Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Croatia's outgoing president to visit Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović will visit Slovenia on Wednesday to meet President Borut Pahor in her last trip as president. The working and informal meeting will be the culmination of the pair's intense dialogue, said Pahor's office. The exact date of the meeting has not yet been given, but it is expected to take place by the end of this week. Croatia's new president, Zoran Milanović will be sworn in on 18 February. He is yet to decide which country to visit first.

Cerar attends business conference in Istanbul

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Outgoing Foreign Minister Miro Cerar took part in a business conference in Istanbul held as part of his two-day visit to Turkey. Cerar, who met his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara on Monday, noted the importance of commercial diplomacy, which the country plans to enhance further. He also met Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Kasapoglu, a co-chair of the bilateral commission on economic cooperation, with the pair expressing interest in business cooperation in third countries.

Speaker in N Macedonia as NATO accession protocol ratified

SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan addressed the North Macedonian parliament as it ratified the country's NATO accession protocol as the only foreign guest. In his speech, Židan reiterated that Slovenia supported North Macedonia's accession to both NATO and the EU. Židan also met President Stevo Pandarovski and Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski, and attended the signing of a EUR 2 million development cooperation memorandum for 2020 and 2021.

SDS in talks in a bid to form new government

LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS) responded to speculation about a second round of coalition talks with the Modern Centre Party (SMC), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) by saying the talks had been under way since last Friday and would continue in the coming days. The SMC, NSi and DeSUS have been tight-lipped about the talks. The SDS said it was not clear yet whether a third round of talks, which is to discuss responsibilities within a new government, would be held or not. Meanwhile, outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has not given up the possibility of an alliance with the SMC in case of a snap election.

Hungarian funding for media close to SDS under spotlight

LJUBLJANA - The public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported that the National Bureau of Investigation is investigating the funding of some media outlets close to the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). The media are suspected of having received funding from Hungarian business people with close ties to Fidesz, the party of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. The web portal necenzurirano.si reported on Monday that EUR 4 million had been transferred since August 2018 from accounts in the UK and Hungary to accounts in Slovenia.

Pahor puts forward three candidates for EU General Court

LJUBLJANA - Following talks with parties, President Borut Pahor put forward to parliament three candidates for two Slovenian judges at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, backing Klemen Podobnik, Nina Savin Bossiere and Jure Vidmar, who had also received the endorsement of the Judicial Council. To be appointed, candidates need the support of a majority of all MPs, whereupon they are interviewed by a special vetting committee in Brussels, which failed to endorse a Slovenian candidate in 2019.

Industry endorses national energy and climate plan

LJUBLJANA - The Energy Industry Chamber endorsed the draft national energy and climate plan which sets out measures for energy and climate change mitigation until 2030. But it also raised some issues, including the absence in the plan of new hydro power plants and a new reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Station. There are also no guidelines on how gas would replace fossil fuel at the TEŠ thermal power plant, the chamber's head Marjan Eberlinc said.

Final vacancies filled on Petrol board

LJUBLJANA - After the appointment of Nada Drobne Popovič as the CEO of energy group Petrol in January, the supervisory board filled the remaining two vacancies on the management board on Monday by appointing Matija Bitenc and Jože Bajuk board members effective on 11 March. Presenting the new management's strategy, Drobne Popovič said Petrol would continue its transformation from a fuel retailer to an energy company. EBIT is projected to top EUR 200 million and net profit EUR 100 million in 2020.

Parliamentary committee asks police for Roma settlements security report

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee unanimously called on the police force to draw up a report on the security situation in areas with Roma communities and a proposal for systemic changes to improve it. Subcommittee chair Predrag Baković, a SocDems MP who dealt with Roma issue throughout his pre-parliamentary career, recently told the STA that the subcommittee, which comprises MPs from areas with Roma communities, had been receiving many letters and calls from local communities and civil initiatives to address the topic, and that trust in institutions was poor.

Gender stereotypes, bias holding back women in science

LJUBLJANA - Women remain under-represented in scientific and technical professions, especially at senior levels. Unconscious bias, double standards and gender stereotypes are some of the reasons why headway towards gender equality in this field remains sluggish. The University of Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest, has been dominated by men since it was established a century ago. The latest figures show the ratio of men to women among faculty is roughly 60:40, with the share of women declining further up the career ladder.

Seed producer Semenarna taken over by Serbia's Agromarket

LJUBLJANA - Semenarna, the biggest seed producer in the country, has been sold to the Serbian Dušan Mojsilović businessman and his Agromarket company, which will make the latter one of the biggest seed producers and sellers in the region, the newspaper Delo reported. Mojsilović unofficially paid EUR 5.5 million for Semenarna along with the claims held by Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), the bad bank.

Contemporary Austrian art on show in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Contemporary Austrian art was put on show at Galerija Vžigalica in Ljubljana, presenting "contemporary artistic positions" by artists from the state of Carinthia. Running until 15 March, the show is a collaboration with the Klagenfurt University's Universitätskulturzentrum UNIKUM, which has been producing contemporary art projects outside established cultural institutions since 1987.

Couch Festival bringing cultural revolution to living rooms

LJUBLJANA - The sub-cultural Couch Festival, dedicated to various genres of music and performative arts, kicked off in Ljubljana, featuring 130 events at some 90 venues. Running until Saturday, the festival brings musicians, puppeteers and other performers from Slovenia and abroad to public spaces as well as people's homes, fusing cosy, intimate settings and quality artistic content.

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Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Prešeren's poems echoing on Culture Day

LJUBLJANA - Poems by France Prešeren were read at several events on Culture Day when Slovenia paid tribute to its most celebrated poet and celebrated art. A number of events took place around the country and many museums and galleries opened their doors to visitors free of charge. The main ceremony was held in front of Prešeren's home in Vrba, the village in the north-western Gorenjska region where he was born.

MEP Fajon pledging support to Serbia in preparations for election

BELGRADE - Slovenian MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD), the chair of the European Parliament's Delegation to Serbia, has vowed that the bloc would continue assisting the country in ensuring a fair election in April, as she paid a visit to Serbia together with European Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilčik (EPP). Meeting Serbia's government, opposition, media and NGO representatives, Fajon urged the country to provide conditions for a fair election and enable the media to report freely and objectively on the developments.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

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SDS to continue coalition talks next week

LJUBLJANA - Talks on a potential new coalition will continue next week, the opposition Democrats (SDS) said after meeting the leaders of two coalition parties and another opposition party in the wake of PM Marjan Šarec's resignation. The coalition SMC and DeSUS intend to continue the talks, whereas NSi did not give a statement after the talks. SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek said the talks had been constructive and would probably continue. DeSUS leader Aleksandra Pivec said her party was willing to continue the talks if other bigger parties were also willing to do so. The other parliamentary parties had declined to take part in the SDS-led talks.

Slovenia posts trade gap for 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a trade gap of EUR 564 million in 2019 as growth in goods imports outpaced growth in exports. Exports rose by 8.5% to EUR 33.47 billion and imports increased by 10.9% to EUR 34.04 billion. Releasing the latest figures, the Statistics Office said that the annual values of goods exports and imports last year were the highest on record. Unlike in the past when Slovenia continuously posted a surplus in external trade, this time its exports represented 98.3% of its imports. A gap was recorded in trade with EU countries as well as the rest of the world.

PM: Slovenia not to soften its position on cohesion

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec was adamant that Slovenia would insist on its position that drastic cuts to cohesion funds planned under the Finnish proposal for the EU's next long-term budget were unacceptable for the country, as he discussed the issue with EU Council President Charles Michel. He was happy with the meeting and said Michel understood Slovenia's position. "We have set out our position that we disagree with the cut as proposed, that cohesion is of exceptional importance to us and that we will insist on the position in the negotiations on the European Council," he said.

Šarec says he is realistic about arbitration

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec expressed "moderate realism" about the arbitration implementation impasse with Croatia, saying that if both countries had elections the same year, there would more time after them to reflect on the issue in a more relaxed manner. "If both countries have elections in the same year, we'll have more time for sober reflection after them, because so far there's been this problem of Croatia having an election, and then Slovenia, so there was no solution," he said after meeting EU Council President Charles Michel.

Number of illegal crossings of border up 74% last year

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian police recorded a total of 16,099 illegal crossings of the border last year, almost 74% more than in 2018. Citizens of Pakistan were involved in a total of 4,101 illegal crossings, followed by citizens of Algeria (1,892) and Afghanistan (1,733), show data from the police, the Ministry of the Interior and the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. The number of applications for international protection was also up last year to 3,821, which is 33% more than in 2018. The vast majority left the country before their applications could be processed.

Prešeren Prizes conferred at Culture Day ceremony

LJUBLJANA- The Prešeren Prizes, the top national accolades in arts and culture, were conferred on the eve of Culture Day, a bank holiday dedicated to artists and their work. The two lifetime achievement prizes went to photographer Stojan Kerbler and choreographer and dancer Milko Šparemblek. Six Prešeren Fund Prizes for accomplishments over the past three years were also handed out. The recipients are designer Nejc Prah, actress Nina Ivanišin, composer and accordionist Luka Juhart, film director Rok Biček, translator Suzana Koncut and costume designer Alan Hranitelj.

Mail threat sent to SAB

LJUBLJANA - A day after the head of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) Aleksandra Pivec received death threats warning her not to join an SDS-led coalition, the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said a package containing an unknown powder had been sent to the SAB headquarters. The powder turned out to be harmless. SAB, a small centre-left party that was part of the recently disbanded coalition, has been trying to organise talks on a new coalition in what is a rival initiative to that of Janez Janša of the opposition Democrats (SDS).

Thousands attend first prayer at Ljubljana mosque

LJUBLJANA - The newly opened Ljubljana mosque hosted the first prayer and with 3,000-4,000 Muslim worshippers attending some had to be put up in a number of other venues apart from the prayer hall. The community posted on Facebook yesterday that due to the expected surge, it would be hard to make sure women would be able to attend the prayer as well, which garnered criticism due to alleged gender discrimination. The Islamic Community's secretary general Nevzet Porić dismissed any such claims, saying that the Friday Prayer was only obligatory for men.

Foreign Ministry State Secretary Božič pays working visit to US

WASHINGTON, US - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dobran Božič concluded a working visit to Washington where he discussed political and economic cooperation with the US, cooperation in NATO, relations between the US and the EU as well the situation in the Western Balkans, the Foreign Ministry said. The list of Božič's interlocutors included Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Keith Krach with whom they agreed to strengthen cooperation in digitalisation and new technologies, energy and infrastructure, including within regional initiatives such as the Three Seas initiative. Talks with Assistant Secretary of European Affairs Phil Reeker touched on bilateral cooperation and the Western Balkans.

Annual inflation rate at 2.1% in January due to costlier food

LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia increased at an annual rate of 2.1% in January, while 0.9% deflation was recorded on the monthly level. The annual inflation was fuelled the most by more expensive food, while winter discount sales of clothing and footwear contributed the most to the monthly deflation. The prices of serviced were up between January 2019 and January 2020 by 2.6% on average, while the prices of good increased by 1.8%, the Statistics Office said. The prices of non-durable and semi-durable goods increased by 3.1 and 0.6%, respectively, and the prices of durable goods were down by 1.7% on average year-on-year.

Flu season as never seen before in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is experiencing one of the worst flu seasons on record. The majority of patients are children aged up to 14. Health officials have warned that the disease is in full swing and widespread, with some deeming the situation unprecedented and borderline extreme. "The flu incidence is extremely high, the flu season is approaching its peak and the disease is prevalent across the country," said the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). Slovenia is among the four WHO Europe members which have reported high or extremely high flu incidence.

Three Slovenian couples on quarantined cruise ship

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry confirmed that there are six Slovenians aboard a cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Japan because of the new coronavirus. They all feel well. Andrej Šter, the head of the Foreign Ministry's consular service, said the three couples aboard the Diamond Princess, which is quarantined in Yokohama for two weeks, had been in contact with the Slovenian Embassy in Tokyo since the day the quarantine was declared after a passenger who had been on the ship last month fell ill with the virus.

Golden Fox moved to Kranjska Gora due to warm weather again

MARIBOR - The 56th Golden Fox competition as part of the Alpine Ski World Cup, which was supposed to take place on 15-16 February in Maribor, has been moved to the Kranjska Gora resort due to the unfavourable weather forecast. The World Cup slalom and giant slalom events for women is moving to the north-western resort, which traditionally hosts World Cup technical events for men, nicknamed the Vitranc Cup. It will be held on the same dates.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

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Robert Šumi appointed new head of anti-graft commission

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor appointed Robert Šumi, a lecturer at the police academy, the next head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. He will start his six-year term on 1 April. The chair of the Police Academy's centre for research and social skills, Šumi is an associate professor at the University of Maribor and has a PhD on ethics in for-profit and non-profit organisations. The president's office said Šumi "fulfils the high professional standards to successfully execute the duties," and Pahor also told Šumi in a video posted on Twitter he wished "that by successfully preventing corruption you restore trust in integrity."

No decision as to election or coalition after first round of talks

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor concluded the first round of talks with parliamentary parties by meeting the heads of the deputy groups of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), National Party (SNS) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), as well as the Italian and Hungarian minority MPs. With all options still on the table, the president said he might call another series of talks by the end of the month if a coalition could be formed once the parties make up their minds about how to proceed. A new coalition in the existing parliament still seems more likely than an early election at the moment, with Democrats (SDS) leader Janez Janša launching talks with potential partners on Friday.

Delo poll: Election favoured by 63%, would be won by SDS

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) would win an election with 18.2% of the vote, followed by the LMŠ of outgoing PM Marjan Šarec with 16.3%, Delo's opinion poll suggests. 62.8% of respondents favour an early election, and over 26% would prefer a new government coalition to be formed with the existing parliamentary parties. The SDS has gained almost five percentage points from January, when it secured 13.3% support, with the the LMŠ adding 4.2 points. The coalition Social Democrats (SD) and the opposition Left are far behind with 7.9% each.

Govt backs consolidation of state-owned tourism assets

LJUBLJANA - The government approved Slovenian Sovereign Holding's (SSH) asset management plan for 2020, which also contains a long-awaited plan to consolidate, manage and restructure tourism companies. While the consolidation plan had been months in the making, the government did not provide any details after today's session. But the consolidation had earlier been said to aim at consolidating tourism companies in terms of ownership and management under the roof of a special state holding in a bid to improve their performance and value to revive the entire sector and to eventually privatise them. SSH's annual asset management plan, which specifies management of individual sectors and of concrete investments, sets the target return on equity at 5.9%, 0.3 pp less than in 2019.

Committee backs extended statute of limitations for sexual offences

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee unanimously decided to table an amended proposal to change the sexual abuse provisions of the penal code. Under the existing penal code, such criminal acts fall under the statute of limitations in 10 to 30 years, depending on the expected prison sentence. The reform, proposed by New Slovenia (NSi), envisages the statute of limitations for gravest sexual offences to be tripled. According to the initial NSi proposal, sex offences would never become statute-barred, with the party aiming to help establish a zero-tolerance policy on such acts.

Committee overrides govt to define animals as sentient beings

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee voted in favour of an amendment to the property code law that defines animals as sentient beings, taking a step further than the government proposal that upgraded animals from things to living beings. The amendment, which is in line with the original proposal by the Justice Ministry that was rejected by the government, comes as the MPs of five left-leaning parties sided with Justice Minister Andreja Katič on the matter. Reservations due to potential risks were also expressed by the Modern Centre Party (SMC), but Justice Ministry representative insisted the proposed solutions were to the benefit of the citizens and creditors.

Women Economic Forum gets under way in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Over 200 participants from more than 20 countries got together for a three-day Women Economic Forum, an event dedicated to empowering women committed to change. An associate of the All Ladies League, an international network of women, the forum aims to help women expand business opportunities and increase their influence. The slogan of the event is Power of the Pack. Women trustfully supporting Women, highlighting how women have been traditionally taught to be distrustful of one another due to scarcity of top jobs, the organisers say.

Exhibition on migrations puts stories in focus

MARIBOR - An exhibition that puts stories from the front lines of migrations in the spotlight opened in Maribor today, a part of an EU-funded project aimed at disclosing the complexities of migrations. Dubbed Snapshots from the Border and on show at the Vetrinjski Dvor in the centre of the city until 21 February, the exhibition gives a voice to migrants who travel to Europe. The opening will be accompanied by the screening of Stranger in Paradise, a 2016 documentary by Dutch director Guido Hendrikx which has won almost a dozen international awards.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

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Parties keeping their options open

LJUBLJANA - Mid-sized parties are keeping their options open a week after the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. Talks with President Borut Pahor today showed the Modern Centre Party (SMC) prefers a new coalition to a snap election, and will enter talks with Janez Janša's Democrats (SDS), while it did not say whether it was interested in a potential partnership with the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB). The SocDems remain in favour of a snap election, but will sit down for talks only with the SAB. The Left does not plan to participate in any possible coalition, while New Slovenia (NSi) plans to talk to both SAB and SDS, even as it steps up preparations for a snap election.

Delo poll shows 62% favouring snap election

LJUBLJANA - A poll run by Delo has 62% picking a snap election among the options following the disbanding of the coalition. The forming of a new coalition is, on the other hand, favoured by 26.4%, while 10.8% are undecided. According to the survey, conducted by Mediana in the week after the 27 January resignation of PM Marjan Šarec, left-leaning voters in particular favour a snap election. Eight out of ten respondents believe a new government should first tackle healthcare.

Slovenia welcomes new proposal on enlargement policy

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia welcomed a European Commission proposal for a reform of the EU membership process that provides stronger sanctioning of aspiring EU members if they backslide on their reform efforts. "Slovenia is confident that a more dynamic, credible and political process will accelerate EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, which is crucial for stability, development and reform processes in the region," the Foreign Ministry said.

Foreign Ministry advises against non-urgent travel to China

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry advised against any non-urgent travel to China. The ministry said that people should not travel to any areas that are under quarantine due to the new coronavirus which has claimed some 500 lives since breaking out in the city of Wuhan in late December. The ministry advised Slovenians in the most at-risk areas that the safest option is to leave.

MPs critical of white paper on defence

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee discussed the white paper on defence recently presented by the Defence Ministry. The opposition Democrats (SDS) and the Left voiced the harshest criticism, albeit listing different arguments. While the SDS claims the document is not ambitious enough, the Left labelled it "a propaganda leaflet". The document plans for Slovenia's armed forces to increase to 8,000 members and 2,000 reserves by 2035, while defence spending is to rise to 2% of GDP.

Catalonia support committee says EU losing credibility

LJUBLJANA - The committee set up in Slovenia in support of Catalan political prisoners sent out another protest letter, calling on governments in Europe and on European institutions not to divert attention from violations of basic European values in Spain. The committee founders, including former Slovenian President Milan Kučan and former MEP Ivo Vajgl, said the EU was losing credibility due to violations of European values in Catalonia and the process to waive immunity of Catalan MEPs.

NKBM completes Abanka takeover

LJUBLJANA - NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, formally completed its takeover of Abanka by transferring the EUR 444 million purchase consideration to the state. The two banks will be merged into a single legal entity this year, creating a strong rival to market leader NLB. The merger, which Abanka chairman Jože Lenič described as a momentous event in Slovenian banking, will create a bank with total assets of EUR 8.8 billion, just shy of NLB's. Its market share by assets will be 23.6%.

Despite monthly spike, jobless total still down y/y

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total hit 79,841 at the end of January, an increase of 6% from December that is mainly due to the expiry of fixed-term job contracts. The figure is still 3.6% lower than in January 2019, data from the Employment Service show. The number of freshly made unemployed who registered with the service in January surged by 41.9% from December to 11,288. Out of the 6,739 who were removed from the unemployment register, 4,700 found a job or got self-employed.

NLB completes EUR 120m bond issue

LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, completed the issue of EUR 120 million worth of subordinate bonds in a second such issue since November last year. With a maturity date on 5 February 2030, the bonds are callable after five years. The bonds have an annual yield of 3.40%, and have been given a BB credit rating by the rating agency S&P. The issue attracted significant demand, with the book of orders exceeding EUR 300 million.

Execs bearish about growth prospects

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian executives are quite pessimistic about the prospects for global economic growth this year with more than half of those surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) thinking that growth will slow down. "The sentiment of this year's survey of Slovenian directors is best summarised with the word uncertainty," head of legal services at PWC Slovenia, Sanja Savič, said. This year 53% of directors think that global growth will deteriorate over the next 12 months, up from 47% last year.

Lek announces more focus on innovative drugs

LJUBLJANA - Addressing the press amid continuing speculation about Novartis's plans, representatives of the Swiss multinational's Slovenian subsidiary Lek said Novartis would continue a reform in Slovenia that included the transformation of production locations and more focus on innovative drugs along with generics. Lek started producing 10 innovative drugs last year, making for a total of 26. It also filed applications for 21 new generic pharmaceuticals last year.

Banks unlikely to charge households for deposits

LJUBLJANA - A survey conducted by the Slovenian central bank shows that Slovenian banks are unlikely to follow suit of some banks abroad that have started charging fees for household sight deposits to compensate for the loss of earnings due to negative interest rates. Just one in ten banks involved in the survey said they were considering negative interest and two in ten said they were considering deposit fees. It suggests at least sight deposits up to EUR 100,000 should be safe from such charges.

Slovenia's retail slowdown among most substantial in EU

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia saw the biggest slump in the volume of retail trade among EU members in December compared to the same month a year earlier, and one of the biggest month-on-month drops, show data from Eurostat. The seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade in Slovenia declined by 6.6% year-on-year and dropped by 2.8% compared to November 2019. This compares to the annual growth of 1.3% in the euro area and 1.9% in the EU27, and the monthly decline of 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively.

Petition against pollution of Soča Valley gaining traction

LJUBLJANA - A petition to protect the central Soča Valley from further pollution by the local cement plant is gaining traction, having been signed by almost 600 doctors and dentists from around the country. They urge environmental protection from the Salonit Anhovo cement plant in Kanal ob Soči, in particular the plans to expand the volume of co-incineration of waste. Environment Minister Simon Zajc said that medical professionals would be a factor as decisions were made on further measures.

Carinthian Political Almanac presented in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The latest issue of the Carinthian Political Almanac was presented in Slovenia's capital for the first time, with Austrian Ambassador to Slovenia Sigrid Berka saying on the occasion that Carinthian Slovenians were an important part of the public and political life in Carinthia and that the publication treated them accordingly. The 2019 issue features annual analyses of political events in the southern Austrian state since 1994.

Health insurance to start covering cancer genetic testing

LJUBLJANA - The Health Insurance Institute will start covering genetic testing for cancer this year, helping to create individualised treatments. For instance, some breast cancer patients may avoid chemotherapy if the test shows a low risk of recurrence. Cost will not go up, as the tests will reduce the number of chemotherapy treatments and sick leave costs. The Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) believes that between 1,500 and 1,600 genetic tests will be performed annually.

Alternative music festival kicks off in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The MENT Festival of contemporary alternative music got under way at Ljubljana's Kino Šiška with a concert by Kamaal Williams, a project by South Londoner Henry Wu, one of the key artists responsible for the revival of the British jazz scene. The opening night also saw the Ukrainian female group Dakh Daughters and the Slovenian band Pantaloons. The three-day festival is featuring a total of some 80 performers on 14 stages as well as a conference.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

SDS invites parties to coalition talks, SAB proposes "project government"

LJUBLJANA - A week after PM Marjan Šarec resigned, the leader of the largest opposition party, Janez Janša of the Democrats (SDS), invited all parliamentary parties to talks on a new coalition this Friday. He would like to meet each party separately, and if common ground is found, a second round of talks would be held on 11 February. Šarec's LMŠ and the opposition Left already said they would not go to the talks, and the coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) could do the same; earlier in the day, the SAB invited all parties but the SDS to form a "project coalition" which would be in office until electoral law is reformed and some urgent bills possibly passed. Initial reactions indicated the chances of the SAB's initiative are slim, with the SDS even mocking the very idea of SAB leading any talks.

Police strike warning of force's collapse, union says

OBREŽJE - The situation in the police force is critical, president of the Trade Union of Police Officers (SPS) Kristjan Mlekuš told the press as SPS members staged a four-hour token strike. The action is a warning for Slovenia's next government that unless the situation is addressed, the police force will collapse due to understaffing, he said. The SPS, one of the two police unions, was on strike between 8am and noon both inland and on national borders, with officers working on the border conducting more thorough checks.

Lenarčič says Slovenia, Croatia jointly turning to court good option

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Commenting on the Slovenia-Croatia border arbitration impasse following a recent ruling by the EU Court of Justice, Slovenia's European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič said that resubmitting the case to the court together with Croatia would be a good option. Noting that the court - which ruled Slovenia's case against Croatia over the latter's ignoring of the arbitration decision inadmissible - had proposed this step as part of its decision, Lenarčič said the two sides could confront the court with a very simple question: is the arbitration decision binding on both sides or not. "The problem is it requires the consent of both sides," he added.

Abanka acquisition also cleared by ECB

LJUBLJANA - Following the clearance by the national Competition Protection Agency, the EUR 444 million acquisition of Abanka by the US-owned NKBM bank was also cleared on 30 January by the European Central Bank (ECB), said Slovenian central bank Banka Slovenije. NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, acquired the no. 3 bank on the market from Slovenian Sovereign Holding in June 2019. The merger between Abanka and NKBM is to create a bank with combined total assets of EUR 8.71 billion or a 22.5% market share. Slovenia's largest bank, NLB, has total assets of EUR 8.81 billion.

Prospective anti-graft boss says prevention, awareness key in fighting corruption

LJUBLJANA - Robert Šumi stressed the importance of prevention, awareness and integrity as he presented his vision for the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. The head of the Police Academy's research and social skills centre wants to use his knowledge and experience to improve the watchdog's reputation. Šumi, whom Pahor selected from four candidates put forward by a vetting commission last week, said that professionalism of the commission will be key in restoring people's trust in it. Šumi is set to succeed Boris Štefanec, who is seen as having undermined the body's integrity if nominated by Pahor and appointed by parliament.

Judicial Council urges independence of Polish judiciary

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Judicial Council has joined calls to protect the independence of Poland's judiciary by pointing out the independence of the judiciary in EU member states was a key condition for mutual trust among judges in the bloc and for the recognition of rulings across the EU. Thereby it is also a key condition "for democracy and the rule of law and the safeguarding of human rights and freedoms in the shared European space", the council wrote in its position, which it adopted on 23 January, joining the call of the executive council of the European Networks of Councils for the Judiciary.

Ljubljana mosque opening doors

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana mosque, which the Islamic community in Slovenia has been striving for for decades, will be inaugurated in June after the end of Ramadan, while it will already start operating in about a week, Mufti Nedžad Grabus announced. Presenting what is officially called the Muslim Cultural Centre Ljubljana, Grabus said it was a milestone for Muslims in Slovenia, who were finally getting their own space for prayer and activities. The project will end up costing slightly over EUR 34 million, roughly EUR 28 million of which has been provided by donors from Qatar.

SAB vice-president, former minister Purič quits party

LJUBLJANA - Iztok Purič, one of four vice-presidents of the coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), left the party, saying he lost trust already some time ago. "Losing trust also means losing respect, and this is the moment when one has to decide how to proceed," the former cohesion minister wrote in his resignation. Purič told the STA that he was not thinking about joining any other party, adding he wished the SAB success. Meanwhile the SAB said that since he resigned as cohesion minister last September, Purič had no longer been active in the party, so his resignation had not been entirely unexpected.

Hidria announces EUR 30 million deal with BMW

LJUBLJANA - Car parts maker Hidria announced it had developed innovative aluminium steering wheel system casings for next generation hybrid and electric BMW cars, winning a EUR 30 million contract running until 2030. The casing is part of a system allowing automatic vertical steering wheel adjustments for individual drivers. Cars with this system will be available on the European market in three years, Hidria said, adding that it won the deal in strong international competition.

Entrepreneurs advocating steps fighting youth brain drain

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Business Club (SBC) presented a number of measures which it believes could mitigate the youth brain drain and improve the situation for the young. SBC head Marjan Batagelj said that Slovenia did not have an ecosystem which would keep the young or attract them, pointing out that numerous countries had surpassed Slovenia by providing tax, welfare and housing benefits. Politicians welcomed the initiative, but warned changes for the better would not occur overnight.

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Instead of cooperating, Slovenia and Croatia are flexing their muscles, Kučan says

ZAGREB, Croatia - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan told the Croatian newspaper Večernji List that Slovenia and Croatia had many common interests but rather than cooperating they were flexing their muscles. He finds it inexplicable that two countries "which are in the same boat" have no ideas for joint projects that they could offer in the world of contradictions and to the insecure European Union. "There are many common interests there, but instead we are flexing our muscles," he said.

Carinthian Slovenian installed as bishop of Gurk-Klagenfurt

KLAGENFURT, Austria - Jože Marketz, a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria, was installed as the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt in Klagenfurt. His appointment by Pope Francis at the beginning of last December is seen as very important for the Slovenian community in Austria. A number of church dignitaries took part in the ceremony and over a thousand people attended. A part of the ceremony was held in Slovenian, and Markets gave his replies to the questions about his readiness to assume the post in both German and Slovenian.

Gen-I to build first major solar power plant in North Macedonia

SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Energy company Gen-I will build the first major solar power plant in North Macedonia. The plant will be built and managed by Gen-I's subsidiary Sonce DOOEL Skopje. Construction is expected to start in early 2021 and the power plant should start operating in early 2023. It is to produce 25,000 Megawatt hours of electricity a year.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

President concerned support for electoral reform insufficient

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor expressed concern about insufficient support for electoral reform after 59 MPs submitted a legislative motion to scrap electoral districts in line with a landmark Constitutional Court decision, just shy of the requisite two-thirds majority. "In the event this proposal does not muster sufficient support, the question that will arise is how to proceed. It may well happen that we will witness the submission of new proposals that will not be adopted and time will run out for the implementation of the Constitutional Court decision," he said.

Friends of Cohesion oppose cohesion funding cuts

BEJA, Portugal - Friends of Cohesion, an informal group of EU members of which Slovenia is a part, called for a fair EU budget in the next seven-year period in which funding for cohesion should not be cut. "We need more Europe, not less, which is why we should stick to the proposal presented in the spring of 2018 by the European Commission," said Igor Mally, state secretary at the prime minister's office, who attended the summit on behalf of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec.

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