Ljubljana related

12 Jan 2020, 04:20 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 12 January 2020

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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:

PM critical of public exposure of mission to bring troops from Iraq

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec expressed criticism of the way Slovenian military instructors were pulled out of Iraq earlier in the week. "The last thing we wanted was media hype... Unfortunately some experienced politicians completely neglected that and carried it all out in the spotlight. International credibility should not be played with," he said in a tweet, three days after Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and President Borut Pahor, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, decided to bring home Slovenia's six instructors stationed in Erbil after a rocket attack of their base by Iran.

Kranjec wins giant slalom

ADELBODEN, Switzerland - Skier Žan Kranjec won the giant slalom FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing race in Adelboden, Switzerland and took the lead in the giant slalom rankings. Croatian Filip Zubčić was second and French Victor Muffat-Jeandet took third place. "This win means a lot to me," Kranjec said after the race. "I've always dreamt of winning a world cup race and then I finally made it last season," he said, referring to his first world cup victory.

Lampič second in cross-country sprint

DRESDEN, Germany - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič took second place in the sprint event of FIS Cross-Country event in Dresden, Germany. She has thus taken the lead in the cross country sprint rankings. After clocking the fastest time in her group in qualifications, she was the fastest in her group in the quarter finals and second in her group in the semi finals. In the final run, Lampič finished 0.21 seconds slower than the winner, Swede Linn Svahn. Swede Maja Dahlqvist took third place, lagging only 0.5 seconds behind Lampič.

Bank branches losing out to online

LJUBLJANA - The number of brick-and-mortar bank branches in Slovenia has been on decline in recent years due to digital banking reducing demand for branch services. Their number dropped by almost 20% in 2013-2018, with the number of employees decreasing by some 15% in this period as well. At the end of 2013, Slovenia boasted more than 600 branches, while in late 2018, there were fewer than 500 left. The number of ATMs is on the decline as well. Their presence decreased by 9% between 2015 and 2019, a downturn that has caused backlash in certain local communities.

SiChain aims for blockchain deployment at companies, state bodies

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia launched SiChain, a blockchain infrastructure platform, just over a year ago to become the first EU country to have a pilot blockchain infrastructure system in place at state level. SiChain technology aims to facilitate blockchain technology use for companies and state agencies, and could be used for document verification as well. The pilot project is run by the Economy Ministry in cooperation with the EU Commission, with the project's infrastructure being devised by blockchain firm HashNet and telecoms provider Telemach.

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11 Jan 2020, 04:16 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 11 January 2020

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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 defends decision to evacuate troops from Erbil

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor defended Slovenia's decision to evacuate troops from Iraq following an attack by Iran on the Erbil airbase where the six soldiers were stationed, saying that a sovereign country had the right to assess whether its soldiers were safe or not. He said the evacuation was merely an early rotation of the team deployed to Erbil to train the Kurdish fighters. Pahor also said in an interview with the public broadcaster TV Slovenija on Thursday that Slovenia remained a part of the international coalition against Islamic State.

Slovenia urges greater EU role in Middle East de-escalation

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar called on the EU to play a greater role in the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as EU foreign ministers held an emergency session. "I called for a greater role of the EU in forging dialogue to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East. Slovenia calls for respect of Iraq's sovereignty and international law, and condemns attacks on civilians, foreign units and cultural monuments," he said according to the Foreign Ministry. Cerar also reiterated Slovenia's commitment to remaining a partner in the fight against IS and continue training Iraqi security forces.

Central bank challenges act on bail-in repayments

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank mounted a Constitutional Court challenge against legislation that would require it to cover all repayments to those who lost their investments during the banking sector bailout of 2013. "The most controversial parts of the law affect monetary financing and the financial independence of the central bank," Banka Slovenije said. The act was passed in late-2019 and provides easier access to recourse for roughly 100,000 potential plaintiffs, both shareholders and holders of junior bonds, wiped out on instruction from the EU.

Adria Airways's licences to be auctioned off on 23 January

LJUBLJANA - The licences of bankrupt air carrier Adria Airways, including its air operator's certificate, will be put up for an action on 23 January at an opening price of EUR 45,000. Having received five non-binding bids for what has been left of Adria's assets, official receiver Janez Pustatičnik set the price based on the bids. It is impossible to assess the value of the assets on the basis of comparable market prices, he explained. Media reports suggest three Slovenian businessmen are interested in Adria's estate.

Concerns about 5G legitimate, says minister

LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved rushed to reassure the public that concerns about 5G technology were given due attention. But while he deems the concerns legitimate, he also said that Slovenia needed 5G. Speaking after a protest against the introduction of the 5th generation wireless technology, Medved said the ministry was planning a debate this month, where it expects "a clash of all opinions". However, he said 5G was a technology of the future and it would be unacceptable for Slovenia to remain an isolated island.

End of procedure likely outcome of ruling on collaborationist general

LJUBLJANA - Jurist Miha Hafner indicated that the most likely outcome of a recent Supreme Court annulment of the guilty sentence for WWII collaborationist general Leon Rupnik, who was sentenced to death by firing squad, would be a termination of procedure. The annulment means the case will now be sent into retrial, and Hafner, an associate professor at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, believes it will either be thrown out by the prosecution, or that the court will declare it cannot conduct a retrial since the accused is already dead. However, he was quick to point out that does not mean rehabilitation for the general.

Industrial output down in November

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output decreased by 1.1% in November compared to the month before but it was 1.2% higher than in November 2018, the Statistics Office said. Output was up on monthly level only in electricity, gas and steam supply, by 0.1%. In manufacturing, it dropped by 1.2% and in mining by 5.6%. Industrial production in capital goods industries was up by 1.7%, while in intermediate goods industries and in consumer goods industries it was down by 1.4% and 3.6%, respectively.

Police uncover driving licence test fraud

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana police have busted a pair of suspects who have enabled 76 persons, in exchange for bribe money, to pass a written test which is a prerequisite for a driving licence. A 36-year-old working for Slovenia's Traffic Safety Agency is suspected of having given a 28-year-old his password for backdoor access to online tests taken by candidates for driving licence, so that he could correct their answers, Irfan Beganović from the Ljubljana Police Department told the press. House searches at 81 addresses around Slovenia were carried out this week, with some of the suspects being not only into bribes but also drugs and weapons.

Survey: Over 60% of Slovenians use social media

LJUBLJANA - As many as 82% of Slovenian residents aged 16 to 74 have their profile on at least one social media, which translates into 1.25 million people, or some 60% of Slovenia's population, shows the latest Media+ survey for 2019 by pollster Valicon. The most popular platform is Facebook, which had 995,500 users last year, followed by Instagram (450,500), Twitter (208,500), Pinterest (180,500) and Linkedin (161,000). The users said they spent at least one hour a day on social media, with Valicon adding the arithmetic mean was at slightly more than 80 minutes.

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10 Jan 2020, 03:49 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 10 January 2020

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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:

Slovenian troops flown home from Erbil

LJUBLJANA - The six Slovenian soldiers who have served in the international operation Inherent Resolve in Erbil in northern Iraq were flown home following a decision to relocate them in the wake of Iran's attacks on Iraqi bases in the night to Wednesday. However, the decision does not mean Slovenia is ending its presence in Iraq where a new Slovenian rotation will be deployed by 1 February at latest. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and Defence Minister Karl Erjavec pledged Slovenia's continued commitment to the global anti-Daesh coalition, a position also supported by the parliamentary committees on defence and foreign policy at a join session.

Four picked as anti-graft boss candidates, Štefanec snubbed

LJUBLJANA - The commission authorised to select appropriate candidates for the leadership of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has proposed to President Borut Pahor four candidates for the body's president, with the list not including the incumbent president, Boris Štefanec. President Pahor now has 30 days to appoint the new president of the anti-graft commission, and may pick only among the candidates from the list. He may also decide not to appoint any and repeat the call for applications for the post.

Annulment of Rupnik's death sentence draws ire

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court's annulment of the 1946 death sentencing of general Leon Rupnik for collaboration with the Fascist Italian and Nazi German occupation drew protests from the Association of WWII Veterans, the Jewish Cultural Centre Ljubljana and the Social Democrats. The Jewish Cultural Centre labelled the decision the "first step in the politically-motivated aspiration to rehabilitate the criminal collaborationist regime during WWII". The centre plans to inform the world public of the decision and monitor and actively oppose further "denial of the Holocaust, revision and perversion of history and revival and justification of Fascist and Nazi atrocities".

Protest as debate held on 5G spectrum auctions

LJUBLJANA - Some 50 people staged a protest against plans to introduce 5G wireless technology in Slovenia as the Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS) hosted a consultation on 5G spectrum auctions to bring operators up to date on its activities. In line with EU guidelines, the Slovenian government last year committed to award the frequencies by 30 June this year. "5G is coming, but the question is in what way and how fast," AKOS director Tanja Muha said.

More entities to be subject to Court of Audit

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit will have the power to audit subsidiaries of companies in state or municipal ownership under amendments to the act governing the court's operation that the government adopted today. Any company in which the state, municipalities or body governed by public law has a 40% direct or indirect stake, individually or combined, will be subject to periodic Court of Audit checks.

Slovenia's exports up 4% y/y in November, imports rise by 0.4%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's exports and imports rose by 4% and 0.4% respectively in November 2019 compared to the year before, the Statistics Office said, attributing this to the increased value of trade with EU non-member countries. Exports amounted to EUR 2.94 billion, while imports reached EUR 2.85 billion in November.

SID Bank EU partner in CEF Transport Blending Facility

LJUBLJANA - SID Bank, the Slovenian state-run export and development bank, has singed an administrative agreement on the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport Blending Facility with the EU. Announcing the signing, SID Bank called on potential partners in the field of mobility to check financing possibilities for their projects with it.

Luka Koper revenue grows despite economic slowdown

KOPER - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's only sea port, generated EUR 224.5 million in net sales revenue last year, a 1% uptick compared to the previous year, preliminary data show. Meanwhile, ship to ship transshipment dropped by 5% over 2018 to 22.8 million tonnes. Container transshipment stayed level over 2018, while liquid cargo transshipment increased by 12%. On the other hand, bulk cargo transshipment decreased by 17%, vehicle transshipment by 4% and general cargo transshipment by 16%.

Slovenia's inflation in 2019 at 1.8%, not 1.9%

LJUBLJANA - Annual inflation in Slovenia in 2019 reached 1.8%, not 1.9% as reported by the Statistics Office (SURS) at the end of December. SURS corrected the figure after detecting an error in the statistical data. Prices of services increased by an average 2.9%, not by 2.6%, with prices of goods rising by 1.3% over 2018.

Jožef Stefan Institute boss declared Delo Person of the Year

LJUBLJANA - Jadran Lenarčič, director of the Jožef Stefan Institute, the country's top research institution, was declared the Person of 2019 by the newspaper publisher Delo. Lenarčič is the long-serving head of Slovenia's largest and most important scientific institution, successfully managing 500 doctors of science "who create the future of our country", the award jury said. In his acceptance speech Lenarčič called on the government to invest in science.

"Climate" declared Slovenian word of the year

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian word of the year 2019 is "podnebje" or climate, the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU) announced. Second place went to "Šarecism", alluding to a discourse used by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, followed by "carbon-neutral". Meanwhile, the sign language gesture of the year is "ustava" or constitution.

Trump effigy in Moravče torched

MORAVČE - A large-scale wooden effigy of US President Donald Trump, which had recently been relocated to Moravče, some 30 kilometres east of Ljubljana, has been torched, the Moravče municipality said. The statue, standing almost eight metres tall and mimicking the Statue of Liberty, had originally been erected in Selo, a small village some 20 kilometres north of Ljubljana, in August, but was relocated to Moravče in late December due to unease that it was causing among the Selo locals and the media interest that came with it.

Comedian gets 15 months suspended sentence for plagiarism

LJUBLJANA - Actor and comedian Boris Kobal has been given a 15-month suspended sentence with a probation period of three years after pleading guilty to plagiarising an Italian play in early 2019. Under the terms of the plea bargain, the prosecution proposed an eight-month suspended sentence for fraud and the same punishment for copyright violation. The Celje District court pronounced a combined 15-month sentence today.

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09 Jan 2020, 04:39 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 9 January 2019

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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:

Slovenian soldiers to be pulled out from Erbil by evening

LJUBLJANA - The six Slovenian soldiers deployed in northern Iraq in the international operation Inherent Resolve are being pulled out after Iran attacked Erbil airport in retaliation for the US assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. "The temporary withdrawal of Slovenian soldiers into the third country is expected to be carried out by evening and they should be home tomorrow," Defence Minister Karl Erjavec announced. The Foreign Ministry condemned the Iranian attacks on army bases and called on all sides to refrain from any activities that would escalate tensions in the region.

Middle East escalation seen as bad for business

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has had minimum business presence in Iran but the latest escalation of tensions seen as bad for business in the entire Middle East. The escalation will make it more difficult to do business in the region, said Jure Stojan, a partner at the Institute of Strategic Studies. Of only two Slovenian companies that remained in Iran after sanctions were imposed, the telecommunications company Iskratel has since withdrawn, while engineering company Riko would not comment on its business in Iran.

Left wants to halt privatisation of railway cargo arm

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left announced it would table a legislative motion to prevent the privatisation of the cargo arm of national rail operator Slovenske Železnice and its other subsidiaries. "There is no excuse why the Marjan Šarec government should not stop this privatisation procedure," Left deputy Miha Kordiš said. This was after it was reported last October that an agreement was reached to sell a minority interest in SŽ-Tovorni Promet to the Czech logistic giant EP Holding. The rail operator said it was not selling the cargo arm, but the idea was for a strategic partner to recapitalise it.

Health fund manager approves financial plan for 2020

LJUBLJANA - The health insurance institute ZZZS approved the 2020 financial plan. Expenditure is budgeted to increase by EUR 266 million compared to 2019 to EUR 3.32 billion. The institute is expected to operate at a EUR 10.4 million loss this year, which is to be covered by a surplus generated in the past. The budget approved by the ZZZS assembly is expected to see a revenue of EUR 3.309 billion this year, nearly EUR 205 million more than in 2019. The document is now pending approval by the government.

OTP bank planning to grow in Slovenia after SKB takeover

LJUBLJANA - OTP, the Hungarian banking group which acquired SBK Banka from the French group Societe Generale last year, plans to grow in the Slovenian market organically and through potential takeovers. OTP CEO Sandor Csanyi told reporters in Ljubljana that the group could attain a market share of between 25% and 30% in Slovenia. The market leader, NLB has a 23% market share, while SKB was at 8% in 2018. Csanyi said OTP had no plans on how many banks it would want to buy in Slovenia.

Biggest health corruption case goes to trial

LJUBLJANA - The biggest health corruption case in Slovenia's history came to trial, with four defendants out of six who appeared today pleading not guilty. One did not enter a plea, and one was allowed to leave the session early due to health reasons, and will enter his plea at the next session, which is expected to take place next Monday. A total of eleven defendants, who denied taking bribes last year, are standing trial alongside company Advanta. They are being believed to have caused some 1.18 million euros in loss to public funds, with the indictment accusing them of receiving kickbacks for ordering medical supplies at a certain supplier. A cut of 5% to 20% intended for the bribes had been allegedly factored in the prices of supplies.

FURS collected almost EUR 18bn tax in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Financial Administration (FURS) collected EUR 17.6 billion in taxes and social contributions in 2019, 5.7% more than in 2018. The rising trend has been present ever since FURS was incorporated through the merger of the tax and customs administrations in 2014. Since then its tax take rose by 29%. FURS pointed out that the 2019 increase in tax revenue outstripped Slovenia's GDP growth, which in the first three quarters of last year reached 2.7%.

NSi protesting over state secretary's Christmas greeting

LJUBLJANA - Education Ministry State Secretary Jernej Štromajer's tweet "Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal" on Christmas Eve made some of the public, particularly Christians, go up in arms. Matej Tonin, the leader of New Slovenia - Christian Democrats (NSi), today addressed a protest letter to PM Marjan Šarec, saying that Štromajer's post was a provocative move which did not help promote tolerance, respect and inclusivity. While Tonin wonders why Štromajer is still enjoying Šarec's trust, numerous people have demanded his resignation on social networks as well.

Biggest irrigation system to get much needed overhaul

VIPAVA - Slovenia's biggest irrigation system is about to undergo a much needed renovation having functioned at reduced capacity due to a dam leak for 12 years. Located in the Vipava Valley, a key produce growing area, the Vogršček reservoir will be overhauled by the ministries of infrastructure and agriculture at the cost of EUR 10.5 million. The construction contracts were signed on Tuesday and work will start as soon as a construction permit is issued, expectedly in a month.

Female Engineer of the Year title awarded to war refugee

LJUBLJANA - The Female Engineer of the Year title for 2019 went to Aida Kamišalić Latifić, a researcher and professor at the Maribor Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, as the award ceremony was held in the Cankarjev Dom arts centre. The judging panel views the life story of the winner, who came to Slovenia as a Bosnian war refugee in 1992, "an inspiration for the young, encouraging them to follow their engineering dreams - even if the circumstances in which they dream are challenging". Her research has been recently focused on blockchain technology, and she is also an inventor and advocate for female-friendly working spaces.

Attempt launched to rehabilitate WWII collaborationist general

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court has annulled the death sentence of Slovenian general Leon Rupnik (1880-1946), who collaborated with the occupying forces during WWII, and sent the case to the Ljubljana District Court for retrial, the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer reported. Rupnik was court-martialed and sentenced to death for treason in 1946. One of his descendants, allegedly a grandson, had filed an appeal on a point of law, which has been granted by the Supreme Court. The court says that the verdict was not in compliance with the legal principles at the time, and that not all accusations of the acts he had been sentenced for had been supported with facts and circumstances.

Former president takes the helm of Club of Madrid

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's former President Danilo Türk took the helm of the Club of Madrid this month, an international NGO including democratically elected former presidents and prime ministers. Türk will preside over the world's largest forum of former heads of state and government until the end of 2022. He was elected the head of the organisation unanimously at the forum's general assembly in Madrid in October 2019, said Türk's office.

Lojze Spacal on show in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - A retrospective exhibition marking 20 years since the death of Lojze Spacal (1907-2000), one of the most acclaimed Slovenian High Modern artists, has been on show at the Ljubljana gallery Bežigrajska Galerija 2. A total of 38 art pieces are being displayed until 8 February, including paintings, statues and prints, from private and public collections. Spacal lived at the crossroads of two cultures, the Roman and Slavic, and two regions, the Mediterranean and the continental.

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08 Jan 2020, 03:44 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 8 January 2020

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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:

Slovenian soldiers staying in Iraq for now

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian soldiers deployed in the German-led international operation Inherent Resolve will remain in Iraq for now since they are in a relatively safe region in Erbil. In the event of a deterioration of the situation, they can be pulled out on short notice, Slovenian authorities said. Due to increased risk, several measures have been adopted at Erbil base where six Slovenian soldiers are stationed. Defence Minister Karl Erjavec said Slovenia could pull out its troops "within hours" if needed.

Court upholds Mercator share seizure

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Court has fully upheld the Competition Protection Agency's decision to temporarily seize Mercator shares from the retailer's owner, Croatian group Agrokor, rejecting the latter's appeal. The anti-trust watchdog announced the court's decision upon receiving it today, while Agrokor's successor Fortenova announced it would use all legal means available to have the seizure annulled. The agency seized 70% of Mercator shares from Agrokor on 16 December to ensure the insolvent Croatian group pay a EUR 53.9 million fine for failing to notify it of the 2016 takeover of Slovenian-based bottled water company Costella.

Slovenia issues EUR 1.5bn bond at record low interest rate

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia successfully completed a EUR 1.5 billion ten-year eurobond issue, leveraging market appetite for fixed assets to secure a record-low coupon interest rate of 0.275%. The last bond issue a year ago came with a coupon rate of 1.188%. The bond issue makes Slovenia the first eurozone country to tap the bond market this year and the issue size covers almost the entire planned borrowing of EUR 1.58 billion for 2020.

Slovenia advocates easing of tensions over Iran

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar has voiced support for a de-escalation of tensions in the conflict between Iran and the United States. "It is necessary to calm down the situation, prevent the triggering of any violence or threat," he said. "Slovenia's position is that we have to do everything to de-escalate tensions, to prevent the conflicts from escalating. It is also important that civilisational norms and international law be respected," Cerar added. "Any attacks on civilians, diplomatic and consular missions or cultural monuments are inadmissible."

Left wants Slovenia to pull out of NATO mission in Iraq

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left called on the government to withdraw immediately from the NATO-led Inherent Resolve mission in Iraq and bring home the six Slovenian troops serving there and an officer deployed at the US military command centre in Tampa, Florida. The call follows the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by the US. The party also plans to request a session of the Foreign Policy Committee to discuss the situation in Iran. The party wants the body to condemn the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity by the US targeting Iran.

Cerar finds EU enlargement increasingly likely

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Foreign Minster Miro Cerar believes that with the new European Commission, EU enlargement to the Western Balkans is increasingly more likely. He also announced the region's EU prospects would be a priority of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021. Speaking at an event on the Western Balkans organised by the Institute for Strategic Studies in Ljubljana, Cerar said the region should be given the prospect of an EU future. "I'm increasingly optimistic about enlargement, even if we had some bitter moments last year," he said.

Jobless total up in December due to fixed-term jobs elapse

LJUBLJANA - The number of people out of a job registered with Slovenia's Employment Service increased in monthly comparison in December as many fixed-term contracts expired at the end of the year. A total of 75,292 persons were registered as unemployed at the end of December, up 4% from November but down 4.1% from December 2018. A total of 7,954 people registered as freshly unemployed in December, which is 31.8% more than in November and 9% more year-on-year. Most of the newly unemployed, 4,668, were workers whose fixed-term contracts expired at the end of the year.

Bank bailout documents released by central bank

LJUBLJANA - The central bank has released documents related to the erasure of holders of subordinated bank liabilities in the 2013 bank bailout, under a law that provides legal recourse to those affected. Released are the documents relevant to the wipe-out of EUR 963 million worth of qualified liabilities affecting up to 100,000 individuals, shareholders and holders of junior bonds. They include decisions ordering measures for each of the banks bailed out by the state, and documents revealing the content of contractual relationships with the entities involved asset quality reviews, stress tests and property appraisals.

Court upholds law banning pharmacies from owning wholesalers

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court announced it had rejected a petition in which Lekarna Ljubljana, the company operating a chain of pharmacies in greater Ljubljana, challenged a law prohibiting pharmacies from owning or controlling drug wholesalers and advertising pharmaceutical products.

Fugitive tax debtor apprehended

LJUBLJANA - Following three months of police search, runaway tax debtor Zlatan Kudić was apprehended on New Year's Eve, reportedly in central Ljubljana. One of the biggest tax debtors in the country, Kudić will await the end of his tax fraud trial in detention. The Financial Administration (FURS) should not hold out much hope of recovering EUR 25 million worth of his debt. Moreover, it is questionable whether Kudić formally has any assets left at all.

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07 Jan 2020, 04:21 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, January 7 2019

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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 Pahor urges de-escalation in Middle East

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor called for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as he made an appeal for a peaceful resolution of disputes following the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the US. He acknowledged that the order by US President Donald Trump to kill Soleimani had "caused tensions across the Middle East and in the entire international community". Meanwhile, defence expert Vladimir Prebilič said the Soleimani killing had been poorly thought through and that the move was made keeping only US interests in mind.

Pahor congratulates new Croatian president, happy with pledge to improve ties

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Croatia's newly elected President Zoran Milanović, telling the press that he was happy that Milanović had made improving relations with Slovenia a priority. Although Milanović was Croatia's prime minister when the country unilaterally withdrew from the border arbitration procedure, Pahor hopes dialogue will lead to the implementation of the border arbitration decision. He is to attend Milanović's inauguration in early February.

Analyst reserved about Milanović's pledge to improve relations with Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian political analyst Borut Šuklje said one should be reserved about the announcement of the Croatian presidential election winner Zoran Milanović that he would improve relations with Slovenia, and pointed to his past actions and statements. He believes close tabs should be kept on what will be going on in the coming months. Šuklje noted that Milanović as prime minister signed the so-called Mokrice agreement in 2013 with then Slovenian PM Janez Janša, which included several commitments, none of which had been met by Croatia. Milanović was also against the border arbitration agreement in 2009.

Former Hypo execs sentenced to prison

LJUBLJANA - Four former top executives of Hypo Alpe Adria were sentenced to between six and eight years in prison for defrauding the now defunct financial group of EUR 22 million through property transactions. The Ljubljana District Court found former Hypo Alpe Adria CEOs Anton Romih and Božidar Špan, former Hypo Leasing director general Andrej Potočnik and former Hypo Alpe Adria Consultance director Andrej Oblak guilty of abuse of office and money laundering. The highest sentence, eight years in prison, was given to Oblak, the former CEO of Hypo Alpe Adria Consultance. Romih was given six years, Špan six years and six months and Potočnik six. The judging panel also imposed fines of EUR 37,000 on Oblak and EUR 35,000 on each of the other three defendants. The defence will appeal the ruling.

Slovenia gearing up for 10-year bond issue

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia plans to issue a ten-year bond and has mandated Barclays, BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC, J.P. Morgan and Unicredit Banka Slovenija to manage the new euro benchmark, the Finance Ministry says on its web site. "The deal is expected to be launched in the near future, subject to market conditions," the treasury said about the bond with a stated maturity date in 2030. According to the debt financing programme, Slovenia will issue fresh bonds worth a maximum of EUR 1.58 billion this year. The country issued fresh debt worth EUR 1.5 billion in January 2019 and also in January 2018.

Melania Trump continues to top Reporter's list of most influential Slovenians

LJUBLJANA - US First Lady Melania Trump remains the most influential Slovenian, according to a list compiled by the right-leaning magazine Reporter, ahead of PM Marjan Šarec and UEFA boss Aleksander Čeferin. The Reporter Top 100 list takes into account formal influence associated with the person's post or job, as well as their informal influence. PM Šarec this year replaced Aleksander Čeferin in second spot, with Reporter commenting that along with the powers associated with the executive post, Šarec has also gained informal influence.

Slovenian judge Nina Betetto new CCJE head

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenian Supreme Court judge Nina Betetto took over on 1 January as the head of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE), a Council of Europe advisory body. Betetto, born in 1962, was elected the new president at the CCJE's plenary last November and UK judge Kim Lewison was elected vice president, a two-year office Betetto held previously. Betetto graduated in law in Ljubljana in 1985 and earned her master's degree in 1994. In 2006, she became a Supreme Court judge and has been a CCJE member since 2009.

SocDems want Slovenia, EU to help Australia fight fire

LJUBLJANA - The coalition Social Democrats (SD) want Slovenia and the EU to help Australia fight bushfires by offering civil protection resources and other forms of assistance to save lives. The party formally asked the government to offer assistance to Australia given that Slovenia has one of the best civil protection systems in the world and a broad network of voluntary firefighters. Slovenia should also offer secondary assistance by supporting NGOs that want to help Australia with activities such as reforestation and protection of animal and plant species.

Science Council backs umbrella research bill

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia seems to be a step closer to a new umbrella science and research law, as the Science and Technology Council, a body advising the government, backed a bill on science and research and on innovation. The bill aims to introduce stable funding at 1% of GDP after science and research suffered severe cuts during the recession, and consequently raise the autonomy and responsibility of research organisations. The bill will now be sent into inter-departmental harmonisation and then to the government. Jernej Pikalo, the minister in charge of science, expects it to be on the parliament's agenda in spring.

Humanitarian worker Kozorog named Slovenian Woman of the Year

LJUBLJANA - Physician and humanitarian worker Ninna Kozorog, the head of Humanitarček, an NGO which has campaigned for assistance to retirees living in poverty, was on Sunday declared the Slovenian Woman of the Year 2019 by the women's magazine Jana/Zarja. The association's activities include a project called Vida, which aims at highlighting the difficulties faced by the elderly in remote areas. According to Jana/Zarja, Kozorog always makes sure that people keep their dignity.

Pahor, Šarec thank carollers for bringing message of peace

LJUBLJANA - On Epiphany, child carollers dressed up as the biblical Magi visited President Borut Pahor, PM Marjan Šarec and Speaker Dejan Židan, who thanked them for bringing a message of peace, cooperation, respect and help to fellow human beings. The president said that, as messengers of peace, carollers had an important and noble mission, as not every part of the world enjoyed peace, with the world entering the new year with some concerns regarding international peace.

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06 Jan 2020, 03:54 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 6 January 2019

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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:

Wage compression calls for wage reform

LJUBLJANA - As of 2020, bonuses have been excluded from the minimum wage and the monthly minimum wage rose to EUR 940 gross. This will make the difference between the minimum wage and wages just above it hardly noticeable, which is expected to intensify pressure to raise other wages. Experts as well as trade unions and employers believe it is time to reform the country's pay system, but agree it will be a hard nut to crack. Average monthly pay for October, the latest available, stood at EUR 1,750 gross. It rose nominally by 24% from 2008 to August 2019, whereas the average gross monthly minimum wage had been up 75%, an economist said at a recent event.

Cross-country skier Lampič bags red jersey for sprint events

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy - Slovenia's Anamarija Lampič is the winner of the cross-country sprint events of the Tour de Ski series - the highlight of the World Cup season - which ended in Val di Fiemme today. Having won two Tour de Ski sprint races, on 22 December in Switzerland and yesterday in Val di Fiemme, the 24-year-old athlete bagged a red jersey with a cheque for almost EUR 5,400. She finished today's race at the last place, but nevertheless finished the 14th Tour de Ski 19th overall

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05 Jan 2020, 04:43 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 5 January 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Militia leader Šiško apprehended

MARIBOR - Police apprehended Andrej Šiško, the self-styled leader of a militia that should have reported to prison to serve out his sentence for incitement to subversion of the constitutional order. He was apprehended at a commemoration of a major WWII battle in the Pohorje hills as he was about to approach President Borut Pahor. According to Anica Bidar, who co-chairs Šiško's United Slovenia movement, Šiško came to the ceremony to surrender himself to police.

Slovenian soldiers in Iraq are safe, ministry says

ERBIL, Iraq - Members of the Slovenian contingent in northern Iraq are safe and are staying in the Erbil base, the Slovenian Defence Ministry said after some media reported Slovenian troops were in Baghdad, where Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US air strike on Friday. After the air strike, the situation in the country deteriorated, so the training of Iraqi security forces in which Slovenian troops also participated has been temporarily suspended. The ministry said it was monitoring the situation.

Composer Hugo Wolf to take centre stage on cultural scene in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will observe 2020 as the Year of Hugo Wolf, the Austrian composer of Slovenian descent who was born in Slovenj Gradec 160 years ago. His birth place and many other Slovenian as well as foreign cities will honour the anniversary with a series of cultural events. The highlight will be a concert by the RTV Slovenija Symphony Orchestra interpreting Wolf's work which will take place in his home town in late May and will be broadcast on television as well.

Cross-country skier Lampič victorious in Val di Fiemme

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič dominated the World Cup freestyle sprint event in Val di Fiemme, Italy, in what was her third World Cup win. Lampič is now in the lead in the series' sprint events with 75 points, and has climbed from the tenth to seventh place overall. Lampič recorded her first World Cup victory in February 2017 and her second in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, last Sunday.

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04 Jan 2020, 04:05 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 4 January 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenians in Austria optimistic about new govt coalition

KLAGENFURT, Austria - The Slovenian ethnic minority in Austria is optimistic about the coalition agreement between the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Greens, which aims to make Austria carbon-neutral by 2040 and pledges to increase funding for ethnic minorities. Umbrella minority organisations believe "better times" are on the horizon. Valentin Inzko of the National Council of Carinthian Slovenians has great expectations from the new government, while the head of the Association of Slovenian Organisations Manuel Jug is a bit more cautious although still expects dialogue with the new government. Bernard Sadovnik of the Community of Carinthian Slovenian hailed the commitments from the coalition agreement as "a major step in the right direction".

Police commissioner calls for powers to fight cyber crime

LJUBLJANA - One year into her term, Slovenian Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar is happy to report that crime clearance rate increased to over 50% from 47%, which she says is the success of the system, not just individuals. Bobnar told the STA in an interview that the police now handle many more cases of corruption, and that cracking down on such crime is a priority. Cyber crime is a problem, in particular on the dark web, "where criminals use electronic currencies, leaving behind dispersed digital traces, which we cannot secure", said Bobnar, adding that the police were falling behind for lack of powers.

Ministry issues travel alert after Iranian general's killing

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry issued a travel alert advising against travel to parts of Iran after General Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed in a US air strike in Iraq. The ministry called on Slovenian citizens already in Iran or heading there in the coming days to avoid public rallies, events or funeral ceremonies mourning Soleimani's death. Before the latest escalation, the ministry condemned attacks on coalition forces fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Tuesday's attack on the US Embassy compound in Baghdad in the strongest terms, urging the Iraqi authorities on Thursday to ensure security of diplomatic missions in the country.

Syrian wanted by German police arrested at border

NOVO MESTO - A Syrian migrant wanted by the German police was apprehended by Slovenian border police officers at the Vinica crossing with Croatia on Thursday afternoon. The Novo Mesto Police Department said the 43-year-old man had been brought for questioning before an investigating judge.

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03 Jan 2020, 04:27 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 3 January 2020

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Iconic Ljubljana amateur theatre celebrates centenary

LJUBLJANA - The Šentjakobsko Theatre, the oldest continuously operating amateur repertoire theatre in Slovenia and possibly much further afield, will celebrate its centenary this year. Situated in a late 19th century mansion at the foot of Ljubljana Castle which is also home to Ljubljana Puppet Theatre, the theatre is run by the namesake society Šentjakobsko Gledališče, which was founded in December 1920. It staged its first play in June 1921 when they put on August Strindberg's The Pelican.

Ljubljana intent on making residents fit

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana city is aiming to increase the share of the population who take regular exercise to 75% by 2028 by offering a wide selection of subsidised sports activities for all groups of residents. The city will allocate more than EUR 19 million for sports this year and almost EUR 25 million next year. About EUR 897,000 annually over the next three years will be earmarked to involve socially excluded, overfed and physically unfit children in sports as a leisure activity.

Lucky winner scoops EUR 1.7m in New Year's lottery draw

RADEČE - New Year's good wishes have come true soon enough for a lucky lotto player from the eastern town of Radeče who scooped a EUR 1.7 million jackpot in the first Slovenian National Lottery draw of the year. After paying a 15% gambling tax, the winner will walk away with EUR 1,456,540 in total, while the Radeče municipal budget will get a EUR 257,000 boost. The biggest national lotto jackpot to date was worth EUR 5 million. It was paid out in July 2015.

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