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Slovenia confirms 2,605 new coronavirus cases, highest daily figure so far

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,605 infections were confirmed in nearly 7,500 Covid-19 tests in Slovenia on Tuesday. Both figures mark the highest daily numbers since the start of the epidemic. The previous daily record was just short of 2,000 and was reached last Friday. The week-on-week comparison shows that the pace of increase may be starting to slow down. While weekly increases of 100% were the norm in the past two weeks, on Monday and Tuesday they were at 87% and 73%, respectively. Almost 35% of all tests came back positive, the highest percentage so far. The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 rose to 612 from 560, while the number of intensive care cases rose by 13 to 99, show data from the tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. Seven people died in hospital on Tuesday.

Slovenian media pledge not to yield to pressure

LJUBLJANA - Editors of a number of media outlets have issued a statement committing not to yield to pressure, nor change their truthful stance or their obligation to the public. They say that the media, which have in recent months been subject to increased pressure and strong criticism levelled by PM Janez Janša, are aware of their responsibility in the current health crisis, but the latter cannot be a pretence for political interference in media independence. The 22 editors-in-chief who have signed the open letter, including the STA's, say the consequences of attacking the media are detrimental to society and that "this environment hampers the functioning of institutions and individuals and also has a significant effect on the lives of citizens".

Brig-Gen Škerbinc, ex-Minister Erjavec reach settlement over 2019 dismissal

LJUBLJANA - Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc and former Defence Minister Karl Erjavec have reached a court settlement after Škerbinc took Erjavec to court last year over his April 2019 dismissal as Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) force commander. "We both understand that we were victims of a set of various circumstances and interests," the pair wrote in the settlement, confirmed by the Ljubljana Local Court on 22 September. A part of the settlement was published in October's Slovenska Vojska (Slovenian Army) magazine. Erjavec dismissed Škerbinc upon the proposal of the then chief of the general Staff, Major General Alenka Ermenc, a move that led to a tug-of-war between Erjavec and a soldier trade union and the opposition filing a dismissal motion, which Erjavec survived.

Most Slovenian MEPs welcome Commission's minimum wage proposal

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian MEPs welcomed the standards for setting adequate minimum wages the European Commission presented to the European Parliament in Brussels. The standards are geared toward ensuring fair payment and decent life for workers, however, the Commission is not allowed to set wages in member states. Slovenian MEPs share the view that workers must receive decent pay for their work, but most believe that the amount of the wage should be left in the hands of individual member states.

UKC Ljubljana struggling to provide enough beds and staff, seeking volunteers

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša visited UKC Ljubljana, meeting director Janez Poklukar, with the latter saying after the meeting that the hospital was investing massive efforts in providing beds, but the biggest problem was lack of staff. "We need to reorganise other programmes to create internal reserves to tend to Covid-19 patients," Poklukar said. The central hospital in the country is also looking for volunteers as the coronavirus case count and hospitalisation figures continue to rise. The hospital mainly requires the help of students of degrees in health-related fields. UKC Maribor is meanwhile seeking help from youths, appealing to students of all degrees to join the hospital's teams to lend a hand with manual labour tasks.

Employers' Association urges emergency freeze of minimum wage

LJUBLJANA - The Employers' Association called on the government to freeze the minimum wage for at least a year as part of the planned sixth anti-corona package. It also proposes a more flexible and simpler framework for teleworking and retiring upon meeting minimum retirement conditions. Sonja Šmuc, the director general of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), recently said GZS projections showed the minimum wage will rise by at least 9% based on the new formula that puts it 20% above the minimum cost of living. Another organisation that appealed to the government for help is the Chamber of Commerce (TZS), which stressed the lockdown was seriously hurting non-grocery retailers.

President and Ombudsman deem restrictions proportionate

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina to discussing how human rights were respected and curbed during the coronavirus pandemic. The pair came to a conclusion that anti-corona measures in Slovenia were generally proportionate to the situation and based on experts' views. Despite temporary restrictions one should "aspire to a fully democratic life," Pahor was quoted in his office's press release, while Svetina said restrictions had an effect on human rights. He stressed the importance of the measures being acceptable, proportionate and temporary.

Archbishop urges respecting anti-Covid measures on All Saints' Day

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore urged people to observe all precautionary measures as they visit graves on All Saints' Day or the Day of Remembrance of the Dead, adding that believers should visit graves in their municipality only and avoid socialising. Just like this year's Easter, the 1 November holiday will be different due to the municipal travel ban, Zore said. But this is "a sacrifice" everyone should make to help contain the spread the epidemic, to prevent hospitals overcrowding and to save people's lives".

Church warns of increasing disregard for human life

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference has warned in a statement ahead of All Saints' Day that there is a danger of a growing culture of disregard for human life. It expressed support for everybody fighting for human lives in the coronavirus pandemic and criticism of a part of political opposition. "Life takes precedence over ideology and the fight for power," the commission has said, adding that a part of the opposition invests a lot more effort into climbing back to power than in helping save lives and preserve health of Slovenians. Part of the opposition took issue with this, saying that the Catholic Church in Slovenia was undermining its own credibility with such statements.

Slovenian public health expert to join WHO executive board

LJUBLJANA - Kerstin Vesna Petrič, the head of the Health Ministry's public health directorate, has been elected to the 34-member executive board of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the 2021-2024 period, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said. She will join the executive board in May 2021 after all new members have been formally endorsed by the WHO assembly. The Foreign Ministry said she had convinced the organisation with her expertise and extensive experience in public health, and that she will also be on the executive board during Slovenia's stint as the EU presiding country in the second half of 2021.

Slovenian rider Roglič wins 8th stage of the Vuelta a Espana

LEON, Spain - After losing the overall leader's red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday, the defending champion Primož Roglič of Slovenia won the eighth stage of the race around Spain today to climb to the second place overall. In the 164-km stage from Logrono to Alto de Moncalvillo, the rider for the Dutch team Jumbo-Visma was followed by Richard Carapaz of Ecuador, the overall leader, who was 13 seconds behind the Slovenian, which is also the lead he has ahead of Roglič overall.
"There is still a lot to be done until the end," he said as another ten stages are scheduled until 8 November.

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Ban on movement between municipalities in force

LJUBLJANA - A ban on movement between municipalities entered into force as the government stepped up restrictions in response to a surge in coronavirus cases. Rules on face masks outdoors were somewhat relaxed, as people walking or exercising in open green spaces are not required to wear them if they can keep a distance of at least three metres from others. The 9pm-6am curfew and the rule of six remain in force, with certain exceptions, such as those related to work and emergency situations.

1,499 coronavirus infections confirmed for Monday, 13 deaths

LJUBLJANA - Monday's tally of new coronavirus infections in Slovenia reached 1,499 as 5,756 tests were carried out, meaning 26% of all tests came back positive, coronavirus spokesperson Jelko Kacin told the press. Thirteen people with Covid-19 died. The number of active infections increased to 16,347. There are 560 coronavirus patients currently in hospital, up from 523 the day before. As many as 86 are in intensive care, up four, of whom 57 on a ventilator, as many as the day before.

Coronavirus testing to be limited

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will limit SARS-CoV-2 testing to persons who are expected to fall seriously ill with Covid-19, to care home and hospital staff, to those who have many contacts at work and those who live with individuals from vulnerable groups. The change in guidelines, that have already been sent to GPs, were announced by the government's chief Covid-19 adviser Bojana Beović on TV Slovenija on Monday. The daily number of tests should thus be reduced from between 6,000 and 7,000 to between 4,000 and 5,000 as the current number of tests exceeds the capacity of Slovenian laboratories.

More than 660 elderly in care homes infected

ZIDANI MOST - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj revealed that 665 elderly residents of care homes across the country are currently infected with coronavirus. However, many have also recovered, he said as he visited a care home near Zidani Most in the east, where 113 residents and 39 staff are infected. Coronavirus has shown how badly understaffed and underfunded social and aged care homes in the country, but the government is to invest EUR 26 million over the next two years to deal with the problem.

MPs reject petition or referendum on defence investment

LJUBLJANA - Parliament rejected by 47 votes to 35 the petition by the opposition Left for a consultative referendum on EUR 780 million defence investment planned for 2021-2026. While most opposition parties spoke of bad timing and of the need for voters to have a say, the coalition stressed the need to invest in the army, security and honour international commitments. The vote means the parliamentary majority can go ahead by passing the bill on the investment, which the Left indicated could try to challenge in a binding referendum.

Another parliamentary inquiry into handling of Covid-19 launched

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly launched an inquiry to determine possible political responsibility in actions of the government related with the coronavirus epidemic. Proposed by the four left-leaning opposition parties, the inquiry will focus on the incumbent government, while an existing inquiry, initiated by the coalition, is already looking into the actions of the previous government. The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left, the Social Democrats (SD) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) accuse the government of irrational spending during the epidemic and of violating human rights and freedoms.

Analyst estimates 5,000 jobs at risk

LJUBLJANA - Bojan Ivanc, an analyst with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, assesses that around 5,000 jobs are at risk of being lost by the end of the year because of the coronavirus crisis despite the government's stimulus measures that have protected the vast majority of jobs. Despite those measures, he fears that now that a lockdown has been declared a second time, some companies in the services sector will still need to resort to redundancies, also because of the fixed costs.

Parliament endorses Human Rights Ombudsman's recommendations

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed a resolution calling on relevant authorities to implement all of the nearly 160 recommendations made by the Human Rights Ombudsman in its report for 2019. During the debate last week, MPs expressed concern that some recommendations remain unimplemented for years. The report points to 305 violations in relation to 48 state bodies, mostly the Labour Ministry, municipalities and courts, followed by the Environment Ministry, social centres and police stations.

Slovenian nominee for EU General Court said to be rejected by vetting committee

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Klemen Podobnik, Slovenia's nominee for one of the country's two spots at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, has been rejected by the Brussels committee vetting the candidates, the STA found out from well-placed sources. Slovenia thus remains without a judge at the court and the call for applications will have to be repeated again. The Justice Ministry said Podobnik was interviewed by Committee 255 last Friday with the official opinion of the committee expected on Wednesday.

Slovenian EPP MEPs urge Jourova to condemn protest against culture minister

LJUBLJANA - Three Slovenian MEPs from the ranks of the European People's Party (EPP) have written to European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova after a protest in front of the Culture Ministry that has been interpreted as death threats against Culture Minister Vasko Siomoniti and his team. In the letter, MEPs Romana Tomc, Milan Zver and Franc Bogovič urge clear condemnation of death threats. The protest involved tables splashed with red paint and carrying the names of ministry officials.

Opposition proposal for demographic fund voted down

LJUBLJANA - An alternative opposition proposal to the government-planned Demographic Fund, meant to pool state assets to shore up the pension system, was rejected in parliament. This means the government's proposal can be put on the agenda of one of the upcoming parliament session. While the government plans to transfer most state equity stakes onto the new fund, the opposition SocDems and Alenka Bratušek Party proposed that the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) remain the manager of state assets, while the pension fund management KAD be transformed into a new demographic reserves company.

Proposal to tax tech giants defeated by MPs

LJUBLJANA - A bill sponsored by the opposition Left to levy a 7% digital services tax on multinational tech companies was defeated in the National Assembly by 43 votes to 38. Setting out the proposal in the legislature last week, the leader of the Left Luka Mesec argued the bill could raise some EUR 10 million in budget receipts next year. The government and coalition opposed the bill on the grounds that a comprehensive globally coordinated solution was required.

Erjavec and Krope to vie for DeSUS presidency

LJUBLJANA - The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) endorsed Karl Erjavec and Srečko Felix Krope as candidates for the party's top job at the 28 November congress. DeSUS hopes the epidemic will slow down so the congress could be held in person, or else the vote is to be carried out by mail. Erjavec served as DeSUS leader for almost 15 years until he was defeated by Aleksandra Pivec in January. Pivec was forced out as party leader in September and then as agriculture minister after becoming embroiled in a scandal involving her semi private official trips.

Slovenia semi-successful in reducing nitrates in water

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found that Slovenia was semi-effective in removing nitrates from water between 2014 and 2018, as the Environment Ministry did a better job at protecting water quality, whereas the Agriculture Ministry could have done more to change farming practices. Monitoring of nitrates trends in water showed that the situation had been alarming for decades in the Mura, Drava and Savinja basins in the east and north-east. The Ljubljana area including the Ljubljana Marshes and Krško area in the east are also a cause for concern when it comes to nitrates in bodies of water.

Velenje council would not give up coal before 2042

VELENJE - The Velenje municipal council discussed possible scenarios for the restructuring of the Savinja-Šalek coal region, home to the Velenje mine and Šoštanj coal-fired power station TEŠ. The scenarios, drawn up by auditing company Deloitte Slovenija based on the national strategy, envisage abandoning coal in 2033, 2038 or 2042. The councillors believe the region will not be able to abandon coal before 2042, and want that year to be set as the deadline for abandoning coal with the possibility of a five-year transition period. About 20% of jobs in the region are said to directly depend on coal mining.

Use of grave candles on the decline

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians light around 16 million candles on graves a year, two-thirds of which on 1 November, All Saints' Day. While a statistic showing 15% less candles were sent to market last year compared to 2018 is encouraging, the Environment Ministry warned that grave candles end up as waste. While not considered hazardous waste, their processing can be harmful for the environment as they are accumulating in cemeteries or waste collection companies and present a fire hazard.

Roman Žveglič elected agricultural chamber head

LJUBLJANA - Roman Žveglič, a vice-head of the Trade Union of Farmers, was elected the head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry (KGZS) to succeed Cveto Zupančič, who is bidding farewell after two four-year terms. Žveglič, a former MP for the now non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS), beat SLS leader Marjan Podobnik in a 29:25 vote after both secured 27 votes on Monday. He promised help to small farmers, improvements to food traceability and transfer of know-how from expert services to farmers.

Brane Mozetič wins second Jenko Prize for collections of poems

LJUBLJANA - Poet Brane Mozetič won the Jenko Prize, the top national award for best poetry collection from the past two years, for his 2018 collection Dreams in Another Language. With his latest collection, Mozetič exceeded "what he has created so far to create one of the most exciting collections of poems in recent times", said the judging panel of the Slovenian Writers' Association. Mozetič, an author and gay activist, won his first Jenko Prize in 2003 for Banalije (Banal Things).

Sociologist, translator and publisher Pagon dies

LJUBLJANA - Sociologist, translator and publisher Neda Pagon died on Sunday, aged 79, following a battle with illness. Pagon served as editor at the publisher Studia Humanitatis and is considered one of the top social scientists of the post-war era. Her Wikipedia page says the sociologist, historian, translator and editor was born on 13 March 1941. She is considered one of the most incisive and respected social scientists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Timbuktu, Timbuktu wins best illustrated book award

LJUBLJANA - Timbuktu, Timbuktu, a children's book written by award-winning Peter Svetina and illustrated by Igor Šinkovec, won this year's Kristina Brenkova Award for best Slovenian illustrated book. It features more than 40 extremely short stories, termed by some prose poems, which abound in nonsense, humour and imagination. The stories, published by Miš in 2020, are about a path for school children which zips up because it is cold or a bar of chocolate which eats everything on the shelf.

Pogačar overtakes Roglič as world's top-ranked cyclist

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's star road cyclists Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar continue to top the rankings of the Union Cycliste Internationale, but they have switched places this week, with Pogačar, becoming no. 1 for the first time after winning the Tour de France. Pogačar, 22, has 3,970 points, while Roglič, the 30-year old Tour runner-up who is currently riding in fourth-place overall as the defending winner of the Vuelta de Espana, has 3,945 points.

Mijatović gets another term as football association boss

LJUBLJANA - President of the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) Radenko Mijatović was appointed for another four-year term as the only candidate at an on-line assembly on the NZS on Monday. The fourth president of the umbrella football organisation in Slovenia assumed his first term on 15 December 2016, taking over from Aleksander Čeferin, who had been elected the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

One in four Slovenians distrustful of anyone over coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - A third of Slovenians think that government measures equally take into account health and the economy, whereas almost a third believe that health is overly in focus at the cost of the economy, shows a survey by Mediana. A quarter meanwhile said they trusted no one regarding information about coronavirus, whereas a quarter trust Bojana Beović, the head of the expert group advising the government on Covid-19.

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Daily coronavirus tally tops 1,100 on slower testing

LJUBLJANA - Despite slowed down testing on Sunday, Slovenia registered 1,115 new coronavirus cases as over 30% of the tests returned positive results, the highest rate yet. The country reported ten more Covid-related deaths for a total of 251. Presenting fresh data, government spokesman Jelko Kacin said Covid-19 hospitalisations had risen to 523 and the number of those in intensive care to 82. Kacin said the situation was worst in the north-western region of Gorenjska, where 43% of all tests were positive. National Covid-19 tracker site shows the rolling 14-day average per 100,000 is now 727.

PM not asking Logar, Koritnik to resign for failing to self-isolate

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša said after holding talks with Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik, who had not waited for their coronavirus test results in isolation, that he was not asking them to resign, as the government was working around the clock and was thus making mistakes. Logar's positive test was confirmed on Friday after he was routinely tested as he returned from abroad, while the media report that he met in the National Gallery its director Barbara Jaki while waiting for the test results. Koritnik had tested negative.

Stanislav Vidovič new Slovenian ambassador to Ireland

LJUBLJANA - Seasoned diplomat Stanislav Vidovič was recalled prematurely from the post of ambassador to the US today to become the country's new ambassador to Ireland. It is not yet clear who will succeed him in Washington, DC. The decree to post him to Dublin was signed by President Borut Pahor and published in the Official Gazette, while the Foreign Ministry told the STA that the procedure to appoint a new ambassador to the US was still ongoing. Vidovič's replacement in the US has been speculated about for months, with media reports suggesting he would be posted to the recently reopened embassy in Dublin.

Culture minister sees Friday's protest as death threat

LJUBLJANA - Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti denounced Friday's protest in which culture workers put up tables smeared with fake blood as a death threat against him and his aides, urging police to act in response to what he sees as extremely dangerous conduct. In a press release on Sunday the minister described the scene in front of his ministry as an "office after a murder: tables placed in the street sprayed with colour representing blood, names of co-workers clearly written on the tables".

Tone Peršak new Slovenian PEN president

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian PEN elected writer and former politician Tone Peršak its new president on Monday to succeed Ifigenija Simonović, who has served since March 2017. Peršak, 73, already served as Slovenian PEN president in the 2000s. He has also served as culture minister and the president of the Slovenian Writers' Association. He once said that "PEN has no tanks or much money, but it can speak, and we believe that words still have some power".

Post Pahor's appeal for cooperation, coalition-opposition divide persists

LJUBLJANA - Following President Borut Pahor's appeal for cross-partisan efforts to overcome the Covid-19 crisis, the coalition said that cooperation was already offered to opposition parties, but they mostly declined. The opposition meanwhile said it was willing to cooperate to stem the epidemic. On the other hand, the opposition parties reiterated today that their views had not been as acknowledged as they should have been, highlighting they were not supporting the Janez Janša government modus operandi.

Opposition seeks to secure school meals despite distance learning

LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties filed a bill seeking to secure pupils warm meals while they are distance learning during the Covid-19 epidemic. They also urged the government to raise children's allowance by the amount of the subsidy for school meal during remote schooling. The bill, filed by the Social Democrats (SD), the Left, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), would give local authorities discretion to organise home delivery if children could not come to school to pick the meal.

Kindergarten occupancy reduced to under 10% amid tightened lockdown

LJUBLJANA - More than 90% of kindergarten children stayed home or were put in other forms of care as kindergartens in Slovenia officially closed with the exception of urgent daycare. Municipalities are organising urgent daycare in different ways. While all public kindergartens in Ljubljana remain open and are not asking for any proof of urgency, some municipalities are asking for notes from employers and are giving priority to parents in so called essential professions. Only 9% of the usual number of children was recorded in Ljubljana's 23 public kindergartens. The principal of the Galjevica kindergarten Barbara Novinec told the STA this "shows parents are behaving responsibly".

EUR 472m debt deferred, EUR 387m in crisis loans approved

LJUBLJANA - Banks in Slovenia have approved around EUR 472 million worth of loan payment deferrals under a law that entered into force at the end of March as part of the first government stimulus package. By 16 October, banks had also issued EUR 387.3 million worth of liquidity loans needed because of the crisis, data from the central bank show. Companies have meanwhile made limited use of the state loan guarantee scheme with only EUR 31 million of the EUR 2 billion available approved by mid-October.

EUR 193m in public sector bonuses paid out in spring

LJUBLJANA - Public sector employees received a total of EUR 192.8 million in coronavirus crisis bonuses for work during the first wave of the epidemic between 13 March and 31 May. Now, in the second wave, those working in dangerous conditions will again be eligible for bonuses. Last year, public sector employees received just over EUR 355 million in gross bonuses in total, while this year more than EUR 352 million was paid out already in the first seven months because of the new crisis bonuses.

Postojna had legal basis to introduce tax for use of building land for Poček, court says

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court announced that the Postojna municipality had the legal basis to introduce a special property tax for the Poček military training ground to be paid by the state, or the Defence Ministry. This means Postojna's 2011 decree on the compensation for the use of land designated for construction in the provision pertaining to setting this tax for Poček was not in contradiction with the constitution. The government asked the court in 2016 to examine the decree of the municipality in which the bulk of the country's main military training area is situated. In its petition, the government referred to the 1984 building land act, which the court noted had since become invalid.

Audit finds irregularities under former Petrol management

LJUBLJANA - A special audit initiated by the shareholders' meeting of energy company Petrol last December has found irregularities in eight of a total of 30 audited deals concluded under the former management led by Tomaž Berločnik in 2015-2019. The auditor BDO Revizor believes the management could be liable for damages for some of the flaws and even points to elements of criminal liability. The transactions audited exceed EUR 1 million in total and include the acquisition and disposal of financial investments, other types of investments, and sponsorship contracts.

Ledinek Engineering going strong despite pandemic

HOČE - Ledinek Engineering, which exports its machinery and production lines for the wood processing industry worldwide, doubled its profit to EUR 3 million last year despite a drop in revenue. The company employing 180 people saw a 15% decrease in revenue to EUR 37 million in 2019 mainly because of a delay in a delivery of a major project due to problems on the client's side. The company is working on several major projects this year. It does not expect any major setback due to the pandemic.

Organisers happy with on-line MOS fair

CELJE - The International Trade Fair (MOS) was held as an online series of events and presentations for the first time this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The organisers are happy with the turnout, as some 30,000 visitors viewed exhibitors' presentation videos and the on-line platform of the fair was visited by 4,000-6,000 people every day. According to Celjski Sejem, the organiser of MOS, which was held between 8 and 22 October, this year's fair was ground-breaking. Exhibitors are happy that they were able to present their products or services as part of live presentations, and visitors were happy to be able to access providers quickly and also communicate with them.

Survey shows companies sure work from home here to stay

LJUBLJANA - A survey carried out in September and October by consultancy Kearney in cooperation with AmCham Slovenija had 96% of the polled companies saying they fully or partially agree that work from home will remain more frequent also in the long-term. The second poll of this kind, following the one in the spring, moreover showed companies are more optimistic in their forecasts than during the spring coronavirus wave. It showed that companies on average expect revenue to fall by 3% this year compared to 2019, which compares to a 15% drop forecast in the spring. The expected drop in employment fell from 6% to 3%, and the expected drop in investment changed from 13% to 4%.

Nova Gorica calls for coordination in border measures

NOVA GORICA/GORIZIA, Italy - The Nova Gorica municipality in the west and Slovenian minority organisations in Italy have called on the Slovenian interior and foreign ministries to coordinate anti-corona measures in the border area where cross-border ties are strong with the Italian government and Friuli-Venezia Giulia authorities. The authorities of Gorizia, just across the border, have already addressed a similar appeal to the Italian government.

Pahor's committee for climate policy meets in new line-up

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor met with his permanent advisory committee on climate change in the new line-up for the first time, agreeing that the Covid-19 pandemic must not be an excuse for returning to unsustainable practices detrimental to the environment and climate, but an opportunity to find innovative and new approaches. In an on-line talk, the committee and Pahor touched on the current situation and consequences of the pandemic for society, individuals and the environment, the president's office said in a press release.

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Nearly 1,700 new coronavirus cases on record high positivity rate

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw 1,675 new coronavirus cases for Saturday as a record 29% of all tests returned positive results. Hospitalisations exceeded 500 and another six patients with Covid-19 died. The country's total case count has now neared 23,000, at 22,952, as the number of active cases increased to 14,288, data from the government and national Covid-19 tracker site show. The rolling 14-day average per 100,000 residents increased to 682 and the death toll rose to 241. The Jožef Stefan Institute estimates the reproduction number rose to 2.20 as the daily number of cases doubles in 6.2 days.

Ban to be imposed on movements between municipalities

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša announced a ban on movements between municipalities will be imposed for the whole country starting from Tuesday in response to the surge in coronavirus. "The restriction will be initially in force for 7 days for the whole country, and will be eased gradually by regions that will first curb the epidemic," Janša said on his Twitter profile. A similar ban in spring provoked a major controversy, but it has been cleared by the Constitutional Court.

Non-essential medical services suspended

LJUBLJANA - Most non-essential medical services were suspended under a decree issued by the Health Minister Tomaž Gantar to focus health resources on the battle against Covid-19. After some hospitals, including UKC Ljubljana had started suspending non-essential services in recent days, the new decree applies to health providers nation-wide. Oncology, services for pregnant women and newborns, vaccination and occupational medicine are exempt from suspension.

President appeals for cross-partisan effort to overcome crisis

LJUBLJANA - Addressing the nation on Sovereignty Day, 29 years to the day after the last Yugoslav troops left Slovenian soil, President Borut Pahor appealed on parliamentary parties to take their cue from their predecessors of the time, and commit to work together to defeat the coronavirus crisis. Pahor said Slovenia was now again facing a situation when political and all-national cooperation was essential. In separate messages, similar calls, evoking the nation's courage, resolve and unity of the time, were also made Prime Minister Janez Janša and National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič.

Janša's Trump endorsement sparks exchange with Biden aide

NEW YORK, US/LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša's endorsement of US President Donald Trump for a second term has sparked an acrimonious Twitter exchange with Michael Carpenter, the foreign policy advisor to Trump's Democrat challenger Joseph Biden. "Lol, Trump picks up an endorsement from Slovenia's prime minister, previously indicted and convicted on corruption charges," Carpenter tweeted on Friday, with Janša denouncing the tweet as a blatant lie on Twitter on Saturday.

Sunday shop closure takes effect

LJUBLJANA - Today was the first Sunday that almost all shops must remain closed in accordance with an amendment to the retail act that the National Assembly passed in late September. The exemptions to the blanket ban include shops under 200 m2 at service stations, border crossings, ports, airports, train and bus stations, and hospitals. Outside these facilities, shops with a surface area of under 200 m2 may open, but only shop owners, students and pensioners may work Sundays, regular employees may not.

Roglič loses red jersey at the Vuelta

LJUBLJANA - Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz took the Vuelta a Espana overall leader's red jersey from defending champion Primož Roglič after Spaniard Ion Izagirre won the sixth stage in the Pyrenees. Finishing 20th today, the Slovenian Jumbo-Visma rider fell to fourth overall, but remains in contention for the overall lead with a 30 second-lag behind Carapaz. That is if the race if continues on Tuesday after a state of emergency was declared for the whole of Spain due to coronavirus.

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Daily coronavirus incidence and deaths reach new records

LJUBLJANA - A record 7,025 tests were performed on Friday, with a record 1,961 coming back positive, pushing the positivity rate to a record 27.91%. Moreover, 19 people with coronavirus died, the highest daily death number yet, bringing the total coronavirus death tally to 235. The number of active cases climbed to 13,021, according to tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik. 449 were in hospital, with 63 requiring intensive care, the Health Ministry said.

More businesses closing as lockdown tightens

LJUBLJANA - Most establishments that offer their goods and services to customers in person shut down as new restrictions come into force in Slovenia to slow down the coronavirus outbreak. Under the decree adopted by the government on Thursday, the country returned to the top level of lockdown restrictions, similar to those valid during the first wave in spring. Establishments that had already been closed were joined by hotels, spas, beauty and hair salons, swimming pools, car washes, casinos, cinemas and other cultural institutions.

Slovenia expands coronavirus red list of countries

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's government updated the classification of coronavirus safe and unsafe countries on Friday. As of Monday, Serbia will no longer be on the green list, while a number of regions, including those neighbouring on Slovenia have been red-listed, meaning that quarantine is required unless the passenger produces a recent negative test. The red list now includes the whole of Austria bar the province of Carinthia, as well as 14 Italian regions, including Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Moreover, eight Croatian regions have been added to the red list, including the capital, while the regions of Istria and Primorsko-goranska remain orange. As many as 16 region in Hungary have also been red-listed, among them Budapest and the two regions neighbouring Slovenia.

Slovenia welcomes announced normalisation of relations between Sudan and Israel

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia welcomed the announced normalization of relations between Israel and Sudan. In a tweet, the Foreign Ministry labelled it an "important step towards Sudan's democratic transition as well as sustainable peace and stability in the Middle East". The response comes a day after US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Sudan would soon normalise its relations with Israel, thus becoming the third Arab country to do so after similar deals were formed weeks earlier with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Slovenia highlights role of multilateralism on UN 75th anniversary

LJUBLJANA - The best way to tackle current global threats remains multilateralism and responsible conduct of UN members, said the Foreign Ministry ahead of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, observed on Saturday. A lack of multilateral cooperation would lead to more difficulties in solving problems and facing up to ubiquitous challenges, it added.

Baltic foreign ministers and Belarus opposition leader in self-isolation after meeting Logar

LJUBLJANA - The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya are self-isolating after meeting Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar earlier this week, the French press agency AFP reports on Saturday. Logar tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, upon return from a three-day tour of the Baltics. Estonia's Urmas Reinsalu, Latvia's Edgars Rinkevičs and Lithuania's Linas Linkevičius are all feeling well, the AFP also said.

Civil Protection boss no longer in charge of operations office

LJUBLJANA - Srečko Šestan, the commander of the Civil Protection Authority, is no longer at the helm of the operations office of the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, a move that, the Defence Ministry said, aimed to unburden Šestan, allowing him to fully focus on the management of the authority. The ministry says that the move is in no way a show is distrust in Šestan, who will now also become a member of Defence Minister Matej Tonin's cabinet.

Independence War veterans and police officers criticise political and social situation

LJUBLJANA - Independence War Veterans and the Sever Union of Police Associations expressed criticism of the political and social situation in Slovenia on the eve of Sovereignty Day, the national holiday observed on Sunday commemorating the day when the last Yugoslav People's Army soldiers left the territory of Slovenia in 1991. Slovenia "must remain one of the core countries of Europe and not one of the authoritatively run countries whose only measure of success is corruption and increasing the differences in wealth and social power among the wealthy political elites."

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Near-record 1,656 coronavirus cases recorded on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,656 cases of Sars-CoV-2 were confirmed in 6,745 tests in Slovenia on Thursday, and two people died in hospital, said government spokesman Jelko Kacin. The number of active cases reached 11,434, according to the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik, which also shows a near-record test positivity rate of 24.55% and a daily death tally of three. Meanwhile, 394 people needed hospital treatment, of whom 67 were in intensive care, Kacin said. To cope with a surge in admissions, UKC Ljubljana, the country's biggest hospital, suspended all elective procedures for a fortnight.

Foreign Minister Logar tests positive for coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar tested positive for the novel coronavirus in a routine test. Announcing the news, the Foreign Ministry said the minister was not displaying any Covid-19 symptoms, while he and his aides who had been in contact with him were self-isolating for the next ten days. Logar is Slovenia's most senior official to test positive so far. On Saturday his Austrian and Belgian counterparts, Alexander Schallenberg and Sophie Wilmes, confirmed to have tested positive.

PM Janša endorses Trump for second term

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša endorsed US President Donald Trump for re-election, adding his name to a list of foreign leaders who have come out in support of Trump during the election campaign, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "We respect difficult, tragic personal life of Joe Biden and some of his political achievements years ago. But today, if elected, he would be one of the weakest presidents in history. When a free world desperately needs strong US as never before. Go, win, Donald Trump," wrote Janša in English on Twitter.

Minister expects defence investment to go ahead

LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin expects that a bill on a EUR 780 million defence investment by 2026 will be passed at the November session, which would allow the country to meet one of NATO targets. Speaking with Slovenian correspondents in Brussels after a two-day virtual NATO ministerial, Tonin said he expected a majority to vote against the opposition-sponsored petition for a referendum on the bill on Tuesday. Slovenia's defence budget is to increase from 1.28% of GDP in 2021 to 1.3% a year later.

Brussels responds to regulatory merger plans

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Commenting on a planned merger of regulatory bodies in Slovenia, the European Commission stressed the importance of the independence of national regulatory authorities from political influence and market interest. It said EU law protects the mandates of the heads of such bodies, with mergers not deemed a sufficient ground for early termination. "A re-organisation or merger of authorities is not regarded by the EU courts as a sufficient ground for early termination," it said.

Exceptions defined in more detail regrading curfew, crossing of regions

LJUBLJANA - The government has set more details regarding lockdown measures and exceptions to the ban on crossing Slovenia's statistical regions, as the whole country was declared a red zone on Thursday, including the coastal Obalno-Kraška region. Delivery of food, drinks, medications and basic necessities as well as room service will be allowed during curfew between 9pm and 6am. The curfew also does not apply for persons who are transiting the country or coming home from abroad.

Parents staying home with kids in lockdown to get pay subsidy

LJUBLJANA - With a week-long closure of preschools starting on Monday and many parents trying to figure out how to combine work and childcare, Social Affairs Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said the parents taking work days off to mind their children will be eligible for compensation amounting to 80% of their salary. Education Minister Simona Kustec added that parents would not be paying for childcare while their child was not in kindergarten. Childcare will be available to parents who must work and have no other childcare possibility.

Protesters suspend cycling rallies

LJUBLJANA - The anti-government protests held in the streets of Ljubljana each Friday for the past six months were discontinued temporarily due to the epidemic. A small group of the most vocal among the protesters announced the protests would continue through "a strengthening of the local networks, guerilla operations, the formation of a civil society alliance, the building of ties with experts, scientists, scholars", as well as protests from homes and balconies.

ZZZS to end year with EUR 121m deficit

LJUBLJANA - The ZZZS public health insurance fund expects to generate a EUR 120.7 million deficit this year, while next year, the deficit is to be at EUR 189.6 million. While this year's gap is to be covered by the fund, next year's is to be covered by the budget. The figures already include the effects of an annex to the general healthcare agreement approved by the government on Thursday valued at a total of EUR 80.8 million this year.

Return on state equity at 6.9% in 2019

LJUBLJANA - The return on capital owned by the state and controlled by Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) stood at 6.9% in 2019, 0.7 percentage points above the target. The goal was exceeded despite significant changes in the SSH portfolio. In a report for 2019, sent to parliament, the SSH noted that after the sale of banks the more profitable financial investments were reduced in its portfolio in favour of higher shares of strategic investments that usually generate lower returns.

Soldiers suing parliament over collective bargaining agreement

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Soldiers (SVS) is suing the National Assembly over the non-implementation of the 2012 Constitutional Court ruling concerning the public sector pay system. The trade union demands the annulment of two annexes to the public sector collective bargaining agreement arguing that they are unconstitutional. The December 2018 agreement with the government raised the wages of most public sector employees by three brackets or exceptionally by two brackets. But it envisaged a pay raise by only one bracket for members of the SAF, which is why no trade union representing employees in defence signed the relevant annex. The SVS demands the annex's annulment.

Drafting of zoning plan for Postojna-Jelšane motorway starts

LJUBLJANA - The government decided on Thursday to go ahead with the national zoning plan for a motorway between Postojna and Jelšane, with the 38-kilometre section in fact creating a connection between the Slovenian motorway system and the Croatian port city of Rijeka, some 30 kilometres south of the Jelšane border crossing. The newspaper Delo reported that if the procedure ran uninterrupted, it would take about three years to approve the route, but that Pivka locals would likely object to the planned route.

AC maker IMP Klima salvaged by Dutch family company

IDRIJA - The IMP Klima Group, the Slovenian-based cooling arm of Swedish multinational Lindab, which faced liquidation, has been salvaged by the Dutch family company Orange Climate, as the takeover from the Swedish Lindab was completed a few days ago. The Godovič-based company, which its previous Swedish owner planned to shut down, has been renamed OC IMP Klima and will keep all of its products, agreements and contracts, and production facilities under the new owner. Lindab had planed to close down IMP Klima Group, which would affect 212 jobs in Slovenia and 14 in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Business sentiment down in October

LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia deteriorated in October after improving for five consecutive months. The sentiment indicator stood at -6.6 percentage points, down 2.4 points on September and 10.7 points year-on-year. The latest figure is 6.7 points below the long-term average, said the Statistics Office. The monthly decrease was caused by poorer consumer confidence, where the indicator was down by 1.1 p.p., and the services sector and retail, where the indicator lost 0.7 of a percentage point. The indicator of confidence in construction had a small but positive influence (+0.1 p.p.).

Artist Jože Spacal dies

LJUBLJANA - Jože Spacal, the internationally acclaimed artist who for almost 30 years worked as a set designer for the precursor to the Slovenian public broadcaster, died, aged 81, on Wednesday. Spacal, who studied the arts in Milan, received more than twenty awards for his work abroad, including at the 7th Norwegian International Print Biennial in Fredrikstad, and the 4th International Print Biennial Varna. During his time with TV Ljubljana he created over 300 sets, some of the greatest achievements in the art.

Architecture and design museum gets new head

LJUBLJANA - Bogo Zupančič was appointed new director of the Museum of Architecture and Design, succeeding Matevž Čelik, who has been at the helm of the museum since 2010. Zupančič was picked among seven applicants in an open call by Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti. Zupančič earned a PhD in architecture from the Ljubljana Faculty of Architecture in 2000 and has a wealth of experience in museum work on top of academic achievements, said the ministry.

Slovenians increasingly happy working from home, poll shows

LJUBLJANA - Almost half of Slovenians believe the economy will not recover from the coronavirus crisis before 2023, showed a survey conducted by the pollster Mediana. However, increasingly many people are also quite comfortable working from home. In July, almost one in five respondents expected the economy will get back on its feet in 2021 or sooner, and one in three respondents said it would probably not recover before 2023, but now, as the second wave hit the country, the share of the latter rose by 14 percentage points. A notable change was also detected in people's attitude to working from home.

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Slovenia to close non-essential shops, hotels, kindergartens to limit spread of coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will put in place new restrictions to limit the spread of coronavirus. Non-essential shops will be closed, as will hotels, kindergartens and student dormitories, Prime Minister Janez Janša announced. The measures, entering into force on Saturday, will initially be in place for a week and will then be re-evaluated. He noted that the option to limit movement to municipalities like was the case in the spring was still on the table. The government will decide on it in the coming days.

Yet a new daily coronavirus high, nine deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's coronavirus tally soared to another daily record as 1,663 infections were confirmed from a record 6,215 tests on Wednesday, a positivity rate of over 25%. Data released by the government show that nine more Covid-19 patients died, but the total death toll is not clear due to different figures reported for the day before. Hospitalisations increased to 357, with 62 patients in intensive care. Covid tracker site data shows 10,136 active cases in the country. The cumulative 14-day average number of infections per 100,000 residents rose to 484.

Govt asks parliament to grant army limited police powers on border

LJUBLJANA - The government asked parliament to activate Article 37a the defence act which gives members of the Slovenian Armed forces certain police powers on the border. The proposal, which the government says is primarily needed because of the additional burdened placed on police by the epidemic, needs a two-thirds majority. Article 37.a was passed at the peak of the migration crisis, in October 2015, and once activated allows the army to help the police in "broader protection of the state border".

Janša and Merkel discuss bilateral ties, EU issues, pandemic

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke via videoconference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. They discussed the Covid-19 situation in Europe, the EU presidency trio's activities and the situation in the Western Balkans. Janša said that Germany had offered emergency medical equipment should Slovenia require it.
He said the conversation with Merkel lasted an hour and involved a very in-depth estimate of the measures both countries have been taking to contain the virus.

FM meets Belarusian opposition leader, Lithuanian counterpart

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as part of his visit to Lithuania yesterday. He said that Slovenia advocated dialogue between all political stakeholders, called for peaceful talks, and expressed support for the efforts made as part of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) and Council of Europe. Logar also discussed the situation in Belarus and other topics with his host and counterpart Linas Antanas Linkevičius today.

Slovenian, Portuguese, German defence ministers talk European defence

LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin had an informal videoconference with his German and Portuguese counterparts, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Joao Gomes Cravinho. The talks focused on European defence policy. Germany, Portugal and Slovenia form the current trio of presiding EU countries and the ministers called for a substantial headway in European defence policy during this time, the Slovenian Defence Ministry said.

Ex-ambassador: US elections to affect entire world

LJUBLJANA - Former Slovenian Ambassador to the US Božo Cerar told the STA ahead of the US presidential elections that the vote would be important not just for the US but the whole world. "Some say it will be decisive for the US democracy. But I'd say it will have an important impact on global relations, transatlantic relations and also on stability in Europe." He is "trying to be a neutral observer but I still think it would definitely be better for Europe and for trans-Atlantic relations if Biden won".

Free kindergarten for second child and beyond proposed

LJUBLJANA - The government has adopted amendments to the act on kindergartens. If a family has two kids in kindergarten at the same time, the second child would be enrolled for free. For families with more than two kids, kindergarten would additionally be free for the third child and beyond regardless of how many are in kindergarten at the same time. It says this will increase the rate of enrolment.

Consumer confidence down for second consecutive month

LJUBLJANA - Consumer confidence deteriorated for the second consecutive month in October, as Slovenians are becoming more pessimistic about the state of the national economy. The index has dropped by five percentage points over September and is 19 percentage points lower than a year ago and 23 points below last year's average. The Statistics Office attributes the annual decline to pessimism about jobs (-34 percentage points) and Slovenia's economy (-27 points).

Ascent Resources in talks with Slovenia over gas project row

LJUBLJANA - British company Ascent Resources announced it had entered into direct negotiations with Slovenia in a bid to potentially settle a dispute over permits for the extraction of gas in the north-east of the country. The company formally begun procedures to start an investor dispute against Slovenia at international arbitration claiming the country breached its obligations under the UK - Slovenia bilateral investment treaty and the Energy Charter Treaty.

Maribor Uni secures EUR 29m to upgrade research infrastructure

MARIBOR - The University of Maribor has signed a EUR 29 million contract to purchase additional equipment to upgrade the national research infrastructure, which is expected to raise research at the university to internationally comparable and competitive levels. While 80% of the amount will be provided by the European Regional Development Fund, the rest will be chipped in by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

Singer-songwriter Vlado Kreslin wins Ježek Award

LJUBLJANA - Singer-songwriter, musician and poet Vlado Kreslin is the recipient of this year's Ježek Award, an accolade celebrating creative and witty radio and television oeuvres and achievements. Kreslin is instilling a spirit of freedom, solidarity, tolerance and joie de vivre in Slovenia's cultural sphere, the judging panel has said. Kreslin is seen as one of those who have picked up the baton of Frane Milčinski - Ježek, a famous poet, satirist and comedian, after whom the award is named.

Bear conservation project receives EU Life 2020 award

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Life Dinalp Bear, a Slovenian-led research project dealing with population level management and conservation of brown bears in the northern Dinaric Mountains and the Alps, has won the Life 2020 award in the nature category. The award was presented on Wednesday as part of the EU Green Week.

Chairs by designer Zupanc on show at MAO

LJUBLJANA - The Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) in Ljubljana is showcasing a selection of the oeuvre of internationally acclaimed product and interior designer Nika Zupanc. The exhibition, presented by the Centre for Creativity, displays a selection of chairs designed by Zupanc, from the latest ones designed for Natuzzi and premiered this year, to earlier ones designed for Moroso. Visitors are limited to groups of five due to coronavirus restrictions.

First poetry collection for deafblind comes out

LJUBLJANA - The Deafblind Association of Slovenia Dlan marked European Deafblind Day with the launch of two books, including the first poetry collection for the deafblind in Slovenia. The head of the Dlan association, Janko Plesec, had been working on the collection Veseli Vandrovček (Merry Traveller) since 2016, writing the poems down with the help of his personal assistants. The other book, about haptic communication with the deafblind, is by the association's secretary Simona Gerenčer Pegan.

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Record 1503 coronavirus cases in Slovenia on Tuesday, eight people die

LJUBLJANA - A record 1,503 Sars-CoV-2 infections were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday as the test positivity rate exceeded 25%. In the deadliest day yet, eight Covid-19 patients died, raising the death toll to 200. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 20 to 333. The number of patients in intensive care decreased by one to 55. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said the number of beds required for Covid-19 patients increases by 10-12 every day but enough beds were still available. According to him, 100-150 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients was manageable, but he noted that beds as well as trained staff were required.

Cinemas, music venues being shut down, top-level sport may continue

LJUBLJANA - Galleries, museums, archives and libraries will be the only cultural venues that are allowed to provide in-person services to visitors in most of Slovenia from Thursday under government decrees that entered into force today. Some top level sports may continue for registered athletes over age 15 as well. Top-level competitions in selected group sports - ice hockey, basketball, football, volleyball and handball - and in individual sports are allowed.

Constitutional Court, C-bank nominees fall short of needed parliamentary support

LJUBLJANA - Anže Erbežnik ended up two votes short of appointment as Constitutional Court judge in a 44:35 secret ballot at the National Assembly. The result was the same for the nominee for Banka Slovenije vice-governor Arjana Brezigar Masten, who also needed the absolute majority of all votes. The majority of deputy groups did not state their preferences in the debate leading to the vote. Both candidates had been endorsed at the committee level. President Borut Pahor said he will repeat both calls for applications.

Key changes to act governing anti-graft commission passed

LJUBLJANA - MPs passed changes to the integrity and prevention of corruption act which the government argues strengthen the preventive and supervisory role of the anti-graft commission. They also aim at clearly delineating the powers in prosecution of corruption between the commission on the one hand and the police and prosecution on the other. Transparency International Slovenia welcomed the changes, but said this was only the first step in what should be a comprehensive overhaul of the anti-corruption framework.

Logar discusses Covid-19 measures with Latvian counterpart

RIGA, Latvia - Foreign Minister Anže Logar continued his three-day tour of the Baltics by meeting his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevičs for talks that focused on the importance of coordinating measures to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. They called for a joint EU approach in coordinating these measures but noted that this was largely within the purview of national governments. The ministers talked about the possibility to cross national borders in a way which would affect EU citizens the least and enable companies to continue to operate normally.

Parliament amends act to tackle packaging waste management

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously passed amendments to the environmental protection act designed to tackle the long-running problem of packaging waste and to transpose EU directives in the field. Under the amendments, packaging waste treatment companies will need to accept all waste from waste collection utility companies based on a fee paid by the companies that produce such waste. The amended law will allow for a decree to be passed that will extend the liability to pay waste packaging fee to those that put less than 15 tonnes of packaging on the market a year, the threshold that is being blamed for the large amounts of waste piling up at utility companies.

Parliament passes efficient energy use act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a new act on efficient use of energy, with nearly all deputy groups expressing satisfaction with the document drafted to exclude energy use from the energy act and incorporating EU legislation in the field. The act lays down measures to boost efficient energy use in all sectors and involving all players. At the EU level energy efficiency must be increased by 32.5% by 2030, while Slovenia aims for 35% between 2007 and 2030, Infrastructure Ministry state secretary Blaž Košorok told the MPs.

Legal basis for e-tolling of cars passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed an amendment to the motorway tolling act that creates the legal basis for the e-tolling of cars. The new system is to become operational by the end of next year and drivers will be able to buy "electronic vignettes" via an app, online or at service stations. Slovenia currently has annual, monthly and weekly toll stickers for cars, and annual, six-month or weekly toll stickers for motorbikes. These categories will remain unchanged, as will prices for the time being.

Slovenia sees agreement on CAP as exceptional achievement

BRUSSELS/LUXEMBOURG - EU agriculture ministers reached agreement on the new common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2021-2017 after lengthy negotiations. Slovenia's Jože Podgoršek labelled the deal as an exceptional achievement for the entire agricultural sector. "Slovenia has managed to secure important elements for the development of agriculture, while considering the environmental protection guidelines," he said. The minister added that special attention was paid to small farmers in that the administrative burden will be reduced.

C-bank says economic outlook worsening, labour market still stable

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank noted that economic outlook had been sharply deteriorating in recent weeks, with services being the most vulnerable sector. The increasing uncertainty is expected to delay companies' decisions to invest, while the situation on the labour market is still favourable due to the government measures. In its latest Economic and Financial Trends publication, Banka Slovenije says the crisis in the eurozone would have been much deeper without the fast and extensive response of economic policies.

Prosecution appeals decision to stop procedure against late collaborationist general

LJUBLJANA - The prosecution has appealed against the Ljubljana District Court's decision to stop renewed criminal proceedings against late collaborationist general Leon Rupnik after the Supreme Court quashed his 1946 death sentence, according to a report by the newspaper Dnevnik. The prosecutor in charge filed the appeal on 12 October, challenging the District Court's argument that a dead person could not be found guilty of a crime and that the case would put the court in an absurd position when it passed a milder sentence from the one already executed. The prosecution reportedly argues that a retrial in the case no longer constitutes criminal prosecution and that the procedure could not be halted as in a regular criminal procedure.

Slovenia close to OECD average in digital government

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranks 17th in the 2019 OECD Digital Government Index (DGI), the first OECD survey measuring the use of digital technologies and data for user-driven public services in 33 countries. With an overall score of 0.51 Slovenia is just above the OECD average of 0.50. Slovenia ranked close to the OECD average in most categories, but it was above it in the category "open by default", meaning the extent to which data, information, systems and processes are open to the public.

Changes in work during pandemic discussed at AmCham event

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus pandemic has shown what work might look like in the future, AmCham Business Breakfast participants agreed. However, it also revealed the shortcomings of work from home, and Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said that the government was aware of the challenges and was doing its best to address them. The mass shift toward remote working has shown shortcomings in terms of companies' preparedness and also in legislation, Sanja Savič of PwC Slovenija said at the online event. The minister agreed that administrative procedures needed simplifying and said that the ministry was trying to see to it that a simple labour contract annex would suffice for transition to remote work.

NGOs face eviction from Metelkova compound

LJUBLJANA - More than a dozen independent producers and non-governmental organisations face the threat of eviction from the state-owned premises in a former military compound in Metelkova Street in Ljubljana that witnessed some of the landmark events leading to Slovenia's independence. Some of the NGOs that have their premises in the building received an appeal from the Culture Ministry on Monday that they move out by the end of January 2021 or face a court-imposed eviction. The ministry, which has highlighted that the users have been paying rent and that some have not even paid for their running expenses, says the building is in a bad state of disrepair and is slated for renovation. The NGOs argue that budget funds for the planned renovation are not planned until 2023 and are refusing to leave.

Cinematheque launches new exhibition space with Fellini display

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Cinematheque will open its new exhibition space with a display dedicated to Italian director Federico Fellini on Friday. Alongside the exhibition, the Cinematheque also planned a Fellini retrospective, as a way to honour the centenary of his birth. However, screenings have had to be postponed due to the coronavirus situation. The travelling exhibition features set photographies, Fellini's original drawings, costumes and interviews, as well as private letters and family pictures, among other things.

Indictments filed in Croatia for drug smuggling through Slovenia

ZAGREB, Croatia - The Croatian prosecution indicted 13 persons, presumably including two Slovenian citizens, over the smuggling and sale of illicit drugs which also took place on Slovenian territory. The Croatia Office for the Suppression of Organised Crime and Corruption (USKOK) said the drugs were acquired in the Netherlands, and that rented apartments in Slovenia's Pohorje Hills were used as a location for stashing the drugs.

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794 coronavirus infections confirmed for Monday, two deaths

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus infections continues to rise in Slovenia, reaching 794 on Monday, when 4,326 tests were conducted. Government data show 313 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, including 56 in intensive care. Two more people died, brining the death toll to 192. A total of 38 patients are mechanically ventilated and 27 patients were discharged from hospital, while 53 new patients were admitted, according to data by the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik.

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Curfew takes effect, gathering becomes more restricted

LJUBLJANA - A temporary 9pm-6am curfew entered into force across Slovenia to limit the spread of coronavirus. The cap for gatherings has been lowered from ten to six people and a ban on movement between statistical regions has been put in place. There are, however, a number of exceptions, such as those related to work, emergency situations and services, family assistance and farm work. Public transport will not be shut down, libraries, museums and galleries also remain open.

Minister says food supply not at risk in second Covid-19 wave

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Attending an EU ministerial in Luxembourg, Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek said that little less problems in the Slovenian agriculture sector were expected than during the first Covid-19 wave in the spring, reiterating that food supply would not be disrupted or threatened. The ministry added in a press release that food supply in the second wave would be adequate and called on consumers not to stockpile food and other supplies, as it might happen that retailers would not be able to refill their shelves on time.

Govt seeks to allay budget spending concerns

LJUBLJANA - The government defended its budget plans for the coming two years in response to the Fiscal Council's concerns about excessive expenditure, underscoring the importance of investment for recovery and noting that investment expenditure is to be boosted mainly at the expense of EU funds. In a response to the advisory body's assessment, the government notes that continued recovery will depend on what is a very uncertain situation with respect to coronavirus. In such a situation, fast action to protect people's health and the economy is essential, it says.

Opposition blame govt for "fatefully low" trust in Covid measures

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition parties called on the government to mend its ways, which they argue are the reason for what they see as a "fatefully low level" of public trust in measures and recommendations aimed to contain the rapid spread of coronavirus in the country. In a press release, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) argue the measures are ill thought through and badly communicated, which they say is made worse by the government's "degrading of the experts, attacks on the media and judiciary, and attempt to subjugate social subsystems".

Poll: Public supports ban on gatherings, critical of masks outdoors

LJUBLJANA - The latest Valicon survey, released on Monday, shows the public is divided when it comes to the assessment of individual protective measures meant to tackle coronavirus. Standing out as a clearly supported measure is the ceiling on the number of people gathering in the public, with 77% approving of the measure, while there is less support for the compulsory wearing of masks outdoors (just over 40%).

Trade union calls for extra funds for education to manage Covid-19

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions have asked the government to secure additional EUR 90 million in the 2021 and 2022 budgets each for managing the Covid-19 epidemic in the educational process. The additional funds would be spent on personal protective equipment and sanitisers, technical adjustments and additional temporary jobs. The main committee of the SVIZ trade union of teachers and culture workers also urged the relecant ministry to do something to neutralise what the trade union believes are the growing differences among pupils brought by remote teaching, as not all of them have the same conditions.

Slovenian cyclists dominate at Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana

UDINE, Italy/BILBAO/Spain - Slovenian cyclist Jan Tratnik (Team Bahrain McLaren) won the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia between Udine and San Daniele del Friuli to become only the fifth Slovenian ever to win a stage at the prestigious road race around Italy, while his more celebrated compatriot Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma) won the first stage of the Vuelta a Espana to establish himself as one of the favourites in the race around Spain as he is defending his overall winner title.

Commission representative welcomes budget increase for Equal Opportunities Ombudsman

LJUBLJANA - Zoran Stančič, the head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, welcomed in talks with Equal Opportunities Ombudsman Miha Lobnik on Monday the government's decision to allocate more funds for the office. Stančič said thus the cabinet had constructively responded to some criticism voiced by the Commission in its rule of law report. In the report published at the end of last month, the Commission warned that Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman was understaffed.

Group of RTVS councillors propose dismissal of director

LJUBLJANA - A group of 13 programme councillors at RTV Slovenija have proposed the dismissal of the public broadcaster's director Igor Kadunc. He stands accused of responsibility for RTVS operating in the red between 2017 and 2019 and of failure to draw up a number of documents. Kadunc rejected the claims, suggesting the motive was changing editorial policy.

Next Round investment conference for startups under way

LJUBLJANA - A two-day investment conference got under way named Next Round that will see 80 investors from Central and Eastern Europe meet the best startups from Slovenia and 25 more countries. The online event, co-organised by the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, will also be addressed by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenia introducing 9pm-6am curfew as of Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - A 9pm-6am curfew will be put in place across Slovenia on Tuesday to limit the spread of coronavirus, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced on Monday. The ceiling for gatherings will be lowered from ten to six people and a blanket ban on movement among statistical regions will be in place, although there are some exceptions, notably those related to work, emergency situations and services, family assistance and farm work. Hojs stressed that all gatherings and events, including religious services and "semi-private ones like weddings" are banned.

537 new coronavirus cases confirmed in 2,637 tests on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 537 new coronavirus cases in 2,637 tests on Sunday. The positivity rate exceeded 20% for the first time, the government's coronavirus spokesman Jelko Kacin told the press. The number of cases confirmed since the start of the epidemic reached 13,678, of which 7,103 are active, according to data by the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik. The 14-day cumulative rate of infection per 100,000 people reached 339 compared to 317 the day before.

Covid-19 task force head worried about fast increase in daily cases

LJUBLJANA - About 1% of Slovenia's population is infected with Sars-CoV-2 based on the test positivity rate, the head of the government task force Bojana Beović said. Under the optimistic scenario, between 480 and 680 people will be in hospital in the second half of November. She said the daily increase in cases was very high at the moment and Slovenia was slowly nearing the EU countries that have borne the brunt of Covid-19. While the situation is under control at the moment, this will unlikely be the case in a month's time, she indicated.

President confident Slovenia will overcome Covid-19 together

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor delivered an address to the people, underlining that at the time of crisis, community closes its ranks. "We have to be courageous and determined but also tolerant and patient. This is particularly important for politics. It must make an honest effort for mutual respect and cooperation," he said. "Sooner or later we will bring it under control, there is no doubt about it," the president was optimistic but acknowledged that the path ahead will likely be very hard.

Janša tells MPs Slovenia had prepared for second Covid-19 wave

LJUBLJANA - Facing criticism from the opposition in parliament about the government's response to the Covid-19 epidemic, Prime Minister Janez Janša assured MPs that Slovenia had prepared well for the second wave. He said the second wave of the epidemic would eventually pass and that only then it would be possible to make comparisons with other countries. "I assure you that Slovenia will be among the winners." He said there were now at least 400 beds for Covid-19 patients, but it was impossible to double the health staff in this period.

Large part of opposition finds declaring epidemic via Twitter inappropriate

LJUBLJANA - The four left-leaning opposition parties believe announcing an epidemic on Twitter like Prime Minister Janez Janša did Sunday evening was inappropriate. Opposition leaders say adopting measures overnight makes people confused and frightened, with Marjan Šarec saying measures should be communicated at least 24 hours in advance and Tanja Fajon saying the mode of communication used had been disrespectful. The opposition National Party (SNS) and the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) say the measures have been expected.

Janša says govt plans to invest into healthcare, infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša presented in parliament the government's plans regarding the distribution of EU and state recovery funds. He said rapid investments were planned in the sectors that were crucial for recovery to secure additional capital for the healthcare system and infrastructure. "Two new infectious disease clinics will be built in Ljubljana and Maribor, nursing hospitals in all regions, and in some the existing hospitals will be turned into nursing hospitals while new regional hospitals will be built. We will significantly increase the capacities of the health system in the sections that have proven to be too small or where we need more reserves," he said.

Janša says govt willing to consider good proposals for Demographic Fund

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša announced during Q&A time at the National Assembly that the government would consider all good proposals when setting up the Demographic Fund, including some of the ideas in a rival bill submitted by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB). But this does not mean it will change the course started, a course where "we have a single fund, where the management of state assets is uniform and transparent, where oversight involves - irrespective of who is in power - both the government and opposition".

Logar, Osmani discuss North Macedonia's EU membership bid

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted his counterpart from North Macedonia Bujar Osmani for talks that focused on preparations for an intergovernmental conference at which North Macedonia expects to start EU membership talks. Logar expressed the belief that the talks would start during Germany's presidency of the EU. He also expressed Slovenia's firm support for North Macedonia's membership bid. Osmani said North Macedonia expected accession negotiations to start by the end of this year.

Pahor hails potential of Three Seas initiative, warns against divisions
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor stressed at a virtual summit of the Three Seas initiative that this platform offers a unique opportunity to change this part of Europe into a modern, sustainable and innovative society. He added that the initiative must not be understood as a grouping of certain EU members countering other members. Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in a ministerial panel devoted to "smart money", focusing on the Three Seas Initiative fund, the role of participating countries, and strategic cross-border infrastructural projects, and the fund's importance for their financing.

Report: Prosecution throws out criminal complaint over NLB

LJUBLJANA - Prosecutor Ivan Pridigar dismissed a criminal complaint filed by the parliamentary commission in 2018 against NLB bankers over transactions at NLB's Swiss subsidiary which allegedly caused the bank damage of EUR 400 million. The prosecutor said the claims could not be confirmed, web portal 24ur.com learned unofficially. The prosecutor found the claims not specific enough an said the complaint did not contain any data that could raise the suspicion to a higher level by presenting grounds for suspicion.

Ljubljana City Council says militias, nationalist groups not welcome

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's city councillors adopted a statement condemning any activities or gatherings of paramilitary or nationalist groups in the capital. The opposition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) protested, unsuccessfully proposing that the item be removed from the City Council's agenda. The statement, proposed by the councillors of the Left, caused a clash of opinions, with SDS and NSi councillors arguing the Left was out to provoke a harsh politics-fuelled debate. Meanwhile, the Left's argument that a symbolic gesture is necessary was echoed by Maša Kociper of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), who spoke of a "group of individuals who think they can execute powers that are reserved for the army and police in any normal and democratic country".

Vojnović receives Polish literary prize

WROCLAW, Poland - Slovenian writer Goran Vojnović has received the Angelus Central European Literary Prize, conferred to works by Central European writers translated into the Polish, for his 2013 novel My Yugoslavia. The annual award is conferred by the Polish city of Wroclaw to writers who take up the most important topics for the present day. It comes with a cheque for 150,000 Polish zloty (roughly EUR 33,000). Vojnović, who attended Saturday's ceremony via video call, said Angelus was "undoubtedly the most important recognition I have ever received."

Report: Court annuls dismissal of ex NBI head Muženič
LJUBLJANA - The Nova Gorica Administrative Court has annulled the dismissal of former director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Darko Muženič, web portal 24ur.com reported. The case was remanded to police for re-examination. The court's decision is final, so there is no possibility of an appeal. Muženič decided to challenge his 6 May dismissal at the Administrative Court, claiming the no-fault dismissal procedure used to dismiss him in line with the act on public servants only applied to political office holders.

Ex-embassy employee acquitted in Austria of duty-free fraud charges

LJUBLJANA - A criminal court in Vienna has acquitted a former long-serving employee of the Slovenian embassy in Austria in a duty-free shopping case due to lack of evidence, the newspaper Delo reported. The man, who served as a driver for the embassy and has since been dismissed, made purchases at the UN duty-free shop, where only diplomats and bilateral mission employees can shop. The Austrian prosecution will not file an appeal, the paper says.

Ljubljana airport sees 80% drop in passengers

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport saw an almost 82% drop in the number of passengers in the first nine months compared to the same period last year. In September alone, the number of passengers dropped by 87.4% compared to the same month last year to 21,686, and in the first nine months only 267,780 passengers were recorded. "We'll finish the year with some 300,000 passengers, which will be 20% of what we expected at the start of the year, the airport operator Fraport Slovenija told the STA.

Three of Telekom's five supervisors resign

LJUBLJANA - Chief supervisor of telco Telekom Slovenije Aleš Šabeder and supervisors Barbara Cerovšek Zupančič and Bernarda Babič resigned, citing the current situation in the five-strong supervisory board, the company said in press releases. Šabeder expects the remaining two supervisory board members to follow suit in order to avoid damage to the company and subsequent liability of the supervisory board.

Slovenia amends ESA association agreement, full membership targeted for 2024

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek signed a set of amendments to Slovenia's association agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA), which he said meant an important step towards full-fledged membership. The minister expects cooperation with ESA will deepen further. Slovenia has been an associate member of ESA since 2016 and so far 11 Slovenian companies have signed cooperation contracts with ESA on the basis of the association agreement. Slovenia's associate membership expires at the end of 2021 and rather than become a full-fledged member after that, Slovenia has opted for an amended association agreement with a so called programme for new member states, with the goal being full membership in 2024.

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