21 Jun 2020, 04:10 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 21 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Six new coronavirus infections confirmed in Slovenia on Friday

LJUBLJANA - Six coronavirus tests came back positive in Slovenia on Friday after swabs were taken to 1,147 people, the government said on Twitter. Seven Covid-19 patients were in hospitals yesterday, one in intensive care. Two were released from hospital. No death was recorded.

27 protesters fined for crossing into fenced off Republic Square

LJUBLJANA - Police fined 27 attendants of Friday's protests who entered the Republic Square outside the Parliament House which had been completely fenced off. Another 30 people were ID-ed by police, which estimated the number of protesters in Ljubljana at around 7,000. One of the persons who was physically removed from the square started to feel ill, so police called paramedics. Other than that the rally was carried out peacefully.

Police commissioner sees no dilemma about having army help police

LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Travner sees no dilemma about having the army help police patrol the border or provide for safety in the country. "The army is people-friendly no matter what anyone may think. We don't have enough police officers to be able to provide for the safety of Slovenian citizens when security situations multiply," he said, adding that they were multiplying "all the time".

SocDems gearing up for congress in autumn

LJUBLJANA - Senior officials of the Social Democrats (SD) held a meeting to discuss the party's priorities and plans for the remainder of 2020 with the acting head Tanja Fajon saying that a party congress would be held at the end of September or October. Having taken over as the party interim head after the previous head, Dejan Židan, stepped down at the end of last month, she said she would be willing to seek full term. Fajon was also critical of the government after its first 100 days in office, calling it a period of "more than 100 mistakes".

Kučan says elements of second republic can already be seen

LJUBLJANA - Former President Milan Kučan said in an interview with Saturday's supplement of the newspaper Delo that a part of Slovenian politicians thought that Slovenia should be turned into a second republic. The former president told Sobotna Priloga that it was difficult to reach a consensus on this if a "concealed political platform of a part of the politicians is that Slovenia should be turned into a second republic". Some elements of the second republic can already be seen, he warned.

Court reduces Agrokor fine to EUR 1m

LJUBLJANA - After the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency imposed a EUR 53.9 million fine on Croatia's Agrokor last October for failing to notify it of the takeover of the water bottling company Costella, the Ljubljana Local Court decided Agrokor should pay EUR 1 million in fine, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. Agrokor confirmed this, announcing it would challenge the decision of the court as well as the decision of the Competition Protection Agency on the seizure Agrokor's shares of retailer Mercator.

20 Jun 2020, 04:31 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 20 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Janša says EU recovery plan must be agreed before summer break

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša underlined that the EU must come to an agreement on the coronavirus recovery plan before the summer break, as he addressed his counterparts in a video-conferenced summit. Delays would have detrimental effects on the financial markets, he said, adding that a week "may mean billions".

Two new coronavirus cases confirmed on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Two new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday, one in Ljubljana and the other in Koper, bringing the total number of infections since early March to 1,513, the latest government data show. 902 coronavirus tests were carried out yesterday, and eight Covid-19 patients were in hospital, of whom one needed intensive care. The death toll has remained at 109 since the last Covid-19 patient died on 31 May.

Unsuitable masks delivered to hospitals, only fraction returned

LJUBLJANA - Yet another faulty personal protection equipment (PPE) deal has been uncovered in Slovenia, after it transpired that 150,000 masks unsuitable for use in healthcare had been distributed to hospitals. When this was determined about a month later, only some 26,400 had been returned to the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief. The masks were delivered by the company ART-PE, which signed two contracts with the Commodity Reserves Agency to deliver a total of just over EUR 1 million worth of protective masks and gloves suitable for use in healthcare.

Advisory meeting stresses need to restore and upgrade exports

LJUBLJANA - The need to restore and upgrade Slovenia's export routes, which are the main driving force of the country's economy, was highlighted as the council for internationalisation, an advisory body to the government, met under the leadership of Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Foreign Minister Anže Logar. The ministers said that the session had focused on the kick-starting of the economy after the epidemic and the need for coordinated government measures to achieve this.

EU Commission allows Slovenia to redistribute EUR 275m cohesion funds

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has approved Slovenia's plan to redistribute EUR 275 million in cohesion policy funds for measures to alleviate the effects of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. The funds will be spent in healthcare, programmes for SMEs, job preservation, protection of vulnerable groups and digitalisation of education.

NSi leader hopes demographic office, fund to be in place in autumn

LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin said demographic challenges were now a key topic under discussion in the coalition. If the coalition works hard enough, Slovenia could have a national demographic fund and a demographic office up and running already in the autumn. The fund, which has been long in the making, should not only provide funds for the elderly, for pensions, but for the entire population, encouraging a higher birth rate and attracting highly-skilled Slovenians back to Slovenia, Tonin said.

SMC leader says it's time to calm political passions

LJUBLJANA - Now that it has successfully tackled the coronavirus epidemic, Slovenia should close ranks to unlock the political and economic potential to the benefit of the country, Modern Centre Party (SMC) leader Zdarvko Počivalšek, economy minister, said as he assessed the Janez Janša government's first 100 days in office. He highlighted restarting the Slovenian economy, digitalisation, R&D investment, cutting red tape, balanced regional development, and calming political passions and disharmonies as the main tasks ahead.

Logar discusses strengthening of bilateral cooperation with Ukrainian FM

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar talked to his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba over the phone, with the pair agreeing that bilateral cooperation between Slovenia and Ukraine should be further strengthened. Apart from discussing the preparations for a potential second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the ministers also touched on the security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Slovenian army successfully completes Leap exercise

CERKLJE OB KRKI - A ceremony was held at the army airport Cerklje ob Krki to mark the conclusion of Leap 2020, the biggest military exercise this year. According to Defence Minister Matej Tonin, the exercise has shown the Slovenian army is alive and well, and at the country's disposal. Noting that 59 municipalities had supported the exercise, Tonin stressed that the government was working on improving the situation in the army, including by improving the working conditions of soldiers, and creating the basis for the army's long-term development.

Man stopped at gunpoint at border denies orchestrating incident

LJUBLJANA - The man who was stopped at gunpoint by a Slovenian soldier on the Slovenian-Italian border in early May denied allegations that he had orchestrated the incident. "I have nothing against the military, nothing against the soldier," Daniel Malalan told RTV Slovenija on Thursday. Malalan, a member of the Slovenian ethnic community in Italy, said he had wanted to remain anonymous, but when some media outed him and accused him of radical leftist views, he decided to speak up.

Police physically remove protesters reading Constitution

LJUBLJANA - Anti-government protesters again took to the streets across Slovenia. In Ljubljana, some of the protesters entered the square outside the Parliament House which had been completely fenced off, to read the Constitution. After refusing to move, they were physically removed by the riot police.

Over 20,000 employees already registered for short-time work

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian employers have submitted requests for short-time work subsidies for 20,556 employees just a week after the scheme designed to help businesses weather the crisis came into effect, show data by the Employment Service. Short-time work subsidies are the centrepiece of the latest economic stimulus package and are available until the end of the year.

Consumer confidence slowly up after April's plunge

LJUBLJANA - After a sharp drop in April amid the coronavirus lockdown, Slovenia's consumer confidence improved in June for the second month, rising by 9 percentage points compared to May, but still remaining 16 points below the long-term average, show the latest Statistics Office figures released. The consumer confidence indicator is now 29 points lower than in June 2019 and 26 points lower than last year's average.

SIJ will not pay out dividends this year

LJUBLJANA - The general meeting of Russian-owned steel maker SIJ unanimously decided to leave the entire least year's distributable profit of EUR 108.6 million undistributed, the company said on the web site of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. Steel manufacturer SIJ posted a net profit of EUR 44.9 million for 2019, a 816% year-on-year increase, which is largely the result of the sale of poultry producer Perutnina Ptuj. Group sales revenue declined by 3.3% to EUR 767.4 million and profit before income tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was up 4.7% to EUR 58.8 million.

Slovenia violating Human Rights Convention in sending migrants to Croatia, debate hears

MARIBOR - A day before World Refugee Day, a debate in Maribor heard that Slovenia is in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights because it has been sending illegal migrants back to Croatia, knowing that their human rights would be violated. Organised by the Institute of Ethnic and Regional Studies, the debate discussed the situation along the Balkan migration route.

Ministry plans new legislation to improve Roma situation

NOVO MESTO - Minister Janez Cigler Kralj visited Novo Mesto to meet local authorities and representatives of the Roma community. He announced his ministry would prepare a set of legislative measures to address the Roma situation by autumn, but did not elaborate, saying they should be first thoroughly examined by all stakeholders. His visit comes after a group of eleven mayors from the south-east of the country wrote to Prime Minister Janez Janša last week complaining about the problems with the Roma community, especially regarding violence and crime.

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19 Jun 2020, 04:14 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 19 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia imposes stricter rules on border with Croatia to prevent imported coronavirus cases

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will impose stricter rules on its border with Croatia starting on 19 June to prevent the import of new coronavirus cases, after the bulk of new cases in recent days was found to have originated abroad. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia were put on a black list of countries from where arrivals are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine regardless of residence status in Slovenia or nationality, while the number of quarantine exemptions was reduced and conditions for exemptions tightened. Eight new coronavirus infections were confirmed on Wednesday and 26 in the past two weeks. Half the cases were imported and the majority of the other new cases contacts of the arrivals.

Pahor urges electoral reform, says Slovenia could descend into political chaos

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor warned MPs against any delays in securing Constitutional Court-ordered electoral reform, saying a situation could occur where it will not be possible to execute a legitimate election. "This would push our county into a constitutional crisis or even political chaos and must not happen," he said. This was only the second time a Slovenian president addressed the National Assembly of his own accord.

Projects worth almost EUR 8bn to get priority treatment

LJUBLJANA - The government compiled a list of key investments that will be given priority treatment in administrative procedures so as to help kick-start the economy. The list currently features 187 investments worth EUR 7.7 billion and will be updated on an ongoing basis, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said. This new approach could halve the duration of certain administrative procedures. The list includes major investments such as the second unit at the Krško nuclear power plant, the Koper-Divača rail upgrade and the north-south expressway known as the third development axis.

Minister sees Slovenia achieving NATO spending target by 2026

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia could achieve the NATO goal of spending 2% of GDP on defence by 2026 after having laid out plans to invest EUR 780 million in defence over the next six years, Defence Minister Matej Tonin said after a two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers. The law securing the investment funds was finalised and might be adopted by the government next week, in what Tonin said was "a big step forward".

PM highlights role of Eastern Partnership for EU future

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša took part in a videoconference of Eastern Partnership leaders. He stressed the strategic and geopolitical importance of the Western Balkans and Eastern European partners for the future of the EU. Janša said the bloc's future could not be outlined without all Western Balkans countries and at least some of the six Eastern Partners as its members.

Slovak poet Mila Haugova wins this year's Vilenica Prize

LJUBLJANA - Slovak poet Mila Haugova is the winner of this year's Vilenica Prize for Central European literature, which will be presented at the conclusion of the 35th Vilenica International Literary Festival in September. Born in Budapest in 1942, Haugova is considered one of the most esteemed and prolific Slovak poets and has been widely translated. She appeared as a guest at Vilenica in 2000.

Minister presents ventilator numbers, says more intensive care beds needed

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia presently has 680 medical ventilators, 439 of which are suitable for Covid-19 treatment, Health Minister Matjaž Gantar told the press as confusion about the ventilator numbers continued in recent weeks. The minister pointed out this number by far exceeded the number of intensive care beds as well as properly trained staff. Gantar said that the 168 figure he provided during his ministerial confirmation hearing at the start of March had been given to him by health centres and referred to ventilators suitable for Covid-19 and available at the time.

Slovenia among countries with highest Covid-19 prison release rates

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenia released 16% of its prisoner population during the coronavirus outbreak, one of the highest rates in Europe, according to a Council of Europe report. European countries freed more than 122,000 prisoners in prevention against the spread of infections during the pandemic. The largest proportion of prisoners, as many as 35%, was released in Turkey, followed by Cyprus and Slovenia, which let 16% of their prisoners out of jail, and Portugal with 15%.

Slovenian workers of Magna paint shop sent to Graz

HOČE - The automotive multinational Magna has decided against reopening its car paint shop near Maribor for now an is instead reassigning the bulk the 200 workers at the new Slovenian location to its facility in Graz, Austria. The head of Magna Steyr Maribor-Hoče David Adam said that the plan was to get through the current uncertain stage as calmly as possible, which is why the decision was made to offer all employees work in Austria until operations are resumed in Slovenia.

Ex-infrastructure minister says key rail project going south

LJUBLJANA - Former Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek warned that the transfer of 2TDK, the company in charge the new Koper-Divača railway line project, onto another legal entity, as planned by the coalition, and potential changes to the tender for the main works would significantly increase the cost and prolong the project. The implementation of the project "is going in the wrong direction," she said, adding that any changes would disrupt ongoing procedures.

Bank profits halved in first four months

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian banking system generated EUR 96 million in pre-tax profit in the first four months of the year, which is less than half of the profit recorded in the same period in 2019. In April, the growth of loans to the non-banking sector decreased to 5.5% at the annual level, showed a monthly report by Banka Slovenije.

Transavia link to Amsterdam being restored

LJUBLJANA - Dutch low-cost carrier Transavia, which will fly between Ljubljana and Amsterdam three times a week, has become the sixth airline to return to Ljubljana airport after regular passenger transport was restored there on 29 May. More routes are expected to be revived in the coming weeks, but it is not yet clear when the links with Munich and Zurich will be back.

Accommodation booking portal launched

LJUBLJANA - Moja Slovenija, an accommodation booking portal, was launched as the Slovenian tourism industry is trying to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Only around 60 Slovenian tourism companies are featured for now, but the idea is to bring together as many as possible. the portal will offer all sorts of facilities, from mountain huts to the most luxurious hotels, said Viljam Kvalič, a co-founder of www.mojaslovenija.org.

Rarely seen, damaged Jakopič works go on display

LJUBLJANA - Rarely seen paintings by Rihard Jakopič (1869-1943), a pioneer of Slovenian Impressionism, will go on display at Moderna Galerija, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, today. Many of the works will be shown in various stages of the conservation process, as the exhibition wants to highlight the conservation challenges.

23 September declared Slovenian Sports Day

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation proclaiming 23 September Slovenian Sports Day. The new public holiday will not be a work-free day. 23 September marks the day in 2000 when Slovenian athletes first won Olympic gold medals since the country's independence.

Slovenia get Denmark, France and Montenegro at handball euro

VIENNA, Austria - The Slovenian woman's handball team will play at the European Women's Handball Championship in December in the preliminary group A in Denmark's Herning along with the host nation, France and Montenegro, determined Thursday's draw in Vienna.

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18 Jun 2020, 04:39 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 18 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Key Covid-19 advisor urges reimposing border measures

LJUBLJANA - Bojana Beović, the head of the team advising the Health Ministry on coronavirus, has urged reimposing stringent measures on the borders at once after an increase in new infections originating abroad, while PM Janez Janša warned new restrictions would be inevitable unless those in place were respected. Beović said the situation was rather critical and added that the new cases in recent days were due to the open border regime, warning that those new imported cases could lead to dozens of new cases in the future. National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) director Milan Krek thus announced a rethink on justifiability of some of the exemptions that allow arrivals from countries not listed as Covid-19-safe to avoid a mandatory two-week quarantine.

Four new coronavirus cases confirmed in three Slovenian cities

LJUBLJANA - Four new coronavirus cases were confirmed in three Slovenian cities on Tuesday, the highest single-day increase since 5 June, bringing the total number of infections to 1,503. There were no new fatalities. There are now 26 active cases in Slovenia, according to Covid-19 Sledilnik, a tracking website. A total of 986 tests were performed on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since mid-May. A total of 109 people have so far died of Covid-19. The last death was recorded on 31 May.

String of foreign ministers expected in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Foreign Minister Anže Logar will host a number of counterparts for talks in Ljubljana over the coming days and weeks, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksander Geržina announced, along with a shift to a more ambitious foreign policy. A double visit by the foreign ministers of Germany and Portugal was announced for 3 July. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg is due in Ljubljana on Monday, while Edi Rama, the Albanian foreign minister who is chairing the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is scheduled to visit on 6 July.

PM promises better status to army, more funds for equipment

VRHNIKA - PM Janez Janša visited one of the locations of the ongoing Leap 2020 military exercise, announcing the government's effort to improve the status of soldiers and additional funds for the purchase of military equipment. Visiting the Ivan Cankar barracks, the prime minister was received by Defence Minister Matej Tonin, the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) chief-of-staff, Brig-Gen Robert Glavaš and the force commander, Brigadier Miha Škerbinc. Janša noted that the defence budget had been shrinking in the past, and that the Defence Ministry and the government were preparing solutions to improve the situation of Slovenian soldiers.

Fiscal Council says 2019 fiscal policy not restrictive enough

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's fiscal policy in 2019 was expansive although it should have been restrictive, considering the state of the economic cycle, the Fiscal Council, a government advisory body, said in its assessment of compliance of the general government sector budgets with fiscal rules. Slovenia's public finances recorded EUR 260 million in surplus last year, or 0.5% of GDP, which is a drop on 2018 and 50% below plans. The surplus was mainly a result of a further improvement of the situation on the labour market and of continued economic growth, the Fiscal Council said.

Blanchard: Slovenia feels like second home

LJUBLJANA - US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard has put strengthening US-Slovenian economic development in the focus of her efforts, and would also like to encourage cooperation between Slovenian and US universities. Blanchard, who arrived last August, spoke to the STA about good progress in initiatives that were already started by her predecessors, for instance defence cooperation and cooperation among universities. Even if Slovenia's defence spending is below 2% of GDP, Blanchard said Slovenia has been working well with NATO for a long time. While not commenting in detail on a potential agreement on 5G technology between the US and Slovenia, she said the memorandum of understanding mimics much of the EU toolbox which encourages EU member states to avoid unsafe 5G vendors.

Supreme court says judicial files off-limits to public

LJUBLJANA - In what is seen as a legal precedent, the Supreme Court has said that provisions governing access to public information do not apply to judicial proceedings and case files. It said such access for governed by acts such as the criminal procedure act, the civil procedure act and the state prosecution service act. Special rules and adjustments are laid down for such access, the court added. The Information Commissioner responded by stressing public oversight is crucial for the legal functioning of authorities and that legislative changes may be needed.

Police suspect eight of threat over "Death to Janšism" slogan

LJUBLJANA - The police have launched proceedings against eight persons suspected of committing the criminal act of threatening the safety of another person related to slogans carried at anti-government protests. The invitation for an interview to one suspect shows that slogans imply threat to Prime Minister Janez Janša. The invitation, which has been detected by the newspaper Svet24 on Facebook, says that the suspect has been invited to be interviewed about a "slogan with a written threat to the prime minister". The report comes after Janša published last weekend on Twitter a photograph of protesters with slogans, one of them saying "Death to Janšism, Freedom to All".

Minister visits Slovenian minority in Croatia

RIJEKA - Helena Jaklitsch, the minister for Slovenians abroad, visited the Slovenian minority in Croatia in what was her first day-long visit abroad. One of the topics discussed was how to engage young people in minority associations. She visited the Slovenian community in Prezid in the border area of Gorski Kotar before meeting representatives of Slovenian associations in the port town of Rijeka. One of the issues discussed was how to rejuvenate the Slovenian associations in Croatia, as well as the population count in Croatia next year.

Trade union defends soldier involved in alleged border incident

LJUBLJANA - A soldiers' trade union has criticised accusations levelled against a soldier who stopped a civilian at gunpoint in a forest near the Italian border, and against the Slovenian Armed Forces as a whole, arguing that facts had not yet been established as the investigation was still ongoing. The union now claims the man had violated the lockdown ban on crossing the Slovenian-Italian border. "Having himself declared that he illegally crossed ... we'd expect that proceedings against him would have been completed already." Previous media reports indicated the man, a dual Slovenian-Italian resident, was merely taking a walk in the border area.

President presents state orders of merit

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor conferred state decorations on three persons. Physicist and researcher Boštjan Žekš and architect Boris Podrecca have been decorated with the Golden Order of Merit, whereas Andrej Šter, the head of the Foreign Ministry's consular service, has received the Order of Merit, most notably for his repatriation efforts.

Bled Strategic Forum to be held as one-day event on 31 August

LJUBLJANA - The 15th Bled Strategic Forum, Slovenia's premier foreign policy conference, will be a one-day event this year owing to the coronavirus epidemic. It will be held on 31 August, the organisers announced. Running under the title Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-COVID-19 World; Neighbours - Regions - Global World: Partners or Rivals?, the conference will be organised as a hybrid event. A high-level segment will take place in Bled while some discussions will be held online. The Bled Strategic Forum has in recent years been organised as a two-day event in early September preceded by several days of sessions in the Young BSF segment.

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17 Jun 2020, 04:00 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 17 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Chef Ana Roš awarded two Michelin stars, five restaurants get one each

LJUBLJANA - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko has been awarded two Michelin stars, becoming the first chef in the region to win the accolade. Five other restaurants got one star each: Vila Podvin near Radovljica, Hiša Denk near Maribor, Atelje in Ljubljana, Pri Lojzetu in Vipava and Dam in Nova Gorica, as restaurant guide Michelin launched its first guide to Slovenian restaurants. A celebrity chef, Roš was named the World's Best Female Chef by the World's 50 Best Restaurants culinary portal in 2017 and was featured in the Netflix series Chef's Table.

PM Janša sees lawsuit over ECB archives as obstacle to investigation

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša indicated that an European Commission lawsuit against Slovenia over European Central Bank (ECB) documents was hampering an ongoing police investigation in Slovenia, hence his query with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about whether the Commission might drop the lawsuit. "I want to learn whether the lawsuit against Slovenia might be dropped and whether the ECB would act the same way as in other cases when ECB data was excluded from investigations. That way, the Slovenian investigation about bank crime could continue," Janša told Nova24TV on Monday evening.

Hojs, Johansson discuss EU's new pact on migration and asylum

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson that Slovenia had high expectations from the EU's new migration and asylum pact, which the European Commission is expected to present at the end of July. He also reiterated in a video call Slovenia's position against migrant quotas, as the commissioner is holding another round of talks with EU interior ministers on the expectations about the new pact. Hojs urged a prompt reform of the common asylum system, which he believes should be supplemented with a separate mechanism for action in cases of disproportionate pressure from migrants.

Germany, Portugal, Slovenia present their EU presidency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Germany, Portugal and Slovenia presented the programme of the trio's upcoming EU presidency in a videoconference of EU ministers in charge of European affairs. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan pointed to the many coronavirus-related challenges and highlighted the need for a plan B. "The programme is a compromise reflecting the views of us all. Not all the highlighted aspects are equally important for all the countries. But in principle it is broad enough to allow for certain national specifics as part of the six-month programme," he told Slovenian Brussels-based reporters. The top priority will be the next multi-annual budget, as no plans will be able to be implemented without adequate financial support, he said. The programme for the period between 1 July 2002 and the end of 2021 will be officially endorsed in a correspondence session in the coming days in line with the new coronavirus rules.

FMs from Central Europe happy with coronacrisis cooperation

VIENNA, Austria - The foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia agreed that the countries had cooperated very well during the coronavirus pandemic and also urged continuing such cooperation after the pandemic, as they met in Austria's Vienna. "Although we protected our citizens and closed borders, were we still able to cooperate," Slovenia's Anže Logar told the press before the meeting, highlighting daily phone calls and attempts to find solutions to the problems in dialogue. He believes such cooperation has resulted in a new protocol among neighbours, which he considers a major achievement and an important European message.

Slovenia urges prompt agreement on EU recovery plans

BRUSSELS - Slovenia would like the EU to promptly agree on its recovery deal for the economy after the coronavirus pandemic. It hopes that given the gravity of the situation, EU countries will realise that speed is vital, Foreign Ministry State Secretary in charge of EU affairs Gašper Dovžan said after a videocall of ministers in charge of EU affairs. He believes this would send out an important message showing the EU works normally also in these difficult times. At the end of May, the European Commission proposed a package of measures featuring an adjusted 2021-2017 budget proposal worth EUR 1.1 trillion and a EUR 750 billion Next Generation EU recovery plan.

Slovenia climbs two spots to 35th in world competitiveness ranking

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Slovenia has risen two rungs in the latest IMD World Competitiveness Ranking to 35th among 63 countries, due to improvements in business and government efficiency, while sliding back in terms of economic performance over 2019. Slovenia lost three spots to 36th in terms of economic performance, but gained one spot to 38th in government efficiency and one spot to 39th in business efficiency, while losing two spots to 29th in terms of infrastructure.

Three more people test positive for coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Three people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Slovenia out of 567 tests for Sars-CoV-2 carried out on Monday. Seven patients remain hospitalised with Covid-19, one of them in intensive care, fresh information from the government shows. The tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org shows the latest cases were confirmed in Krško in the east, Piran on the coast, and Postojna in the south-west of the country. This is the first ever case in Krško.

Police: No signs found border incident with army was orchestrated

LJUBLJANA - Following a similar response by the Supreme State Prosecution, the General Police Department categorically rejected allegations about police involvement in a border incident with Italy in which two alleged Slovenian soldiers stopped a civilian at gunpoint in May. It also said in response to an STA query that the "information collected so far do not indicate the event was orchestrated". The response comes after PM Janez Janša's echoed last week allegations that the incident had been orchestrated by members of "the deep state", including in the prosecution and police, to discredit the Slovenian Armed Forces.

Pahor says tangible progress made in reconciliation efforts

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor attended on Monday a ceremony at the Linden Tree of Reconciliation at Ljubljana's Žale ceremony dedicated to victims of post-war executions. Pahor laid a wreath and delivered an address in which he said that recent times had seen some tangible results of the symbolic and material efforts for national reconciliation. Pahor said that in the last five or six years there had been less hate speech related to 20th century history, especially to the period during and after WWII.

Parliament endorses harsher sentences for smugglers of migrants

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill amending the penal code by imposing harsher penalties for persons organising illegal crossings of the border and for those helping illegal migrants reside in Slovenia. The amendment, proposed by the upper chamber of parliament, was passed in a 48:35 vote, backed by the coalition and by the opposition National Party (SNS). The other deputy groups argued a more comprehensive approach would be needed to tackle illegal migration.

MPs pass new rules on money laundering prevention

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously passed the governments-sponsored changes to the law on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing that transpose EU law. The government rushed the changes since Slovenia had already been reprimanded by the European Commission for failing to transpose the 2018 EU directive on money laundering prevention. In line with the changes, a central bank account registry of owners of crypto assets will be set up at Banka Slovenije.

Fewer illegal border crossing attempts detected so far this year

LJUBLJANA - Over 3,280 people tried to enter Slovenia illegally in the first five months of the year, down more than 25% over the same period last year, with almost 2,000 expressing the intention to request asylum in Slovenia. Most of the people apprehended were citizens of Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan. The police said that more illegal crossings had been detected in January than in the same month in 2019, but then the number dropped, also because of the pandemic. However, the dynamic started to pick up in the course of the past month, as the coronavirus pandemic started to ease.

Lufthansa and Wizzair return to Ljubljana airport

BRNIK - German flag carrier Lufthansa and Hungarian low-cost airline Wizzair have returned to Ljubljana airport after several months of suspended passenger air travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lufthansa resumed flights on Monday, whereas Wizzair went back to business as usual on Tuesday. Lufthansa is hence again operating the Ljubljana-Frankfurt route. Wizzair resumed the Ljubljana-Brussels service.

Best human rights documentary award goes to Romanian film Collective

LJUBLJANA - Collective (Colectiv), a film by Romanian director Alexander Nanau, won the Amnesty International Slovenije award as the curtain fell on the 22nd Documentary Film Festival in Ljubljana. The documentary, one of five competing for best film dealing with human rights, draws the viewer into the turmoil of fearless investigative journalism targeting systemic corruption in Romania.

Ljubljana and Maribor Pride parades postponed to autumn

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Due to coronavirus concerns, this year's Ljubljana and Maribor Pride parades have been postponed to September. Ljubljana Pride will be held on 26 September, whereas the date of the Maribor event is still uncertain. Both cities will hold a number of events in June though to celebrate Pride Month.

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16 Jun 2020, 04:13 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 16 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

S&P affirms Slovenia's AA- rating

NEW YORK, US - Rating agency Standard & Poor's has affirmed Slovenia's AA- rating, arguing that the Slovenian economy, coupled with the government's policy response, puts Slovenia in a good position to weather the crisis. In its rating update on Friday the agency said "the past decade of private sector deleveraging and a decline of government debt to GDP since 2015 give Slovenia substantial buffers to weather the temporary shock without a lasting adverse impact on its credit metrics".

PM says necessary powers to act against militias already in place

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša indicated the government was willing to amend legislation to impose sanctions against militia groups such as the Štajerska Guard, but he told parliament in questions time the existing legislation already allowed that, it was just not applied consistently. He also drew parallels between the militia and anti-government protesters. "Law enforcement ... must respect the constitution and the law regardless of whether against a guard on foot or a guard on bicycles, regardless of whether they are wearing fatigues or black clothing and masks," he said.

State Prosecution denies involvement in border incident with Italy

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme State Prosecution has strongly denied any involvement in a border incident with Italy in which two alleged Slovenian soldiers stopped a civilian at gunpoint in May. The statement came in response to PM Janez Janša's allegation the incident was orchestrated by representatives of the deep state, including in the prosecution. The police has not yet responded to the STA's query about the incident, nor has the prime minister's office responded to Friday's query about how Janša would act if he indeed believed the incident had been orchestrated.

Italian army vehicle crosses into Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - An Italian military vehicle drove into Slovenian territory in the morning, but soon turned around and returned to Italy, the Slovenian police said. The incident happened at around 8:20 a.m. in the border town of Šempeter pri Gorici. The police is investigating the event, which happened in Goriška Street, as a border incident as defined in the state border control act, so it will notify the Foreign Ministry of its findings.

Ceremony held as Italy-Slovenia border reopens

NOVA GORICA - A ceremony was held at the former border crossing between Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Italy's Gorizia to mark the reopening of the borders after the coronavirus epidemic. As the mayors of both towns cut the ribbon that symbolically divided the towns, Nova Gorica Mayor Klemen Miklavič said fences were no longer a tool for problem solving. The fence in Europa Square between the two cities had been removed by protesters on bicycles on Friday evening.

Slovenia calls on Israel to refrain from annexation

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar said during questions and answers time in parliament that Slovenia is calling on Israel to "refrain from any unilateral decisions that would lead to the annexing of any of the occupied Palestinian territories and would as such run contrary to international law". As Matej Tašner Vatovec of the opposition Left expressed concern over Israel's annexation plans and the US peace proposal that would back unilateral annexing, Logar said "Slovenia continues to support all efforts for a peaceful solution of the dispute and for a revival of a peace process" that should be based on a two-state solution.

One new coronavirus case reported, one patient moved to ICU

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded one new coronavirus case from 212 tests carried out on Sunday as one patient was moved to an intensive care unit, the first in almost two weeks, fresh data from the government show. The latest case brings the total number of Sars-CoV-2 cases so far confirmed at 1,496, out of which 23 remain active. Seven Covid-19 patients are now in hospital. The latest case was confirmed in Jesenice, which now has 10 active cases.

Anti-trust watchdog extends seizure of Mercator shares from Agrokor

LJUBLJANA/ZAGREB - The Competition Protection Agency (AVK) confirmed it had decided to extend the temporary seizure of Mercator shares from the retailer's owner, Croatian group Agrokor. The latter has still not paid a EUR 53.9 million fine issued for its failure to notify the anti-trust watchdog of the 2016 takeover of Slovenian-based bottled water company Costella. The AVK said the measure was being extended to protect the fine decision in line with an option which allows the seizure to be prolonged. Agrokor's health core spin-off Fortenova said it was not surprised and that it expected the shares transferred to by the end of the year.

Former Health Minister Šabeder appointed chief supervisor at Telekom

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije appointed former Health Minister Aleš Šabeder its chair. Supervisors Barbara Gorjup and Grado Kijevčanin will serve as his deputies, the company said in a press release. Šabeder was appointed supervisor at the AGM in early June, replacing Dimitrij Marjanović, the representative of the state assets custodian Slovenian Sovereign Holding.

US embassy donates PPE and disinfection device

LJUBLJANA - The US Embassy in Ljubljana donated a second package of personal protective equipment to Slovenia, along with a Slovenian-made device that uses ultraviolet light to disinfect hospital premises. The donation will be used by health institutions in Slovenia as well as the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief. In May the US Embassy donated 1,660 protective face shields intended for use in care homes. The joint value of the two donations is US$60,000.

Hojs, Kangler talk illegal migrations

LJUBLJANA/ZAGREB - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and his State Secretary Franc Kangler discussed illegal migrations on Monday as they met representatives of locals along the border with Croatia and the Croatian home affairs state secretary, respectively. Kangler and Croatian Interior Ministry State Secretary Terezija Gras discussed the illegal migration situation and a police cooperation agreement, while Hojs hosted representatives of three civil initiatives to discuss the situation in their municipalities as migration pressure is rising again, presenting a set of measures designed to reduce illegal migrations.

PM says media freedom assessments should wait until end of term

LJUBLJANA - Faced with a question in parliament about international public being critical of freedom of the media in Slovenia, PM Janez Janša said that the judgement about that should be made at the end of the government's term. Regarding his tweeting, Janša said he understand this as his freedom of expression. Answering a question from Nataša Sukič of the opposition Left, the prime minister noted that in a key international rankings of freedom of the media, Slovenia fared the best during his first government (2004-2008), standing in 9th place.

SDS ahead, SocDems replace LMŠ in second Vox Populi poll

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša's Democrats (SDS) continue to lead the field in the latest Vox Populi poll, while the Social Democrats (SD) came ahead of the fellow opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) in second. The poll, commissioned by the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer, has the SDS polling at 22.7%, up 0.6 percentage points from the month before. The SD nearly doubled its rating to 15.2% and its new leader Tanja Fajon climbed to second spot in the popularity ranking of politicians.

Free public transport for pensioners from July

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša announced that inter-city public transportation would be free of charge for pensioners and persons with disabilities, among others, from 1 July 2020, as envisaged by the legislative changes that were passed under the previous government. In questions time in parliament, Janša said all legal acts enabling the implementation of the act were in the making and the relevant ministry had asserted the act would be implemented as expected.

Govt expects boost in foreign tourism in second half of summer

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša believes that tourism vouchers will significantly help the sector as it is transitioning from the lockdown, while the government expects an increase in visits by foreign tourists in the second part of the summer season. One of the reasons is the positive effect of the end of epidemic being declared early. In questions time in parliament, Janša said around 24,000 positive mentions of Slovenia followed the move in global media in one weekend alone.

NLB supervisory board expanded to include employee reps

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of the NLB bank expanded the supervisory board from nine to twelve members to include representatives of employees by amending the articles of association in line with a Constitutional Court ruling. Likewise, the management board will be expanded by one member to seven. The meeting also endorsed Verica Trstenjak, a former advocate general at the European Court of Justice, as a new supervisor, and current chief supervisor Primož Karpe and member David Eric Simon were endorsed for another full term. The distributable profit of EUR 228 million was retained.

Legal opinion warns against moving 2TDK to rail operator

LJUBLJANA - While the Infrastructure Ministry is yet to take a final decision on whether to transfer 2TDK, the company in charge the new Koper-Divača railway track project, to Slovenske Železnice, a legal opinion commissioned by the national railways operator and obtained by the newspaper Dnevnik warned that such a move could be fatal for the project, seen as crucial for the Koper port. The opinion by the legal consultancy Jadek&Pensa argues the transfer would entail "excessive risks".

Hisense Gorenje to produce TVs in existing plant

VELENJE - Home appliances maker Hisense Gorenje has decided to produce TV sets in existing production facilities, having previously planned to build a new plant at its Velenje location. TV production is scheduled to start in early 2021, according to plans presented to the works council. An assembly line for TV sets is scheduled for completion at the end of this year, with production slated to be launched in January 2021. An average of 350 employees will work on the production line.

Poll: Vast majority for shop closure on Sundays

LJUBLJANA - A Vox Populi poll commissioned by the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows that as many as 87% respondents support a ban on Sunday shopping, including those who frequent shops at the end of the week. The main reason for their support is that they believe other days in the week provide enough opportunities for shopping. Some 8% are not in favour of closure of stores on Sundays, whereas almost 5% did not weigh in on the issue. Almost 20% shop on Sundays.

Zero tolerance of violence urged on Elder Abuse Awareness Day

LJUBLJANA - On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, representatives of the elderly underscored the unacceptability of any kind of violence against the elderly. According to Ana Gorenc Vujnović from the Anton Trstenjak Institute, almost 60,000 elderly people in Slovenia experience violence. The most frequent form is negligence, Gorenc Vujnović told the newspaper Delo. "This is followed by physiological, physical, and economic violence," she said.

Crisis bonuses push up April net pay

LJUBLJANA - Average net pay in Slovenia in April stood at EUR 1,266, which was 10.5% more than in March nominally and 11.5% more in real terms. The Statistics Office reported that the increase was mostly related to the payment of crisis bonuses during the Covid-19 epidemic. Average gross pay was up by 10.2% nominally and by 11.2% in real terms compared to March to EUR 1,937. In the public sector it rose by 10.9% and in the private sector it increased by 8.6%.

Lighting Guerilla Festival begins

LJUBLJANA - The 14th international Lighting Guerilla Festival, dedicated to contemporary visual and new-media art, is getting under way in Ljubljana tonight under the theme Five Elements. The concept leans on the ancient tradition of the four classical elements - earth, water, air and fire, which is joined by a fifth element, which could be interpreted as a mysterious matter of the Universe, according to the organisers. Centred in and around Vžigalica Gallery, the festival runs until 11 July.

Air France resuming Ljubljana-Paris flights next week

BRNIK/PARIS - French flag carrier Air France will resume flights between Ljubljana and Paris next Wednesday. Daily services between the two capitals are expected to be relaunched on 14 July. The airline plans to go back to 80% of its pre-corona flight destinations this summer. Next week will see two flight connections between Ljubljana and Paris, on Wednesday and Saturday service. Later on, the number of flights will steadily grow until mid-July when flying to Paris will be possible every day per week.

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15 Jun 2020, 04:16 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 15 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Three coronavirus infections confirmed yesterday, no deaths

LJUBLJANA - Three new coronavirus cases were confirmed in 767 tests carried out in Slovenia on Saturday, bringing the total to 1,495. There were no new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, leaving the death toll at 109, show the latest government data. Two cases were confirmed in Nova Gorica (W) and one in Jesenice (SW). Six people remain in hospital, none of them requiring intensive care. In total, there are a total of 22 active cases at the moment, according to Covid-19 Sledilnik, a data tracker.

Gas producer Messer back to solid profit last year

RUŠE - The Slovenian branch of the German industrial gas producer Messer last year generated EUR 24.6 million in revenue, which is 4% more than in 2018, while posting net profit of almost EUR 1.7 million, which compares to a minimum profit in the year before. The management of the company based in Ruše, east of Maribor, says in the annual report that 2019 was a very dynamic year, focusing on its first oxygen plant in Škofja Loka, which was launched in mid-2018, and investments in gas supply. With its 100 employees, the company generated as much as 98% of total revenue on the Slovenian market.

Dewesoft expects results on par with last year's due to pandemic

TRBOVLJE - Dewesoft, a measuring instruments maker, expects its business results to remain level with last year because its sales are expected to take a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. While its production was undisturbed during the pandemic, the company's sales representatives were unable to travel. The company expects its revenue to stay at EUR 26 million and profit at EUR 8 million. In late may, the company saw a 34% increase in production compared to the beginning of the year, while purchases increased by 30%.

Slovenian food self-sufficiency low

LJUBLJANA - Official statistics show that Slovenia will have to do something about its food production. The rate of self-sufficiency for fruit was at a mere 30% last year, which is however also attributed to bad weather. Self-sufficiency in cereals and meat was meanwhile up. Total domestic production of fruit was below 90,000 tonnes, which is almost 50% less than in 2018, while consumption stood at 300,000 tonnes, while also being down somewhat. The self-sufficiency rate for other plant-based foods were also low, with preliminary data showing that they reached 44% for vegetables and 45% for potato.

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14 Jun 2020, 04:11 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 14 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

International public transport relaunched after three months

LJUBLJANA - Restrictions on international public road and railway transport, imposed on 16 March due to the coronavirus epidemic, were lifted. Scheduled, transit, special and occasional public passenger road transport as well as international public railway passenger transport are now allowed again, but operators must follow public-health recommendations.

Government mulling special fund for infrastructural projects

LJUBLJANA - As the government is gearing up to invest around a billion euro in infrastructure projects, the Infrastructure Ministry has come up with the idea to establish a special fund which would finance projects independent from the budget and be listed on the stock market. The idea comes after Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec recently announced major investments for the coming years and decades. He said that the infrastructure fund could also be financed by issuing bonds.

Ljubelj camp liberation remembered

LJUBELJ - A ceremonymarked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the only concentration camp on Slovenian soil, the labour camp below Ljubelj Pass. Speakers highlighted the need to preserve the memory of the atrocities and drew parallels with the present. Prior to the event, a wreath laying ceremony was held at the monument "J'accuse - Obtožujem" on the site of the camp. Delegations of several European countries laid wreaths, as did President Borut Pahor.

Pahor considering reconciliation gesture with Italian counterpart

LJUBELJ - President Borut Pahor indicated he is considering a symbolic gesture of reconciliation with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella when they attend a ceremony on 13 July marking the centenary of the arson of the Slovenian National Hall in Trieste. He said they might visit two sites in Basovizza near Trieste that have strong symbolic importance for Italy and the Slovenian community there.

Hit reopens casinos on border with Italy

NOVA GORICA - Gaming company Hit reopened its casinos on the border with Italy after Slovenia decided to open its border, first for the residents of Friuli Venezia-Giulia region on Saturday and then for all Italian nationals on Monday. Lockdown restrictions on establishments such as casinos were lifted at the end of May, but it made little sense for Hit to reopen in Goriška region since Italians represent the vast majority of its guests.

Seven apprehended at Friday's protest

LJUBLJANA - Police arrested seven participants of Friday's anti-government rally in Ljubljana after a group attempted to tear down a fence that established a security perimeter around Parliament House and after some jumped the fence. They have been fined for violations of public law and order. Police estimates indicate 5,000 people showed up for the protests.

Baby dragons on display at Postojna Cave

POSTOJNA - Baby olms which were hatched at Postojna Cave in 2016 in a rare successful breeding went on public display for the first time. Only thirty visitors per day will be allowed to visit the subterranean aquarium to see what are popularly referred to as baby dragons. The three olms - named Boris, Počasné and Viktor - are from a brood of 21 offspring that hatched in 2016 when an olm lay 60 eggs in an observation tank, taking scientists by surprise.

Man suspected of butchering three relatives

DOMŽALE - A 24-year old man is suspected of having butchered three older relatives in Domžale area, east of Slovenia. The suspect has been detained, Ljubljana police said. The 24-year-old is believed to have killed his grandparents and an uncle.

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13 Jun 2020, 03:43 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 13 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia opening border with Italy on 15 June

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will open its border with Italy on 15 June, the government decided as it put Italy on a list of countries whose citizens are free to cross into Slovenia without having to quarantine. Montenegro has also made it to the list. On the other hand, the government confirmed a list of 32 countries whose epidemiological situation is so bad travellers coming from there must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine regardless of nationality or residence status effective on 13 June. Notable countries on this list include Sweden, the UK and North Macedonia, as well as the United States and Russia.

PM alleges border incident orchestrated by prosecution, police and media

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša tweeted that the incident on the border with Italy, when two alleged soldiers stopped a civilian at gunpoint, had been orchestrated by representatives of "the deep state" in the prosecution, police force and mainstream media, to discredit the Armed Forces. Janša retweeted an article by news portal nova24tv.si allegedly revealing the identity of the civilian, a Slovenian-Italian citizen, involved in the incident that took place in early May near the village of Mihele. The article labels the civilian a "radical titoist and Antifa proponent". Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said that the incident was "artificially created".

Motion to oust economy minister defeated

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek was endorsed for the way he handled procurement of vital equipment during the Covid-19 epidemic as a motion of no confidence in him, sponsored by four centre-left opposition parties, was defeated by 51 votes to 37 in parliament just before midnight last night. Počivalšek commented that MPs were obviously persuaded by his arguments, while he would now be able to focus on the many challenges faced by the economy. The lead sponsor of the motion, LMŠ MP Robert Pavšič said the opposition had proved the government had been misleading the public.

Slovenia said to be looking at 5G agreement with US

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is unofficially looking at a draft joint statement with the US on the security of next-generation networks which highlights the importance of high security standards for 5G providers. The statement could limit Huawei's participation in 5G deployment in Slovenia, although the government is said to have no official position on the company. The draft statement was circulated to Slovenian media and lists a number of security conditions that Slovenia and the US see as vital for setting up a safe 5G network.

Anton Travner gets full five-year term as police commissioner

LJUBLJANA - Anton Travner, who has served as acting police commissioner since the new government took over in mid-March, has been appointed for a full five-year term, the Government Communication Office announced. Travner, a security expert with a master's degree in civil and business law, has been in the police ranks since 1985.

Slovenia mulling sharing Italian contact tracing app

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia currently does not need a coronavirus contact tracing app. However, it is examining the possibility to share an app developed by Italy in the event a second wave of the epidemic hits, Health Ministry State Secretary Tina Bregant announced after a videoconference of the EU health ministers. She said it makes sense to wait until privacy concerns raised by these apps are addressed, and that it would be cheaper to use an application that has already been partially developed.

Anti-govt protesters leave bicycles and continue on foot

LJUBLJANA - Protesters who have been voicing their displeasure with the government conduct Fridays for the past two months left their bicycles today and protested on foot, first filling up Prešeren Square and then continuing in front of parliament. They shouted and displayed slogans against fascism, militarisation and repression. While protests were also held in other Slovenian cities, including Maribor, the biggest number gathered in the capital.

Ethics code for MPs adopted

LJUBLJANA - The college of deputy group leaders passed a code of ethics for MPs, which lists five ethical principles deputies need to adhere to or risk being admonished on the National Assembly's website or at its session. Only the opposition National Party (SNS) voted against the code, and the Left abstained. Speaker Igor Zorčič noted that parliament had been trying to pass such a code since 1993. The aim is to strengthen the legislature's reputation, integrity and public trust. The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption hailed the code as a step the right direction.

Two new coronavirus cases, both in Sežana

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded two new coronavirus cases, both in Sežana, out of 702 tests carried out on Thursday. The latest figures bring Slovenia's tally of coronavirus cases confirmed since early March to 1,490, but only 17 remain active. According to government data, six patients remain in hospital with Covid-19. A total of 109 patients with Covid-19 have died in Slovenia, the last one on 1 June.

Mayors from south-east complain to PM about Roma crime

LJUBLJANA - Mayors of eleven local communities in the south-eastern regions of Dolenjska and Bela Krajina have written to Prime Minister Janez Janša to complain about the problems with Roma violence and crime. They see the situation as a result of years of inaction and tolerating of behaviour of problematic groups of the Roma and the authorities' inability to exclude those with a criminal record from the community. Janša's office will organise a meeting with the mayors to discuss possible solutions.

State attorney's office says settlement still possible in ECB case

LJUBLJANA - The State Attorney's Office, which represents Slovenia in a lawsuit the European Commission has brought against Slovenia over a 2016 seizure of ECB documents, said a settlement in the case was possible until a ruling is delivered. The statement comes after it transpired that PM Janez Janša inquired about a potential settlement. The office said that the attempt at reaching a settlement was nothing unusual, as some media have suggested.

More homes built last year

LJUBLJANA - More than 9,200 buildings were built in Slovenia last year, which is 16% more than the year before. The number of newly built residential units was up by 12% to 3,415, the Statistics Office reported. A total of 13,200 buildings remained unfinished. The number of finished residential buildings was 1% lower than in 2018, while the number of non-residential buildings was 24% higher. The floor area of completed residential buildings increased by 10% last year.

Air link with Podgorica restored

LJUBLJANA - Montenegro Airlines restored its flights between Podgorica and Ljubljana on Friday, becoming the second airline after Air Serbia to revive its operations at Ljubljana airport. A Montenegro Airlines plane brought 27 passengers from Podgorica today and took 41 from Ljubljana to the Montenegrin capital. The low-cost carrier Easyjet meanwhile decided to delay the launch of Ljubljana - London (Luton) route planned for March 2020 for more than a year, with the first flight planned on 6 May 2021.

Hunters permitted to cull 115 brown bears this year

LJUBLJANA - The Agency for the Environment issued a permit for the culling of 115 brown bears until September this year. Culling has long been the main way in which the Slovenian brown bear population has been kept in check and the Environment Agency said on Friday there was "no other satisfactory possibility" and that the cull "does not harm the preservation of the favourable state of the population".

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12 Jun 2020, 04:04 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 12 June 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Minister Počivalšek on track to surviving ouster motion

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek looked on track to surviving the ouster motion filed against him by four opposition parties over opaque ventilator and PPE purchases as a marathon debate protracted late into the evening. The coalition backed him, speaking of an unjustified political attack on a minister who did well in chaotic conditions, while the opposition spoke of war profiteering.

Janša hits back at Gentiloni

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša hit back at European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni following his appeal for explanation over the dismissal of the Statistics Office's director. "@govSlovenia replaced a political appointee as Statistics Office head with an expert with 30 y of experience in this Office. Hope this is the last time you play a political game for Slovenian left," Janša said on Twitter. SocDems current leader and MEP Tanja Fajon said this damaged Slovenia's reputation.

PM checking whether Commission would drop ECB lawsuit against Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Nearly two weeks before the first oral hearing is scheduled at the European Court of Justice in a lawsuit the European Commission has brought against Slovenia over a 2016 seizure of ECB documents, the newspaper Delo reported that PM Janez Janša had offered a "settlement" to Commissioner President Ursula von der Leyen. PM Janez Janša tweeted today that Slovenia wanted to see whether there was any chance that the Commission withdraw the lawsuit.

Military, minister under increasing pressure over Italy border incident

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) and Defence Minister Matej Tonin came under significant pressure a day after it transpired that soldiers likely had been involved in an incident on the border with Italy in which a civilian was stopped at gunpoint by two Slovenian soldiers. Responding to demands for clarification, SAF vowed to help investigate the case.

Gatherings of up to 500 people and intl. transport to be allowed

LJUBLJANA - The government decided that public gatherings of up to 500 people, including at sports events, will be allowed in Slovenia as of next Monday, while international public road and railway transport will resume. The last Covid-19 fatality in the country was recorded on 1 June and no no new coronavirus cases were recorded yesterday. Data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org show that only 15 out of the total of 1,488 Sars-Cov-2 cases so far confirmed in Slovenia remain active. Six patients remain in hospital.

Several EU foreign ministers for reinstating free movement

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in a videoconference on easing coronavirus border restrictions. Hosted by German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass, the representatives of a total of 13 EU member states shared a view that the common goal was to reinstate free movement among member states. Logar said that Slovenia's epidemiological situation remained favourable but that caution was nevertheless needed, so a balance should be found between preserving pubic health and keeping the economy up and running.

Slovenia agrees to accept four child asylum seekers from Greek islands

LJUBLJANA - The government decided Slovenia will accept four unaccompanied minors seeking asylum to help divide the asylum burden between Greece and EU members. The four, located in migrant reception centres on Greek islands, are younger than 10 and meet conditions for international protection.

Foreign Minister Logar to head 2021 EU presidency project

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Igor Mally as the head of the project of the EU Council presidency in the second half of 2021, and appointed Foreign Minister Anže Logar in his place. Members of the relevant tasks force were also replaced. The appointments follow the new organisational structure for the preparation and organisation of the presidency adopted by the new government, which features a core task force led by PM Janez Janša and a broader task force led by Logar.

Govt overhauls arbitration implementation task force

LJUBLJANA - The new government has overhauled the inter-ministerial task force for the implementation of the Slovenia-Croatia border arbitration decision, putting Vinko Gorenak, a state secretary at the prime minister's office, at its helm. The task force was established on 6 July 2017, a week after the border arbitration decision was announced, and its main tasks are coming up with proposals and guidelines for coordinated action of state bodies regarding the decision's implementation.

Soldiers' union and Defence Ministry bury the hatchet

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry and the Trade Union of Soldiers (SVS) have reinstated cooperation after the previous agreement was cancelled under the former defence minister, in effect preventing the SVS from representing soldiers in relation with the employer. A new deal was signed today by State Secretary Uroš Lampret and SVS head Gvido Novak.

Maribor airport may become parking spot for idle aircraft

MARIBOR - Maribor airport, which has been laying almost idle even before the coronavirus pandemic, may become a parking spot for aircraft that have been grounded as passenger transport has been halted and is only being gradually relaunched, the aviation portal Sierra5 reported. DRI, the state-owned company which manages the airport, and the charter and aircraft maintenance company Aero4M have reportedly offered medium- and long-term parking in Maribor to international airlines.

State to buy Semenarna's plant genetic centre

LJUBLJANA - The government tasked Slovenian Sovereign Holding, the custodian of state assets, to buy the Ptuj Selection Centre on behalf of the state to keep seeds of Slovenian plants in Slovenian hands, arguing the centre is of strategic importance for the country. The government acted upon the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food's initiative after Slovenia's largest seed company, Semenarna Ljubljana, was sold to a Serbian company in March.

Debate on making sign language an official Slovenian language suspended again

LJUBLJANA - A year after endorsing in principle a proposal to enter the Slovenian sign language into the constitution, the parliamentary Constitutional Commission suspended the debate again to clarify a proposal by an expert group to also include the Hungarian and Italian sign languages. Minority MP Ferenc Horvath said he was aware this would be probably technically hard to implement, but insisted on such a solution and suggested the MPs should back it. All the other parties voiced second thoughts.

At-risk-of-poverty rate down to 12% in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's at-risk-of-poverty rate decreased to 12% in 2019, down by 1.3 percentage points from 2018, show figures released by the Statistics Office. This means that 243,000 Slovenians lived on an income lower than the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, among them 90,000 pensioners, 40,000 who had a job, 40,000 jobless and 41.000 children.

Extensive monograph on Partisans launched

LJUBLJANA - A comprehensive monograph on the Partisan movement during WWII was launched by publisher Cankarjeva Založba, offering an insight into its emergence and development in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The book aims to "show the historical truth in all of its glory, as well as its delusions, tragedy and crimes", historian Jože Pirjevec said in the preface to his monograph.

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