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Slovenian government officially declares epidemic

LJUBLJANA - The government officially declared a coronavirus epidemic for the entire country starting on Monday. This means the national protection and rescue plan is activated, but no additional restrictive measures have been announced. Government spokesman Jelko Kacin told public broadcaster RTV Slovenija tonight that there would be no changes for employees, students and others, except that all employers are being urged to organise work from home if possible.

Over 700 new coronavirus cases confirmed as positivity rate exceeds 19%

LJUBLJANA - The share of coronavirus tests that came back positive exceeded 19% for the first time on Saturday, as 726 cases were confirmed in 3,765 tests, the government's coronavirus spokesman Jelko Kacin said on Twitter. This means Slovenia now has 6,641 active cases out of a total of 13,141 confirmed since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik. The 14-day cumulative rate of infection per 100,000 people reached 317 compared to 290 the day before. Four people with Covid-19 died bringing the death toll to 188, according to the government.

Janša calls for responsibility, solidarity in battle with Covid

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for responsibility and solidarity in the face of the pandemic in a video address to Slovenian citizens. He said a challenging period of cold weather was ahead, which required effective measures. Janša said EU leaders had made a list of priorities for the bloc last week, putting lives at the very top, followed by health and then the economy. "All the rest, from entertainment to many other activities and some freedoms will have to wait a while," said, calling for solidarity with doctors and nurses who are working day and night in full protective gear to save the lives of Covid-19 patients.

Another journalists' association responds to Friday's incident

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Journalists' Association (DNS) said it was not familiar with the details of an incident that occurred during Friday's protests in Ljubljana involving rapper Zlatko. However, it stressed it condemned all forms of violence, both verbal and physical. The DNS also called on media to act in line with professional standards. The association said that the society must not accept the atmosphere where verbal and physical attacks become a normal risk for journalists during their work. The reaction came after the rapper approached the Nova24 cameraman and grabbed his camera during Friday's anti-government protests, demanding that he erase the recording. After police intervened, the camera was returned. Several videos of the incident have been published on social media.

Police issue 121 lockdown warnings, forward 99 cases to inspectors

LJUBLJANA - Police have issued 121 warnings in the first two days of the new coronavirus measures restricting people's movement among statistical regions. They forwarded 99 cases to the health inspectorate, the General Police Administration told the STA. Wide-ranging restrictions stepped into force in Slovenia on Friday, with a number of regions going into partial lockdown as a response to a high number of new coronavirus cases over the past fortnight.

Canoeist Luka Božič wins World Cup event in Tacen

TACEN - Slovenian canoeist Luka Božič won a World Cup event in Tacen in what is his second World Cup victory. Because of coronavirus, the competition was not as strong as it would be, as German, British, Slovak, Polish, French and Czech competitors canalled attendance. "Winning at home is special, although it must be said that this was not a real World Cup. But victory is victory," said Božič, who shared the podium with Nicolas Gestin and Jules Bernardet, both from France, in second and third place.

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Almost 900 new coronavirus cases confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Almost 900 new coronavirus were confirmed on Friday, a new daily high. A total of 897 were confirmed in Slovenia in 5,605 tests, one Slovenian citizen tested positive abroad. The figures come to a positivity rate of roughly 16%. Slovenia now has 6,082 active cases from a total of 12,414 confirmed so far. Four people with Covid-19 died, bringing the death toll to 184.

Slovenia condemns terrorist attack in France

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has condemned a terrorist attack in a Paris suburb in which an assailant beheaded a teacher. "We need to enforce zero tolerance for terrorism and street violence across #EU," Prime Minister Janez Janša said on Twitter. The Foreign Ministry tweeted: "We deplore the atrocious terrorist attack in France. Our thoughts are with the victim's family and the French people."

Protesters back on bicycles

LJUBLJANA - Anti-government protesters who have been gathering in Ljubljana Fridays returned to bicycle protests yesterday. Police said a few hundred gathered and 33 violations of the blanket ban on gatherings in public were recorded. The protests were held on bicycles to skirt the blanket ban on gatherings imposed due to coronavirus. An incident occurred involving the rapper Zlatko. Multiple videos show him grabbing the camera from a cameraman of Nova24 and demanding that the recording be erased.

Journalists' association condemns attack on cameraman at protest

LJUBLJANA - The Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) condemned an incident that occurred during Friday's protests in Ljubljana and involved the rapper Zlatko grabbing the camera from a Nova24 cameraman. It said that the attack on the cameraman "just became he does not come from the 'right' media according to [Zlatan] Čordić" was an "attack on journalistic freedom and consequently on freedom of expression. It is inadmissible that violence determines who can do journalism and who risks being attacked." See the incident below

Posnetek celotnega incidenta, ko reper Čordić iztrga iz rok kamero snemalcu Nova24TV. Boljša kvaliteta. pic.twitter.com/bcZMPQ5anZ

— Luka Svetina (@LukaSvetina) October 17, 2020

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Slovenia's daily coronavirus tally hits a high of 834

LJUBLJANA - Coronavirus transmissions keep gaining pace in Slovenia with 834 of 5,196 tests performed on Thursday coming back positive and the rolling 14-day average per 100,000 residents rising by 27 in a day to 257.21. The Covid-19 death toll hit 180 after four more fatalities. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose to 242 with 45 patients requiring intensive care. Two more Slovenian statistical regions for a total of nine out of 12 went into lock down and officials indicated new restrictions could follow soon. Epidemiologists said they would continue establishing contact with those infected with the novel coronavirus, however from Saturday they will no longer pursue their contact tracing strategy or issue proposals for quarantine orders.

Electoral reform tops agenda of Zorčič's visit to Rome and FM Logar's to Trieste

ROME/TRIESTE, Italy - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič held talks with the presidents of both chambers of the Italian parliament, the chairs of several parliamentary commissions and a Foreign Ministry state secretary. The focus of the talks was on reform of Italian electoral legislation The Slovenian minority in Italy expects that the new electoral law will secure representation of the community in the Italian parliament in line with a 2001 Italian law on the protection of the Slovenian minority. This was also the main topic of what was first official visit of Foreign Minister Anže Logar to the Slovenian community in Italy. Logar said Slovenia will follow the minority's situation with even more care given the situation and announced several more high-level meetings until the end of the year.

PM says putting 38% of Slovenia under Natura 2000 a mistake

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Putting 38% of Slovenian territory under Natura 2000 protection was "a shot in the knee", PM Janez Janša told the press after an EU summit that had climate goals as one of the items on the agenda. He said that the European average for the area, where it is forbidden to produce energy from natural and sustainable sources, is 18%. "We'll try to be ecologically conscious and yet not be complete idiots like those who drew these maps at that time not realising what it is actually all about," he said. As for the call by some member states for an agreement on the goal to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, Janša said Slovenia would support goals that will actually be implemented and would not pay triple the price like some neighbouring countries might.

Janša accuses mainstream media of coronavirus denial

BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša told reporters in Brussels that fake news in the sense of denial of the danger of the new coronavirus, spreading in Europe mainly through social media, and in Slovenia unfortunately also through mainstream media was what was forcing Europe and individual countries to take harsher measures than would otherwise be needed. Speaking after the pandemic topped the first day of the EU summit, Janša said Slovenia had been acting in line with recommendations regarding coordination of Covid-19 restrictions.

Following PM's tweet, European journalists urge end of media demonisation

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) said "appalled by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša's latest attack against the Slovene public broadcaster STA". This comes after Janša's Twitter post on Thursday calling the STA a "national disgrace". "This demonising of public service media and journalism must stop," said the EFJ. A reaction also came from Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), which monitors, tracks and responds to violations of press and media freedom across Europe. "In Slovenia PM Janez Janša continues to discredit, undermine and attack media outlets including the STA, both online and in reported comments at the European Council," tweeted the MFRR.

Ministry defending national energy and climate plans

LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry defended the national energy and climate plans in the face of a review from the European Commission, saying that in some areas Slovenia's goals were even more ambitious than the bloc's commitments. The ministry also said the Commission highlighted some positive aspects of the plans adopted last February. In a Wednesday report assessing national energy and climate plans until 2030, the European Commission said Slovenia's plans in renewable energy lacked ambition, while the ambition in energy efficiency was assessed as modest or small.

Fiscal Council says budget expenditure for next two years too high

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council warned that the budget expenditure planned for the next two years is too high, while also saying that the divergence from the fiscal rule was understandable and could be allowed, considering the coronavirus pandemic. Council president Davorin Kračun told the press that conditions have been met for divergence from medium-term balance in 2020 and 2021, considering the data available at the moment. It is yet too early to make the same assessment for 2022.

All Saint's Day without public ceremonies

LJUBLJANA - Addressing the government briefing on coronavirus, Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore said that this year's All Saint's Day will not see public religious ceremonies at cemeteries on 1 November due to Covid-19. He urged citizens to comply with anti-corona measures and to help out those in need, noting that in-person mass services are temporarily banned in red listed regions. He said that currently there are six priests quarantining, five were infected and one died a Covid-19-related death.

Trade unions walk out of ESS session on demographic fund

LJUBLJANA - The trade unions that are members of the Economic and Social Council (ESS), the main industrial relations forum, walked out of the session dedicated to the emerging Demographic Fund, where the government pans to pool all state assets to shore up the pension system. While refusing to go into detail before Monday, the unions said they were unhappy with the social dialogue. The Labour Ministry indicated the walkout was because the agenda item on social dialogue was postponed due the absence of the minister. The Pergam trade union association earlier urged the government to withdraw the bill on the Demographic Fund and reach a broad consensus on the bill first, and the anti-graft watchdog of corruption-risk related issues in the bill.

Second national digital radio network operational

LJUBLJANA - The second Slovenia-wide digital radio network, a technology known by its acronym DAB+, was launched. The new multiplex will carry the signals of regional and local radio stations, and stations serving the Italian and Hungarian minorities. Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, which operates the network, said the the radio stations Radio Koper, Radio Maribor, Radio Capodistria and Pomursko-Madžarski Radio are broadcast for now. Other Slovenian local radio stations will be able to join the multiplex, which has nine transmission points, based on a call for applications by the Agency for Communications Networks and Services.

Report: Hoče Magna to build new electric Fisker SUV

TORONTO, Canada/GRAZ, Austria - Magna International, the Canadian-Austrian automotive multinational, announced it would start producing Fisker Ocean, an electric SUV, in 2022. According to unofficial reports by the Austrian Kleine Zeitung, the car would be assembled in Magna's plants in Graz, Austria, and in Hoče, near Maribor, starting off with 50,000 vehicles a year. Magna is yet to confirm the report about assembly location, although the Maribor-based paper Večer writes the info is accurate.

Companies told to be prepared for hard Brexit

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian and British companies must be prepared for the time after the Brexit transition period no matter whether an agreement is reached between the UK and the EU, heard participants of Tea with Reason held by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. The new UK Ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler said it was key for British companies to remain willing to do business with Slovenia and Slovenian businesses with the UK. She believes every company should look into consequences it might face.

Association concerned after Požar receives suspended prison sentence

LJUBLJANA/SLOVENJ GRADEC - The Association of Journalists and Commentators expressed concern over "a renewed abuse of the wheels of the judiciary" after Bojan Požar, author and proprietor of the news portal Požareport, received a suspended three-month prison sentence for defamation and insult due to an article in which he alleged that Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič and his former aide Matjaž Štandeker had bribed bankers. Požar announced he would appeal the ruling, handed by the Slovenj Gradec District Court earlier this week.

Maribor Theatre Festival shorted to one day

MARIBOR - The 55th Maribor Theatre Festival was shortened to a single day because of the deteriorating epidemiological situation in the country. The only event will be tonight's dance performance Burning Water by the Ballet of the Ivan Zajc Rijeka from Croatia, when Borštnik Ring for lifetime achievement in theatre acting will be conferred to Maribor-based actor Peter Boštjančič. All further events have been cancelled because of coronavirus.

Ljubljana Marathon cancelled due to coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Marathon, due next weekend, was cancelled as new coronavirus restrictions took effect in parts of Slovenia with the highest incidence of new cases, including Ljubljana. "Unfortunately, the second wave and the high rise in cases is happening just in time for the Ljubljana Marathon and has prevented us from carrying out the event safely," Ljubljana Marathon director Gojko Zalokar stated. A virtual race will go ahead with registrations expected until 19 October.

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New restrictive measures presented, Slovenia entering partial lockdown

LJUBLJANA - Seven of Slovenia's twelve statistical regions will be partially locked down on Friday in a bid to contain the exponential growth in coronavirus, under government decrees passed last night. Bars, restaurants and sports facilities will close in red-listed regions, primary school children as of the 6th grade and secondary school students will be schooled remotely as of Monday for at least one week in the entire country, and all healthcare providers have been urged to scale back or suspend preventive services, to secure sufficient capacity for urgent treatment of patients, including those with Covid-19. The opposition criticised some of the measures but still urged people to comply.

Parliament passes fifth corona package

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the fifth stimulus package, designed to help the country overcome the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. One of the principal measures of the EUR 420 million package is the extension of the furlough subsidy scheme until the end of the year. Sole proprietors will once again be eligible for monthly basic income. The state will provide funds for personal protective equipment and other equipment for public health institutions and care homes and will also cover loss of income for these institutions due to vacant capacities and provide for additional bonuses for staff. New bonuses will be introduced for workers in healthcare and social security.

Slovenia's coronavirus tally above 700 for second day

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has logged yet another coronavirus record as the daily tally hit 745 for Wednesday, following 707 the day before, bringing the total case count to well over 10,000. Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said that a record 5,287 tests were performed yesterday, with 14% of the cases returning positive, just slightly below 14.4% the day before. Hospitalisations increased by twelve to 222 despite 20 Covid-19 patients being discharged home. As many as 40 are in intensive case units, five more than the day before.

Podgoršek appointed new agriculture minister

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly appointed Jože Podgoršek the new minister of agriculture, forestry and food with 48 votes in favour and seven against. While the opposition did not vote in favour, they nevertheless praised his competences, which were also highlighted as his main quality by the coalition. Podgoršek said he accepted the appointment with a great level of respect for the position. "I will carry out the work with due responsibility. I hope that I will manage, at least in part, to meet your expectations and those of the stakeholders in the food supply chain."

Janša says EU needs unified response to Turkey's provocations

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for a united response of the EU in support of Cyprus and Greece following new provocations by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean as he arrived for an EU summit. Although the topic is not on the agenda, he said he expected the EU to take a unified approach towards the development in the east of the Mediterranean, where Turkey is causing tension with new provocations aimed at Cyprus and Greece. While the EU leaders recently adopted a dual approach to Turkey, now they will need to send a very clear message that the approach which includes many incentives will be applied only if "all of us adhere to the rules," he said.

Logar and Korčok urge coordinated response to Covid-19

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Slovak counterpart Ivan Korčok called for better coordination of measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic at the EU level. The Foreign Ministry said the two ministers shared the view that coordination was vital not only to successfully contain the pandemic but also to restart the European economy. They agreed that restrictions on travel between member countries should have the minimum possible impact on people's lives and business. The ministers also called for enhancing cooperation between Slovenia and Slovakia, in particular in business, regional cooperation and working together in shaping EU policies.

Tonin discusses defence cooperation in Rome

ROME, Italy - Defence Minister Matej Tonin paid an official visit to Italy. Talks with his counterpart Lorenzo Guerini focused on defence cooperation, including in international missions. Joint efforts in preventing illegal migrations were also on the agenda. The Defence Ministry said Tonin and Guerini assessed defence and military cooperation as excellent, in particular in international missions. Tonin said Slovenia planned to slightly decrease its presence in Kosovo but increase it in Mali as a means of helping reduce migration from North Africa.

MPs visit SOVA over Iranian money laundering case

LJUBLJANA - Five members of the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Service Oversight Commission (KNOVS) paid an unannounced visit to the national intelligence and security agency SOVA in relation to possible influence on SOVA in the case of an suspected Iranian money laundering scheme at NLB bank. The National Assembly said the authorised KNOVS group was looking into documentation related to a reported criminal act related to the Farrokh case, possible pressure by the SOVA management on employees, and possible influence of other bodies on the agency's work in this case.

NIJZ critical of proposed change in issuing quarantine orders

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) expressed criticism on Wednesday over a proposed amendment to the communicable diseases act, part of the fifth stimulus package, under which the epidemiological service would be in charge of issuing quarantine orders, commercial broadcaster POP TV reported. The institute does not intend to serve in any capacity of an official body restricting movement of citizens, said the NIJZ.

Govt sets out budgetary plan for 2021

LJUBLJANA - The government has reviewed a draft budgetary plan for 2021, a document that needs to be submitted to the European Commission by mid-October as part the coordination of fiscal policies at the EU-level. Under plans, general government deficit is projected to decrease to 6.6% of GDP next year.

Parliamentary inquiry into PPE procurement formally starts

LJUBLJANA - A parliamentary inquiry into the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) before and during the coronavirus epidemic got off to a formal start. The head of the inquiry commission, Alenka Jeraj of the ruling Democrats (SDS), presented its objectives and work procedures before the session continued behind closed doors. The inquiry was formally initiated by the National Assembly on 14 July at the request of the coalition, which moved faster than the opposition and filed for it before the four centre-left opposition parties which had announced it first.

Left opposition files legislative proposal banning fracking

LJUBLJANA - The four left opposition parties tabled a legislative motion which would prohibit the extraction of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing. The proposed amendments, submitted by the Left, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the SocDems and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), stipulate that already issued permits and mining rights and applications for them would need to be "coordinated" with the ban as well. A similar proposal was sent to parliament in the summer by the opposition Left, but it was rejected by the coalition at committee level with the argument the issue would be incorporated into changes to the mining act being drawn up by the government.

Works begin on first section of major expressway project

ŠOŠTANJ - Construction works on the first section of a major north-south expressway in eastern Slovenia dubbed the Third Development Axis started. The first portion is an expressway that is 200 metres long and forms part of the northern section of the Third Development Axis, which stretches from Slovenj Gradec in the north to the motorway exit Šentrupert. Valentin Hajdinjak, chairman of national motorway company DARS, said the main portion of the north section, between Slovenj Gradec and Velenje, was due for completion in 2025 or 2026, while the remaining section to the existing motorway should be built by 2027.

Hisense Gorenje confirms launch of TV factory for January

VELENJE - Home appliances maker Hisense Gorenje officially announced it would start producing TV sets at one of its former facilities in Velenje in January next year. The Chinese-owned company announced that the Hisense Europe Electronic TV factory will involve around 400 jobs in the first stage, 330 of which will be for production workers.

Bad bank selling its 13% stake in Cinkarna Celje

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company has published a call for non-binding bids for its 12.93% stake in the chemical company Cinkarna Celje. Bids will be collected until 13 November, shows a posting by the state-owned bad bank in the newspaper Finance. BAMC is the second largest owner of the Celje-based plant, whose main product is titanium dioxide pigment, after the pension fund Modra Zavarovalnica (20%). The state-owned Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) holds a 11.41% stake.

Illegal migration slowing down

LJUBLJANA - After a surge in illegal migration in the summer months, figures have been declining since as the bad weather set in. Police figures show the number of cases this year until the end of September is down just over half a percent from the same period a year ago. Police handled 11,855 attempts to cross into the country illegally in the first nine months, which compares to 11,931 in the same period a year ago.

Andrzej Wroblewski's late work showcased at Moderna

LJUBLJANA - Late work by Polish painter Andrzej Wroblewski (1927-1957) is on display at Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana as of today in what is the first international exhibition dedicated solely to the artist's travels in the former Yugoslavia and his late work. The exhibition, entitled Waiting Room, showcases about 120 of his creations from the period between 1955 and his death in 1957, many of which have never been put on public display before. They will be on show until 10 January 2021.

Slovenian football team victorious in Moldova

CHISINAU, Moldova - The Slovenian men's football team showed its supremacy in Moldova on Wednesday, beating the home team 4:0 in the fourth round of play in Group 3 of League C of the UEFA Nations League at the Zimbru Stadium without spectators. This is the third win in a row for Slovenia in the competition. Slovenia now have ten points, and are followed by Greece with eight, Kosovo with two and Moldavia with a single point. The team that finishes at the top of the group will move to League B.

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Slovenia tightens restrictions as cases surge

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša announced additional restrictive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, including remote learning from the fifth grade of primary school up as of Monday and at least until the autumn holiday, as well as an inter-regional movement ban, limited gatherings and mandatory masks outdoors in seven red-listed regions as of Friday. The regions are Central Slovenia, Gorenjska, Koroška, Zasavje, Posavje, Savinja and South-eastern Slovenia. Moreover, reserves in the healthcare system are to be activated. Remote learning will apply to secondary schools as well, and colleges and universities are also urged to do as much work as possible remotely. The decree detailing the measures is to be published on Thursday. More details here

A record 707 Sars-CoV-2 infections confirmed in 4,902 tests on Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 707 new Sars-CoV-2 cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday, almost a doubling of Monday's figure and a new record by far, which comes on 4,902 tests conducted, a new high as well, as the positivity rate hit a record 14.4%. Slovenia's incidence rate, a key EU-wide indicator that shows the number of infections per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days, has increased to 202.75 from 178.91 the previous day. Covid-19 claimed two more lives, increasing Slovenia's death toll to 175. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals increased by 30 to 210. The government is meeting in the afternoon to adopt new restrictions.

Top officials from Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia launch key investment

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša, his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban and Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman addressed a ceremony in the north-east of the country launching construction of a power line that will link the three countries. The EUR 150 million project has been almost two decades in the making, mainly due to lengthy zoning procedures. Janša said that the project should give fresh impetus to efforts to speed up relevant procedures, Orban described the event as historic, and Grlić Radman said additional steps would be needed in the future to make the energy system reliable in the long term.

Austria extends border control with Slovenia until May 2021

VIENNA, Austria - Austria extended border control on its borders with Slovenia and Hungary by another six months, until 11 May 2021. Austria's Interior Minister Karl Nehammer listed migration pressure, safety concerns and Covid-19 as reasons for the move. The measure can be extended based on approval from the European Commission, which has been notified of the step.

Coordination of Covid-19 measures in focus of Logar's talks in Prague

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Coordination of measures to limit the spread of coronavirus topped the agenda as Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with his Czech counterpart Tomaš Petriček. The ministers agreed coordination at EU level should be more efficient and endorsed the common EU approach to the development of a vaccine, the Foreign Ministry said. Logar expressed interest in closer ties between the Slovenian and Czech logistics sectors.

Constitutional judge candidate to protect human rights, law and Constitution

LJUBLJANA - A constitutional judge must not be just another court instance but must be able to show the sensitivity that previous instances many not have showed, said constitutional judge candidate Anže Erbežnik during his hearing in parliament. "Currently there is a clash between two paradigms - one is the paradigm of human rights and the other is the paradigm whose vision is for the world to become a technological dictatorship in the future," said the 44-year-old Erbežnik, a professor who has been working for the European Parliament for 17 years, including ten years as counsellor of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Erbežnik is against narrowing access to the top court.

Candidate for C-bank vice-governor says she boasts academic, practical experience

LJUBLJANA - The candidate for vice-governor of the central bank Arjana Brezigar Masten argued during her confirmation hearing in parliament that she had both academic and practical experience. If appointed, she will improve coordination among Banka Slovenije departments, and promote the strengthening of know-how and the image of Banka Slovenije in the euro system. Currently the director of analytics and research at the central bank, she sees Banka Slovenije as an important link between Slovenia and other eurozone members, and a leverage for Slovenia to implement its interests in the common monetary policy and international finance world. MPs are expected to decide on her appointment at the plenary starting on Monday.

Brussels urges Slovenia to support renewables, energy efficiency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission called on Slovenia to invest and make reforms towards promoting renewable sources of energy and in support of energy efficiency and sustainable transport in its state of the energy union report. It said that Slovenia's plans in renewable energy lacked ambition, while the ambition in energy efficiency was assessed as modest or small.

IJS: Slovenia's reproduction number at 1.93

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's reproduction number, showing how many people one infected person will pass the virus on to, has climbed to 1.93, while the epidemic has been spreading with the doubling time of 7.4 days, the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) said, highlighting that the key defence wall preventing the further spreading of the virus, the epidemiological service, was under enormous pressure and was starting to show cracks.

Maribor mayor tests positive for coronavirus

MARIBOR - Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič tested positive for coronavirus. The mayor probably contracted the virus at a family lunch as his father has tested positive as well, Arsenovič's office said, adding that the mayor is feeling well and quarantining. All of his staff at his office and at the city administration who have been in direct contact with him will be quarantining from Thursday, it added. Due to having had a working meeting with Arsenovič on Monday, four MPs from Maribor will start self-isolating, reported news portal Politikis.

Govt adopts regulator merger bill

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill which would merge eight major regulators into two agencies. The main change in comparison with the preliminary draft is that the agency's management and supervisory bodies would be appointed by the parliament, not the government.

Doctors, dentists express indignation over statement by Left MP

LJUBLJANA - Three major organisations representing doctors and dentists expressed indignation over a statement by the opposition Left MP Miha Kordiš in which he called a part of private practitioners quacks. Two of the organisations expect an apology, while the FIDES trade union wants senior officials to make a stand. The Left responded by saying that such an interpretation of Kordiš's claim was a manipulation and that his statement was in fact accurate. However, the party also apologised to anyone who might have been offended.

Four bidders short-listed for principal works on Divača-Koper track

LJUBLJANA - Four consortia of construction companies respectively led by Slovenian builder Gorenjska Gradbena Družba, Austria's Strabag, Slovenia's Kolektor CPG and Turkish builder Cengiz have qualified for the next round of tendering for principal works on the Divača-Koper rail projects, 2TDK, the company managing the project, reported. 2TDK director Pavel Hevka said complaints were to be expected.

Sava Re management proposing dividend payout amounting to EUR 16.3m

LJUBLJANA - The management of insurer Sava Re has called an AGM for 16 November to decide on a dividend payout although the insurance sector was recommended not to pay out dividends due to Covid-19 uncertainties. In line with the management's proposal, EUR 16.3 million of the distributable profit of EUR 34.7 million would be allocated for dividends, which amounts to EUR 1.05 gross per share. Dividends would thus be 10.5% higher than last year. Sava Re argues current operations show dividends would not harm its solvency despite the uncertainties.

Zorčič acquainted with Slovenian minority issues ahead of Rome visit

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič received representatives of the Slovenian minority in Italy, who acquainted him in detail with the situation and wishes of the minority ahead of Zorčič's working visit in Rome on Friday, the National Assembly said. The minority representatives would like the new electoral law to secure representation of the Slovenian minority in the Italian parliament in accordance with Article 26 of the minority protection law. The meeting also discussed the need to keep the Slovenian-Italian border open.

New UK ambassador to Slovenia highlights shared values

LJUBLJANA - There are shared values between Slovenia and the UK representing the foundations for efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and tackle global issues together, including climate change and the Covid-19 crisis, the UK's new ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler has told the STA in an interview. Succeeding Sophie Honey, who served as ambassador from March 2015, Sadler arrived in Slovenia roughly a week ago. As an economist she sees numerous ways to further boost business ties between the two countries, and she considers Slovenia attractive to British businesses including because of its geographical location and educated workforce.

Business and academia team up to demand boost in research funds

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's largest business association has entered a partnership with university chancellors and independent research institutes to urge the government to use EU recovery funds to boost investment in research and development. Presenting their development partnership at a virtual press conference, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), Chancellors' Conference and Coordination of Independent Research Institutes called for cooperation at what they said was a critical juncture.

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Almost 400 new coronavirus cases recorded as positivity rate remains high

LJUBLJANA - A total of 397 people tested positive for the new coronavirus on Monday, when 3,308 tests were performed, which means that the positivity rate remains high at 12%. Four persons died of Covid-19. There are currently 180 people in hospital, up eight from yesterday, of whom 32 need intensive care compared to 26 yesterday, according to according to data tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. The virus continues to spread in healthcare institutions and care homes. Several members of the staff in the Celje general hospital tested positive yesterday.

Govt says situation calls for additional restrictive measures

LJUBLJANA - Government spokesperson Jelko Kacin announced that all the criteria for activating additional restrictive measures had been fulfilled. The government will decide on Wednesday what measures from the last package of measures in the orange phase to take. The possible measures include a lockdown of individual municipalities or regions, a blanket ban on visits to hospitals and other institutions, and the closure of bars, restaurants and gyms. The government may also restrict visits to hairdressers and beauty salons, while events, religious ceremonies and weddings could be banned in certain municipalities or regions.

Ministry finds CoE Covid-19 app report slipshod

LJUBLJANA - The Public Administration Ministry responded to a Council of Europe (CoE) report that finds privacy protection shortcomings in Slovenia's coronavirus exposure app for smartphones by describing the report as cursory and unworthy of the institution. The Digital Solutions to Fight Covid-19 report, released on Monday, is written cursorily, "something that such a highly esteemed institution as the Council of Europe ought not to have afforded," said the ministry. The ministry says, among other things, that the Slovenian app #OstaniZdrav (#StayWell) has been adapted from the German app in such a way that it prevents abuse of the user's personal data or location the user needs to switch on when downloading the app.

Fifth stimulus package slightly changed by committee

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour Committee prepared the fifth stimulus package bill for passage late on Monday. A few changes were made compared to the original proposal but the main tenets of the bill remaining unchanged. The bill extends the furlough scheme and the state will continue to cover the sick pay for quarantined workers, even when they are on sick leave because their children are in quarantine. Sole proprietors and micro companies will once again be eligible for monthly income support, just like during the epidemic, and new bonuses will be introduced for workers in healthcare and social security.

Slovenia issues EUR 1bn worth of 30-year bonds under favourable terms

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued EUR 1 billion-worth of 30-year bonds, the business paper Finance said in a report referring to Bloomberg data. Unofficially, the interest rate for the bonds was slightly under 0.5%, while the yield also stands at around 0.5%. According to unofficial sources quoted by Bloomberg the interest rate for the issue is 50 basis points above the 30-year mid-swap rate, which stands at -0.005%. Bloomberg said this would mean a better result than planned, as the financial institutions commissioned for the issue by the state had expected 65 basis points. Demand reportedly exceeded EUR 8 billion.

Janša defends attacks by arguing judiciary needs to earn respect first

LJUBLJANA - A meeting of top representatives of all three branches of power saw Prime Minster Janez Janša defending the continuing political attacks on the judiciary by arguing that respect first needed to be earned. President Borut Pahor urged respectful, responsible and dignified communication. The meeting was prompted by Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič, who expressed the wish a suitable response is secured to inappropriate commentaries and attacks on the judiciary that have intensified recently. Janša sees things differently, arguing that despite the division of powers "it is probably not forbidden to express criticism". He feels it would be hard to speak of democracy if this were not allowed.

Report says Slovenia doing too little to prosecute bribery of foreign officials

BERLIN, Germany/LJUBLJANA - Transparency International placed Slovenia among countries with limited enforcement of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which deals with bribery of foreign public officials. The Exporting Corruption 2020 Report says that "Slovenia continues to have an inadequate legal framework on anti-corruption, and questionable political commitment to implementing and improving it". While also speaking of poor whistleblower protection, the report says "there is an ongoing failure by Slovenia to enforce the laws prohibiting foreign bribery."

Slovenian and Austrian police hold joint drone exercise

ŠENTILJ - The Slovenian and Austrian police conducted a joint border control exercise on the Austrian side of the Šentilj border crossing using unmanned aerial vehicles. Slovenian interior minister Aleš Hojs and his Austrian counterpart Karl Nehammer met on the occasion, underlining effective cooperation and discussing the Covid-19 situation. The ministers said that police forces of both countries were cooperating successfully, with Hojs pointing out that the joint exercise showcased the impact of modern technologies on border control and the fight against organised crime.

Slovenia sees common EU map for travel restrictions important achievement

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - European Affairs State Secretary Gašper Dovžan, who represented Slovenia at the meeting of EU European affairs ministers, spoke of an important achievement as a common map for coronavirus-related travel restrictions was agreed in Luxembourg. While the agreement is less ambitious than proposed by the European Commission and leaves a number of issues open, the EU will now have a shared map that will mark region with green, orange or red depending on the intensity of coronavirus transmission.

Czech PPF takes over Pro Plus owner CME

LJUBLJANA - The Czech investment group PPF, owned by Czech billionaire Petr Kellner, completed last week its acquisition of the Central European Media Enterprises (CME) fund, which also owns Slovenia's leading television network group Pro Plus. The total value of the deal has been estimated at EUR 1.89 billion. Apart from Slovenia, the CME fund also owns television channels in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. PPF Group aims to upgrade already successful operations in CME markets, said the company.

T-2 suing state for EUR 55m over alleged receivership errors

LJUBLJANA - Telecommunications operator T-2 is suing the state for nearly EUR 55 million it claims it suffered in damages due to wrongful court decisions as part of receivership proceedings that date back a decade, the newspaper Delo reported. The company's creditors, spearheaded by the bad bank, had initiated receivership proceedings to recover more of their assets, and T-2 challenged the receivership in court. It won some suits and lost several others until the Constitutional Court in 2017 annulled the receivership procedure.

Opposition seek to grant single women assisted reproduction

LJUBLJANA - The left-leaning opposition parties the Left, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) asked the Constitutional Court to examine act on infertility treatment and procedures of biomedically-assisted procreation which limits medically assisted insemination procedures to married or cohabitating couples, on the grounds that it discriminates against single women. The parties argue that the law is discriminatory and unconstitutional because it restricts access to assisted reproductive procedures to couples.

Ombudsman asked to look into police handling of Friday protest

LJUBLJANA - A group of anti-government protesters requested for Human Rights Ombudsman to examine what they see as excessive use of police force at last Friday's protest. They also urged the ombudsman to oversee the police handling of future protests. The protesters argue that the government ban on gatherings of more than ten people is disproportionate and in violation of the right to free speech. They also say that police powers and the current health crisis are being abused for politically-motivated reasons.

Sovre Prize for best literary translation goes to Aleksandra Rekar

LJUBLJANA - Aleksandra Rekar won this year's Sovre Prize for her translation of Bosnian-Croatian writer Miljenko Jergović's Rodbina, an almost thousand-pages-long historical fiction novel. Rekar's translation shows profound knowledge of the novel's topics, said the Association of Slovenian Literary Translators. Rodbina or Rod was released in 2013 and is considered one of the most prominent literary works hailing from the countries of the former Yugoslavia in the past 30 years. Spanning the entire 20th century, the novel is a family epic that apart from telling the story of Jergović's family also sheds light on political and cultural history of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

Greenpeace conference highlights high costs of nuclear power

LJUBLJANA - A web conference organised by Greenpeace Slovenija and featuring international experts highlighted some of the problematic aspects of nuclear energy as a way of dealing with the climate crisis and pointed to the potential of renewable energy sources. Katja Huš of Greenpeace said that in a period where there is increasing talk in Slovenia about building a new nuclear reactor, the debate on the future energy policy in the country had been rather one-sided, so the idea was to provide a platform for those opposing nuclear power plants.

Slovenia wants consideration of country specifics when raising emissions cut target

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia can support a raising of the emissions cut target until 2030 from the current 40% to at least 55% provided that national circumstances are taken into account in the process, said European affairs State Secretary Gašper Dovžan who represented Slovenia at an EU ministerial. Dovžan said that there is still no united position on the new target, which will be discussed at a summit at the end of the week, but there is the ambition to reach an agreement in December.

Major investments listed as committee looks at infrastructure budget

LJUBLJANA - Increased investment into railways, stare roads and energy infrastructure as well as into drinking water provision and waste water treatment was highlighted as the proposed budgets for infrastructure and the environment for 2021 and 2022 were presented at committee level in parliament. The 2021 budget for the Infrastructure Ministry is being increased by EUR 270 million compared to the original proposal with a record EUR 1.07 billion in expenditure planned. The 2022 funds are a bit lower, which is related to the dynamics of EU funding, heard the session of the parliamentary Infrastructure Committee.

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12% of coronavirus tests positive for a Sunday high

LJUBLJANA - A total of 169 people tested positive for coronavirus from 1,404 tests on Sunday and two more Covid-19 patients died. Despite the infections being lower than in the previous days, it is the highest increase for a Sunday and the share of positive tests remains high, at 12%. This brings the total number of cases to 8,832, with as many as 3,444 active. A total of 169 people have died. Government data show 149 patients were in hospital, 26 requiring intensive care, however as hospitalisations are expected to increase in coming days hospitals are expanding Covid-19 facilities.

Time is ripe for stricter coronavirus measures, Beović says

LJUBLJANA - The government's chief Covid-19 advisor Bojana Beović said Slovenia is quickly approaching a new stiffening of restrictive measures as envisaged in the final stage of the orange scenario. Given the number of new cases, the next set of measures could have already been adopted, but she added that this was for the government to decide, adding the problem with the existing measures was their inconsistent implementation and lack of persistent inspections. The Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) meanwhile said in its latest forecast of the development of the epidemic the criteria for Slovenia to start introducing additional restrictive measures from the red phase will be reached in the next seven days.

Slovenian and Hungarian PMs to meet on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Hungarian prime ministers, Janez Janša and Viktor Orban, will meet for a working lunch on Wednesday as ground is broken to construct a Cirkovce-Pince power line connecting Slovenia with Hungary, the Government Communication Office said. Janša will address the ceremony in the Slovenian town of Kidričevo in the north-east and meet Orban on the sidelines. The pair will discuss "the main bilateral topics, the Covid-19 situation and topical EU issues".

Central bank with new moves related to bond holder wipeout

LJUBLJANA - The central bank will consult a group of legal experts to find a solution ensuring the legal protection of the holders of subordinated bonds who were wiped out during the 2013 bank bailout. It has also asked for a constitutional review of provisions allowing it to be audited by the Court of Audit. Banka Slovenije governor Boštjan Vasle said that six years after the bank bailout not much progress in properly regulating the legal protection of the subordinated bond holders had been made. The Association of Small Shareholders meanwhile labelled the announcement a "new legal move and procrastination".

Pahor saddened by defacing of Klagenfurt monument

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor expressed sadness over the vandalising of a monument in Klagenfurt following Saturday's ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite. In his tweet, Pahor repeated that fear suffices for hatred while courage is necessary for harmony. The incident, committed by unknown perpetrators, had drawn strong criticism from Austrian politicians, as well as Slovenian PM Janez Janša and representatives of the Slovenian minority.

New head of National Bureau of Investigation appointed

LJUBLJANA - Petra Grah Lazar was appointed acting head of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the third new leader of the specialised police unit for white-collar crime since May. The appointment was made by acting Police Commissioner Andrej Jurič a week after her predecessor Uroš Lepoša stepped down citing personal reasons. Grah Lazar used to work as an NBI investigator in 2010-2014, but most recently served as a financial consulting manager at Deloitte Svetovanje, before which she was corporate security head at the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), the country's bad bank. She has been described by multiple media as the favourite of the ruling Democrats (SDS). The opposition parties slammed her appointment as a prime example of politicisation.

Parliamentary committee endorses Podgoršek as agriculture minister

LJUBLJANA - Jože Podgoršek, the candidate for the new agriculture minister and currently a state secretary at the ministry, was unanimously endorsed by the parliamentary Agriculture Committee. If appointed - the National Assembly will vote on his candidacy on Thursday, he intends to boost food self-sufficiency and focus on sustainable development. Another challenge will be a reform of the EU's joint agriculture policy, while he also intends to sort out the situation at Slovenian State Forests. The 46-year-old with a PhD in agrarian economics was nominated for the post by the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) after Aleksandra Pivec resigned as minister and left the party a week ago. Commenting on the unanimous support, he said it would be useful in the busy period ahead.

Delo poll shows SDS firmly in lead, LMŠ returns to second place

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) would emerge as the winners if a general election was held now. The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) has meanwhile returned to the follow-up position, shows a poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo. The SDS tops the ranking with 18.7%, which is down slightly from September, whereas the LMŠ has gained more than two points to 10.4%. The remaining opposition parties had mixed fortunes. The SD has lost more than half a point to 9.3% and are now closely trailed by the Left, which has added 1.7 points to 7.9%, while the SAB has inched down to 2.9%. According to Delo, the rankings mean the quartet of parties that have entered talks on a Constitutional Arch Coalition enjoy a combined 30.5%, whereas the coalition parties come to 27.1%.

Medical Chamber boss, SD MP test positive

LJUBLJANA - Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik, the head of the Slovenian Medical Chamber, and Gregor Židan, an MP for the opposition Social Democrats (SD), are among those who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The chamber said Čebašek-Travnik learnt of the test result on Friday after she and her husband got tested the day before. The husband probably got infected at the hospital where he works. Meanwhile, Židan became the first National Assembly deputy confirmed to have tested positive for the novel virus. He was on leave last week so none of his colleagues have been required to quarantine.

CoE finds shortcomings in Slovenia's coronavirus data processing

STRASBOURG, France - A Council of Europe report identifies a number of shortcomings in the protection of privacy and personal data in government efforts to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. It also mentions Slovenia, highlighting Slovenia, Greece and Hungary as the countries parties to a relevant convention where health authorities share the lists of patients with police. Digital Solutions to Fight Covid-19 also says Slovenia appears to be the only country that made the use of the proximity and contact tracing app mandatory by law, while making it voluntary later, before it was actually introduced.

SocDems retain mayoral seat in Velenje

VELENJE - The Social Democrats (SD) succeeded in holding down the mayoral office in the blue collar town of Velenje in Sunday's byelection as Deputy Mayor Peter Dermol won 64.3% of the vote to succeed Bojan Kontič, a fellow party member that has stood in for him since his death in August. Darko Koželj, who ran with the support of the Democrats (SDS), New Slovenia (NSi), Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS), won 23.55% and a third candidate secured 12.15%.

Slovenian-Chinese business council concerned by govt plans for Huawei

LJUBLJANA - The recently established Slovenian-Chinese business council at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) expressed concern in a public letter over the government's alleged plans concerning Chinese company Huawei. According to unofficial information, the government could label Huawei a high-risk supplier in the coming weeks. In the letter addressed to PM Janez Janša and the cabinet, the council says an open, stable, predictable business environment providing equal opportunities is crucial for good functioning of the economy, even more so in the period of post-pandemic recovery. It also pointed to the risk of damage for Slovenian companies if China decided to retaliate, and the damage that could be caused to the bilateral relations with China.

Don't Forget to Breathe wins top Slovenian film prize

LJUBLJANA - The 23rd Festival of Slovenian Film closed with an awards ceremony on Sunday, with the best live action feature going to Martin Turk's youth film Don't Forget to Breathe. The judging panel did not confer the Vesna Awards for best feature film, best directing, best screenplay, best female lead, best makeup and best animated film. Antigone - How Dare We! won three Vesnas, including for best documentary and for best male lead (Primož Bezjak). Konrad Steinbacher, an author of animated shorts, received the Metod Badjura Award for lifetime achievement.

Artists Cibic and Hriberšek win B3 biennial awards

FRANKFURT, Germany - Two Slovenians are among the laureates of this year's B3 Biennial of the Moving Image, running in Frankfurt until 18 October. Jasmina Cibic received the B3 Award for Best Immersive and Time Based Art for her video installation entitled The Gift, while Evelyn Hriberšek's art installation Eurydike won the B3 Award for the Best VR/AR/MR Experience. Cibic's work is currently on show at the Metelkova Museum of Contemporary Art (MSUM).

Poet Barbara Korun receives 2020 Mira Prize

LJUBLJANA - The women's section of Slovenian PEN has bestowed this year's Mira Prize for outstanding women authors on poet and activist Barbara Korun, who has been, according to the jury, shedding light on the opuses of Slovenian and foreign women poets and promoting feminist readings. The EUR 2,000 prize was awarded in Ljubljana on Saturday evening. Korun has been widely translated and has been featured in more than 70 poetry anthologies in over 20 languages.

Bad weather causing problems in north, north-west

ČRNA NA KOROŠKEM - Wet snow, rain and wind caused disruption in the high-altitude areas of the northern region of Koroška during the night, with uprooted trees blocking local roads and a part of the area losing power supply due to damaged transmission infrastructure. The worst hit was the upper Mežica Valley, which had seen the most snowfall. The north-western region of Gorenjska also saw several local roads blocked by trees that collapsed under the weight of wet snow.

Slovenia beat Kosovo on the road in Nations League

PRISHTINA, Kosovo - The Slovenian men's football team defeated Kosovo 1:0 in Prishtina on Sunday in the third round of play in Group 3 of League C of the UEFA Nations League, for what is a second win in a row for Slovenia in the competition. On Wednesday, Slovenia will face Moldova at home after the latter lost 0:2 to Greece. After three rounds, Slovenia and Greece are tied at the top of the group at seven points, while Kosovo and Moldova still have only one point each.

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Stricter measures mulled as record daily number of new infections is recorded

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,956 tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Saturday, resulting in a record 411 new daily infections, while the share of new cases in the number of tests also reached a record 13.9%. A total of 158 persons are currently hospitals in Slovenia for Covid-19, which is also a new record. The 14-day incidence was up by 8.3% to 159 new cases per 100,000 residents, and Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said that "we are very close to the point where restrictions which improved the situation in the spring needed to be adopted". Government Covid-19 spokesperson Jelko Kacin added that a plan of measures had been. "We are in the orange phase, we are in for a third package of measures."

Slovenia's Covid-19 green list getting shorter

LJUBLJANA - The government has decided to tighten requirements for arrivals as many countries around Europe continue to post record daily increases in coronavirus numbers. As of 12 October, only four countries will remain on its green list, which means no quarantine is required. Only travellers from Australia, New Zealand, Serbia and Uruguay can enter without any health restrictions starting on Monday after all six European countries that have been on the green list so far have been moved to orange or red.

Janša condemns defacing of monument in Klagenfurt

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša has condemned the defacing of a monument in the courtyard of the government of the Austrian state of Carinthia in Klagenfurt during Saturday's ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite. Janša said on Twitter on Sunday that the defacing of the monument to Carinthian unity was detrimental to the Slovenian compatriots in Carinthia and Slovenia's reputation in the world. The Austrian authorities have launched investigation of the act, which has also been condemned by senior Austrian politicians, and the heads of all three umbrella organisations of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia.

Demographics office to be run by director, and not minister

LJUBLJANA - The government has decided that the emerging office for demographic affairs, a new specialised institution designed to address demographic challenges, will be run by a director who would answer to the government, and not a minister without portfolio from the ranks of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). The changes will enter into force on 15 January 2021. The coalition agreement had originally stipulated that DeSUS would assume responsibility for running the office, but objections were made by New Slovenia (NSi) over a potential shift in the balance of power between the coalition partners.

Protest letter sent over police conduct at Friday's anti-govt rally

LJUBLJANA - A number of organisations, movements, initiatives and individuals have addressed a protest letter to acting Police Commissioner Andrej Jurič over the conduct of the police during Friday's anti-government protests. They believe that officers used excessive force without reason in several cases, and demand public apology and clarification. "Certain groups, whose members were standing in Republic Square, kept safety distance and wore masks, were picked as targets by the police without a warranted reason," the letter issued on Saturday says.

Waste production continued to increase in 2019

LJUBLJANA - The amount of municipal waste produced in Slovenia continued to increase last year, but the share of recycling waste also increased, statistics show. While people in Gorenjska did best in recycling and those in Koroška generated the least waste, those in Obalno-Kraška generated the most waste and did the least recycling. In total, 8.4 million tonnes of waste was collected in Slovenia last year, up 1% over the year before, of which nearly 1.1 million tonnes was communal waste. 

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380 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Slovenia on Friday, two deaths

LJUBLJANA - Out of a record 4,362 coronavirus tests conducted in Slovenia on Friday, a total of 380 came back positive, a 8.7% positivity rate, show fresh official data. On what was a fourth day in a row that the daily case count has exceeded 300, hospitalisations reached a new peak and two Covid-19-related fatalities were confirmed. The total of those in intensive care remained roughly the same at 21. A total of 14 required ventilator support and six persons were discharged home. There were 3,061 active cases in the country, according to data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

SocDems elect party's interim head Tanja Fajon their new leader

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) elected Tanja Fajon, an MEP and the party's interim head so far, its new leader at an online congress. A total of 276 delegates of the party voted for Fajon, the first woman to be at the helm of the SD, whereas 107 were in favour of her challenger MP Jani Prednik. When it comes to the party's programme, Fajon deems it key to protect citizens' social security and public systems as well as steer Slovenia away from a group of "problematic countries", which is, she believes, a direction the country is taking at the moment at an increasingly faster pace.

Van der Bellen apologises to Slovenian minority for injustices

KLAGENFURT, Austria - Austrian and Slovenian presidents attended a ceremony marking the centenary of the Carinthian anniversary together for the very first time. Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen apologised to Carinthian Slovenians for the injustices and delays in the implementation of their constitutional rights. Slovenian President Borut Pahor meanwhile deemed the ceremony the heart of a united Europe. Representatives of the Slovenian minority lauded Van der Bellen's apology as well as warned that not all issues regarding the implementation of the minority's rights had been resolved so far and urged efforts to do that. Meanwhile, some 100 young Carinthian Slovenians staged a protest held under the slogan 10 October - No Cause for Celebration! In Support of Anti-fascist Consensus in Carinthia.

PM welcomes Austria's plan to improve status of Slovenian minority

LJUBLJANA - Marking the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite, Prime Minister Janez Janša lauded Austria's intention to improve the situation of the Slovenian minority living in the south of the country. He said the centenary was an opportunity for both nations to reflect on the past and move past historical issues. The Slovenian government highlighted the role of a full implementation of Article 7 of the Austrian State Treaty (AST), setting down rights of the Slovenian minority, and welcomed the Austrian government's plans to improve the situation of ethnic Slovenians in Austria, read a press release by Janša's office.

Ambassador to Croatia says pandemic improved bilateral ties

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Ambassador to Croatia Vojislav Šuc believes the coronavirus crisis effected a turn for the better in Slovenia's relations with Croatia. The past months have also shown there is a synergy between the governments, as they have build mutual trust by focusing on what they have in common, he told in an interview with the STA.

Poll shows support for alternative government idea

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Arch Coalition, an initiative by centre-left opposition parties to form a new government, enjoys 51.7% support among Slovenians, showed a recent survey commissioned by newspapers Dnevnik and Večer. The idea is not backed by 37.2%, whereas 11.1% are undecided. Most respondents believe that Prime Minister Janez Janša should be ousted. The poll results showed that 54.8% said that parliament should dismiss Janša. Meanwhile, 37.4 are against that, whereas 7.8% are undecided whether to support a potential no-confidence motion in Janša or not.

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Security Council urges parliament to give soldiers police powers

LJUBLJANA - The National Security Council fully supported the police's proposal to activate a provision in the defence act which would give soldiers police powers to help it patrol the border to contain illegal migration, PM Janez Janša said after a session of the council. Saying the situation on the border with Croatia was becoming critical again, he urged the opposition to provide the necessary votes for a two-thirds majority needed to activate the provision. The council also discussed the coronavirus situation. Janša said it supported the measures the government had already taken or was planning to, assessing them as adequate, well prepared and balanced.

Slovenia confirms 363 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, four deaths

LJUBLJANA - A total of 363 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in 3,682 tests on Thursday, the third day in a row that the case count exceeded 300. Slovenia now has a total of 7,879 confirmed cases, of which 2,865 are active, according to data tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. Four people with Covid-19 died, bringing the death toll to 165. Measured in new cases per 100,000 people over two weeks, a key benchmark used in the EU, Slovenia is now at 137. There are 138 Covid-19 patients in hospital, up from 131 on Thursday, while the number of patients in intensive care rose by one to 22.

Super tax on undeclared income struck down by top court

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has struck down provisions of a 2013 law that impose a 70% tax on income that individuals have been found to have failed to report. The court has also declared that tax reassessment cannot be made for cases prior to 2009. The court said in the ruling declared today that the taxation rate could not be above the rate valid for income proved by the taxpayer. Another provision that has been quashed allowed tax authorities to reassess taxes for the period before 2009, which the court says is not in conformity with constitutional safeguards.

Defence Minister says budget plans development-oriented

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee endorsed the budget bills for 2021 and 2022. Defence Minister Matej Tonin said that the planned increase in defence spending proved the budget was development-oriented in that it secured funds for development and the necessary investment in the army as well as civil protection and disaster relief. Next year, EUR 636 million will be allocated to defence or EUR 75 million more than under the budget passed last year. Defence spending will rise to 1.28% of GDP next year. It will further increase by EUR 51 million to EUR 687 million in 2022, which is 1.3% of GDP.

Share of infected school children doubles in past week to 0.06%

LJUBLJANA - The share of recorded Sars-CoV-2 infections among kindergarten and school children in Slovenia has doubled since last Friday to 0.06%, while the share of children in self-isolation has risen from 0.36% to 0.81%, show data released by the Education Ministry which began to be analysed as the school year began in September. There are presently 11 kindergarten departments with 200 children in quarantine, 55 primary school departments with 1,100 children and 41 secondary school departments with 1,040 pupils.

Peter Boštjančič wins Borštnik Ring

MARIBOR - Peter Boštjančič, a Maribor-based actor known for his memorable roles in the theatre and on film, was declared the winner of this year's Borštnik Ring, Slovenia's top accolade for lifetime achievement in theatre acting. Boštjančič, 68, has been a member of the Drama SNG Maribor theatre ensemble for over 20 years, after spending 17 years with the SLG Celje theatre. In a career spanning more than four decades he has appeared in more than 100 roles in the theatre and in over 20 films.

PPE whistleblower Gale loses job

LJUBLJANA - Whistleblower Ivan Gale, who has been accusing government representatives of meddling in the procurement of medical and personal protective equipment when the coronavirus first reached Slovenia in the spring, has lost his job at the Agency for Commodity Reserves. Gale announced this in a short Facebook post, while the agency told the STA it could not comment on an ongoing procedure. The left-leaning opposition said his sacking was an act of "vengeance against a public servant" and expressing support for and solidarity with Gale. Transparency International Slovenija pointed to the lack of protection for whistleblowers in Slovenia, calling for legislative changes.

EU approves takeover of Pro Plus owner

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has given the Czech investment group PPF the green light for the takeover of the CME fund, which owns the Slovenian media company Pro Plus. The Commission believes the takeover will not harm competition. According to Czech media, the transaction should be completed on Tuesday, 13 October. CME's operations include 30 television channels in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Pandemic shows need for development of new skill sets, conference hears

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The coronavirus pandemic has exposed all the shortcomings in education and training and effective action is needed to address the problems, the Skills Summit participants heard. Participants shared the view that interdepartmental international cooperation will be key. Addressing the OECD event, PM Janez Janša said the pandemic had proved that skills were key in the economic recovery in the long term. OECD Deputy Secretary General Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen said the pandemic showed the importance of digitalisation.

Slovenia's exports down 3.6% year-on-year in August

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's goods exports declined by 3.6% year-on-year to EUR 2.227 billion in August as imports fell by 0.6% to EUR 2.311 billion. The rates of decline are stronger for the period between January and August, in particular for imports, data from the Statistic Office show. The office notes that despite the decline, Slovenia saw the second highest values of exports and imports for August over the past ten years.

Poll shows growing pessimism about long-term impact of Covid

LJUBLJANA - As coronavirus keeps spreading fast in Slovenia, people do not appear to be any more concerned for their own and their close ones' health and lives, but they are increasingly pessimistic about the lasting impact of the pandemic, a poll has shown. The proportion of those who believe life will turn for the worse forever in the wake of the pandemic has increased to 63% in the latest poll by Mediana, which compares to 49% in April and 55% in July.

Tensions flare at Friday protest in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Police stepped up the IDing of protesters at Friday's 25th anti-government rally over violations of the decree limiting public assembly during the coronavirus epidemic, and several protesters were removed from the site. The protesters labelled the police action "repression and a disgrace", as the majority heeded the calls in social media to arrive by bike and wear face masks, while activists called on them to keep a safe distance and avoid confrontation with the police.

National Museum opening major exhibition on Carinthian plebiscite

LJUBLJANA - Exactly 100 years after the Carinthian plebiscite, the National Museum will launch on Saturday an exhibition on the referendum as a result of which a portion of Slovenians remained outside their motherland. The largest show on the plebiscite ever put on in Slovenia, entitled Slovenians, This Is for Good, features some 240 documents and photographs, the majority of which are put on display for the first time.

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