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Probe into ventilator procurement triggers resignation of interior minister

LJUBLJANA - Police conducted house searches over suspected abuse of office in the procurement of medical ventilators. The probe, which also targeted Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, prompted the resignation of Police Commissioner Anton Travner as well as Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, who, like PM Janez Janša, claims the investigation is politically motivated. The news portal nezenzurirano.si broke the story in the morning, reporting that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was investigating the EUR 8.8 million deal with Geneplanet at 11 locations. While coalition parties were rather reserved in their reactions, the opposition called for the entire government to resign.

Slovenia keeps Croatia on list of Covid-19 safe countries

LJUBLJANA - Contrary to expectations, Slovenia decided not to de-list Croatia as a Covid-19 safe country. Jelko Kacin, the government spokesman, said Slovenia believed Croatia would succeed in slowing down and eventually stopping the spread of infections in the coming days. "Based on an agreement between the countries' national [public health] institutes and a talk between both prime ministers, the Croatian government decided to adopt Slovenian action patterns and close night clubs as well as cancel such (massive) events," said Kacin. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the reason for the decision was because placing Croatia on the yellow list would only entail quarantine for Croatian not Slovenian citizens.

15 new coronavirus reposted amid new outbreak at Maribor hospital

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Slovenia recorded 15 new coronavirus cases from 1,085 tests on Monday, the highest since 24 April, with the number of active cases hitting 101 and the total case count 1,600. Government data show eight patients remain hospitalised. Officials at UKC Maribor hospital said that seven Community Health Centre doctors, members of the emergency team that also operates at the hospital emergency department, tested positive until this morning, up from initial three reported yesterday, with further tests still ongoing. They possibly caught the virus during a visit to Montenegro.

Slovenia donates EUR 70,000 to Syria, Turkey

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia allocated EUR 70,000 to support programmes of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Syria and Turkey this year and the next. The donation was made as part of a virtual donor conference, which raised a total of EUR 6.9 billion for displaced Syrians in Syria and Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries. Foreign Minister Anže Logar, who represented Slovenia at the conference, expressed disappointment over the slow progress in the political process of solving the Syrian crisis, and upheld the call by the UN secretary general for a permanent ceasefire on the entire Syrian territory.

Slovenian ambassador to Switzerland steps down

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Ambassador to Switzerland Marta Kos has stepped down, the Foreign Ministry confirmed. The reason for her leaving the post is not known yet, but media portal Portal Plus wrote on Twitter it was being speculated that she disagreed with Slovenia's new foreign policy. Kos reportedly tendered her resignation to the Foreign Ministry on Monday and it took effect today. Kos was appointed ambassador to Switzerland in September 2017 and her term would expire at the end of July 2021.

FM calls for closer ties within Three Seas Initiative

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in a videoconference of the Three Seas Initiative, calling for closer cooperation in the wider region of central and eastern Europe. He stressed the importance of the initiative as a forum of the countries' presidents and the increasingly important role of national governments in the operationalisation of integration in the region. He said Slovenia supported further cooperation between institutions of the countries from the initiative and closer cooperation in the wider region of central and eastern Europe.

Pahor deems fences on Statehood Day disproportionate

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor told an interview with the TV show Studio City on Monday that fencing off the Statehood Day official ceremony was a disproportionate measure, however the relevant authorities were responsible for such decisions. This was as he reiterated his praise for the government's response to the coronavirus crisis. Commenting on the border arbitration award declared three years ago, Pahor rejected the suggestion that Croatia had capitalised on the agreement, insiting that the award would be fully implemented one day.

Personal data watchdog reserved about contact tracing app

LJUBLJANA - The state body in charge of protecting personal data has voiced reservations about government plans for a coronavirus contact tracing app for mobile devices, in particular the requirement that app use would be mandatory for those with confirmed infections. The Office of the Information Commissioner had warned before that only voluntary use of the app would be acceptable, but the latest government plans indicate those who have been infected would be obligated to use it or risk a fine. The Information Commissioner said in a statement it saw this as "disproportionate and not contributing to the objectives set out by the legislative branch".

House of opposition party leader defaced

LJUBLJANA - The house of Zmago Jelinčič, the leader of the opposition National Party (SNS), was defaced on Monday evening as unknown perpetrators pelleted it with several bottles of a fluid believed to be spent motor oil. The incident comes just a day after Jelinčič was put in the spotlight in a video, widely shared in the media and on social media, in which he said that "The people are crazy. It was a mistake to give money to the people," a reference to government stimulus payments to individuals.

General government deficit at 6.6% of GDP in Q1

LJUBLJANA - Faced with the coronavirus crisis, Slovenia recorded a general government deficit of EUR 739 million or 6.6% of GDP in the first quarter. The figure exceeds last year's quarter one deficit by EUR 647 million, show data released by the Statistics Office. The last time the general government generated this amount of deficit was in the fourth quarter of 2014, at 9.1% of GDP Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry released data showing budget revenue fell by 15.8% year-on-year to EUR 3.56 billion in Jan-May as expenditure rose by 18.7% to EUR 4.83 billion, creating a deficit of EUR 1.27 billion.

Planet TV reportedly getting Hungarian owner

LJUBLJANA - The state-owned telcoms company Telekom Slovenije has reportedly sold its troubled subsidiary Planet TV to the Hungarian free-to-air channel TV2, owned by Jozsef Vida, whom media associate with the business network of the Hungarian ruling party Fidesz. The unofficial news was broken by the editor of the news portal Požareport, Bojan Požar, who said that Planet TV, which produces the eponymous TV channel, had been sold for EUR 5 million, with the transaction still pending.

Gen Energija posts lower sales, higher profit

KRŠKO - Gen Energija, a power utility that manages Slovenia's half of the Krško nuclear power station, saw group net profit rise by almost 20% to EUR 48.5 million even as sales declined by 5.5% to EUR 2.25 billion, according to the annual report. The output of the group's production units stood at 3,672 gigawatt hours, down slightly from last year but above plans. The Krško plant accounted for 81% of total production, with hydro plants on the Sava river adding 18% and the Brestanica gas-fired plant, which acts as a backup, 0.8%.

Slovenia records 0.3% annual deflation in June

LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia decreased by 0.3% in June year-on-year despite a 1.3% rise compared to the previous month. The annual deflation has been primarily a result of lower prices of petroleum derivatives, show Statistics Office data. Additionally, the annual deflation was triggered by lower prices of clothing as prices of food and miscellaneous goods and services went up. Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, an EU gauge, Slovenia saw 0.8% deflation in June.

Agricultural exhibition Agra cancelled due to coronavirus

GORNJA RADGONA - The 58th international agriculture and food fair Agra that was supposed to take place in late August was cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. International Agra gradings will be carried out though, said the organisers. Since the organisers cannot vouch that the fair will actually take place and do not want to put exhibitors as well as visitors at risk of coronavirus contagion, the fair programme council decided yesterday to cancel the event. The cancellation has come in the wake of the recent government's decision to cap public gatherings at 50 persons.

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New restrictions looming as infections keep rising

LJUBLJANA - The government spokesman Jelko Kacin announced that Slovenia would remove Croatia from the green list of Covid-19 safe countries if the daily count of new cases there exceeds 10 per 100,000 residents tomorrow, confirming a two-week trend. Later in the day the Slovenian government lowered the cap on gatherings from 500 to 50, except for events sanctioned by the National Institute of Public Health where sufficient distance between visitors can be assured. The move comes as Slovenia recorded four new cases on Sunday, one in Ljubljana and three in Ravne na Koroškem in the north, bringing the tally of active cases to 89, out of the total of 1,585 so far confirmed.

Govt packs latest Covid-19 measures into new legislative proposal

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an emergency bill in preparations for a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic late on Sunday to adopt measures initially planned as amendments to the third stimulus package to avoid a procedural glitch. These include an extension to the furlough scheme until at least 31 July and a legal basis for a Covid-19 tracing app. The app could be made mandatory for infected persons and those placed under quarantine, while being voluntary for everyone else, although government officials argued today for the app, modelled on Italy's or Germany's to be fully voluntary.

Chief supervisor of 2TDK resigns

LJUBLJANA - Matej Pirc, the chief supervisor of 2TDK, the state-run company established to manage the project of a second rail link to the port of Koper, resigned. No reason was given for his decision, which comes amid speculation that the government was about to replace the entire supervisory board and subsequently the management. The EUR 1 billion-plus investment has been in the spotlight because the government would like for Chinese and Turkish bidders to be excluded from the bidding process based on EU guidelines aimed at preventing social dumping.

EU Commission approves Slovenia's state aid scheme for companies

LJUBLJANA - The European Commission has approved a EUR 600 million state aid scheme for Slovenian companies affected by the coronavirus crisis. Under the scheme, companies from various sectors will receive aid as grants, payment breaks and subsidies. The goal is to help companies stay operational and keep staff, and help them get through their liquidity problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The aid in grants or payment breaks for companies in agriculture is capped at EUR 100,000, for those in fishing and fish farming at EUR 120,000 and for those in other sectors at EUR 80,000.

IMAD says coronacrisis measures must address developmental challenges

LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) recommends that measures to help relaunch the economy in the wake of the coronacrisis should also target the country's key developmental challenges. The crisis will also expose the fields in which the country failed to make progress, IMAD said in its 2020 development report. The government think tank highlighted as problematic a large share of people in precarious work, systemic shortcomings of long-term care, long waiting periods in health care, the lack of digital skills among the general population, red tape and long procedures.

EU committee warns Slovenia over pay discrimination

STRASBOURG, France - The European Committee of Social Rights warned Slovenia over failure to honour the right to equal pay and opportunities in the workplace regardless of gender. The gender pay gap substantially increased in Slovenia between 2010 and 2017. The committee warned 14 out of 15 member states that had endorsed the collective complaints procedure under the European Social Charter. Eurostat data show women in Slovenia faced a wage gap of 8% in 2017, which compares to EU average of 16%.

Jobless total on continued weekly decline throughout June

LJUBLJANA - Last week, the number of registered unemployed persons was down for the fourth week in a row, staying below 90,000, preliminary data from the Employment Service show. The figure is, however, still below that in March, when the coronavirus epidemic was declared and the government imposed lockdown measures. According to a posting on the service's website, the number of registered unemployed was down by 319 to 89,260 last week.

Worker protest announced against planned lay-offs at Ljubljana airport

BRNIK - The Ljubljana airport trade union is to stage a protest against planned redundancies at Ljubljana airport on Thursday. The in-house union has decided to protest over the decision of the management to launch lay-off proceedings for "a larger number of employees", reportedly around 120 or a quarter of the workforce. "A company that was generating millions in profit regularly in recent years (more than EUR 20 million only in the past couple of years) started to make redundancies almost straight away when faced with this year's epidemic ramifications," the union said about the German operator, which took over from the state in 2014.

Soldiers' union seeks charges over Statehood Day ceremony incident

LJUBLJANA - A soldiers' trade union filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator on suspicion of slander against the state after the Guard of Honour of the Slovenian Armed Forces was being called traitors ahead of Wednesday's Statehood Day state ceremony. Condemning the conduct, the Union of the Slovenian Soldiers welcomed Defence Minister Matej Tonin's condemnation of the incident, and urged President Borut Pahor as supreme commander to do the same.

SocDems and Left gain ground as LMŠ slips in POP TV poll

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) lost some ground in the latest monthly poll run by POP TV but continues to command a firm lead, while the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) appears to be losing support to the Left and the Social Democrats (SD). The SDS polled at 16.8%, down 1.7 percentage points, as its three junior coalition partners gained ground. The LMŠ in second slipped back by 3.7 percentage points to 10.3%, whereas the Left added 1.6 points to 8.9% and the SD clawed back 1.7 points to 8.3%.

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Nine new coronavirus cases confirmed in 625 tests on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Out of 625 coronavirus tests conducted on Saturday, nine came back positive, showed government data. There were no Covid-19 fatalities. Seven persons were in hospital care, with none requiring intensive care. Milan Krek, director of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ), said that the current epidemiologic status in Croatia was grave and that stricter measures would have to be implemented if the situation did not improve there.

Govt sets out to get Slovenia ready for second Covid-19 wave

LJUBLJANA - Due to a growing number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in Slovenia in the past few days, the government decided to discuss a bill that would implement emergency measures dealing with the potential second wave of infections. According to unofficial sources, the measures will be primarily aimed at preventing large gatherings, reported Radio Slovenija.

Launch of Slovenian satellites rescheduled again

LJUBLJANA/KOUROU, French Guiana - After being rescheduled several times, the launch of Slovenia's first satellites, Trisat and Nemo HD, was postponed again due to poor weather conditions. The next attempt will be made in the early hours of Monday Central European Time.

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Commissioner praises force on Police Day

LJUBLJANA - Talking to the STA on the occasion of Police Day, observed on Saturday, Police Commissioner Anton Travner praised the force for its work in weekly anti-government protests and its response to the challenges of the coronavirus. He would, however, like to see more staff hired and better equipment. Listing the challenges ahead, Travner mentioned prevention of illegal migrations, implementation of restrictive measures to prevent coronavirus from spreading and the weekly anti-government protests.

14 new coronavirus cases confirmed in 878 tests on Friday

LJUBLJANA - 14 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in 878 tests in Slovenia on Friday, the government tweeted. Eight people are in hospital care, with one requiring intensive care. The total number of confirmed cases has thus climbed to 1,569 nationwide. Two cases each were detected in Ljubljana, Koper, Pivka and Straža. Meanwhile, the government's Covid-19 spokesperson Jelko Kacin tweeted that the number of tests that came back positive yesterday showed that people were failing to keep the prescribed safety distance of 1.5 metres.

Defence minister apologises to Independence War veterans for ceremony exclusion

LENART - Defence Minister Matej Tonin apologised to Independence War veterans that their flag bearers had not been able to take part in the national ceremony to mark Statehood Day earlier this week, as he attended the association's assembly. The Wednesday ceremony was capped at 500 people due to a ban restricting the gathering of more than 500 people because of coronavirus contagion risk. This meant that none of the veteran associations' flag carriers took part in the ceremony.

Another attempt by Adris to get approval for Sava Re takeover fails in court

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that the Croatian group Adris and its subsidiary, insurance company Croatia Osiguranje, had failed once again in getting approval to increase their share in Sava Re, Slovenia's second biggest insurer to just below takeover threshold of 33%. After failing in administrative disputes with the Slovenian Agency for Insurance Supervision, Adris and its subsidiary turned to the Supreme Court, which upheld the Administrative Court rulings. Adris Grupa and Croatia Osiguranje currently hold 19% in Sava Re. Adris is the second biggest shareholder, just behind the state of Slovenia, which holds 38%.

Fmr Statistics Office head to challenge dismissal in court

LJUBLJANA - Former head of the national Statistics Office, Bojan Nastav, who was dismissed by the government in late May, will be challenging the dismissal in Administrative Court, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. He was dismissed based on the act on public sector employees, while some legal experts believe that the national statistics act applies in this case. The dismissal was followed by a letter from Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni asking Prime Minister Janez Janša to clarify the move. Janša, in response, accused Gentiloni of playing political games for the Slovenian left.

Ana Desetnica raising street theatre curtain in Kamnik tonight

KAMNIK - The annual Ana Desetnica festival of street theatre will kick off in the town of Kamnik this evening with environmentally-themed interactive play The Last Catch. This year, the festival which stages events in towns across the country is divided into two segments, with the first running until 4 July, and the second in September. The first part of the festival will bring street theatre not only to Kamnik, but also to Ljubljana, Nova Gorica, Sežana, Ilirska Bistrica, Gornja Radgona, Celje and Krško.

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Interior Ministry draws up bill to reform asylum system

LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry announced it had drafted changes to the international protection act envisaging solutions for a more effective strategy to tackle a growing number of asylum seekers and prevent any abuse of the system. The proposal re-introduces a possibility of bringing an appeal before the Supreme Court, the ministry said, highlighting that instances of such an abuse were on the rise as well. Slovenia saw some 3,820 requests for international protection in 2019, more than 30% up on 2018. The bill has entered public consultation and could be debated until 22 July.

Eleven new Covid-19 cases confirmed out of 843 tests on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - In a total of 843 tests performed in Slovenia, 11 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed, while no deaths were recorded, according to the most recent data from the government. This brings the total tally to 1,558, while the death toll remains at 111. Eight patients required hospital treatment, two were in intensive care. Four cases were confirmed in Škofljica, three in Škofja Loka and one each in Ljubljana, Prebold, Kobarid and Ljutomer.

Slovenia welcomes EU Commission's efforts to aid members overcome crisis

LJUBLJANA - Cohesion ministry representatives of the Visegrad Group and Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia and Slovenia shared in a video conference on Thursday, expressing the view that EU cohesion funds would play a key role in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. Representing Slovenia, Monika Kirbiš Rojs, state secretary at the Government Office for Development and Cohesion Policy, welcomed EU's crisis recovery plan.

Mladina's editorial board files criminal complaint against Počivalšek

LJUBLJANA - The editorial board of the weekly paper Mladina has filed a criminal complaint against Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, suspecting him of abuse of office in the procurement of protective and medicinal equipment during the coronavirus epidemic. The magazine reported the complaint had been filed with the state prosecution on Wednesday and that Počivalšek is suspected of enabling illegal gains to certain private companies by abusing his office and overstepping his powers.

Officials praise police on Police Day, promise full support

TACEN - Addressing the main ceremony ahead of Police Day, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Police Commissioner Anton Travner thanked members of the police force for their professional work and sacrifice. Hojs promised stepped up action against paramilitary groups if needed and support in the protection of the border. The event at the Police Academy was tied to the day in 1991 when police clashed with the Yugoslav People's Army at a border crossing with Austria on the first day of the 10-day Independence War, Hojs and Travner also commented on some of the recent developments involving the police force.

Left wants 80% compensation for all workers sent into quarantine

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left submitted to parliament a proposal to reinstate 80% pay compensation for workers ordered in quarantine irrespective of the circumstances. Workers are presently only entitled to 50% after coronavirus stimulus measures regulating this were lifted on 31 May. The party argues that 80% is required because of the need for basic justice and social protection as well as to prevent people choosing not to report contacts with infected individuals.

Brdo-Brijuni summit postponed

LJUBLJANA - The summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process of cooperation in the Western Balkans that President Borut Pahor was scheduled to host next Monday at Brdo pri Kranju has been cancelled due to the deteriorated epidemiological situation in Balkan countries. Pahor's office said that upon being briefed on the latest situation in the initiative's participating countries, the president had to inform his counterparts that he needed to postpone the meeting. A new date has not yet been set. Participation had been confirmed by the presidents of all participating countries, and the interest expressed is one of the reasons why Pahor hopes the epidemiological situation will improve and allow the meeting to take place soon.

SAF rotation in Kosovo executed after two-month delay

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) executed a new rotation of a part of their contingent in NATO's KFOR mission in Kosovo, the first after the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic. All the rotated members tested negative before being sent home, but they will still be subjected to 14-day self-isolation in Slovenia. A part of the next rotation, the 41st, is taking over, while the remaining members of the 40th contingent are expected to return at the start of July, the Defence Ministry said. The rotation was delayed in line with a decision taken by Defence Minister Matej Tonin at the start of April.

Protesters voice opposition to govt and fences, put poet in chains

LJUBLJANA - Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Ljubljana in what have become traditional Friday rallies. They packed Prešeren Square where they protested over police erecting fences and put chains around the monument of Slovenian leading poet France Prešeren in a symbolic move to warn about the cultural crisis. Several thousand then toured the capital, but kept away from Republic Square even though the venue, otherwise a popular place for assemblies and rallies, was not fenced off this evening as it was previous Friday, a government decision that has raised a lot of dust.

Cannabis use among Slovenian youngsters above intl. average

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) highlighted on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse the problem of widespread cannabis use among Slovenian adolescents. An international study places Slovenia among the countries with the highest shares of 15-year-olds using cannabis. The institute pointed to the 2018 HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children WHO collaborative cross-national survey) report that showed an average of 13% of 15-year-olds in the 45 participating countries have already used cannabis. The share for Slovenia is 21%, which ranks the country 7th.

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Six new coronavirus infections confirmed on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - Six new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia as 1,212 people were tested on Wednesday, which is one case less than on Tuesday and six less than on Monday. No deaths were reported. The new cases, which were scattered across the country, take the total number of confirmed infections so far to 1,547. The death toll remains at 111. Seven Covid-19 patients are currently treated in hospital, two of which are in intensive care, the government said. Face masks became obligatory in closed public spaces in Slovenia again today.

Slovenia celebrated Statehood Day

LJUBLJANA - Several events featuring state officials were held to mark Statehood Day, a public holiday. President Borut Pahor, who laid a wreath at the Monument to the Victims of All Wars in Congress Square, received numerous notes of congratulation from leaders from around the world. The memory of 25 June in 1991, when parliament passed key pieces of legislation that paved the legal path for the country's independence from Yugoslavia, was also hailed by parties and organisations. There is acknowledgement that many challenges lie ahead, but also confidence Slovenia is up to the task, like it was in 1991.

Pahor worried by dwindling trust in political institutions, autocratic tendencies

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor expressed concern in an interview Wednesday about the low level of trust in political institutions, saying things could get to a point "where somebody would understand this as a call for autocracy". "This simply must not happen," he told Radio Ognjišče. Pahor also commented on the anti-government protests. He said it is not possible to expect political correctness at protests, while the key thing is that there no physical and verbal violence and that death threats are avoided. In what is a likely reference to the "death to Janšism" slogan, which is perceived by PM Janez Janša as a direct death threat, Pahor stressed he meant threats that targeted physical persons, not calls addressing phenomena.

Slovenia sees 33% increase in asylum requests in 2019, EU 11%

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The number of asylum request filed in Slovenia increased by 33% to 3,820 last year, while the total increase in the EU was 11% to 738,425, shows an annual report published by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). The largest share among the asylum seekers in the EU (11%) was accounted for by Syrians, followed Afghans (8.2%) and Venezuelans (6.2%) - the total number of the latter doubled -, while Algerians topped the list in Slovenia. There were 912,000 unresolved applications, significantly more than in the pre-2015 period. In Slovenia, the number of unresolved cases at the end of last year was 530, a 30% increase on the year before.

Petrol secures EUR 25m loan from EBRD to cushion coronavirus impact

LONDON/LJUBLJANA - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a loan of up to EUR 25 million to the Slovenian energy company Petrol to help it mitigate the Covid-19 impact on its operations. In Wednesday's announcement, the London-based financial institution said the senior loan with up to two-year tenor would allow Petrol to actively manage its working capital needs across business lines amid the increased sales volatility caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The financing was approved on 24 April in the context the EBRD's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Statehood Day ceremonies marked by division and discord

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor addressed the state ceremony on the eve of Statehood Day in Ljubljana's Congress Square, urging acknowledging the role of democracy and dialogue in Slovenia's further development. The evening saw political divisions rise again with some boycotting the official ceremony and several thousand turning up for an alternative event in the nearby Prešeren Square shortly before the official festivity. "I miss the democratic zeal today. I miss trust and confidence to be able to talk honestly and without insults about everything and come to agreement on many a thing," Pahor said in his keynote as he looked back to when Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Face masks compulsory again, legal basis created for contact tracing app

LJUBLJANA - The government created the legal basis for a contact tracing app in amendments to the third stimulus package, while it also decreed that face masks are compulsory again in indoor public places, and on public transport from Thursday. This comes after Slovenia saw an uptick in new coronavirus cases with seven new infections confirmed on Tuesday after 13 cases the day before, a two-month high. Most stem from abroad. Although no new fatalities have been recorded since 1 June the death total was raised to 111 after two more deaths from April had been added.

List of Covid-19 risky countries expanded

LJUBLJANA - The government removed Montenegro and Luxembourg from the green list of Covid-19-safe countries from which arrivals face no restrictions, while adding Albania and Portugal to the list of red countries from where entry into Slovenia entails a mandatory two-week quarantine. New restrictions for all four countries apply from Thursday. The Foreign Ministry strongly advises against any travel to the red-labelled countries. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said the country cannot go from green to read in a day, but only "via a transition".

Furlough scheme to be extended

LJUBLJANA - The government proposed extending the furlough scheme by at least a month until the end of July in amendments to the third stimulus package. Moreover, the changes will provide recovery funds for social institutions in the wake of the corona crisis and make accommodation providers open only during the tourism season eligible for accepting holiday vouchers. Under the changes, the government will also again cover quarantine costs instead of companies. The government also further detailed the loan guarantee scheme to make it workable and tackle company liquidity problems.

Janša rejects claims he has authoritarian tendencies, says govt working hard

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša rejected in an interview with the weekly Demokracija accusations about authoritarian tendencies, saying the reproaches "are coming from those who left the country naked and barefoot before one of the hardest tests in this nation's history". Arguing that unlike its predecessors the government is not only engaging in empty talk but is cooperating, Janša said all coronavirus crisis stimulus packages had been coordinated with stakeholders across the board and that the opposition had been invited to cooperate as well.

Govt adopts bills to secure defence investment improve soldier status

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed and submitted to parliament a bill that would provide EUR 780 million for investment in the Slovenian Armed Forces between 2021 in 2026, the bulk for the acquisition of armoured personnel vehicles to set up a battalion battlegroup, plus an aircraft and two helicopters. The government also put forward a bill amending the defence act to tackle the career issues of soldiers once they turn 45, either by envisaging contract extension options or re-employment alternatives at other state bodies. The measures is to cost EUR 500,000 in six years.

Soldiers report to prime minister on eve of Statehood Day

LJUBLJANA - Members of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) serving in international operations and missions reported via video link to PM Janez Janša, who commended the commanders of contingents for keeping Slovenian soldiers safe and healthy at the time of increased risk due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The videoconference coming on the eve of Statehood Day was also addressed by Brigadier General Robert Glavaš, the chief of the general staff of the SAF, who noted that Slovenian solders abroad were being constantly praised.

Govt forecaster corrects outlook to a milder contraction

LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) slightly upgraded its forecasts for Slovenia's economy for this year, now projecting a contraction of 7.6%, down from 8.1% forecast in May, to be followed by a 4.5% growth in 2021. "The virus will be present for quite a while longer," IMAD director Maja Bednaš told reporters in Ljubljana as she presented the corrected outlook, which will serve as a basis for the government to draw up a supplementary budget.

FinMin urges banks to think about jobs and not primarily about profit

LJUBLJANA - Addressing a Slovenian Bank Association conference on the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said banks should presently focus not so much on their profitability but on helping preserve jobs and companies in general. "A long-term perspective is needed," he said, arguing banks could not do without companies.

Trade unions on alert as employees threatened with dismissals over quarantine

LJUBLJANA - The decision of some companies to advise their workers not to travel outside Slovenia for summer vacation because they may face a two-week quarantine upon return and consequently put their jobs at risk has caused a stir. A trade union reacted by announcing possible lawsuits. The Labour Ministry said that an employer cannot prohibit an employee from leaving the country but can possibly dismiss them for travelling to countries that are on the so-called red list of risky countries. The Labour Inspectorate said that employer notifications or statements whereby employees agree they cannot leave Slovenia when on leave cannot have any direct legal consequences.

European Liberals concerned by political situation in Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party) expressed concern over the political situation in Slovenia, with the party head, Hans van Baalen, announcing he would consult with Slovenian members of ALDE on this and consider sending a fact-finding mission to Slovenia. The Slovenian ALDE members are the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), and the opposition Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB). According to the newspaper Dnevnik, rumour in Brussels has it that ALDE is displeased with its member SMC.

Statistics show significant blow to tourism during epidemic

LJUBLJANA - About a month after Slovenia emerged from coronavirus lockdown, data released by the Statistics Office on Wednesday show tourism suffered a severe blow during the epidemic. The number of overnight stays in the first five months was 58.8% lower than in the same period last year, while in May, there was a 96.5% drop in guests over May 2019. All tourism facilities were forced to close in mid-March, when Slovenia declared the coronavirus epidemic and imposed a number of restrictions. Small hotels of up to 30 rooms were allowed to reopen on 18 May.

Epidemic restrictions cause biggest drop in service revenue on record

LJUBLJANA - Restrictions in place to fight the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia in April caused the biggest drop in revenue generated in the services sector since January 2000, when the Statistics Office first started recording service revenue data. Compared to March, revenue dropped by 19.5%, while year-on-year, it was down as much as 30.3%. Revenue dropped in all segments of the services sector, most significantly in services that were banned from operating during the epidemic.

Business sentiment grows for second consecutive month

LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia has grown for the second consecutive time in June, the data released by the Statistics Office showed. The index increased by 8.7 percentage points (pp) to -24.0pp between May and June. Nevertheless, it was still 29.3pp lower than in June 2019 and 24.1pp lower than a years long average.

Home prices up in first quarter, fewer transactions

LJUBLJANA - The prices of homes in Slovenia rose by 1.1% in the first quarter of the year over the previous one and by 5.5% year on year, but the number of transactions was lower and the number of used apartments sold was the lowest in the last five years, the Statistics Office said. The prices of second-hand home units in quarterly comparison were up by 1.2% on average, whereas second-hand apartments were 1.4% dearer and second-hand houses 0.7% costlier.

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New coronavirus infections at two-month high

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw a surge in coronavirus cases on Monday, when 13 out of 984 tests came back positive, the highest number of daily infections since 24 April. Six out of the 13 infections were imported and a further five were related to the imported cases with two yet to be determined. Mario Fafangel, the chief epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health, said Slovenia's epidemiological situation remained good, while the government will decide on potential new measures in response to the increase in cases tomorrow. Face masks could again become mandatory in public places.

Croatia still deemed safe despite minister's concern

LJUBLJANA - After Health Minister Tomaž Gantar expressed concern regarding the epidemiological situation in Croatia and mentioned possible quarantine for Slovenians returning from the country in an interview with POP TV on Monday, a public health official labelled Croatia a safe country whose situation was comparable to Slovenia's. Mario Fafangel, the chief epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health, told the government briefing that the epidemiological situation and the 14-day incidence in Croatia was comparable to Slovenia's, was not dramatic and was still at a safe level.

Janša, Merkel and Costa confirm priorities for upcoming EU presidency

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa agreed in a videoconference the EU and its member states must find solutions to the social crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. They also confirmed the priorities for the trio's upcoming EU presidency. The three countries' priorities for their year-and-a-half stint which starts next month as Germany takes over for six months had been adjusted to the pandemic, so the main goal will be Europe's quick economic and social recovery. Originally, today's meeting was to be held in Berlin but was instead held virtually because of the coronavirus situation.

Slovenian, Italian presidents plan reconciliation act for 13 July

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Italian presidents, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella, will attend the 13 July signing of a document under which National Hall, a Slovenian commercial and cultural centre in Trieste, will he handed over to the Slovenian minority 100 years after being burnt down by Fascists. Before the signing, the pair will go to the outskirts of the town of Basovizza to lay wreaths at two memorials, one commemorating the Slovenian anti-fascists that were executed by Fascists in 1930 and the other the Italian victims of post-World War II killings by Partisans.

Logar and Di Maio agree to keep cooperating in fight against Covid-19

ROME, Italy - In what was their second meeting in less than three weeks, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio called for continued close bilateral cooperation in the tackling of the pandemic. After restrictions on the Slovenian-Italian border were lifted on 15 June for the citizens of both countries, the pair agreed that epidemiological trends at home as well as in other countries needed to be monitored closely and reacted to so as to prevent a new wave. Logar also raised the question of Slovenian minority representation in the Italian parliament, while he highlighted the symbolic importance of the 13 July ceremony in Trieste that will mark the 100th anniversary of the arson of the Slovenian National Hall in Trieste by Fascists. EU topics were also discussed.

Tiffany Sadler appointed new UK ambassador to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Tiffany Sadler has been appointed the new UK ambassador to Slovenia to succeed outgoing Ambassador Sophie Honey in September, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced on its website. Sadler, who was director for Tech Overhaul Programme at the Foreign Office until 2019, has been preparing to take up a post in Slovenia, having studied Slovenian since last year. She has worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1994. Honey, who came to Slovenia in March 2015, will be meanwhile transferring to another diplomatic service appointment after completing her term in Slovenia.

Veronika Simoniti wins Kresnik Prize for novel Ivana Before the Sea

LJUBLJANA - Veronika Simoniti, 52, won the 30th Kresnik Prize for best novel of the year for Ivana Before the Sea (Ivana pred Morjem). She thus became only the fourth woman to win the prestigious award, given out by publisher Delo. The novel tells multiple parallel stories happening in different periods to different generations in one family. The writer said it had been inspired by the old-fashioned character of a photo and the smell of an old sofa, adding she had played with memory and forgetfulness in it. Simoniti was shortlisted for the prize once before, in 2015, for Kameno Seme (The Seed of Stone), while today she won against another fourt shortlisted authors. Looking back at the award's 30 years, its "father", author Vlado Žabot said he was happy it had survived the three decades.

Environment minister welcomes EU climate law as key step

LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak praised the planned European Climate Law as a key step in creating a stable investment environment in the EU, as he took part in a video-conferenced ministerial. Climate change will play a significant role in the EU's economic recovery as the bloc aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. "In terms of this, the European Climate Law is an important step in building a predictable investment environment," he was quoted as saying in a press release by the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry. The ministerial focused on the European Green Deal and the measures it entails for the recovery of the EU's economy and to build a more resilient society.

NSi calls for extending furlough scheme for another month

LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi) will seek an extension of the furlough scheme by at least another month and amendments to the second stimulus package to help companies solve liquidity issues. The junior coalition party announced that after its ministers and MPs met representatives of business associations. NSi leader Matej Tonin said the first and third stimulus packages were very efficient and were producing results, but the second was not, so the NSi would push for changes to the furlough scheme.

Debate on EU in new global reality focuses on China, multilateralism

LJUBLJANA - The EU's relations with China and potential undermining of multilateralism were discussed in an online debate on the role of the EU in the new global reality, hosted by the European Parliament's Office in Slovenia. On the one hand, China is a key partner of the EU but also a strong economic rival and an adversary in terms of democratisation and human rights, RTV Slovenija correspondent in Brussels Igor Jurič illustrated. Jernej Müller of the Foreign Ministry said that there is an apparent trend of China increasing its economic and investment presence in Europe and the EU has started to address this. Zlatko Šabič of the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences said that "the EU is not a player in international relations because it does not have a single voice".

First vouchers spent at the seaside, in spas

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians appear to have embraced the free vouchers for tourism accommodation facilities around the country with more than 3,390 of them being spent in the first three days. For now, the most popular destinations appear to be the coast and spas. Data from the Financial Administration show that tourism facilities received more than EUR 400,000 in voucher payments between Friday and 4pm on Monday. Cities and destinations that mostly attract foreign visitors such as Bled have seen few bookings.

Slovenia to reach GHG emission reduction goals

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is expected to reach its 2020 goals in greenhouse gas emissions not included in the EU emission trading scheme, according to the Climate Mirror 2020 report, compiled by the Environment Ministry and the Jožef Stefan Institute. The largest gaps remain in measures related to transport, in particular railway infrastructure and the promotion of public transportation. Meanwhile, steps are deemed satisfactory to improve energy efficiency of household- and municipality-owned buildings.

Slovenia's innovation performance down again

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's innovation performance decreased again in 2019, with the country ranking 15th among EU countries, shows the 2020 European Innovation Scoreboard. Sweden continued to be the most innovative country, whereas the EU was doing better then the US for the second year in a row. Based on their performance, countries were listed as innovation leaders, strong innovators, moderate and modest innovators, with Slovenia classified as one of the top three moderate innovators. According to the report, its performance declined relative to that of the EU in 2012. The decrease started in 2018, including because of fewer new PhDs in science.

On 30th anniversary, Consumer Association urges better protection

LJUBLJANA - Marking its 30th anniversary, the Slovenian Consumer Association (ZPS) stepped up its call for restoring proper consumer policies and for giving consumers a voice in the government. "While Slovenia was an exemplary state when it comes to consumer policy when it entered the EU, this is no longer the case today," the association head Breda Kutin said, calling for a national strategy, a government programme and an advisory body for the coordination of consumer protection policies.

Recourse to remedy in local elections act found inadequate

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has ruled several articles of the local election act governing access to legal remedy unconstitutional, thus effectively calling into question the result of the 2018 mayoral election in Šmarješke Toplice. Deciding on a challenge filed by former Mayor Bernardka Krnc, who ended up two votes short of winning her fourth term against challenger Marjan Hribar, the court gave parliament one year to fix the local election act to ensure effective recourse to legal remedy. Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said the ministry would address all the open issues, but added that the planned changes to the general election legislation would have to take precedence.

Govt to set up inter-ministerial task force for Roma issues

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs met the mayors of Kočevje, Novo Mesto and Črnomelj to discuss the problems with the Roma community that the mayors had recently highlighted in a letter to the government. Hojs announced that to find solutions, an inter-ministerial task force led by his State Secretary Anton Olaj would be set up. Apart from representatives of all relevant ministries, it will feature two mayors from the most affected municipalities. The mayors welcomed this proposal, expressing hope that the issue would finally be tackled.

Cross-country sprinter Vesna Fabjan and ski jumper Tepeš retire

LJUBLJANA - Vesna Fabjan, Slovenia's elite cross-country skiing sprinter, and Slovenian ski jumper Jurij Tepeš, known particularly for his ski flying talent, announced their retirements from competitive sports. announced an end to her career. Fabjan won the Olympic bronze medal in Sochi 2014. The 35-year-old has six podium finishes in World Cup events, including two victories, while her best result at World Championships was a fourth place in Oslo in 2011.

Pro-Nazi poet priest stripped of Maribor freeman title

MARIBOR - The Maribor city council stripped Austrian Ottokar Kernstock (1848-1928) of his title of a honorary Maribor resident due to his deep involvement in the Austrian Nazi movement, the awareness of which re-emerged only recently. The decision to take away the title, awarded to Kernstock in 1909, was taken on Monday at proposal of the local branch of the Youth Party - European Greens. A priest and poet born in Maribor, Kernstock wrote the official anthem of a local Austrian branch of the Nazi Party.

Total number of children born in Slovenia down 1.3% in 2019

LJUBLJANA - A total of 19,328 children were born in Slovenia in 2019, 1.3% fewer then the year before, but the birth rate remained at 1.61. The number of deaths, at 20,588, exceeded the number of births for the third year running, show data released by the Statistics Office. This was the second year in a row that fewer than 20,000 children were born in Slovenia after the figure had been exceeded for ten consecutive years prior to 2018. Meanwhile, the number of the deaths increased by 0.5% compared to 2018. The average age of the deceased exceeded 78 for the first time last year, reaching 78.1, at 73.9 for men and 82.1 for women. The infant mortality rate was 2.1 deaths per 1,000 life births, decreasing in the last decade and being among the lowest among EU member states.

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Slovenia happy with hearing in ECB archives case

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The grand chamber of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held a hearing in a suit the European Commission has brought against Slovenia for accessing ECB documents as part of a police investigation at Slovenia's central bank regarding Slovenia's 2013 bank bailout. Slovenia's agent labelled the hearing "very positive" for the country. "I consider today's hearing very positive as the court's questions were extremely in favour of our arguments," Katja Rejec Longar told the press.

Slovenia, Austria to do everything to keep shared border open

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg told the press after meeting in Ljubljana that they would do everything in their power so that the shared border was not closed again due to Covid-19. The countries have boosted information exchange and coordination in this field, they added. Logar said Slovenia was keeping close tabs on the development of the pandemic in the countries and taking quick measures if the epidemiological situation worsened.

Army chief does not think forces need more powers

LJUBLJANA - Chief of the General Staff, Brigadier-General Robert Glavaš does not think the situation at the moment grants invoking a special article of the defence act that would give the army police powers. Appearing in a talk show on TV Slovenija on Sunday, Glavaš said the army had sufficient powers to help police on the border under existing legislation. This was in response to Police Commissioner Anton Travner saying he saw no reason why the military would not operate in the country's interior, not just along the border.

Govt drafts EUR 780m bill for military investments

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry presented a bill under which investments worth EUR 780 million are to be made in the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in 2021-2026. The majority of the funds, or EUR 408 million, is to go for eight- and four-wheeled armoured personnel carriers for a battalion battlegroup. Matej Tonin told the newspaper Delo that if he was allowed to stay on as defence minister, Slovenia would be able to set up a battalion battlegroup which would meet NATO standards by 2026. The core of the first battalion battlegroup will be a medium-sized mechanised battalion, which the government would like to fully equip while this piece of legislation is in place.

Soldiers' union apologises to man allegedly stopped at gunpoint

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Soldiers apologised to a man allegedly stopped at gunpoint on the border with Italy in early May for saying last week that he had violated the border crossing restrictions in place at the time due to the coronavirus epidemic. The union said it "fell for misleading media reports" which suggested that the patrol had stopped a person who crossed the border into Slovenia from Italy. But it later turned out that the man, Daniel Malalan, a member of the Slovenian ethnic minority in Trieste, is in fact living in Slovenia, the trade union said.

Prime minister and nuncio confirm good relations

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša received Apostolic Nuncio Jean-Marie Speich. The pair confirmed the importance of ties between Slovenia and the Holy See, the prime minister's office said in a press release. The confirmation of good relations came in the light of two approaching anniversaries: 30 years since the Holy See became the first country to recognise Slovenia's independence in 1990 and 30 years since Slovenia and the Vatican signed a bilateral agreement on legal issues, which is coming up next year. Speich also commended the government for its handling of the coronavirus epidemic.

Slovenia sees one new coronavirus infection

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia registered one new coronavirus infection from 271 tests carried out on Sunday, fresh government statistics show. The latest case, which was recorded among foreign citizens, increases the number of active cases to 36, and the overall tally of cases to 1,521. Six patients with Covid-19 remain hospitalised, one of them in intensive care. The latest infected person appeared at the Ljubljana emergency department at the weekend, but since he was wearing a mask and kept his distance it is unlikely the staff or other patients got infected, health officials said.

Net profit generated by companies in Slovenia up 10% in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Companies in Slovenia generated EUR 4.625 billion in net profit last year, a 10% increase on 2018. Revenue was up 4% to EUR 103.892 billion, the Agency for Legal Records (AJPES) reported, assessing the economy was better prepared better for the crisis than for the crisis slightly over 10 years ago. "The Slovenian economy also preformed well last year, even more so than the year before, but growth was slower," the head of the statistics department at AJPES Marjan Širaj told the press.

Slovenia has little short-term public debt, majority of debt foreign-owned

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia remained in 2019 among the EU members with the lowest shares of public debt with maturity of less than one year. It also remains among those member states that mostly secure loans through debt securities and where most of the debt is foreign-owned, show data released by Eurostat. The share of public debt with maturity of under a year in Slovenia stood at 3%. This compares to 21% in Sweden, which had the highest share of such debt, while several countries, such as Lithuania, Bulgaria or Poland have no or almost no such debt. The average share of debt in the the form of debt securities stood at 80.6% in the EU in 2019, while Slovenia's was 87%.

Modra Zavarovalnica pension insurer generates record profit of EUR 12.2m

LJUBLJANA - Pension insurer Modra Zavarovalnica, which is owned by the state's KAD pension management fund, generated EUR 12.2 million in net profit last year, a new record for the company. The results were discussed by the AGM, with the business report showing that premiums paid into mutual pension funds reached EUR 106.5 million in 2019, an increase of 8.1% on 2018. The company had 289,000 clients at the end of the last year, and paid out monthly instalments to over 28,000 pensioners. The value of assets managed increased to slightly over EUR 1.7 billion by the end of the year.

Epidemic provides additional push to digital banking

LJUBLJANA - While demand for digital banking services has been increasingly persistent in recent years, the trend has been sped up additionally by the coronavirus epidemic. The county's biggest bank, NLB, saw a doubling of online transactions during the crisis, with around 13,000 of its clients signing up for internet of mobile banking. Other banks noted that major steps forward in digital operations had already occurred in recent years, but an additional spike during the epidemic was noticeable as well.

EUR 5.8m in fines over undeclared work last year

LJUBLJANA - In tackling grey economy, the Financial Administration (FURS) last year paid particular attention to undeclared work, carrying out a total of 11,982 inspections, with violations detected in 22.3% of the cases. A total of EUR 5.8 million in fines was issued, shows the annual report of the government commission for the prevention of undeclared work and employment. FURS received 2,826 reports of alleged violation of labour legislation against 3,504 entities last year.

Architects of Ljubljana mosque win Plečnik Prize

LJUBLJANA - The 2020 Plečnik Prize for best architectural project in Slovenia was won by Matija Bevk, Vasa J. Perović and Christophe Riss for the Muslim religious and cultural centre in Ljubljana. The jury said the project was exceptional not only in the national but also in the European context. The architects have proven how extremely important it is to have a comprehensive approach to a project, and consistently implement the concept both at the levels of the city and building, and individual architectural elements.

Pahor honours nurses and midwives with Apple of Inspiration

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor conferred the Apple of Inspiration award on Slovenia's nurses and midwives, hailing their selfless efforts during the Covid-19 epidemic. The need to address the poor working conditions of the recipients was raised at the event. The head of the Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, Monika Ažman, addressed the ceremony along with Pahor, speaking of a recognition of nurses' and midwives' "dedication, expertise and sacrifice". She took the opportunity to point out the epidemic had revealed the poor working conditions in nursing, pointing to the problem of understaffing and departures of workers abroad.

Documentary on missionary Opeka wins top award at Beverly Hills Film Festival

LOS ANGELES, US - Opeka, a new documentary about Slovenian missionary Pedro Opeka and his humanitarian efforts in Madagascar, has won the award for best film at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. Directed and produced by US filmmaker Cam Cowan, the documentary presents Opeka's decades-long project that has involved teaching families living in Madagascar's largest landfill how to build their own houses.

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Janša govt extremely busy in its 100 days in office

LJUBLJANA - The Janez Janša government, which was sworn in on 13 March as the Covid-19 epidemic kicked in, had no grace period in its first 100 days, being busy taking measures to contain the novel coronavirs. The government is happy that the virus was quickly contained and that it managed to adopt three stimulus packages within a month to cushion social distress of residents and help the economy survive the lockdown shock. While coalition partners are content with their handling of the crisis, most opposition parties are very critical, highlighting opaque procurement of PPE, contentious staffing and divisive rhetoric by the prime minister. Political analysts meanwhile see the government firmly in the saddle, united in the face of persistent pressure that is however coming from a divided opposition.

No Slovenian diplomat among 30 new EU delegation heads

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had four diplomats vying for EU delegation heads around the world within the bloc's diplomatic service, but none managed to get nominated this week. The diplomats had applied for the posts of EU delegation head in Egypt, Iceland, Malaysia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo, the Foreign Ministry said, but did not name them. Its spokesperson Aleksander Geržina confirmed earlier this week he was one of them. Once Samuel Žbogar soon leaves as the head of the EU Delegation in North Macedonia, the only Slovenian holding an EU ambassadorial post will be Jernej Videtič, the head of the Delegation in Papua New Guinea. The ministry blames the failure to secure a high-level post on the failure of the ministry's previous leadership to lobby for the candidates, for which it said were excellent.

First Cankar Prize won by Sebastijan Pregelj

VRHNIKA - The Cankar Prize, a new Slovenian literature award, was won by Sebastijan Pregelj for V Elvisovi Sobi (In Elvis's Room), a novel about a generation which was growing up while the former Yugoslavia was slowly disintegrating. The novel is pervaded with the memory of recent historical changes, telling a coming-of-age story against the backdrop of a broader social context from the end of the 1970s until Slovenia's independence. In his acceptance speech, Pregelj, born in 1975, said "the novel tells a story about my generation, which was growing up with some watershed events". He received the EUR 5,000 prize in Vrhnika, the birthplace of acclaimed author Ivan Cankar (1876-1918), after whom the award is named. Pregelj won it against another three shortlisted authors.

One new coronavirus case confirmed on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Only one new coronavirus case was confirmed in Slovenia on Saturday after a recent increase in new daily cases, bringing the total number of infections since early March to 1,520, the latest government data showed. As many as 758 coronavirus tests were carried out, and six Covid-19 patients were in hospital, of whom one needed intensive care. The country's death toll remained at 109 since the last Covid-19 patient died on 31 May.

Over 20 exhausted migrants found in two lorries at Gruškovje

GRUŠKOVJE - Police found 22 foreigners trying to enter Slovenia illegally in two food grade tank lorries with Serbian licence plates on Saturday at Gruškovje border crossing with Croatia. The citizens of Bangladesh, India, Turkey and Syria were visibly exhausted and there was a high chance that they could suffocate, the Maribor Police Department said. According to media reports, the foreigners did not ask for asylum in Slovenia, so they were sent back to Croatia. The lorry drivers were not detained, but police filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator.

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