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Janez Poklukar gets committee nod to become new health minister

LJUBLJANA - Janez Poklukar, the director of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, was endorsed by the Health Committee as candidate for health minister. The 42-year-old doctor said that in addition to fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, his priorities would be to strengthen primary care, expand integrated care, reform financing, and improve work conditions for staff. In fighting the epidemic, vaccination would be key. The National Assembly vote is scheduled for next week.

Four doctors, sales rep sentenced to prison in healthcare corruption trial

LJUBLJANA - Four orthopaedic surgeons and a sales representative were sentenced to jail terms ranging from ten months to three years in what was the largest healthcare corruption trial in Slovenia. The Ljubljana District Court also imposed fines, while three of the doctors will also have their unlawfully gained assets seized. The verdicts are not final yet, with both the defence and the prosecution announcing appeals.

Restrictions remain unchanged

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government conducted its weekly review of coronavirus restrictions and except for some minor changes, the existing rules associated with the orange tier remain in place at last until 26 February. The decision is expected given that the benchmarks used to determine the transition from one phase of restrictions to another have not changed much in recent days. While the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital continues to gradually decline, the average daily number of new cases has been stagnant.

New coronavirus cases again to 1,000, as 12 patients die

LJUBLJANA - After the number of new coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths dropped to the lowest level in months on Monday, the number of new cases exceeded 1,000 again on Tuesday, but hospitalisation continued to drop. A total of 1,097 out of 5,115 PCR tests conducted, came back positive yesterday for a positivity rate of 21.4%. The number of patients requiring hospital treatment dropped by 43 to 648, of whom 126 needed intensive care, one fewer than the day before. 12 people died.

Actress Skrbinac files complaint over sexual harassment

LJUBLJANA - Actress Mia Skrbinac, who has publicly accused her drama teacher of sexually harassing her while she was a student, has officially filed a sexual harassment complaint to the University of Ljubljana. The alleged harasser is Matjaž Tribušon, a 58-year-old award-winning film and theatre actor, RTV Slovenija reported on Tuesday, adding that Tribušon had so far not responded to journalist calls. The Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) said Tribušon would be suspended from teaching.

Signatures collected for law redefining rape

LJUBLJANA - Collection of 5,000 voter signatures in support of an only-yes-means-yes rape law got under way on Wednesday amid controversy over accessibility of one of the administrative offices in Ljubljana where verified signatures can be submitted. The law to redefine rape and sexual violence to use affirmative consent standard is being proposed by the NGO Inštitut 8. Marec, which has 60 days to collect the needed signatures to put the bill forward to the National Assembly.

Opposition presents its proposals for recovery and resilience spending

LJUBLJANA - Four opposition parties filed a request for a plenary session to discuss Slovenia's national recovery and resilience plan, a document required to draw EUR 5.2 billion in EU recovery funds that the government has so far kept under wraps. "The government's secret model of Slovenia's development is asphalt and concrete, which will be very hard to make green let alone digital," said SocDem MP Franc Trček. The Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy sees the plenary as "an opportunity to exchange opinions about our common future" and debunk lies and manipulations concerning this document.

Fajon on no-confidence vote: Janša feels the end coming

LJUBLJANA - Opposition Social Democrats (SD) leader Tanja Fajon believes Monday's no-confidence vote against the government has shown the political reality. She said ruling Democrat (SDS) MPs not having picked up the ballots showed that they were afraid and that the 41 votes the Janez Janša government enjoys was not a beginning but the end. The 41 figure Fajon mentions refers to the fact that out of a total of only 53 ballots picked up, 47 returned valid and six invalid.

DaiBau raises fresh funds

LJUBLJANA - DaiBau, which runs portals in multiple countries where investors can link up with building contractors, has received fresh funding from the German chemical company Henkel. Henkel made the investment via its subsidiary Adhesive Technologies. The scale of the investment has not been disclosed beyond the companies saying it was a seven-figure amount. The company operates portals in Austria, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Romania.

2020 a boom year for mutual funds

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian mutual funds had a bumper 2020, as inflows exceeded payouts by almost EUR 150 million, the highest figure since 2007, according to figures by Vzajemci, a mutual funds consultancy. The number of individual investors increased by over 10,000 to 466,283 and Slovenian mutual fund managers had EUR 3,235 assets under management at the end of the year.

Taxi drivers staging protests over frequent testing requirement

LJUBLJANA - Taxi drivers have been protesting for several days against the demand that they be tested for the new coronavirus every 72 hours. They have been expressing their discontent by driving around the Ljubljana city centre, honking and closing their call centres. "The rest can do their job in line with the recommendations of the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) without tests, while for taxi service tests are required every 72 hours," said Saška Kiara Kumer from the trade union of transport and connections.

Slovenia's Dončić and Garnbret make TIME's list of rising stars

NEW YORK, US - Slovenian NBA player Luka Dončić and sport climber Janja Garnbret have made US magazine TIME's list of 100 rising stars for 2021, Time 100 Next. The 21-year-olds are featured in the Phenoms category of rising stars in sports. Garnbret was meanwhile labelled a favourite for gold at the Tokyo Olympics, where competitive climbing will make its debut. Dončić was lauded for his crazy moves and billed as a player who is set to earn many more honours.

Biathlon: Laegreid takes men's individual tile

POKLJUKA - Norway's Sturla Holm Laegreid took his second gold at the Biathlon World Championships on Pokljuka, beating Germany's Arnd Peiffer and compatriot Johannes Dale in the men's individual event.

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National Assembly passes legislation redrawing electoral districts

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation that redraws the boundaries of multiple electoral districts in compliance with a 2018 Constitutional Court decision. At present the difference in the number of voters between the smallest and largest district is 1:3.7; under the amendments, which change the size of 15 of Slovenia's 88 districts, the maximum difference will be 1:2.7. President Borut Pahor, who had been warning for months about the dangers of Slovenia heading to the polls without the legislation being amended, said the amendments came as a relief and would make it "much easier to take decisions concerning elections".

Daily Covid death toll at four-month low

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 740 new coronavirus cases from 4,402 PCR tests performed on Monday as five patients with Covid-19 died, the lowest daily death toll in nearly four months. Hospitalisations hit their lowest since late October at 691, including 127 in intensive care. The 7-day average of new cases rose by 57 to 879, government data show. Slovenia has so far recorded 180,507 coronavirus cases with an estimated 12,077 still active. A total of 3,733 Covid-19 patients have died.

Minister says Slovenia on pace in drafting recovery plan

BRUSSELS - Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said Slovenia was in constant touch with the European Commission in drafting its recovery plan and would meet the deadline. He said he would like to see as little red tape as possible while declining to announce when the plan will be in Brussels, saying that "this is not a competition." "We would not like to see too much red tape ... that could delay implementation of such plans," he said after a session of EU finance ministers.

Bank profits after-tax down by 15% in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian banks saw their cumulative after-tax profit decline by 15.1% to EUR 450.3 million in 2020. Pre-tax profit fell by a fifth to EUR 472 million, but would have more than halved were it not for the one-off impact of the merger of Abanka and NKBM, a report by the central bank finds. Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which is expected to continue to affect bank operations, the central bank said the banking system's profit was "relatively high".

Liquidity of businesses good but deteriorating, FinMin says

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The liquidity of companies in Slovenia is good, but deteriorating. The government is working on new schemes to help businesses capable of surviving the crisis, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj told his counterparts from other EU countries and the Eurozone in online meetings on Monday and Tuesday. Some schemes already exist, while new ones will also be drawn up, including for the Enterprise Fund. Šircelj also noted that the government adopted last week the decision to join the European Investment Bank's Pan-European Guarantee Fund.

Analysts divided on whether govt will finish its term

LJUBLJANA - After the vote of no confidence in the government failed with the opposition falling six votes short of an outright majority, political analysts quizzed by the STA are divided as to what this means for the coalition. Columnist Rok Čakš believes the vote made the coalition more stable and would mark an end to attempts to bring down the government. Meanwhile, political blogger and podcaster Aljaž Pengov Bitenc expects more ouster motions. He is not sure the coalition is stronger.

Judge sues state secretary over leaked private Facebook post

LJUBLJANA - Urška Klakočar Zupančič, a Ljubljana Local Court judge who has lost her post after criticising Prime Minister Janez Janša in a closed Facebook group is suing Vinko Gorenak, the state secretary in the prime minister's office, who had found about the post and published it. The law firm Pirc Musar & Lemut Strle said that judge "does not accept her not having the right to think in her private life and entrust her thoughts to somebody."

Court throws out Thompson concert case

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has thrown out a lawsuit by the State Attorney's Office against the state over a decision by the Interior Ministry to overrule the Maribor Administrative Unit and allow a concert by Marko Perković Thompson, a Croatian singer accused of glorifying the nationalist Ustasha movement. Going back as far as 2017, the case ultimately led to an ouster motion against Interior Minister Aleš Hojs in 2020 following the ministry's decision to allow the concert.

Top court outlaws free party advertising in local newsletters

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court annulled provisions in decrees that allowed three municipalities to issue local newsletters in which political parties and lists represented on municipal councils were able to be advertised cost free. The decision comes upon an initiative from the Court of Audit after it had reviewed the operations of a total of twelve political parties in 2014. It challenged free party advertising in the newsletters of Pivka, Moravske Toplice and Trebnje.

Court stays development permit for Mokrice project

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Native Fish Association (DPRS) announced that the Administrative Court stayed the issuance of a development permit for the planned Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava. The power producer HESS, which will operate the plant, said the procedure to acquire the permit can continue. The court decided the permit cannot be issued until its decision on whether the public interest of renewable energy prevails over the public interest of nature conservation becomes final.

Climate fund to finance combustion of sewage sludge

LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry proposes allocating EUR 13 million from the fund for climate change in 2021-2023 for processing of sewage sludge in mono-combustion. The ministry published a plan of financing at a website E-demokracija this week under which EUR 355 million would be spent on measures dealing with climate change until 2023, of which EUR 145.6 million would be spent this year, EUR 11.5 million next year and EUR 97.7 million in 2023.

WTA tournament returning to Portorož after ten years

LJUBLJANA - A tournament of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) series is returning to Slovenia, as the national federation has been successful in bidding to host a US$125,000 prize money tournament for ladies in the seaside resort of Portorož between 13 and 19 September. Gregor Krušič, the head of the Slovenian Tennis Federation, told the STA that the federation had taken advantage of the coronavirus crisis to bring back the best female tennis players to Slovenia.

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Motion of no confidence in government fails

LJUBLJANA - The Janez Janša government survived a motion of no confidence as only 40 MP voted in favour in a secret ballot, six too few. There were seven votes against and six invalid ballots; the majority of coalition MPs did not pick up the ballots. The motion was filed by five centre-left opposition parties, which nominated Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leader Karl Erjavec for prime minister. The day-long debate saw the centre-left opposition argue that this was about a democratic Slovenia versus a slide into autocracy under Janša. The coalition highlighted the government's achievement in a difficult period. Janša said after the vote that the National Assembly had finally done the tallying and determined that not even all members of the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL) were in favour of the motion, adding the hashtag "meagre40".

244 new infections confirmed on Sunday, 11 patients die

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,274 coronavirus tests were performed in Slovenia on Sunday, resulting in 244 positive cases, for a positivity rate of 19.2%. The number of hospitalised patients dropped to 738, as did the number of patients in intensive care, to 135, the latest data from the government shows. Another 11 Covid-19 patients died yesterday, which is one fewer than on Saturday. The latest epidemiological data put the 14-day incidence at 609.7 cases per 100,000 residents.

Slovenia expects 38,000 doses of vaccine this week, updates strategy

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) expects new batches of Covid-19 vaccines this week, consisting of 21,060 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and 16,800 of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The NIJZ also updated the national vaccination strategy after a large chunk of over 85-year-olds has been vaccinated. The priority groups now are medical staff, employees and residents of care homes, people aged over 80, those over 75 and then those over 70.

Govt proposes public sector payment system changes

LJUBLJANA - The government unveiled a preliminary proposal for the overhaul of the public sector pay system. The sector is to be split into two groups. The first group would include departments and organisations solely dependent on the budget, which would be subjected to a binding set of rules of a centrally-led payment system. The second group would include those also funded by other sources, which would get more freedom in setting pay. The heads of both major public sector union associations said the division to two groups would undermine the entire pay system.

Slovenian military getting new, hi-tech wear and equipment

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian army will spend nearly EUR 8.5 million on new equipment, including underwear, boots, uniforms, backpacks and sleeping bags, in the next two years, the Defence Ministry said. The objective is to get new, more functional and lighter equipment. Some equipment has already been tested and is the best the commercial market has to offer, Colonel Anže Rode said.

Four bids received for spectrum auction

LJUBLJANA - The Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS) received four bids for wireless spectrum, including bands set aside for 5G mobile networks. The bidders and their offers remain anonymous until the auction, which is scheduled for March or April. Spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1500 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 3600 MHz and 26 GHz bands will be auctioned.

Average net wage up by almost 7% last year

LJUBLJANA - The average monthly wage in Slovenia in 2020 reached EUR 1,856.20 gross, which is 5.8% more than in 2019 nominally and 5.9% higher in real terms. The average net wage was EUR 1,208.65 or 6.6% and 6.7% higher nominally and in real terms, respectively, the Statistics Office reported. The average gross wage in 2020 was higher both in the private sector (+4.4%) and the public sector (+7.8%) compared to the year before.

Value of construction work up 0.4% year-on-year in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Despite the Covid-19 epidemic, the value of construction work in Slovenia was up by 0.4% last year. The value of construction works on buildings was lower by 3.3%, as the work on residential buildings was up by 14.8% and work on non-residential buildings down by 9.4%. The value of construction work on civil engineering structures was up by 2.4%

Theatre producer Nevenka Koprivšek dies

LJUBLJANA - Nevenka Koprivšek, a major player on the Slovenian scene of performing arts, died suddenly at the age of 61 on Sunday. The actress and theatre producer in 1989 she became the first woman artistic director of Glej, an alternative Ljubljana theatre group, and she is credited with opening it up to international audiences. In 1997, she founded Bunker and she was also the director of the Young Lions festival.

Wood architecture on display in Tivoli Park

LJUBLJANA - A variety of buildings made of wood or with wood has been put on display at Jakopič Promenade in Ljubljana's Tivoli Park. Dubbed Wood Architecture Today for Tomorrow, it features an innovative, sustainable and inspirational use of wood in construction on 80 panels until the end of April.

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Downward trend continues as 329 new coronavirus cases, 12 deaths reported

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 329 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, down a third over the week before, as the positive trend, in particular in hospitals, continued. Twelve Covid-19 patients died. Hospital numbers continued to improve as well. The number of Covid-19 patients declined by 24 to 739, the lowest since late October, while ICU cases dropped by 23 to 149, the lowest since early November.

Janša congratulate new Italian prime minister

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša congratulated Mario Draghi on becoming the new prime minister of Italy. "I am looking forward to further strengthening our good neighbourly relations and cooperation in many areas, both regionally, in Europe and globally," Janša wrote on Twitter.

Biathlon: Third gold for Eckhoff, men's pursuit title goes to Jacquelin

POKLJUKA - After winning gold in the sprint and mixed relay, Norway's Tiril Eckhoff dominated the women's pursuit on Sunday ahead of Lisa Theresa Hauser of Austria and the French biathlete Anais Chevalier-Bouchet. In the men's event French biathlete Emilien Jacquelin clinched the title with a perfect shooting record from Sweden's Sebastian Samuelsson. Johannes Thingnes Bo of Norway won bronze.

Another podium for Slovenia's Lanišek

ZAKOPANE, Poland - Slovenian ski jumper Anže Lanišek won his third podium position this season as he finished second on the large hill in Zakopane, less than three points behind Halvor Egner Granerud of Norway. He is now fifth in the overall World Cup standings.

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Avalanches claim three lives, rescuer injured

PREDDVOR - Two avalanches were triggered in the area of Mt Storžič (2,132 metres) in the western part of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps mountain range on Saturday, burying four climbers. Three died at the scene and one sustained severe injuries, the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief says on its website. Two rescuers were also injured, one of them, a rescuer from the medical team, sustained severe injuries.

Another 1,005 coronavirus infections, dozen deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 1,005 new coronavirus infections on Friday, which is a slight decrease compared to Thursday but an increase in weekly comparison. A total of 23,097 rapid and PCR tests were conducted, the government said on Twitter. Another 12 Covid-19 patients died. The 7-day average of confirmed infections increased by five to 846 compared to Thursday but the country still remains in the orange tier under the government exit strategy, especially as the number of people in hospitals continues to drop.

Pharma Marifarm profitable in 2020

MARIBOR - The Maribor-based pharma company Marifarm was in the black last year for the first time since it went private to avoid bankruptcy in 2016 as its revenue doubled to some EUR 11.5 million, according to preliminary calculations. It notably increased revenue from manufacturing drugs for other pharmas but would still like to launch its own drugs.

Crossing of internal borders simplified

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia scrapped checkpoints on its borders with Austria, Croatia and Hungary starting on Saturday and those who have recovered from Covid-19 or have been vaccinated can now enter the country without having to quarantine or provide a negative coronavirus test. Under the new government decree governing Covid-19 restrictions on borders, it is now possible once again to cross the border with Austria, Hungary and Italy via all crossings rather than just designated checkpoints, a system that had been put in place in the early stages of the pandemic.

Norway's Eckhoff wins women's sprint in Pokljuka

POKLJUKA - Norwegian Tiril Eckhoff won the 7.5-kilometre sprint event at the Biathlon World Championships in Pokljuka on Saturday with flawless shooting and best speed (21:18.7). Second and third places went to French Anais Chevalier-Bouchet and Belarus Hana Sola, respectively. The defending champion Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland was sixth, while the best ranking Slovenian, Polona Klemenčič (+ 3:34.9/3), was 76th.

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UKC Ljubljana director Poklukar nominated for health minister

LJUBLJANA - Janez Poklukar, the director of Slovenia's largest hospital UKC Ljubljana, has been nominated for health minister, Prime Minister Janez Janša announced on Twitter after formally submitting the nomination to the National Assembly. He described Poklukar as a good candidate with a "guaranteed comfortable majority to be elected." Poklukar said on Twitter the decision was not easy but he accepted Janša's invitation "due to all the opportunities for the Slovenian health system and UKC Ljubljana that I see in the future".

1,055 coronavirus infections confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Another 1,055 coronavirus infections were confirmed on Thursday, which is up slightly from a week ago. The seven-day average of confirmed cases was up by lightly to 841. The number of hospitalisations dropped below 800 after a very long time, the government's Covid-19 spokesperson Maja Bratuša told the press. A total of 789 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, 39 fewer than the day before, including 154 in intensive care, which is 3 fewer than on Wednesday. The number of deaths was up by five compared to the day before to 15.

All positive antigen tests to be double checked with PCR tests

LJUBLJANA - Starting from Saturday all those who test positive for coronavirus in rapid antigen tests will be swabbed again for their infection to be confirmed with a more reliable PCR test, Health Ministry State Secretary Marija Magajne announced. The decision comes after clusters of positive rapid antigen test results emerged amid weekly swabbing of school and kindergarten staff at several locations across the country only to be later overturned by PCR tests.

Lenarčič urges Slovenia to make best use of recovery finds

LJUBLJANA - European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič urged Slovenia to make the best use of the funds available as part of the EU mechanism for recovery and resilience. Slovenia should prepare its plan for drawing these funds the best it can and use the assistance of European Commission's experts services, the commissioner told a videoconference presenting his priorities in 2021 to the parliamentary EU Affairs Committee.

STA staff concerned about planned transfer to demographic fund

LJUBLJANA - The STA staff made a public appeal to lawmakers and party leaders, expressing concern after an amendment was passed yesterday under which the agency would be folded into the emerging National Demographic Fund. "Such far-reaching changes to the agency's ownership and management call for expertise-based arguments and dialogue," reads a joint statement issued on Friday by the editorial board, works council and in-house trade union.

Four parties demand debate on hate speech

LJUBLJANA - Deputy groups of the coalition NSi, SDS and SMC, the opposition SNS and both minority MPs requested a session of the parliamentary interior and justice committees regarding what they see as stepping up of ideology-based hostility, ostracising and attacks. The move was initiated by the NSi, which said it would not point fingers at anyone but called on everyone to "push the reset button, because we have reached a point where Slovenian society has never been before".

Restrictions on bank dividend payments extended but relaxed

LJUBLJANA - The central bank extended until the end of September a requirement that banks may not pay out dividends. It said limits on dividends, purchase of own stock or use of profit for other purposes would remain binding. However, if a bank posts profit in the first quarter of 2021, it will be able to pay out up to 15% of profit generated in 2019 and 2020, or 0.2% of common equity tier 1 capital, whichever is lower.

Selection of e-tolling contractor challenged by two bidders

LJUBLJANA - The selection of Slovakia's Skytoll for an e-tolling system for cars in Slovenia is being challenged by both bidders who were rejected, motorway company DARS told the STA. The complaints were received by DARS. If they are rejected, the National Review Commission, where public tender disputes are ultimately resolved, will weigh in.

Pandemic drives down business revenue and expenditure in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Data for 2020 show a drop in revenue and expenditure for business entities in Slovenia, according to a report by the AJPES agency for legal records. For legal entities, revenue dropped by 10.6% over the year before to EUR 299.8 billion and data for sole proprietors show a drop of nearly 20% to EUR 8.3 billion. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said that the drop comes as no surprise, as the coronavirus pandemic hit small companies the hardest.

Call for measures to address remote schooling ramifications

LJUBLJANA - Remote schooling has taken a toll on parents, particularly mothers, and primary school children who have been struggling due to stress, exhaustion and lack of motivation, shows a study by the March 8 Institute. The NGO has urged a strategy to address the repercussions of remote learning. The study was conducted among more than 2,600 Slovenian households with primary school children.

Slovenians still optimistic about EU, survey shows

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenians' positive attitude towards the EU remains above the EU average in a survey presented by the European Parliament. The share of such respondents has increased by 10 percentage points to 50%, while in Slovenia the figure was at 58% in autumn, when the survey was conducted. Moreover, 60% of respondents from Slovenia said things were going in the right direction following the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, whereas the EU average was at 39%.

Merger to create Slovenia's largest co-op cleared

NOVO MESTO/TREBNJE - The Competition Protection Agency cleared the merger of the farmers' co-operatives Trebnje and Krka to create Slovenia's largest co-operative, brining together about 1,000 farmers to generate EUR 65 million in annual revenue. The deal to create the Trebnje-Krka Co-operative was signed in December last year.

Exhibition offers insight into modern Slovenian architecture

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition set up by the Architects' Society of Ljubljana opened at the Cankarjev Dom to present architectural innovations and buildings constructed in Slovenia over the past two years as well as the attitude of political and economic sectors to architecture. Architecture - Stocktaking offers a comprehensive two-year overview of Slovenia's architecture with architects from other Slovenian associations taking part along with ten guests from Serbia.

Cyclist Pogačar and 2004 handball team honoured for sporting achievements

LJUBLJANA - Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar and the team that won silver at the 2004 European Men's Handball Championships were honoured for their international achievements as the Bloudek Prizes, Slovenia's top sports awards, were handed out in a virtual ceremony.

Sweden's Ponsiluoma wins men's sprint event in Pokljuka

POKLJUKA - Sweden's Martin Ponsiluoma won the men's sprint at the Biathlon World Championships in Pokljuka in what was a surprising finish at the first individual event. Second and third places went to France's Simon Desthieux and Emilen Jacquelin. Miha Dovžan achieved the best result among Slovenians, ranking 25th, his second best ranking so far in his career.

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Govt approves sweeping easing of coronavirus restrictions

LJUBLJANA - Following a gradual but persistent decrease in coronavirus infections and hospitalisations, the government formally established that Slovenia entered orange tier of restrictions. The government thus approved a sweeping easing, allowing movement throughout the country, gatherings of up to ten people, reopening of all stores and schools for all primary pupils and final year secondary school students from Monday. University exams will again be held in person. Testing for customers will no longer be required and skiers will need to provide a negative test once a week, not every day. The cost of testing for retail and services staff will be covered by the state. Curfew remains in place, though.

Slovenia scrapping internal-border checkpoints

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is scrapping checkpoints on internal Schengen borders starting from Saturday, which means it will be possible to enter or exit the country via all border crossings with Austria, Hungary and Italy, not just ten designated points. In addition, those who have recovered from Covid-19 or have been vaccinated against it with two jabs will be able to enter the country without having to quarantine or provide a negative coronavirus test, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced. Additionally, a new list of high risk countries is being added to the red list for Schengen and EU countries doing worse than Slovenia Covid-19-wise.

1,385 new coronavirus cases recorded, 10 patients died

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,385 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, the first time this month that cases rose on the week before. Ten patients with Covid-19 died, show the latest government figures. The positive cases come amid stepped-up testing as as over 26,000 tests performed yesterday, a fifth of which were the more reliable PCR tests. Just over 18% of PCR tests and under 2% of rapid tests were positive. The situation in hospitals continues to improve. There were 828 patients with Covid-19 hospitalised, down 36 over the day before, whereas the number of ICU cases dropped by three to 157.

Brussels downgrades Slovenia's GDP growth forecast for 2021 to 4.7%

LJUBLJANA - In its winter economic forecast, the European Commission downgraded Slovenia's GDP forecast for this year from 5.1% to 4.7%, projecting a rebound of 5.2% for 2022, an upgrade from the 3.8% in its previous outlook. The Commission estimated Slovenia's GDP to have contracted by 6.2% last year, which is an upgrade of 0.9 of a percentage point compared to the autumn forecast. The economic situation is expected to gradually improve as more people are vaccinated and restrictions are relaxed, leading to stronger growth in the second half of 2021.

Slovenian and Estonian presidents discuss number of topics

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid discussed a number of topics in a video call, including bilateral relations, international issues and the recent change of government in Estonia. The pair said the EU should close ranks to become more effective in relation to its partners, especially Russia and China, while also strengthening transatlantic relations. Pahor congratulated Kaljulaid on the prompt stabilisation of the political situation after the Estonian government resigned due to a corruption scandal a month ago.

Committee okays electoral bill implementing Constitutional Court ruling

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Affairs Committee endorsed a bill redrawing electoral districts in line with a 2018 Constitutional Court decision. MPs of the coalition Democrats (SDS), New Slovenia (NSi), Modern Centre Party (SMC) and opposition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) have backed the proposal. The MPs hailed the bill as a political compromise. Meanwhile, the MPs of the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Left, Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and National Party (SNS) voted against the proposal, preferring the idea to scrap electoral districts and introduce a preference vote.

Questions raised over national recovery and resilience plan

LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS, Belgium - The opposition is planning to see a plenary session to discuss Slovenia's national recovery and resilience plan, a document required to draw EUR 5.2 billion in EU recovery funds. Unofficial information from Brussels meanwhile suggested the European Commission expected the country to make a number of changes to its draft plan. This was denied by the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, which said the Commission had not discussed any of the countries' plans yet.

Govt secures funding for Italian, Hungarian minorities

LJUBLJANA - The government issued a decree on the co-funding of bilingual activities and the implementation of constitutional rights of the Italian and Hungarian minorities in 2021. Under the decree, nine municipalities and the Hungarian self-governing community in the municipality of Šalovci will receive almost EUR 2 million.

Božo Predalič new state secretary at Interior Ministry

LJUBLJANA - Božo Predalič, until now the government's secretary general, was appointed a new state secretary at the Interior Ministry as of Friday. The government at the same time appointed Janja Garvas Hočevar the government's acting secretary general. She has been Predalič's deputy. Predalič, who is considered a close aide of Prime Minister Janez Janša, holds a doctorate in law. He will succeed Anton Olaj after he was appointed police commissioner at the end of January.

Police: Hojs broke no coronavirus rules in Croatia entry attempt

LJUBLJANA - The police said that Interior Minister Aleš Hojs did not violate any government decrees when he attempted to enter Croatia on Monday. The minister he produced all the necessary statements and documents needed to cross municipal and state borders, as inter-municipal travel ban is still in place. Rather than being been denied entry when he travelled with his mother to Croatia on Monday, Hojs decided not to enter Croatia when asked to produce a negative coronavirus test, the police said.

RTV Slovenija boss challenging successor's appointment in court

LJUBLJANA - Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija director general Igor Kadunc filed a lawsuit over the appointment of Andrej Grah Whatmough as his successor on Wednesday. He argues that one of the key requirements for the post, a minimum of three years of managing major administrative systems, was not observed in the appointment procedure. He said the outcome of the suit would have no impact on the end of his term on 24 April.

Several potential bidders rumoured for OMV service stations

LJUBLJANA - Media reports suggest there is quite some interest in the 120 service stations in Slovenia that Austrian energy firm OMV plans to sell via a divestment of a 92.25% stake in the company OMV Slovenija. Polish oil giant PKN Orlen appears to be considering an acquisition, and other potential bidders include SOCAR, an Azerbaijan company which acquired 82 service stations in Austria in 2019, and Russian giant Lukoil, which is present in the region and acquired Crobenz in Croatia in 2010. OMV is the second largest operator of service stations in Slovenia with a market share of over 20%, compared to over 60% for market leader Petrol.

Petrol too starts charging for plug-in

LJUBLJANA - Seven years since it started offering charging of electric vehicles for free, energy company Petrol will start charging for the service on Monday. This is an important step for development and expansion of plug-in car charging infrastructure in the region, it said, adding it would like to set up more than 1,300 charging stations in the region by 2025. Drivers charging their vehicles with up to 22 kilowatt plugs will pay 25 cents for a kilowatt hour. The first to make the service of charging e-vehicles payable was Elektro Ljubljana in May 2019.

Concert organisers want coronavirus aid modelled on Austria's scheme

LJUBLJANA - An informal coalition of Slovenia's music sector urged the government to provide it financial aid amid the coronavirus epidemic modelled on Austria's "guarantee" scheme. It suggests gradual reopening of concert venues between 1 April and 1 July, when the music industry in the EU expects Covid-19 restrictions to be lifted. Concert promoters would like the scheme to be included in the next economic stimulus bill, while the Economy Ministry is still examining the proposal.

UEFA Under-21 Euro 2021 preparations all but completed

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Football Association (NZS) and four Slovenian cities that will co-host the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Hungary are finishing their preparations for what will be largest football event in Slovenia so far. It is not clear yet whether in-person audience will be allowed during matches. Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje and Koper will co-host the UEFA Under-21 Euro 2021 matches. Events and activities in the run-up to the tournament have been mostly moved to the virtual realm.

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Curve of infections keeps falling amid massive testing

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,439 new coronavirus cases among a record of more than 44,500 tests performed on Tuesday amid increased requirements for mass rapid testing among several occupations. With the daily count down almost 8% from a week ago, the 7-day average of new cases dropped to 827. With hospitalisations dropping to 864, the government is expected to opt for further easing of measures as it meets to review the situation today. With 13 more fatalities, Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll rose to 3,667.

Centre-left opposition retables motion of no confidence in govt

LJUBLJANA - The five left-leaning opposition parties submitted again a motion for a vote of no confidence in the government of Janez Janša, with Karl Erjavec, the head of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), as candidate for prime-minister designate. In line with the parliamentary rules of procedure, the National Assembly could discuss and take a vote on the motion as early as Friday, and not later than 17 February. The most probable date is Monday.

Parliamentary inquiry act ruled unconstitutional

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court announced that the parliamentary inquiry act and rules of procedure on parliamentary inquiry are in violation of the constitution. The National Assembly has been instructed to remedy the situation in a year. An inquiry into prosecution of former Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler has been annulled in relation to judges. The court ruled the act ordering that inquiry in violation of judicial independence in relation to judges' decisions and liabilities in concrete cases.

No majority in parliament for remote secret ballot

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Rules of Procedure Commission voted down on Tuesday the opposition-sponsored legislative changes to the parliamentary rules of procedure that would allow MPs to take part in secret ballots when they cannot be present at the National Assembly in person. Voting against were the four MPs of the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi). The proposal, tabled by the centre-left Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), required a two-thirds majority.

Finance Committee amends bill on Demographic Fund

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee adopted a series of amendments to the National Demographic Fund bill, mostly based on remarks from the parliamentary legal service. Among other things, the STA would become a part of the fund. The centre-left opposition walked out after its amendments, which would change the basic concept of the fund, were voted down. They proposed a public debate on the bill arguing it was being passed without debate on the Economic and Social Council, and that criticism by the anti-graft commission and an association of supervisors had been overheard. The opposition is also considering a referendum.

Počivalšek apologetic after holding meeting in a restaurant

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek offered an apology after raising controversy for meeting local officials and business executives in a restaurant in Ormož. He said the "meeting was lawful, justified and very useful, but it was also an inconsiderate move in these difficult times". In the apology, published on his Facebook profile, the minister said the last thing on his mind was "rubbing salt into the wounds of those who have been hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic".

NIJZ official expects Slovenia to have 5% of population vaccinated by month's end

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia currently has 2% of its population vaccinated against coronavirus and if the supply of vaccines continues at current pace, 5% of the population could be vaccinated by the end of the month, said Marta Grgič Vitek, the coordinator of the vaccination programme at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The vaccination of people older than 80 continues throughout the country today, including in Ljubljana and Ajdovščina. In some towns, like Kranj and Nova Gorica, new batches of the vaccine have not arrived yet and are expected on Thursday.

Issue raised with provision asking individuals to state ethnicity and religion

LJUBLJANA - The Information Commissioner took issue with the parliamentary Home Affairs Committee including in changes to the residence registration act a provision requiring individuals to provide information about their ethnicity and religious affiliation when reporting their residence. An amendment to that effect had been proposed by the opposition National Party (SNS). Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik called it a severe encroachment upon privacy of individuals and a risk of discrimination.

Pahor welcomes Mattarella's statement on Foibe Day

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor welcomed the statement by his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on Italy's National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe, saying it was in the spirit of last year's reconciliation ceremony in Basovizza and Trieste. Mattarella said every community preserves the memory of its most difficult tests and its own historical convictions, adding that dialogue and friendship between people and cultures originates from mutual understanding.

Police strike suspended

LJUBLJANA - A month-long strike by one of the two trade unions representing police officers was suspended for the duration of negotiations after the government agreed to continue paying a bonus for the protection of the Schengen border. The news was announced by the Police Trade Union of Slovenia (PSS), which said the extension of the special bonus through the end of March created "good conditions for peaceful negotiations".

Drago Jančar nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature

LJUBLJANA - Drago Jančar, arguably Slovenia's leading contemporary writer, has been nominated for this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. He was nominated by the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP), the Slovenian PEN centre and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU). In recent years, Jančar has been alternating with Boris Pahor as Slovenian candidate for the prize. "But now we estimate that Jančar is our representative and author best known in the world," DSP head Dušan Merc said.

Absent negative test, Minister Hojs denied entry to Croatia

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, accompanied by his mother, was denied entry to Croatia on Monday. Neither he nor his mother had a negative coronavirus test and given the choice between mandatory quarantine or turning around, he decided to return, news portal 24ur has reported. Hojs says he did not break any rules. He told 24ur that his mother has real estate in Croatia so they wanted to go there to pay the bills. He said he also wanted to check how consistently Croatia is vetting passengers.

Adria Airways brand sold abroad for EUR 33,000

BRNIK - The brand of the bankrupt Slovenian air carrier Adria Airways has been sold to a bidder from abroad for just over EUR 33,000 net in the third attempt to sell the brand. Announcing the news, the official receiver Janez Pustatičnik would not name the bidder. Nine bidders responded to the public invitation for binding bids, including four from abroad, Pustatičnik said. The Adria Airways brand includes several registered trade marks, logos and online domains.

Industry contracted in 2020 after six years of growth

LJUBLJANA - Industrial output in Slovenia contracted by 6.2% in 2020 after six successive years of growth. Turnover in industry was down by 7.8%, the Statistics Office reported. In electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industrial output was down by 9.6%, in manufacturing by 6.0% and in mining and quarrying by 3%. In December, industrial output was 0.7% lower than in November and fell by 0.9% year-on-year.

Biathlon World Championships start on Pokljuka

POKLJUKA - The 2021 Biathlon World Championships started on the Alpine plateau of Pokljuka in earnest with competitions in what is the biggest winter sports event in Slovenia yet. Running until 21 February, the event will feature 337 competitors from 38 countries. The championships opened with a virtual opening ceremony in the lakeside resort of Bled on Tuesday. A total of 12 events are scheduled with the home team expecting at least one of the medals, according to Janez Ožbolt of the Slovenian Ski Association.

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Criteria met for orange tier easing of coronavirus restrictions

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 357 coronavirus infections on Monday from a total of 11,253 tests and 945 patients with Covid-19 were treated in hospitals, in what continues to an improvement in the epidemiological situation. The country thus met both thresholds for entering the orange tier of restrictions - the number of hospitalisations and the seven-day average of new cases below 1,000. The government will decide on the further easing tomorrow.

All pupils through third form back at school

LJUBLJANA - Pupils in the first three years of primary school throughout the country - that is including in the last three regions - returned to face-to-face teaching in line with last week's government decree. Both parents and teachers have welcomed the move, expressing hope that the remaining students may soon follow suit. All kindergartens also reopened, but some had significant staffing issues due to sick leaves unrelated to Covid-19.

Secondary school students boycott remote learning

LJUBLJANA/VELENJE - A number of secondary school students around the country boycotted remote learning to demand in-person teaching at secondary schools. The boycott came after the Education Ministry failed to respond to the We Want School! group's call for a meeting over the issue by 8 February. A local youth organisation in Velnje also staged a protest, while Maja Kalin of the DOS organisation of secondary school students said a little less than half of all students wanted to go back to school.

Additional shops reopen much to delight of clerks and shoppers

LJUBLJANA - Additional stores reopened as the government allowed in-person shopping in all stores under 400 square metres. The shops could have opened on Saturday, but most reopened today since they had trouble testing their staff. Employer representatives meanwhile said they expected that, as agreed, that state would cover the costs of coronavirus tests. They would like the matter to be regulated as part of a new legislative stimulus package.

Troop presence in Kosovo to be reduced, but W Balkans remains priority

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will reduce the number of its troops in the NATO-led KFOR mission in Kosovo, its biggest contingent in the Western Balkans. Its military presence in operations and missions in the region nevertheless remains one of the key priorities, but quality will be preferred over quantity, explained the head of the Defence Ministry's Defence Policy Directorate, Uroš Zorko. Part of the troops from the region will be redeployed to other operations and missions, such as the ALTHEA operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the EUTM mission in Mali and restructured missions in Iraq.

MEP Zver signs letter urging EU foreign policy chief to resign

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian MEP Milan Zver (EPP/SDS) is among more than 70 MEPs who have signed a letter urging the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to resign after what the critics see as his "humiliating" visit to Russia on Friday. His party colleague Romana Tomc has not signed it, but expressed great disappointment with the visit, which she said was a diplomatic fiasco. Klemen Grošelj and Irena Joveva (both Renew/LMŠ) meanwhile said the letter was a response to "the humiliation the EU experienced" during the visit, but concealed a key problem of the EU not having a uniform foreign policy.

Slovenia's exports down 2% in 2020 as imports fall 6%, figures up in December

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its goods exports fall by 2% to EUR 32.9 billion last year as imports declined by 6% to EUR 32 billion. As a result, the country recorded a surplus of EUR 900 million, the second highest in a decade, after posting a deficit in 2019, official statistics show. Releasing fresh data, the Statistics Office reported that exports had decreased mainly due to a decline in trade with EU member states (-8.8% to EUR 21.995bn), while trade with countries outside the EU increased (+15.3% to EUR 10.881bn).

Slovenia calls for cooperation in dealing with Covid fallout at 17+1 summit

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek expressed Slovenia's willingness to work together with China and the other 16 Central and East European countries involved in the 17+1 initiative in tackling the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, as he addressed a virtual summit of the initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping as the host of the 9th summit focused in his address on the battle against the pandemic and the post-pandemic recovery, connectivity and green cooperation between China and the 17 CEE countries.

Macron accepts Pahor's invitation to Brdo-Brijuni summit

LJUBLJANA - French President Emmanuel Macron officially accepted an invitation to attend the Brdo-Brijuni Process summit to be hosted by the Slovenian and Croatian presidents in Slovenia this spring in a letter to Slovenian President Borut Pahor. Because of the epidemic, the exact date of the summit has not been set yet. The summit marking the 10th anniversary of this initiative for the Western Balkans has been postponed twice already due to the epidemic.

Health Inspectorate examining minister's meeting

LJUBLJANA - The Health Inspectorate is looking into an event Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek attended on Friday in the aftermath of media reports suggesting his meeting with local officials and businessmen in a restaurant may not have been held in compliance with coronavirus restrictions. Počivalšek denied the allegations, saying that business-to-business services were permitted and that the local small-business chamber had picked "a place that complied with preventive measures".

EU Commission approves aid scheme for public transport providers

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission approved Slovenia's EUR 20 million scheme to help public transport companies overcome the coronavirus pandemic, during which public transport has been either suspended completely or significantly limited. One of the conditions for the aid is that funds for an individual company do not exceed EUR 1.8 million and that they be granted no later than the end of this year.

Slovenian minority calls for spirit of reconciliation on Italian memorial day

TRIESTE, Italy - The two umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Italy have written to the Slovenian and Italian presidents, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella, expressing hope that the Italian National Memorial Day of the Exiles and Foibe would be observed on Wednesday in "the spirit of sincere reconciliation".

Hungarian Slovenians get recognition for helping out during pandemic

SZENTGOTTHARD, Hungary - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited the Slovenian minority in Hungary to reward with with a special medal the two umbrella organisations for helping Slovenia during the coronavirus pandemic. She also meet their representatives to discuss current challenges and future plans and congratulated Porabje editor-in-chief Marijana Sukič on the upcoming 30th anniversary of the only Slovenian newspaper in Hungary.

Writers opt out of independence anniversary celebration

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) announced on Monday that it would not take part in the celebration of Slovenia's 30th independence anniversary following revelations that PM Janez Janša has banned some government officials from speaking to the press. President Borut Pahor, who heads the organising committee, said in a response that he would like to see the DSP continue participating in the preparations for the anniversary celebrations.

Protest after riot police enter Metelkova compound

LJUBLJANA - Several dozen riot police entered the AKC Metelkova alternative culture centre on Monday evening, ostensibly to check whether clubs are closed, a move that prompted protests by the proprietors of Metelkova clubs and the artists and craftsmen who have studios there. The officers entered the compound after policing two protests in central Ljubljana, but the police dismissed allegations of intimidation attempts. The opposition Left intends to request an emergency session of a parliamentary commission as it believes the developments are moving the country towards the reign of terror.

Screen exposure of Slovenian children more than doubled during lockdown

LJUBLJANA - During last spring's lockdown, Slovenian children spent 6.69 hours a day in front of screens on an average school day, of which schooling accounted for 3.85 hours. This is much higher than the European average for 2018 of 2.6 hours a day for all activities altogether, showed an international survey on the experience of children and youth with on-line risks during the first lockdown today to mark Safer Internet Day.

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Slovenia logs 304 coronavirus cases on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 304 coronavirus cases on Sunday from 3,831 tests in what was a continuation of a steady week-on-week decline and one of the lowest daily tallies since mid-October. An additional 12 Covid-19 patients died, official data showed. The PCR positivity rate stood at 15%. Hospitalisations increased by 15 to 946 on the day before, whereas the number of patients in intensive care was level at 160. The 7-day daily average of new cases decreased to 1,011, further nearing the threshold for additional easing of restrictions set at 1,000. Slovenia expects the next batch of the Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow when 17,500 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are scheduled to arrive, said the NIJZ.

Slovenia to reduce troop size in KFOR mission in Kosovo, Tonin says

PRISHTINA, Kosovo - Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Major General Robert Glavaš, the chief of the general staff, visited Slovenian troops that currently serve in the NATO KFOR mission in Kosovo. The pair met Major General Franco Federici, the KFOR commander. Tonin announced Slovenia will somewhat reduce the number of troops in the mission since a part of them will be moved to Bosnia-Herzegovina and other EU missions, read a press release by the Defence Ministry. "Despite that, KFOR will remain the most important and key mission for Slovenia," Tonin said. It is not yet clear how many of the Slovenian soldiers serving in KFOR will be relocated. Currently, there are slightly over 250 in Kosovo.

President calls for culture of dialogue on Culture Day

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted the annual Culture Day reception in Presidential Palace, receiving this year's Prešeren Prize and Prešeren Fund Prize recipients. Pahor called for culture of dialogue, noting that politicians should be particularly aware of the importance of this concept due to their impact on public discourse. Author Feri Lainšček, one of the laureates, meanwhile highlighted the role Slovenian culture played in the country's independence efforts. Earlier, Pahor laid a wreath at the France Prešeren monument in central Ljubljana along with Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti. Slovenian Ambassador to Croatia Vojislav Šuc announced that Slovenia will put up a monument to honour Prešeren in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, in the summer.

On Culture Day PM says one would expect more constructive attitude from artists

LJUBLJANA - In his Culture Day address, Prime Minister Janez Janša said that culture was one of key foundations of Slovenia as a nation and independent country. Given the purpose of culture, one would expect a more constructive attitude from the cultural sphere as the current situation is too grave to respond to it by "street activism and threats", he said. Since the epidemic has raised important issues in culture as well, "perhaps it is now the time for culture to hold the mirror up to itself as well", he added. The address also noted that there will be opportunities to promote Slovenian culture during the country's EU presidency in the second half of this year.

Culture should not become collateral damage of epidemic, says speaker

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič said in his Culture Day address that culture and art "are not and should not be considered a privilege, but above all they should not become the collateral damage of the epidemic". Everyone has an option to support artists, he added. "Almost 30 years ago we realised the hundred years-long dreams of our own country through indomitable will and pluck. These dreams were co-created by our intellectuals and cultural workers," he said.

UAE donates seven tonnes of supplies to Covid fight in Slovenia

BRNIK - The United Arab Emirates donated to Slovenia seven tonnes of personal protective equipment and coronavirus tests. Accepting the donation, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan highlighted good cooperation between the two countries and the role of solidarity in the joint fight against the pandemic. Emirati Ambassador to Slovenia Ibrahim Salem Mohammed Al Mashrekh said that the donation was a reflection of his country's commitment to the fight, expressing interest on behalf of the United Arab Emirates to strengthen ties between the two countries in all areas.

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