rather limited.

NSi willing to talk early election but wants key projects completed

LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi), one of the two junior coalition partners in the government, would be willing to talk an early election with its coalition partners under the condition that the government completes the EU presidency and adopts the national budgets for 2022-2023. NSi leader Matej Tonin said an early election would be a reasonable price to pay to calm the passions in the country and complete the projects important for Slovenia. The NSi is willing to have a sincere talk with the coalition partners and reach, in agreement with the opposition, a deal to jointly contribute to calming the situation in the country.

NGOs sue ministries over energy permit for nuclear power station

LJUBLJANA - Three environmental NGOs have filed a suit against the infrastructure and environment ministries over an energy permit issued for the second unit of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK), the 24ur.com website reported. The NGOs consider the energy permit issued in July to the state-owned investor Gen Energija illegal, as it lacks a proper strategic and legal basis. They also challenge part of the long-term climate strategy. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec responded by criticising the NGOs for "opposing everything". He described nuclear energy and could take Slovenia towards energy independence.

Prosecution deems govt decision on delegated prosecutors unconstitutional

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme State Prosecution expressed concern over the government's decision not to honour the ruling by the Administrative Court on the appointment procedure of Slovenia's delegated prosecutors and instead issue a new calls for application. It said the government was clearly in violation of articles 2 and 23 of the Constitution, which respectively deal with the rule of law and the right to judicial protection. European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi meanwhile expressed serious concern over the developments during Thursday's ministerial, calling for the EU's financial interests in Slovenia to be protected by all means available, the EPPO said on Friday. Kövesi informed the ministers about the consequences of the latest decision, highlighting the Slovenian obstruction was creating "a prosecution gap" in the work of the EPPO and wondering whether it was still possible to talk about appropriate protection of the EU's budget.

Task force reportedly recommends priority use of mRNA vaccines

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 vaccination task force at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) has decided to recommend priority use of mRNA vaccines over vector vaccines, according to unofficial information obtained by the STA. Vector vaccines would continue to be used, but only at an individual's specific request. The decision was informed by data on rare adverse effects of vector vaccines and the higher efficacy of mRNA vaccines.

Legal basis in place for return of National Hall to minority

TRIESTE, Italy - The Italian government adopted a decree effectively returning the National Hall in Trieste in possession of the Slovenian community there. The newspaper Primorski Dnevnik said the government issued a decree changing the 2001 minority protection act to provide for the gratuitous transfer of the building to the National Hall Foundation from its current occupant, the University of Trieste. A spokeswoman for the minority said follow-up formal procedures may take months.

Businesses urge government to act on rising energy prices

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) called on the government to take urgent action in the face of the sharp rise in energy prices. It asked for short-term measures such as reduction of certain levies on electricity and gas, and long-term measures including immediate implementation of planned and ongoing projects related to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Nobel peace prize 2021 homage to freedom of expression and journalism, says DNS

LJUBLJANA - This year's Nobel Peace Prize "shows that the academy has recognised the importance of freedom of expression and journalism in times of global turbulence", said the Slovenian Association of Journalists (DNS), responding to today's decision by the Nobel Committee to award the prize investigative journalists Filipino Maria Ressa and Russian Dmitry Muratov, "who work in authoritarian environments where power is abused".

Janša and Plenković discuss tourism and cooperation

TUHELJ, Croatia - The prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković, agreed bilateral relations are good as they took part in an international conference on tourism in Tuhelj. Janša pointed to opportunities for cooperation in joint investments, and welcomed Croatia's imminent entry into the eurozone. The conference was also attended by Slovenian Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek.

Decrease in new daily coronavirus cases continues

LJUBLJANA - A total of 838 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Thursday as slow burn of the epidemic continues. Two patients died. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped by five to 559. Hospital numbers remain broadly unchanged, with 413 patients reported hospitalised this morning, of whom 115 in intensive care, show government data.

Supreme court says penalty for non-use of masks in enclosed spaces groundless

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court announced its decision that issuing penalties for the failure to wear a face mask in enclosed public spaces during the Covid-19 epidemic as a minor offence has no legal basis. The decision relates to an appeal on the point of law against a final decision of a local court to issue warning to a person over a minor offence under the communicable diseases act.

Coalition and opposition remain at odds over STA funding

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly met for an emergency plenary debating the precarious situation of the STA. The centre-left opposition, which requested the session, urged the reinstatement of STA funding based on the law, whereas the coalition stressed the need for clearer rules and oversight. The session focused on a number of resolutions calling on the government to reinstate budget funding of the agency's public service in three days in line with Article 66 of the seventh coronavirus relief legislation and Article 20 of the act on the STA. But since the resolutions were defeated at committee level on Thursday, the MPs did not vote on them today. However, the opposition parties floated the possibility of another motion for constitutional impeachment.

Sustainability conference sees pandemic as opportunity

LJUBLJANA - The pandemic has slowed progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, however it also presents an opportunity to emerge stronger from the current crisis and more resilient in the face of future crises, agreed participants of a hybrid international conference on policy coherence for sustainable development and the EU Green Deal. Aleška Simkić, head of cabinet of the European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, said in an opening address that the Green Deal was seen as an important part of the EU Commission's strategy to implement the 2030 Agenda.

Author Jože Snoj dies

LJUBLJANA - Poet, writer and essayist Jože Snoj died on 7 October aged 87, his family said. His works dealt mostly with his experience of the WWII, religious and existential questions, and eroticism. He won a number of prizes, including the top award in culture, the Prešeren Prize, in 2012 for a life's work that "left a significant mark on Slovenian literature in the last five decades".

Slovenia's exports up by a quarter y/y in August

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia exported EUR 2.8 billion in goods in August or 25.4% more year-on-year, while imports surged by 39.4% to EUR 3.3 billion. Trade in August was also larger by volume than trade in August 2019 - exports were up by 20.3% and imports by 40.6%. In the first eight months of the year, Slovenia's exports rose by 19.5%, while imports increased by 26.9%.

Secondary school students to study in Slovenian in Rijeka

RIJEKA, Croatia - A secondary school in the Croatian port city of Rijeka started teaching Slovenian today in what is a result of years of efforts of the Slovenian community living in the city. The First Sušak Croatian Gymnasium became the first secondary school in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County to which the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education approved the introduction of Slovenian as a subject. So far, Slovenian has been taught in four primary schools in the region, of which two are in Rijeka.

Korean cultural centre opens in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The King Sejong Institute Ljubljana, the first Korean language and cultural centre in Slovenia, opened at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Ljubljana.
The King Sejong Institute Ljubljana was established by the King Sejong Institute Foundation, which is supported by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is part of a network of 234 King Sejong Institutes in 82 countries.

Catch up with the news from Slovenia, wherever you are
08 Oct 2021, 04:22 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 8 October 2021

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: 

Janša accuses Brussels of exceeding powers over rule of law

BRDO PRI KRANJU - PM Janez Janša accused the European Commission of exceeding its powers and of political abuse of the rule of law in an interview with Euronews, saying in its efforts to get member states to comply with the EU's fundamental values the Commission is "close to breaking the rule of law" itself. He said that while the European Parliament was a political body, the European Commission should under the EU treaty stay out of political battles. Janša also took aim at Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova, who alongside Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, has become the most public face of the Commission's effort to ensure compliance with the rule of law.

Govt decides to repeat call for delegated prosecutors again

LJUBLJANA/LUXEMBOURG - After a court reversed its decision to annul the original procedure to appoint Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors, the government has asked the Justice Ministry publish yet a new call for applications for the two posts. Under the court's decision, the government was supposed to re-visit its decision. However, the government decided that the court's decision could not be implemented as the procedure it was supposed to re-examine had been concluded with the publication of a new call for applications on 9 July. Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič said that it was in the ministry's interest to "complete the procedure as soon as possible based on the valid legislation." European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said the Commission was "waiting for a clear explanations"

Police union calls for independent probe as chief defends clampdown on protest

LJUBLJANA - The SPS police trade unions called on the human rights ombudsman to open an inquiry into the clampdown on Tuesday's protest in Ljubljana, while the police commissioner defended the action, denying allegations of political interference in the force's decisions. One of the two unions representing police officers would like the inquiry to look into whether orders from superiors on how officers should handle the protest had been lawful and based on expertise. Commissioner Anton Olaj denied the allegation in the strongest terms as he spoke for the late news show on TV Slovenija on Wednesday.

Police search premises of protest leader Stevanović

LJUBLJANA/KRANJ - The home of Zoran Stevanović, one of the principal initiators of protests against the Covid pass mandate, and the headquarters of his party Resni.ca (Truth) were searched after Stevanović was detained by police after Tuesday's riots on suspicion of incitement to resistance. The investigators, along with Stevanović and his lawyer, left the building after an hour and a half. The police explained to the STA that they were unable to disclose precise information due to the protection of personal data. However, they did confirm that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) carried out two house searches.

Govt adopts border management strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an integrated border management (IBM) strategy to better manage illegal migrations. The strategy is binding for all EU member states under the EU law, the government said after its session. The document aims to contain illegal migration on Slovenia's EU external and internal borders and to effectively implement bilateral agreement on return of migrants. It is to ensure fast movement of people and goods at border crossings while taking into account all measures for, and standards of, effective border control.

Budgets for 2022, 2023 investment-focused

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša highlighted record annual investments in excess of EUR 2 billion as he presented the budgets for 2022 and 2023 at the National Assembly. For healthcare investments alone over EUR 200 million is budgeted each year. "In two years more money will be spent on healthcare investment than had been used in the entire previous decade," he said. Significant funding has also been set aside for road and rain infrastructure, flood defence, water supply, education, care homes, sports, culture, science and digital connectivity. The opposition boycotted the session in protest against the government and called on Janša to step down.

Committee okays bill on organisation in police force

LJUBLJANA - The Home Policy Committee endorsed on Wednesday amendments to the act governing the organisation of the police force, which would set out in more detail the status and work of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the way to determine which investigations into suspected crimes are launched by the bureau. While the opposition fears that the amendments pave the way for politicisation of the police, the coalition said they will improve performance.

Home policy committee seeks report on work of prosecution

LJUBLJANA - The Justice Committee discussed actions of prosecutors in some high-profile cases which the ruling Democrats (SDS) party deems questionable. It adopted resolutions asking the Supreme State Prosecution to draw up a report on how rules for awarding cases to prosecutors are implemented, and demanded a a report on the oversights conducted at the Specialised State Prosecution in the last five years. The centre-left opposition walked out in protest. Representatives of prosecutors refused to attend the session, invoking independence of the judiciary from the executive branch.

Vizjak hails EU adopting joint position for COP26 conference

LUXEMBOURG - EU environment ministers adopted on Wednesday a joint EU position for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, which includes an agreement on a five-year time frame. "For the first time in many years the European delegation is going to the climate conference with a clear position on time frames," Slovenia's Andrej Vizjak said. He added that consensus had been reached about the only remaining open issue - the time frames as one of the fundamental pillars supporting the goals of the Paris climate accord.

Slovenia slips in energy trilemma index, still in top 20

LONDON, UK - Slovenia slipped three places in the World Energy Council's latest energy trilemma index to rank 17th among 127 countries, behind the Netherlands and ahead of Australia. The World Energy Council evaluates countries' energy systems through three dimensions: energy security, energy equity (accessibility and affordability) and environmental sustainability, with grade A being the best. Slovenia scored 75 points, after getting 69 points for energy security, 84 points for energy equity and 73 on energy sustainability.

Slow week-on-week decline in Covid cases persists

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 968 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday in what continues to be a slight week-on-week decline. Hospitalisations increased from 400 to 413 this morning compared to the day before, whereas the number of patients requiring intensive care stayed level at 114. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped by two to 564. Three Covid-19 patients died.

Slovenia and Kosovo agree cooperation in disaster prevention

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Sfecla signed an agreement on cooperation between the two countries in the protection against natural and other disasters, the Defence Ministry announced. The agreement sets out the framework for cooperation in disaster prevention and preparedness, voluntary mutual assistance in the event of disasters on the territory of one of the signatory countries, and other forms of cooperation.

Petrovič nominated to European Court of Auditors

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed Jorg Kristijan Petrovič as Slovenia's candidate for member of the European Court of Auditors to succeed Samo Jereb, whose term at the Luxembourg curt expires on 6 May 2022. Kristijan Petrovič has been the first deputy president of the Slovenian Court of Audit since 2013.

ZSSS highlights issues of platform workers on decent work day

LJUBLJANA - On the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, Slovenia's largest trade union association, ZSSS, drew attention to platform workers - cleaners, food delivery persons, care workers and others as a group who often lacks any worker or social rights. It urged the Labour Ministry to introduce a legislative framework to prevent unfair practices and introduce a set of general conditions to protect platform workers.

Ex-DG of public broadcaster bidding for STA director

LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, a former director general of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, confirmed he has applied for the post of director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), as the sole applicant. He said he applied because he assessed that no experienced manager would apply, because the STA faced an uncertain future and because of the very demanding requirements in the call, including 10 years of work experience in the media.

Criminal complaints filed against nine over illegal sewage sludge dumping

CELJE - The Celje police filed criminal complaints against nine persons over suspicion of polluting the environment while illegally dumping more than 500 tonnes of sewage sludge from waste water treatment plants at four locations in Slovenia earlier this year. If found guilty, they could go to prison for up to eight years.

Serbia opens Serbian cultural embassy in Goriška Brda

VIPOLŽE - The Cultural Embassy of Serbia, located at the homestead of the well-known winemaker Marjan Simčič in Vipolže in Goriška Brda, was opened on Tuesday by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić said "it is hard to find a higher degree of artistic freedom and expression than in making good wine."

Hidria announces EUR 45 million deal with Volkswagen

IDRIJA - Hidria said it had signed a EUR 45 million deal with the German Volkswagen Group to develop and supply key components for the latest 48-volt system with starter-generator technology. These systems will be used in Volkswagen's mild-hybrid electric vehicles from 2023.

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