20 Mar 2021, 04:00 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 20 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Labour minister ouster attempt defeated

LJUBLJANA - Janez Cigler Kralj remained labour minister as the opposition-sponsored motion of no confidence was defeated by 44 votes to 38 early in the morning. The National Assembly was thus eight votes short of voting him out of office. The minister said that he considered the outcome support for further realisation of the ministry's vision, priorities and measures, adding that the motion served as an opportunity to discuss important issues, such as elderly care before and during the epidemic.

Energy group Petrol's revenue, net profit down in 2020

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 epidemic has strongly affected the operations of energy company Petrol, which failed to meet its targets last year, the group's business report showed. Sales revenue were down by 30% to EUR 3 billion and net profit dropped by 31% to EUR 72.3 million. EBITDA reached EUR 166.6 million, which is down 15% compared to 2019, but still better that the EBITDA of Petrol's main rivals in the region. The supervisory board agreed that Petrol had responded to the pandemic appropriately and had the situation under control. Petrol has an ambitious strategy for 2021 and until 2025.

Slovenia recorded 937 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, ten deaths

LJUBLJANA - Another 937 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in 5,502 PCR tests in Slovenia on Thursday for a positivity rate of 17%. Hospitalisations were up by 23 to 485, with 88 patients in intensive care, three more than the day before. The pressure on hospitals is thus increasing again, which means that the closing of Covid-19 hospital sections will be stopped, Mateja Logar, the head of the Covid-19 advisory group, indicated. Ten deaths were recorded, fresh government data showed. The 7-day average of daily new cases continued to rise, reaching 776. In addition to PCR tests, 25,564 rapid antigen tests were also conducted. Data from the tracker site Covid Sledilnik show that the number of active cases in the country is currently at 10,315.

Top officials get jab to boost public trust in vaccination

LJUBLJANA - Senior state officials got vaccinated with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, after its application in Slovenia was briefly suspended this week for a review of possible risks. Getting their jabs today were President Borut Pahor, parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič, Prime Minister Janez Janša and National Council president Alojz Kovšca. Several cabinet ministers also got vaccinated, as well as a part of MPs, while others are scheduled to do so on Monday. Pahor said on the occasion that the vaccine was the main factor of change for the better, of return to normal life.

Janša to meet von der Leyen on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - The Commission said Prime Minister Janez Janša and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet on Thursday afternoon ahead of the EU summit in Brussels. Janša and five other prime ministers called on von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel last week to ensure equal access to vaccines for all member states. Von der Leyen said in her response to the appeal that the Commission had suggested a pro rata approach to vaccine supply, meaning quantities adapted to population figures, but the countries chose a different approach.

IMF downgrades forecast for Slovenia's economy in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded its forecast for Slovenia's economic growth in 2021 from 5.2% to 3.7%. For next year, it forecasts a GDP growth of 4.5%, Bernardin Akitoby, chief of the IMF mission for Slovenia said. This means that Slovenia's economy would reach the pre-pandemic level next year. Akitoby said risks to recovery were another epidemic wave due to new coronavirus strains, delays in vaccination, and shocks in international financial markets. The IMF maintains that Slovenia responded to the negative consequences of the epidemic with rapid, extensive and well coordinated measures, Akitoby said.

Govt approves four major military projects worth EUR 170m

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is in for new military investment projects, including modernisation of the military communication and information system, overhaul of the Ljubljana barracks, purchase of a tactical-transport aircraft and upgrade of the Bell helicopter fleet as the development programme plan was expended by the government's decision on Thursday on proposal of the Defence Ministry. The total estimated cost of the projects stands at around EUR 170 million.

Higher education act declared partly unconstitutional

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has declared Article 10 of the higher education act unconstitutional in that it does not state clearly whether members of universities can be independent legal entities. The National Assembly has one year to correct this. The court reviewed the act at the request of the Court of Audit, which argued the article was vague and that subsequently the legal status of members of all three public universities in Slovenia differed.

Journalist organisations say govt abusing police for STA attack

LJUBLJANA - The government has overstepped its powers and abused the police as it tasked the Interior Ministry to examine whether STA director Bojan Veselinovič's alleged violations of the law contained elements of suspected crime prosecutable ex officio and to act accordingly, the trade union and the Trade Union of Journalists and the Association of Journalists said. They noted Veselinovič had the supervisors' support, so they wonder based on what evidence the government decided to try to criminalise activities of Veselinovič and the supervisors.

Covid-19 task force head says curfew lift could be proposed next week

LJUBLJANA - Mateja Logar, the head of the Health Ministry's Covid-19 advisory group, has told weekly Mladina in an interview that the plan is to propose next week that the 9pm-6am curfew is fully lifted if the epidemiological situation sufficiently improves. She also called for a more centralised vaccination campaign that would better implement the strategy. According to her, the National Public Health Institute and the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food are drafting a trial protocol that would enable home testing, mainly for children and their families.

Coalition, opposition's views on epidemic management do not converge

LJUBLJANA - A debate on the parliamentary Health Committed showed that the opposition would like to see parliament more involved in the government's efforts to contain the epidemic, while coalition MPs believe the government is adequately keeping MPs up to date on its activities. The committee did not back resolutions to urge government to compile a report on the measures taken so far and send it to the National Assembly within a month.

Bishops welcomes WWII reconciliation declaration, WWII veterans against

LJUBLJANA - The Justice and Peace Commission of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference has welcomed a declaration on reconciliation presented last week by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), saying it was "a step in the process which needs to be continued". The WWII Veterans' Association on the other hand says the document is not based on historical facts and justifies collaboration.

Janša discusses interreligious dialogue with Islamic community

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša met representatives of the Islamic Community in Slovenia to discuss interreligious and intercultural dialogues "as a pillar of trust-based relations among members of different religions and cultures" as well as the religious group's activity during the epidemic. Mufti Nedžad Grabus also proposed that once the most exposed groups of residents had been vaccinated against Covid, priests and imams should be vaccinated because they are in contact with many people, the Islamic Community said on its website.

Doctors and dentists will insist on separate pay system

LJUBLJANA - Fides, a trade union of doctors and dentists, will insist on excluding healthcare workers from the uniform public sector pay system, its leader Konrad Kuštrin said. He is however surprised that other trade unions in healthcare are opposed to the plan, saying they will lose a unique opportunity to decide on their own fate. After Prime Minister Janez Janša said a week ago that the health sector had decided to exit the uniform pay system to build a new one, several trade unions representing nurses said they opposed the move. Kuštrin considers Janša's an "incredibly good offer", so Fides will insist that doctors and dentists are excluded from the single pay system, arguing this would enable them to get rewarded according to their work.

Composer Petra Strahovnik honoured by Berlin Academy of Arts

BERLIN, Germany - Slovenian composer Petra Strahovnik, a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, was declared the recipient of this year's Art Prize for music by the Academy of Arts in Berlin on Thursday. In her work, Strahovnik discusses themes from social margins, such as autism, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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19 Mar 2021, 06:59 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 19 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Court of Audit finds government, Commodity Reserves Agency inefficient in PPE procurement

LJUBLJANA - In its report on the efficiency of procurement of protective and medical equipment for containing the spread of the new coronavirus, the Court of Audit has found although the circumstances were extraordinary, the government, the ministries of health, economy and defence, and the Commodity Reserves Agency were inefficient in the PPE procurement. The court urged them to take remedial measures. Government representatives downplayed the court's findings, arguing they did what had to be done in the given circumstances and highlighting the lack of evidence of corruption. The opposition expects law enforcement to do its job now.

Slovenia resumes use of AstraZeneca vaccine after brief suspension

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia decided to resume using the AstraZeneca vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) assessed AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine "safe and effective" after a review of possible blood clot risks, Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced. Slovenia opted for a suspension on Monday after reports of blood clots led many European countries to halt the vaccination pending an additional review by the EMA. Senior officials will be among the first to get the jab tomorrow. After the suspension, Slovenia has over 14,000 shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine on store.

Report: Slovenia not to accept settlement with Ascent Resources

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported unofficially that Slovenia was not to accept a settlement with the British company Ascent Resources over the dispute about permits for the extraction of gas by means of hydraulic fracturing in the north-east of Slovenia. The two sides entered negotiations last October, but the British company said this would not prejudice its rights to pursue its investment treaty claim under the UK-Slovenia bilateral investment treaty and the Energy Charter Treaty.

Janša talks cooperation, migration and Covid-19 with Salvini

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša talked with the head of the Italian Northern League party Matteo Salvini on Wednesday, with the topics including strengthening cooperation between Slovenia and Italy, migration, and fight against Covid-19. As Janša tweeted today, he and Salvini discussed cross-border cooperation, fighting the pandemic, illegal migration, the Conference on the Future of Europe and the current political situation in Europe.

Pahor talks about pandemic efforts with Slovak counterpart

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor spoke via video link with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Čaputova to exchange views on the battle against Covid-19 and the political, economic and social consequences of the pandemic, the president's office said. The pair stressed the importance of closer cooperation at the EU level, which is, despite all difficulties with the supply of vaccines, the most suitable and effective framework for solving the current issues.

Slovenia, North Macedonia deepening defence ties

LJUBLJANA - The defence ministers of Slovenia and North Macedonia, Matej Tonin and Radmila Šekerinska, called for a strengthening of defence ties as the pair met in Ljubljana. They agreed to boost cooperation in NATO missions and set up a joint centre for the maintenance of OshKosh armoured vehicles. "Slovenia is interested in North Macedonia's army participating in Slovenian Armed Forces' platoons or companies at missions abroad," Tonin said.

Care homes in focus as MPs debate Cigler Kralj ouster motion

LJUBLJANA - The outbreak of Covid-19 in care homes was front-and-centre as the National Assembly debated a motion of no-confidence in Janez Cigler Kralj, the minister of labour, the family and social affairs. While some in the opposition accused him of neglect, Cigler Kralj pointed to years of underfunding and understaffing. The vote is scheduled after some 17 hours of debate, that is after midnight, but the minister is expected to survive it as the four-centre left parties which proposed it lack the 46 votes needed to dismiss him.

Govt adopts omnibus bill to tackle red tape

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an omnibus bill that would amend over a dozen laws and repeal dozens more in an effort to simplify bureaucratic procedures. The wide-ranging changes affect areas including official registries of laws and personal data, electronic serving of official documents and the powers of state secretaries. A result of a year's work by the Strategic Council for Debureaucratisation, also brings a cap on social security contributions at EUR 6,000 gross per month. According to business daily Finance, roughly one percent of employees has a gross monthly wage over EUR 6,000.

972 coronavirus cases recorded from 5,442 PCR tests on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - Out of 5,442 PCR tests performed on Wednesday, 972 returned positive for a positivity rate of 17.9%, down from 18.6% on Tuesday and an increase from 14.9% a week ago. Hospitalisations slightly increased in the wake of the recent upward trend in infections. An additional three Covid-19 patients died, show fresh official data. The number of those in hospital increased by 18 to 462, including 85 who require intensive care, up by two. 20 people were discharged from hospital.

Mandatory mask-wearing in school challenged at top court

LJUBLJANA - A group of legal guardians of underage children has filed a petition to launch a review of constitutionality of a government decree that mandates mask-wearing in public spaces, including in secondary school and primary school for pupils in years 6 to 9, the group's representative Esmeralda Vidmar said on Wednesday. The group considers mandatory mask-wearing an arbitrary measure violating a number of rights that is not based on any expert opinion.

Govt calls on STA supervisory board to dismiss director

LJUBLJANA - The government proposed for the STA supervisory board to dismiss Bojan Veselinovič as STA director, alleging violations in the fulfilment of the agency's legal obligations. Veselinovič said this was "a new chapter in a series of attacks on the independent STA and an attempt to replace its leadership", while the chairman of the supervisory board, Mladen Terčelj, said the board would study the proposal and act in accordance with the law. The Slovenian PEN centre meanwhile urged the government to fundamentally change its attitude to the STA as well as media and journalists in general.

Miha Pogačnik again the country's rep for succession

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Mateja Vraničar Erman as Slovenia's high representatives for succession and appointed international law expert Miha Pogačnik to succeed her. Pogačnik has since last April led the government's legal service, while he served as high representatives already between April 2005 and April 2009 during Janez Janša's first government (2004-2008). The high representative is a guardian of the 2001 agreement governing succession to former Yugoslavia.

Joško Knez new acting ARSO boss

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Joško Knez the acting director general of the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) to take over from Iztok Slatinšek on 1 April. Knez, currently director at ARSO's Office of Meteorology, Hydrology and Oceanography, served as ARSO director general between March 2013 and November 2018 and earlier as acting director. He is a physics graduate and holds a master's degree in environmental studies. The government relieved Slatinšek of his duties after appointing him for a six-year term last November.

Economy Ministry gets new state secretary

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Andrej Čuš, the leader of the non-parliamentary Greens and a former MP for the Democrats (SDS), a new state secretary at the Economy Ministry. On 20 March, he will succeed Ajda Cuderman, a former SPIRIT Slovenija boss, whose new job will be in the prime minister's office.

C-bank nominee wins broad support on commission

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Privileges and Credentials Commission overwhelmingly backed Tina Žumer to become a vice governor of the Slovenian central bank in an indication that she may win an outright majority at the plenary session. The commission also endorsed Anka Čadež's appointment as director of the Securities Market Agency. Žumer, who has been serving as a chief economist with the European Central Bank after a spell at the analytical department of Banka Slovenije, was backed in an 11:1 vote.

Adient on shutdown: Slovenia no longer best country cost-wise

SLOVENJ GRADEC - The US multinational Adient explained its decision to close down its Slovenj Gradec affiliate by saying that "internal assessments and discussions with key clients had shown that Slovenia was no longer considered a best cost country". As a result of the discontinuation of production of components for car seats and interiors in Slovenj Gradec, 412 people will lose their jobs by the end of the year and another 18 in May next year when the company is close. The employees cannot understand why the owner has made such a decision practically overnight given the company's good results. The trade unions urged the government to take action, while the ministries of economy and labour said they would do everything in its power to help the employees.

OECD worried about absence of foreign bribery prosecution in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The OECD says in a report that insufficient prosecution of foreign bribery in Slovenia is still a reason for concern and so are claims about political interference in law enforcement. Its working group on bribery says that ever since 1999, not a single case of foreign bribery has made it to court in Slovenia. The OECD is meanwhile happy with the protection of whistleblowers and changes to the law on integrity and prevention of corruption.

Dog mauls 8-year-old girl to death

MENGEŠ - An eight-year-old girl died of her injuries after being mauled by a dog in Mengeš just north of Ljubljana on Wednesday afternoon, the Ljubljana Police Department said. The police were notified of the incident just before 5pm. The inquiries so far show the girl neared a largish dog which was chained up in a house yard. The dog attacked and badly bit the girl, who later died of her injures on the site. The house yard was fenced off but the gate into the yard was open.

Downward trend in illegal migrations continues in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The police processed 630 cases of illegal border crossings in the first two months of 2021, down from 1,171 in the same period in 2020, in what is a continuation of the seasonal downward trend. Most frequently illegal migrants came from Afghanistan, whereas the number of caught Moroccans significantly declined.

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18 Mar 2021, 04:09 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 18 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Alarming 2020 domestic homicide trend continues in 2021

Ljubljana, 17 March - Murder or attempted murder charges more than doubled in Slovenia in 2020 compared to 2019. Last year marked the first time the country saw three triple murders in a single year, all of them being domestic homicides. The trend appears to be continuing this year.

The police processed 16 cases of murders and 29 cases of attempted murder last year, which makes 2020 one of the worst years in this respect in Slovenia's recent history.

In the first months of 2021 the trend has continued: until 15 March, seven murders or murder attempts were recorded.

Underlining the gravity of the trend, the figures do not include the most recent three cases, for which charges have not yet been brought. Nor do they encompass cases - resulting in at least two deaths - where the perpetrator committed suicide afterwards and there were no charges.

Moreover, the statistics are only a reflection of the number of such offences and not the total number of murder or murder-suicide deaths.

Most of these cases are domestic homicides, including intimate partner murders that are often escalations of a domestic violence situation.

The most recent murder-suicide case, which took place near the town of Šmarje pri Jelšah on Monday, suggests such an escalation, with police saying that the most likely motive for the killing was a years-long conflict between the male perpetrator and the female victim.

The Ljubljana Social Work Centre has recorded 680 reports of domestic violence so far this year. In 125 cases restraining orders have been issued and in 43 cases the victim or victims have been moved to a safe house.

The actual prevalence of domestic violence is much greater though, says the centre, noting that such a type of violence, particularly intimate partner violence, is often a hidden problem, swept under the rug due to the stigma surrounding it.

As a result it is difficult to identify, report or prevent domestic violence. Victims often need a lot of expert-based support to speak out, the centre officials says.

Since the start of the epidemic, the centre has not recorded any rise in such reports, warning this does not automatically translate into a lull in such cases. Due to Covid restrictions as people spend more time at home, the victims might find it harder to seek help now that the perpetrators are more present.

Social work centres around Slovenia advocate a zero tolerance policy on domestic violence, warning that despite promising trends in recent years the level of tolerance is still too high.

In most cases the victims are women, however children's safety and health is also at stake and they come first when processing such cases. The experts highlight that living in a domestic violence environment is enough to deem a child a victim of it.

Any type of violence should be reported, the Ljubljana centre says, adding that there are various support platforms for victims. It says any threats by the perpetrators or victims' fears are being taken seriously.

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17 Mar 2021, 04:06 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 17 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Motion to oust education minister defeated

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition fell eight votes short of an outright majority needed for their motion to oust Education Minister Simona Kustec to succeed. Kustec, backed by 41 votes to 38, hailed the outcome as a realistic result of the political balance of power. In the debate that went on for 16 hours the motion sponsors berated the minister over remote schooling, asserting schools in Slovenia had been closed the longest in Europe, something that the coalition disproved as untrue.

PM calls for "corrective mechanism" in EU vaccine distribution

VIENNA, Austria - PM Janez Janša called for a "corrective mechanism" for the distribution of vaccines in the EU after talks with his counterparts from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia and Latvia. Such a corrective mechanism would mark a return in the distribution of vaccines to the point when it was agreed that the vaccines would be divided on a pro rata basis, measured by population size. "No technical agreement, no steering committee, no technical procedure can change a decision adopted with purpose of benefiting all in the European Union," he said.

Slovenia ordered 90% of vaccine it was entitled to on pro rata basis

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia has ordered 90% of the vaccines it is entitled to in the first and second quarter of the year on a pro rata basis. In December, it did not put in an order for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during a second round of joint EU purchasing, show figures from the EU's vaccination steering board. PM Janez Janša responded to the news saying that if Slovenia had not ordered an additional million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after he provisionally took over as health minister, its vaccination rate would now be on a par with Bulgaria and Croatia, which have some of the lowest rates.

Logar discusses EU presidency, Russia ties in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev to discuss Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency. Turning to relations with Russia, Logar assured Kuleba Slovenia would be a fair intermediary. Kuleba expressed the hope that Ukraine's voice would be heard during Slovenia's presidency. Logar also met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and parliamentary Speaker Dmytro Razumkov today. The talks with the former focussed on the expectations ahead of a summit of the Eastern Partnership.

New increase in coronavirus infections

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 918 coronavirus infections for Monday to push the 7-day average of new daily cases up by 20 from the day before to 716. Three more patients with Covid-19 died, government data show. Covid-19 hospitalisations fell to 451 with 83 patients in intensive care. The cumulative 7-day incidence per 100,000 residents rose to 239 from 232 the day before. The western Goriška region has the highest, at 309. There are an estimated 10,388 coronavirus cases in the country.

Three parties want Court of Audit head out due to incompatibility of office

LJUBLJANA - The deputy groups of the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) and the opposition National Party (SNS) called for a session of the parliamentary Privileges and Credential Commission at which they would propose that the mandate of Court of Audit president Tomaž Vesel be terminated due to the alleged incompatibility of the office with Vesel's job in FIFA. Vesel said he understood the motion as "indecent and unacceptable political pressure" on an independent institution. He noted that it coincided with the release of a report on the government's purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Slovenia one of the lowest defence spenders in NATO

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia continues to rank among NATO member states allocating the lowest proportion of its GDP for defence spending, trailing the list by investment in defence equipment, follows from a report for 2020 presented by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Slovenia allocated 1.1% of its GDP for defence in 2020, of which 4.6% for investment in defence equipment. e Only Belgium (1.07%) and Luxembourg (0.57%) allocated less for defence spending.

Police reportedly clear Hojs over land purchase

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that police had cleared Interior Minister Aleš Hojs over the acquisition of a plot of land on the coast last year. The National Bureau of Investigation told Delo it had found no reason to suspect a crime prosecuted ex officio in relation to several pieces of land sold by a Russian citizen to several Slovenians on the coast. The news comes a day after the corruption watchdog said it had established no corruption risks or integrity breaches in the case.

Taxi drivers fined for protesting against Covid-19 testing

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Taxi Drivers revealed that police fined 57 taxi drivers a total of EUR 22,800 for having staged a protest drive against rapid testing every 72 hours last month. The taxi drivers will seek legal remedy in court while they have already petitioned the Constitutional Court to examine the relevant government decree. A day after the car protest, the government changed the decree as a result of which taxi drivers are now required to get tested once a week.

Public broadcaster budgeting EUR 4.8m shortfall for 2021

LJUBLJANA - The programming council of RTV Slovenija endorsed on Monday the public broadcaster's draft financial plan for 2021. Revenue is planned at EUR 131.31 million and expenditure at EUR 136.08 million, with the EUR 4.77 million gap to be offset by surplus from previous years. The broadcaster's director Igor Kadunc said revenue for public service will be EUR 26.33 million below expenditure. The document now needs approval of RTV Slovenija's other oversight body, the supervisory board.

SSH fails in suit over biotech takeover

LJUBLJANA - The Delo reported that Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) failed in its lawsuit against the Italian partner in a joint venture that sold biotech firm Bia Separations although the ruling is not yet final. SSH claimed it had not been properly informed of the intention by Meta Ingenium to sell its 10.8% stake in Bia Separations before it sold the state's 49% stake in the fund to Meta Venture in September 2020, but Delo says the Ljubljana District Court found this not to have been true.

Food-processing chain joins forces with hospitality, tourism

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Agricultural and Food Companies at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber (TGZS), and the Hospitality and Tourism Section of the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) signed a memorandum to establish a chain of the food-processing, hospitality and tourism sectors in a bid to form a long-term strategic partnership between food and beverage suppliers, and the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Epidemic slashes gross value in advertising by 11%

LJUBLJANA - Gross value of advertising in Slovenia dropped by 11% to EUR 980 million in 2020, as the industry was globally affected by the pandemic. The largest advertisers in the country were retailers Spar Slovenija, Mercator and Lidl Slovenija, according to Slovenian market and research agency Mediana. Telecommunications providers were another strong sector in terms of advertising, followed by pharmaceutical companies and financial services providers.

Slovenia's Pogačar wins Tirreno-Adriatico cycling race

SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO, Italy - Slovenian road cycling star Tadej Pogačar won Tirreno-Adriatico, an elite race across Italy between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts, in what is already his sixth overall career win in multi-day races. The 22-year-old racer for Team UEA Emirates set the foundation for the win in the "Race of the Two Seas" on Saturday and Sunday, when he grabbed the jersey for the overall leader after two gruelling stages. In addition to the blue jersey for the overall winner, he also won the white jersey for the best young cyclists and the polka-dot jersey for the best mountain climber.

Slovenian influencer startup raises EUR 400,000

LJUBLJANA - Epidemic, a one-year-old Slovenian influencer marketing startup, has raised EUR 400,000 from three Slovenian angel investors to expand its team of influencers and upgrade its artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company uses local and niche opinion leaders it calls "nano influencers", matching them to the brands they like and turning them into brand ambassadors at scale by using artificial intelligence.

Online retailer Zalando coming to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Zalando, a European e-commerce company based in Berlin that follows a platform approach, offering fashion and lifestyle products, is coming to Slovenia this year. The company, founded in Germany in 2008, expects to generate around EUR 10 billion in revenue this year. The Zalando online platform comprised more than 3,400 stores at the end of February.

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16 Mar 2021, 04:18 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 16 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia temporarily halts AstraZeneca vaccine use

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has decided to follow the lead of several major European countries and temporarily halt the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine pending a decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Health Minister Janez Poklukar said the Slovenian expert group for vaccines had not found reasonable grounds to stop using the jab. Nevertheless, as a matter of precaution it is proposed that vaccination be suspended.

Minister warns against discrimination over vaccination certificates

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs warned against discrimination in relation to Covid-19 vaccination certificates. He believes it is too early to talk about crossing borders with apps or certificates until most citizens have had access to a coronavirus vaccine. The European Commission will present on Wednesday a proposal for a digital green certificate that is to make travel easier during the coronavirus pandemic.

Slovenia advocates stricter approach on return of migrants

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia advocated a stricter approach to dealing with third countries when it comes to returning migrants from the EU as the bloc's foreign and interior ministers debated the external aspects of the EU's migration policy. The virtual session came after Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said last week the ministers should agree on third countries that need to be focused on in efforts to strengthen the return of migrants.

Hojs sceptical about support for Croatia joining Schengen zone

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press he was not optimistic about support among EU countries for Croatia joining the Schengen zone. He does not expect the Portuguese presidency to put the matter on the agenda again, but added he had no problems with putting in on the agenda during Slovenia's EU presidency.

Minister Kustec, coalition reject criticism as opposition claims she must go

LJUBLJANA - Education Minister Simona Kustec's handling of school closures took centre stage as the National Assembly debated a motion to oust her. The leftist opposition claimed the minister should have acted more resolutely to return kids to school as soon as possible, while Kustec and the coalition dismissed the criticism as politicking. The parliamentary debate is scheduled to last beyond midnight and given the distribution of votes in the National Assembly, Kustec is almost certain to survive the vote of no confidence.

Tighter entry rules for daily migrant workers

LJUBLJANA - Stricter rules to enter Slovenia kicked in for several groups, including people commuting daily to work outside Slovenia, in an EU or Schengen country. From today, they do not have to quarantine only if they produce a negative coronavirus test result not older than seven days. The measure applies to arrivals from red-listed countries. A negative test result is also obligatory for persons crossing the border for educational or research purposes and those accompanying them.

205 coronavirus cases on Sunday, four deaths

LJUBLJANA - A further 205 people tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday and four patients with Covid-19 died. The seven-day average of new daily cases dropped by one from the day before to 696. The number of those in hospital increased by 25 to 463, of which 87 patients were in intensive care. According to the National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia has so far confirmed 200,579 coronavirus cases, of which 10,233 are active.

Pahor nominates Tina Žumer as Banka Slovenije vice-governor

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor sent to parliament today a proposal to appoint Tina Žumer a vice-governor of central bank Banka Slovenije, while the nominee will present her bid to the public at the Presidential Palace tomorrow. Žumer is a former employee of Banka Slovenije who now works at the European Central Bank.

Hojs's land purchase cleared by corruption watchdog

LJUBLJANA - As part of its preliminary procedure, the corruption watchdog established there were no corruption risks or breaches of the integrity law when Interior Minister Aleš Hojs bought a piece of land on the Slovenian coast in July 2020. The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption said it would not process the case further. The weekly Mladina alleged in September that Hojs had bought the plot cheaply owing to his being an acquaintance of Koper Mayor Boris Popović.

Pahor and Moldovan counterpart discuss Covid-19 pandemic

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor talked to his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu via video link, inviting her to visit Slovenia. The pair discussed a number of topics, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Pahor's office said in a press release. Sandu spoke about Moldova's wish to make steps toward EU membership and boost cooperation with member states, including Slovenia. Pahor expressed support for Moldova's efforts to boost the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

MP Lep leaving DeSUS deputy group

LJUBLJANA - MP Jurij Lep announced would would leave the deputy group of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), citing a lack of consistency between the party, which left the government coalition in December, and the five-strong deputy group. He is not considering quitting the party or joining anther deputy faction. However, under the party's internal rules, membership terminates when an MP has left the deputy group or become an independent.

Former DeSUS head and minister Pivec founding new party

LJUBLJANA - Aleksandra Pivec, the former president of the Pensioner's Party (DeSUS) and agriculture minister, has made good on her announcements about forming a new party. The maiden congress of the For People movement is scheduled for Saturday in Maribor. Pivec stepped down as agriculture minister in the Janez Janša government last October following her ousting as the leader of DeSUS due to suspected ethics breaches.

Vox populi: Govt with lowest rating ever, SDS improving still

LJUBLJANA - The latest Vox Populi poll sees more than 67% of respondents not approving of the government's work in a new low for the Janez Janša cabinet. However, support for the ruling Democrats (SDS) continues to grow, improving by almost two percentage points to 18.9%, or a full 6 points ahead of the second-placed SocDems.

SAZU presents statement on reconciliation

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) presented a statement on reconciliation, underlining that Slovenians must reach an consensus about basic values on which the nations is founded. Presented to President Borut Pahor today, the statement says that it should not be contentious that resistance against World War II occupying forces was justified, while armed collaboration with the occupying forces was not. The usurpation of the National Liberation Front by the Communist Party and revolutionary terror were unjustified, but the resistance against it was.

Slovenian minority loses mayoral post in Carinthia

KLAGENFURT, Austria - The Slovenian minority in the Austrian state of Carinthia is left with only one mayor after incumbent Franc Jožef Smrtnik, a member of the United List (EL), lost Sunday's run-off in Eisenkappel (Železna Kapla) to Elisabeth Lobnik of the Social Democrats (SPÖ). The Slovenian minority in the southern Austrian state thus remains with only one mayor, in Globasnitz (Globasnica), where Bernard Sadovnik was re-elected mayor in the first round two weeks ago.

Slovenia awarded citizenships to 1,900 foreigners in 2019

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia awarded citizenship to 1,900 foreigners residing in the country in 2019, which is a 5% drop in comparison to the year before, show statistics published by Eurostat. At the same time the number of citizenships granted in the EU, excluding the UK, rose by 5% to 706,400. Non-EU citizens accounted for nearly 96% of those who were granted citizenship by Slovenia. Almost 60% of the beneficiaries were men. Around a third were children younger than 14.

January pay decreases slightly month-on-month

LJUBLJANA - The average gross pay in Slovenia in January stood at EUR 1,977, down by 2.2% nominally and 1.8% in real terms on December, show the Statistics Office data. Those working in healthcare and social care services received the highest pay on average. The average January net pay also decreased compared to December, by 3.5% in nominal terms and 3.1% in real terms to EUR 1,269. Year-on-year, the average gross pay was up by 9.4 nominally and by 10.2% in real terms.

All against All wins Andrej Košak three best-picture awards

LJUBLJANA - All against All (Vsi proti Vsem), a 2019 political thriller by Slovenian director and screenwriter Andrej Košak has won three best-picture awards and an award for best photography at international film festivals as well as an award for best poster in the past month. The feature about a corrupt mayor who is about to lose an election, took best picture awards at film festivals in India, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

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15 Mar 2021, 04:32 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 15 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenian Covid-19 victims commemorated by senior officials

LJUBLJANA - Senior state and religious officials attended a memorial service at Žale cemetery for people who died from Covid-19, on the anniversary of the first death recorded in Slovenia. President Borut Pahor expressed condolences to the victim's families and said the virus had not been defeated yet. "Many people in these merciless times said goodbye in deep and painful solitude," he said. A willow tree was also planted there in memory of the Covid-19 victims, and it was blessed by the head of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore. The ceremony was attended by PM Janez Janša, Speaker Igor Zorčič, Evangelical Lutheran Church priest Geza Filo and Nevzet Porić of the Slovenian Islamic Community.

520 new infections confirmed, 7-day incidence increases

LJUBLJANA - A total of 520 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Slovenia on Saturday in 2,984 PCR tests, with the 7-day incidence of new infections increased by 19 to 697, after dropping steadily over the week, fresh statistics published by the government on Twitter show. The positivity rate dropped by almost five percentage points to 17.4%. The number of hospitalisations was up by two to 438, with 83 requiring intensive care. Five Covid-19 patients died on Saturday.

Janša says SDS will not allow soloing in coalition any longer

LJUBLJANA - Democrats (SDS) president and PM Janez Janša has announced in a letter to the party membership that the party will work in realising the commitments from the coalition agreement, and he expects the same from partners. "Once a decision has been adopted, bringing it down or eroding it with help of opposition votes in the National Assembly is not acceptable. The SDS will not allow this any more," the letter says. He added that the majority of the opposition is destructive like nowhere in Europe, saying its acts in this time of great distress were hateful towards the homeland, nation and state.

France's Noel wins slalom event of 60th Vitranc Cup

KRANJSKA GORA - France's Clement Noel won the men's Alpine Ski World Cup event, while Austria's Marco Schwarz secured the overall win in the discipline by finishing seventh ahead of the season finale in Switzerland's Lenzerheide on 17-21 March. It was a double French win in the slalom event of the 60th Vitranc Cup, as Victor Muffat-Jeandet was second, while third place went to Ramon Zenhäusern of Switzerland, who won the event in Kranjska Gora two years ago. The only Slovenian in the final run was Štefan Hadalin, who finished 25th as he fell 3.88 seconds behind the winner. It was nevertheless the first slalom race in the season in which he finished in the top 30 to earn World Cup points.

Slovenian, Croatian football legends raise money for Petrinja

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian and Croatian football legends played a charity match on Saturday in the Croatian town of Petrinja to raise funds for the area that was hit by a devastating earthquake at the end of last year. The Croatian Red Cross was handed out a donation of EUR 50,000, the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) said. The match was played on initiative of Slovenia's Aleksander Čeferin, the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and Davor Šuker, the head of the Croatian Football Federation. A EUR 5,000 donation was also handed out to the Mladost football club from Petrinja by the NZS.

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14 Mar 2021, 04:14 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 14 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Five PMs, including Janša, urge EU summit on vaccines

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Five EU prime ministers, including Slovenia's Janez Janša, addressed on Friday a letter to Brussels calling for a summit on Covid-19 vaccines after Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz strongly criticised the distribution of vaccines among EU member states. He said some EU countries were receiving more vaccines than others. The letter, released on Saturday, was also signed by the prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Latvia and Bulgaria. The European Commission issued a statement today saying the most equitable solution is on the basis of a pro rata of population of each member state, a solution it had proposed. However, member states then decided to depart from the proposal by adding a flexibility which allows agreeing on a different distribution of doses, taking into account the epidemiological situation and the vaccination needs of each country. "It would be up to member states to find an agreement if they wished to return to the pro rata basis."

Almost 850 new Covid-19 cases and 3 deaths on Friday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 847 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Friday from 3,800 PCR tests, for a 22.3% positivity share, while three persons died, the government said on Twitter. The 7-day incidence of new infections dropped to 678. Once it is below 600, the country will progress to a milder, yellow tier of restrictions, as Covid hospitalisations have already dropped below 500. Yesterday, they were at 436. The Sledilnik tracker site data shows there are an estimated 10,227 active Covid-19 cases in the country.

Year since Janša govt was appointed

LJUBLJANA - A year to the day, the government of Janez Janša assumed office, just a day after the coronavirus epidemic was declared by its predecessor in office and which has strongly marked its term. The government survived the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leaving the coalition in December and an opposition-sponsored motion to oust it. The has also been marked by a troubled relationship between the government and many of the country's subsystems, including the media. Janša formed his third government after PM Marjan Šarec of the LMŠ resigned as his minority government had been struggling to secure a majority on some of the bills in parliament.

SD says it is ready for next general election

LJUBLJANA - The leadership of the opposition Social Democrats (SD) closed ranks at a meeting and strongly supported leader Tanja Fajon as the party is preparing for the next general election with the ambition to win. Fajon said they would do everything to give the people back trust in politics and social democracy, adding the party was open to cooperation with other parties. SD chief secretary Dejan Levanič said the party had recently set up its election headquarters, started compiling a list of election candidates and drafted concrete solutions for Slovenia's development.

Marco Odermatt wins Kranjska Gora giant slalom race

KRANJSKA GORA - Swiss skier Marco Odermatt won today's World Cup giant slalom race in Slovenia's Kranjska Gora after he finished the first run fourth. His fellow countryman Loic Meillard placed second (+1.06), followed by Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner (+1,09) in third place. With a total of 625 points, and just one more giant slalom race on the World Cup schedule this season, Odermatt has taken over as the overall giant slalom leader. Štefan Hadalin placed 18th as the best Slovenian.

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13 Mar 2021, 04:20 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: 13 March, 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Year into office, govt pledges to fight Covid on, implement coalition agreement

BRDO PRI KRANJU - PM Janez Janša pledged for the government to respond to a third wave of the coronavirus epidemic, which he said could realistically be expected, and implement key commitments in the coalition agreement, as he addressed reporters with the other coalition leaders a day before a year will have passed since his government assumed office. "If there are no major surprises, we can make up for last year's contraction in GDP this year," Janša said. He announced that apart from the fight against Covid-19, the government's key projects in the year ahead to the regular election would be de-bureaucratisation, decentralisation, tackling long-term care and reforming the public sector pay system.

Slovenia's exports down 2.8% year on year in January, imports down 8.5%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's exports were down 2.8% year on year to EUR 2.9 billion in January and imports plunged 8.5% to EUR 2.5 billion for a surplus in external trade in goods of EUR 0.3 billion and exports-to-imports coverage of 113.7%, the Statistics Office said. The trade surplus is the result of more exports to EU countries as well as to non-member countries, with the latter contributing 10% more to the surplus. Slovenia generated almost two-thirds of January's trade with EU countries.

Slovenia not to suspend vaccination with AstraZeneca

LJUBLJANA/VELENJE - The Covid-19 vaccination advisory group of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) said there are currently no reasons to suspend vaccination with any of the Covid-19 vaccines, with monitoring showing that they do not cause blood clots and, if they do, this happens very rarely. Today's opinion comes after a few EU member states suspended the administration of AstraZeneca vaccine out of precaution after some vaccinated persons developed complications related to blood clots. It also comes a day after a primary school in the town of Velenje said it would be closed today because 26 teachers took sick leave due to strong reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Govt changes budget implementation act to finance army

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted on Thursday changes to the 2021 and 2022 budgets implementation act to allow for long-term financing of investments in the Slovenian Armed Forces in line with the long-term programme of army development and the mid-term defence programme. This comes after the Constitutional Court stayed in January the implementation of a new law on EUR 780 million in investments in the Slovenian Armed Forces pending a decision on the constitutionality of the legislation.

SMC staying on in govt with Počivalšek at helm

LJUBLJANA - Meeting over internal tensions for several hours yesterday, the council of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) decided the party is staying in the ruling coalition, according to party leader Zdravko Počivalšek. Coming out of the meeting, he said they had a long, open and thorough discussion, "proving we can unite on key issues". He said they has passed two decisions unanimously: to continue with constructive work in the coalition in order to implement the coalition agreement, and task him with renewing the party for the next election.

7-day average of new infections falls below 700

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw another 770 people test positive for coronavirus on Thursday, to push the 7-day average of new cases to 689, data released by the government show. Eight patients with Covid-19 died. Of the 5,222 PCR tests performed yesterday, 14.7% came back positive. In addition, 25,447 rapid antigen tests were performed. For Slovenia to move to a milder, yellow tier of coronavirus restrictions, the 7-day average would have to fall below 600 after Covid hospitalisations have already dropped below 500.

Vaccination strategy revised to cover vaccines for all residents

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a revised national vaccination strategy at a correspondence session to provide vaccines to all residents with permanent or temporary residence, not just to Slovenian citizens. Soldiers were added to the nine groups to be prioritised for vaccines together with police officers, while previously only soldiers leaving for missions abroad were on the priority list. What is more, the Oncology Institute in Ljubljana, the country's main cancer treatment centre, was added to the list of vaccination centres. The strategy was adopted on 3 December and first revised on 1 March.

Culture ministry responds to media freedom debate in EP

LJUBLJANA - The Culture Ministry, which is responsible for Slovenia's media police, responded to the 5 March public debate in the European Parliament on media freedom in Slovenia with an extensive response. The response says the Slovenian participants made "several incorrect claims", so the ministry wants to present the actual facts and the media situation in the country. For the sake of clarity and length, it limited the response to statements by Professor Marko Milosavljević, as the other Slovenian participants stated similar if not identical claims. The response was sent to all EU institutions, the chair of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group Sophie in 't Veld (Renew) and its members.

Committee tightens condition to declare complex migration emergency

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee okayed in second reading amendments to the act on aliens that introduce stricter conditions for residence of foreigners in Slovenia and the concept of a complex migration-related emergency. On proposal of the coalition SMC, declaring a complex emergency will require an absolute majority in parliament and not just a simple majority as originally envisaged. A complex emergency means that implementation of the international protection act could be suspended under deteriorating migration-related conditions, and access to asylum could be restricted. The committee also endorsed changes to the international protection act which tighten rules in a bid to eliminate the chance of abuse, while ensuring asylum to those who really need it.

Committee okays four-year declaration on activities in EU institutions

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee okayed a draft declaration on Slovenia's activities in EU institutions in 2021-2024, although the opposition was critical of the document, saying that it too generalised, leaving too much room for interpretations, and that it covers too long a period. The document focuses on key political topics in the coming period, including sustainable recovery, greater resilience of the EU to new crises, the changing balance of power in the world and EU prospects of the Western Balkans. While previous declarations were limited to one year and a half, the latest one is tied to the term of the European Parliament, i.e. until 2024.

Počivalšek visits Safilo as Ormož plant is slated for closure

ORMOŽ - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek visited the Ormož-based eyewear production plant after Italian group Safilo announced it would close it in June, with almost 560 jobs to be lost. He said the owner insisted on the closure that comes after Safilo already closed two plants in Italy, but announced that the government would do everything in its power to resolve the situation. The minister said the government had enough funds at its disposal to continue implementing measures to protect jobs, and that solutions for Safilo employees would also include reassignments to other companies.

Pahor, his climate advisors urge closer cooperation with civil society

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his permanent advisory committee on climate policy urged the government and parliament not to fast-track the planned changes to the water act that would allow construction of production facilities using hazardous substances in water protection areas under certain condition. The release from Pahor's office also says that at the end of March, Pahor and the committee will host a conference on the national recovery and resilience plan.

Task group to discuss pay system changes with health unions, says minister

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry will appoint a task force to launch talks with the health sector trade unions over an option of changing the pay system for health workers, Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced, noting the system should be upgraded to make health professions more attractive. Poklukar said the ministry's representatives met health sector trade unions this week to discuss healthcare challenges. A special bill to regulate health work and performance bonuses was discussed. If the two sides do not reach an agreement, Poklukar allows for a possibility of the single pay system to remain unchanged.

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12 Mar 2021, 08:13 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 12 March 2021

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Spanish FM announces support for Slovenia's EU presidency

LJUBLJANA - Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya pledged her country's support for Slovenia's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of the year as she met her counterpart Anže Logar as part of an official visit to Slovenia. "Spain will work together with Slovenia for the presidency to be as successful as possible," Gonzalez Laya said in addressing a joint press conference. The pair also discussed resilience of the EU and migrations, which are among the presidency's priorities. Gonzalez Laya also meet Speaker Igor Zorčič, PM Janez Janša and President Borut Pahor.

Settlement agreed with General Electric over TEŠ6

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's energy group HSE and its subsidiary TEŠ announced they had reached a EUR 261 million out-of-court settlement with the US group General Electric as legal successor to French Alstom over the infamous TEŠ6 generator project, the cost of which ballooned from EUR 654 million to EUR 1.4 billion amid allegations of corruption. HSE said that EUR 131 million had already been transferred to the TEŠ account following the settlement's signing on Wednesday.

Coronavirus case count declines but concern about new variants

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its average daily increase in coronavirus infections over the past seven days drop to 705 after another 860 people tested positive on Wednesday. However, officials briefing reporters on the situation today expressed concern in view of the spread of the new, highly-virulent variants as an additional 155 cases of the UK strain had been confirmed in Slovenia in the past week, along with a further eight cases of the South African mutation. Meanwhile, the situation in hospitals improved further with 453 Covid-19 patients hospitalised this morning. Ten died yesterday.

Slovenia not considering suspending AstraZeneca vaccine

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is currently not considering halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Bojana Beović, the head of the country's vaccination advisory group, told the STA after several EU countries have suspended vaccination with it as a precaution following reports of problems with blood clots. Since this vaccine will be used for education workers, the SVIZ trade union of teachers called on the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) to take a stand on the matter immediately. Should there be any doubts, SVIZ believes a rethink will be needed on potential suspension of vaccination with AstraZeneca.

Committee unanimously supports children's house bill

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee endorsed unanimously a bill on the protection of children in criminal procedures and setting up the country's first Barnahus for child victims of sexual abuse. The government-sponsored bill aims to protect children that are involved in criminal procedures either as victims, witnesses or underage perpetrators and has been enjoying cross-party support so far.

SDS's Patria damages suit dismissed in retrial

MARIBOR - The newspaper Delo reported that the Maribor Higher Court had dismissed a damages claim by the ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) against the state over the Patria defence corruption trial a second time in a retrial. The court told the paper the judgement had become final on 5 January. The SDS claimed over EUR 886,000 in pecuniary damages and interest for the impact the subsequently quashed sentencing of its leader, incumbent PM Janez Janša, had on the party's outcome in the general elections in 2011 and 2014.

Govt appoints acting head of money laundering watchdog

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Damjan Žugelj acting director of the Office for Money Laundering Prevention. He will take over on 15 March from Ivan Kopina, who resigned earlier this month after serving as acting director for nearly a year. Žugelj, who has previously served as director of the Securities Market Agency, was appointed for the period until a full-fledged director is appointed but no longer than six months. The government also proposed to parliament to appoint Anka Čadež the director of the Securities Market Agency for a period of six years.

Reconciliation study centre gets new director

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed the appointment of Tomaž Ivešić as the new director of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation, following the resignation of Andreja Valič Zver, who had led the centre since its inception in 2008. Ivešić was appointed for a five-year term starting on 1 April. Ivešić has been the interim head of the centre since last October when Valič Zver stepped down following allegations of mismanagement.

Estimated cost of Koper rail downgraded by 7% to EUR 1.126bn

LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the state-owned company managing the project of the new railway line between the port of Koper and the Divača hub, has downgraded the estimated costs of the project by almost 7% to EUR 1.126 billion. The previous investment programme from January 2019, which was not upgraded, the estimated costs were EUR 1.194 billion, the company said in a press release.

SSH moves to take over Terme Olimija

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia Sovereign Holding (SSH), the manager of state assets, published a letter of intent for the takeover of spa operator Terme Olimija, a move that comes as yet another step in the plan to create the State Hospitality Fund. Terme Olimija, which operates resorts in Podčetrtek and in Croatia's Tuhelj, has a total of 705,799 shares, with the SSH completing the acquisition of a 20.9% stake in the company on Tuesday, crossing the takeover threshold.

Italian group Safilo to close Slovenia plant

ORMOŽ - The Italian group Safilo announced it would close its eyewear production plant in the Slovenian town of Ormož in June to adjust production capacities to meet changing demand. A total of 557 workers will lose jobs. The development, which took both trade unions and the municipality of Ormož by surprise, comes after Safilo has already closed two plants in Italy. The group said the Covid crisis had further aggravated the situation that had been already challenging prior to the pandemic.

Govt adopts building energy efficiency improvement strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a strategy for improvement of energy efficiency of buildings until 2050 that, among other things, defines decarbonisation approaches and policies of the National Housing Fund. The strategy will promote sustainable refurbishment of old buildings and new construction that would reach almost zero emissions, the Government Communication Office said. The document is tied to the EU goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050 in comparison with 1990.

Intereuropa group's net profit drops 15% to EUR 3.6m

KOPER - The logistics group Intereuropa saw its sales revenue drop by 6% year-on-year to EUR 150.7m in 2020, while net profit was down by 15% to EUR 3.6 million, shows the unaudited annual report. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation were down 12% to EUR 12.3 million, while the group's net debt dropped by EUR 10 million to stand at EUR 44.4 million at the end of 2020 for an EBITDA ratio of 3.6.

EUR 30m in loans available to SMEs for development projects

LJUBLJANA - Loans in the total amount of EUR 30 million have been made available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of a loan guarantee scheme provided by the SID Banka export and development bank for projects intended for research, technological development and innovation. Loans will be available through the Delavska Hranilnica bank, which has been selected through a call for applications published in February, SID Banka announced.

Tourism statistics: Tourist farms suffered least in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's tourism sector took a significant hit last year due to the global pandemic, with nearly all providers seeing their figures plummet, as the number of tourists halved compared to 2019. The only exception were tourist farms, where the number of nights was roughly the same, at some 250,000, data from the Statistics Office show. There was, however, a significant change in the structure of tourists, as foreign tourists accounted for only 25% of all guests.

Baroque painter Bergant on display at National Gallery

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition of works by Fortunat Bergant, one of the main Slovenian Baroque painters, opened at the National Gallery, showcasing around 40 of his works, as well as works by his contemporaries and artists of the generation after them. It comes 70 years after Bergant's last comprehensive show and marks 300 years since his birth. Bergant (1721-1769) is one of the main Slovenian Baroque artists alongside Valentin Metzinger, Franc Jelovšek and Anton Cebej.

Exhibition on Slovenian sport technology on show in Bistra

BISTRA - An exhibition on Slovenian sport technology is on display at the Technical Museum of Slovenia (TMS) in Bistra, presenting until the end of the year a review of the creations by Slovenian makers of equipment for sports on land, in the air and water. The producers showcased in the exhibition that spans from the inter-war period until today include Alpina, Mont, Športoprema Ljubljana, Planika, Toper, Rašica, Akrapovič, Goltes, Dedra, Slatnar, Dali and others.

Report: Slovenian lorry driver gets 15 years in UK for drug smuggling

CANTERBURY, UK - A court in the English town of Canterbury sentenced at the end of February a Slovenian lorry driver caught smuggling drugs last April to 15 years in prison, media have reported. A 50-year-old man from Koper was reportedly arrested in Dover in England on 26 April after 81 kilos of cocaine and three kilos of heroin were found in his truck, loaded with frozen pizzas. The English police have assessed that the illegal cargo was worth around EUR 7.5 million.

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11 Mar 2021, 04:28 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 11 March 2021

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Jourova voices concern over media situation in Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova pointed to continuous attempts to undermine the sustainable funding and the independence of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) at a EU Parliament debate on media freedom in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. She also noted that frequent verbal attacks against journalists in the country were cause for concern. Several MEPs of S&D, Renew and the Greens voiced concern over the situation of Slovenian media, particularly the STA. MEPs of the centre-right EPP did not mention Slovenia in their addresses for the most part, however Slovenian MEPs of this political group Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) and Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) rejected allegations about the Slovenian government exerting pressure on Slovenian media.

DeSUS leader Erjavec resigns

LJUBLJANA - Karl Erjavec, the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), announced he was stepping down as president. He is no longer a member of the party either, saying that this was no longer the party he led for 15 years. The statement comes after a session of the party's council, which was supposed to debate the future course of DeSUS after Erjavec spearheaded a failed bid to unseat Prime Minister Janez Janša. Until a new fully-fledged leadership is elected, the party will be headed by Anton Balažek, one of the two vice-presidents.

President wishes Slovenia were not subject of EP debates

SLOVENJ GRADEC - President Borut Pahor said he wished Slovenia were not the subject of debates in the European Parliament, in particular when it comes to freedom of the media, as he commented on a debate on pressure on the media in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. "I think we all have to endeavour to focus our attention now ... on the final part of battling Covid-19, and that in this sensitive phase we should perhaps not deal with certain matters that are not essential." He said media freedom was "foundational to democratic life".

Restrictions broadly unchanged as state of epidemic extended by a month

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government extended the majority of coronavirus restrictions by another week as it prolonged the state of the epidemic by another thirty days as part of its weekly review of measures. The one relaxation the government opted for is allowing all construction services to reopen as of 15 March without the need for workers to be tested.

Average daily coronavirus count down as hospitalisations fall below 500

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 952 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, down a fifth from the same day a week ago, to push the 7-day average of new daily cases to 728. Four patients died. Of the 6,017 PCR tests performed yesterday, 15.8% came back positive. Over 25,000 rapid antigen tests were also performed with all the positives re-tested with PCR tests. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 21 from yesterday to 485, 14 fewer than Saturday morning when hospitalisations fell below the 500 mark for the first time since late October.

Committee okays legislation on EU prosecutors

LJUBLJANA - The Justice Committee endorsed amendments to the act on the state prosecution that lay down the selection criteria for Slovenia's two members of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, amidst complaints by the opposition that the required level of knowledge of English was an unnecessary condition. Slovenia had secured the legal basis for the appointment of delegated EU prosecutors, who will monitor the spending of EU funds, with May 2019 amendments to the state prosecution act. Last autumn the European Public Prosecutor's Office adopted rules of procedure, which requires certain corrections to the Slovenian law.

New management appointed at Telekom

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of Telekom Slovenije appointed a new management board headed by CEO Cvetko Sršen, who comes to Telekom from postal operator Pošta Slovenije. He will be joined by another long-time Telekom employee Mitja Štular, and Tomaž Jontes has been with Telekom since 2002. All three started their terms with immediate effect.

Slovenian builder picked for first section of Koper-Divača rail

LJUBLJANA - Kolektor CPG, which submitted the lowest financial offer for main works on the first section of the Koper-Divača rail track, was picked as the winner over a consortium led by Austria's Strabag. The decision will be final in eight days unless there are appeals. Kolektor CPG offered to build the Divača-Črni Kal section for EUR 403.6 million, almost EUR 60 million less than Strabag.

Additional measures urged to help hospitality industry

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Economy Committee called on the government to put in place additional measures to help the hospitality industry. While acknowledging that existing aid has been effective and timely, the committee urged the government to reopen the sector as soon as the epidemiological situation permits and to strive for additional aid based on examples of best practice abroad. It called on the Economy Ministry to work towards a single, predictable system of the crossing of borders.

Cinkarna Celje reports 12% lower net profit for 2020

LJUBLJANA - Cinkarna Celje, the Celje-based chemical company, saw its net profit drop by 12% last year to EUR 18.95 million as revenue remained broadly flat with the year before at EUR 172.4 million, despite a drop in sale prices of titanium dioxide pigment, its main product. The company said the attained bottom line was 34% above the projections.

Business excellence award goes to Ptuj health centre

LJUBLJANA - This year's national award for business excellence and international five-star excellence certificate EFQM have been bestowed on the Ptuj Community Health Centre. Investment agency Spirit Slovenija welcomed the fact that the winner is a public sector organisation. The health centre could be a role model in terms of its expertise and organisational management for both Slovenian and foreign health organisations, said Spirit Slovenija, which is in charge of promoting business excellence.

Industrial output up in January after 2020 slump

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output increased by 1.3% in January over January 2020. Industrial revenue meanwhile dropped by 1.1% year on year, down 1.8% on foreign markets and up by 1.4% on the domestic market, the Statistics Office said. At monthly level, industrial output rose by 1.6% over December 2020, yet exclusively on account of higher output in manufacturing, which rose by 2%.

Laura Unuk Slovenia's first woman to win International Master title in chess

RIJEKA, Croatia - Chess player Laura Unuk has become the first Slovenian woman to win the International Master title awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE, the second highest-ranking title in chess. Unuk won the title by bagging a victory at the chess tournament Mediterranean Flowers in Croatia's Rijeka on Tuesday. "I only needed this rating and I finally made it," said the 21-year-old student of chemistry and chemical technology, who has entered the tournament as Woman Grandmaster.

FIHO director Vladimir Kukavica steps down

LJUBLJANA - Vladimir Kukavica is stepping down as the director of the Foundation for Funding Disability and Humanitarian Organisations (FIHO) on 30 April after almost three years on the job, citing a lack of transparency at FIHO and some council members acting against the foundation's interests. The development comes after the national Commission for the Prevention of Corruption pinpointed corruption risks in procedures related to the allocation of FIHO funds in its report adopted at the end of February and presented to the public on Monday.

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