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:

Počivalšek reported to EU Commission over Mercator intervention

LJUBLJANA - Mercator's bankrupt Croatian owner Agrokor and the newly established Fortenova group, which has taken over Agrokor's assets, have reported the Slovenian Economy Ministry led by Zdravko Počivalšek to the European Commission over his interference in the transfer of Slovenian retailer Mercator to Fortenova, leveraging the state-owned SID development bank, a Mercator creditor, to do so, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. Počivalšek said the government had been merely striving to protect Slovenian suppliers under existing competition rules and stressed he had always been open about his actions.

Govt adopts anti-terrorism strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a national strategy on the prevention of terrorism and violent extremism which lays the groundwork for a systemic approach to reducing Slovenia's vulnerability to terrorism and violent extremism. The strategy aims to prevent radicalisation, and protect residents against acts of terrorism and violent extremism, the Government Communication Office said after the government session. It also aims to improve preparedness to take measures in the wake of an act of terror and to prosecute terrorists.

Cerar advocate for multilateralism at OSCE ministerial

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar reiterated his call for effective multilateralism at the 26th OSCE ministerial, stressing the importance of OSCE for improving democratic processes. Commenting on the Ukraine conflict, Cerar expressed hope that Monday's meeting of the Normandy Four countries in Paris will be constructive and that progress will be made towards the implementation of the Minsk agreement. He underlined the importance of OSCE's presence and work in Ukraine.

Slovenia to invest EUR 5.6bn in transport in next six years

LJUBLJANA - The government plans to invest EUR 5.6 billion in transport and transport infrastructure in 2020-2025. Under the plan, the funds will be spent on air and maritime transport, investments in and reconstruction of state roads and toll roads, modernisation of railways, sustainable measures and traffic control. EUR 653 million will be earmarked next year, EUR 718 million in 2021 and EUR 1.1 billion in the following year. Between EUR 431.9 million and EUR 453 million will be available annually for regular maintenance of roads and railways, and public transportation subsidies.

EU Court of Human Rights rejects United Right's appeal

STRASBOURG, France - The European Court of Human Rights rejected an appeal by the United Right concerning the rejection of lists submitted by the coalition of two non-parliamentary parties for the 2018 general election because of the lists' lack of female candidates. It unanimously declared the application inadmissible. The case was brought after the United Right was barred from fielding candidates in two districts for failure to meet the statutory 35% gender quota.

Disclosure ordered of documents related to treatment of migrants

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has decided that several documents pertaining to treatment of migrants and asylum seekers on the state border are public information, ordering the Interior Ministry, or the police, to reveal them, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. The police was asked by Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik last December to reveal these documents under the freedom of information act. The information commissioner argued the public should know whether the police were acting in line with the law.

SDS wants to expand army deployment on border

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) requested that the government widen deployment of the army on the border under provisions of the defence act that may be triggered in the event of mass migrations. The SDS says the latest figures on illegal crossings of the border show that the government should take measures to "provide for the security of the residents of Slovenia". The motion will be debated at a joint session of the parliamentary defence and home policy committees on 12 December.

Bankruptcy proceedings initiated for Istrabenz

LJUBLJANA - The District Court of Koper initiated bankruptcy proceedings for Istrabenz, a once mighty financial holding, as the request of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), its biggest creditor. The move is designed to give BAMC control of Istrabenz's remaining assets, in particular a 50% stake in Adriafin, which owns the majority of the winery Vinakoper, and shares in KB1909, a financial firm from Trieste that indirectly owns the weekly Mladina.

Gorenje management left without Christmas bonus

VELENJE - Managerial staff at Gorenje, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Hisense, will not receive a Christmas bonus this year, given that the Velenje-based household appliances maker is in the red. The rest of the staff will receive EUR 600 gross, which is level with last year's Christmas bonus. Gorenje will finish 2019 in the red but hopes to return to profit next year.

Competition watchdog clears Abanka acquisition

LJUBLJANA - NKBM bank received clearance from the Competition Protection Agency to acquire rival Abanka. The EUR 444 million transaction will be completed once the banking regulator has okayed the deal as well. Until the formal closure of the transaction the banks will conduct business as separate entities, NKBM said.

Small business chamber celebrates golden jubilee

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor presented the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) with the Order of Merit at a ceremony marking the chamber's 50th anniversary. Small business is the backbone and driving force of Slovenia, OZS head Branko Meh said, thanking Pahor for recognising the chamber's role. "Small business accounts for 99.3% of Slovenia's entire economy; 116,000 companies employing 366,000 people," he said.

Pharma company Lek named top employer

LJUBLJANA - Pharmaceutical company Lek was named the top Slovenian employer in 2019, the first time in nine years that it has beaten rival drug maker Krka. The award is the result of a poll involving 19,000 users of the jobs portal mojedelo.com that measured various aspects of the reputation of companies as employers or potential employers.

Joint project of Danfoss Trata, Petrol best business practice

LJUBLJANA - A joint district energy project of heating valves maker Danfoss Trata and energy company Petrol won this year's AmCham competition for best business practice, termed Best of the Best. The project revolves around an international summer school on district energy.

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:

Šarec satisfied with messages from NATO summit in London

LONDON, UK - After attending a NATO summit in London, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said he was happy that NATO leaders had again shown unity, solidarity and effort for democracy. He described the discussion as constructive, without harsh words, as the summit was primarily dedicated to marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance. While there were disagreements between some members states ahead of the meeting, everything has been settled at today's summit at the level of the heads of state or government, Šarec said.

Migrations, EU, security discussed as Bosnian presidency visits

LJUBLJANA - The migration crisis, security issues, EU enlargement, and nuclear waste management were discussed as President Borut Pahor met the presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina at the outset of an official two-day visit. Pahor said that Slovenia was favourably inclined to Bosnia and respected its results despite the numerous challenges it faced. He also said Slovenia had always supported EU enlargement to the Western Balkans. Presidency chairman Željko Komšić was glad his country had a friend in Slovenia, saying he was happy that Pahor supported the "mini Schengen" initiative as every cooperation was welcome.

Slovenia's EU commissioner's first trip to post-earthquake Albania

BRUSSELS, Belgium - In the wake of last week's earthquake, Slovenia's European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič is heading to Albania as early as today in what is his first official visit after recently taking over as EU commissioner. The visit is designed to assess the extent of aid the country needs after the recent disastrous event, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said following the first college meeting of the new commission. On Thursday, he will meet Albanian PM Edi Rama and Agriculture Minister Bledi Cuci, who is in charge of crisis management in Albania.

Left lone advocate of Afghan troop withdrawal

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee overwhelmingly voted down the proposal from the opposition Left to call on the government to withdraw Slovenian troops from Afghanistan and to stop payments into the NATO-run Afghan National Army Trust Fund. The Left argued that the NATO operation in Afghanistan had not contributed to the country's democratisation, and that even the US was considering a withdrawal. The other parties argued that a withdrawal would only make the situation in Afghanistan worse and prompt even more people to flee the country, while hurting Slovenia's image in NATO.

Speaker urges govt to declare climate crisis

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan urged the government to declare a climate crisis in Slovenia, which he believes would ensure necessary resources for drawing up a comprehensive strategy to fight climate change. He based his appeal on conclusions reached at a climate change debate the National Assembly hosted last month, which featured scientists, NGOs, entrepreneurs, politicians, civil society representatives and young people. Apart from Židan, his Social Democrats (SD) as well as more than 230 NGOs have already urged the government to declare a climate crisis.

Zajc calls for cooperation at Barcelona Convention meeting

NAPLES, Italy - Environment Minister Simon Zajc called for cooperation among all countries in the Mediterranean at a Barcelona Convention ministerial in Naples, Italy, on Wednesday. He urged joint efforts for sustainable development and preservation of natural resources. Zajc said Slovenia as a maritime country was very active in implementing the goals of the Barcelona Convention as well as in regional processes.

Former FinMin expects painful reform of pensions

LJUBLJANA - Economics professor Dušan Mramor, a former finance minister, believes Slovenia will eventually have to take painful measures and face social turmoil as it tries to keep the pension system afloat, having missed the chance to reform it without major conflict. "The beauty contest by political parties has closed the window of opportunity for painless measures," he said at the presentation of Outlook 2020, a publication released by the Manager Association. Last year Mramor and another economics professor drew up a blueprint for action that would ensure the pension system remains sustainable until 2050, proposing greater exploitation of untapped resources, in particular activation of older workers, and alignment of the pension system with fiscal capacities.

Expert says Slovenian economy crisis-resistant, but challenges remain

LJUBLJANA - Economist Velimir Bole has assessed that the Slovenian economy is much more resistant to new shocks than it was before the last economic crisis, but that the price for that is a somewhat lower growth and a higher saving rate. Arturo Bris, the director of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), added that despite the higher resistance, there were challenges regarding competitiveness. He pointed to what he believes are Slovenia's two major problems - the (in)ability to attract foreign direct investments, with the reason being unfavourable tax policy, and the rigid and restrictive regulation. The pair spoke at the presentation of the Outlook 2020 publication.

Office for Slovenians Abroad marks 25th anniversary

LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad marked its 25th anniversary at a high-profile ceremony at Ljubljana's Cankarjev Dom, with its head Peter Česnik saying the establishment of the office was an important milestone in Slovenia's cooperation with the Slovenians living outside the country's borders. Česnik, the minister without portfolio for Slovenians abroad, said preserving Slovenian identity had been the office's main mission for the past 25 years, and a challenge. State secretary Olga Belec announced the office had still many ambitious plans to realise, stressing it had no intention of "yielding to routine".

SDS urges committee session over Telekom Slovenije's dwindling market cap

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) urged a session of the parliamentary Public Finance Oversight Commission to debate the state-owned telecoms company Telekom Slovenije in the face of its dwindling market recapitalisation. The party blames the situation on the company's unsuccessful and ineffective management as reflected in the many scandals and instances of bad corporate governance. It also proposes three resolutions to be adopted in relation to Telekom's joint broadcasting venture with Greece's Antenna Group following a legal battle that has cost it EUR 23 million.

Slovenia's jobless total down 5% y/y

LJUBLJANA - Employment Service figures show the number of people registered as unemployed in Slovenia remained virtually unchanged in November, at just below 72,400, but the figure is 4.9% lower year-on-year and considerably below projections. IMAD, the government's economic forecaster, projected 74,100 unemployed for this year in its autumn forecast. Employers reported 10,664 vacancies in November, 9.7% fewer than in October and 8.8% fewer than a year ago. The biggest demand was for lorry drivers (557).

Regulator approves Generali's takeover of Adriatic Slovenica

LJUBLJANA - The Insurance Supervision Agency approved the takeover of insurer Adriatic Slovenia by Generali CEE, an affiliate of Italy's Generali Group, with the procedure to be finalised with the entry into the court register, expectedly at the beginning of 2020. The takeover will merge the Slovenian insurance companies Zavarovalnica Generali and Adriatic Slovenica, with the new insurer named Generali. The merger will create the second largest insurance company in Slovenia, with an estimated market share of 19%. Currently, Slovenia's largest insurer is Zavarovalnica Triglav, followed by Zavarovalnica Sava.

Geodetic information to be fully electronic after 2021

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is planning to fully digitise its spatial data such as land and building registers and cadastres by the end of 2021, whereupon e-government services related to all such data, for example applications for building permits, are to be available. The records and registries will be connected in a computer cloud in order to speed up administrative procedures. "We want applications to be submitted electronically and to prepare and issue decision electronically," Tomaž Petek, director general of the Surveying and Mapping Authority, told the press. The digitisation of the databases is part of a EUR 22.4 million EU-funded project called eProstor (eSpace), which was launched in 2016.

Coalition that spearheaded independence founded 30 years ago

LJUBLJANA - A coalition of parties that won Slovenia's first multi-party election in 1990, formed a government and led the country to independence in 1991 was founded 30 years ago, to the day. The Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) brought together several parties founded in the year and a half before as part of a democratic movement demanding an end to the one-party Communist regime. Representing a great variety of interests, political and ideological views, the parties had one goal in common - to change the political system, which also involved taking Slovenia out of the Yugoslav federation. Its main goal achieved, DEMOS fell apart on 30 December 1991, due to the difference in views on how to transform the economy, particularly on the manner of privatisation.

Source of Britof gas leak blast found, malfunction eliminated

KRANJ - The source of a gas leak that led to an explosion near Kranj on Tuesday was detected with a camera sent into the pipeline and the malfunction eliminated, according to the gas pipeline contractor. An investigation will show whether the leak occurred during construction or whether the pipeline was damaged later. The pipeline running through Britof, a Kranj suburb, was completed just a month ago and is not yet in use so gas should not have been in the pipeline, Vera Zevnik, the director of the gas pipeline operator Domplan, told the press. Two workers who entered a sewage shaft were injured when the explosion occurred, as were four children playing nearby. They all sustained burns but none of them is in critical condition.

Majority of Slovenians have low vitamin D in winter

LJUBLJANA - The vast majority of adults in Slovenia have low vitamin D status in winter: some 80% do not have sufficient vitamin D and up to 40% have serum concentrations at levels so low it may pose a health risk, according to the first study of its kind in Slovenia. The study was carried out by the Nutrition Institute, the National Institute of Public Health and the UKC Ljubljana hospital, analysing the blood samples of 280 residents aged 18-74. It is to serve as a basis for new national dietary guidelines.

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:

Cerar and Vučić talk EU enlargement, business links

BELGRADE, Serbia - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar continued his official visit to Serbia by meeting President Aleksandar Vučić, who hailed Slovenia's active engagement in the Western Balkan Region. The pair discussed bilateral economic cooperation, succession to the former Yugoslavia and Slovenia's support for EU enlargement. "Our shared interest is a stable situation in the region," Cerar said on Twitter after the meeting, noting Serbia's "active role in regional integration".

Slovenia, EU Commission present their arguments in Teran case

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia, the European Commission and Croatia presented to the General Court of the European Union their arguments in a case related to a derogation enabling Croatia to use Teran as the name of a red wine protected by Slovenia, with unofficial sources suggesting that it would be thankless to project the content of the ruling. No side gave official statements to the press after the three-hour session in Luxembourg, and the next step, a ruling, is expected to be made by the end of next year.

Parliamentary inquiry wants two Constitutional Court judges prosecuted

LJUBLJANA - A parliamentary inquiry commission whose work has been thwarted by the Constitutional Court plans to file a criminal complaint against two judges at the court that it says acted unlawfully and arbitrarily. The commission inquiring into the prosecution of former Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler plans to charge court president Rajko Knez and judge Matej Accetto under article 288 of the criminal code, which stipulates that judges may be sent to prison for up to three years for willingly bending the law to damage a party or basing their reasoning on evidence they know is non-existent or false.

Slovenian 15-year-olds above OECD average in literacy

LJUBLJANA - The results of Slovenian 15-year-olds in reading, scientific and mathematical literacy tests are above the OECD average, shows the recent PISA study. Compared to the previous such study, the students have come off as less accomplished in reading and science literacy though. The results of the study, which was conducted last year among some 6,400 15-year-olds, mostly secondary school first year students, have confirmed that Slovenian students of this age group excel in mathematical literacy.

Turkish bidder on track to win Karavanke contract

LJUBLJANA - Turkish builder Cengiz has announced it has won the contract to build the Slovenian section of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel, as the motorway company concluded talks with three bidders. The statement was made by Mohamed Cengiz, the main negotiator for the Turkish company, after the end of the talks. He said they were waiting to start working with Slovenian subcontractors as soon as possible. Unofficially, the talks ended after the first round today, but DARS is yet to announce its final decision, when it also reveals the latest offers made by the three bidders.

Central bank sees "substantial downside risks" in budget plans

LJUBLJANA - The central bank has warned that there are "substantial downside risks" in budgetary plans for 2020 and 2021 that the National Assembly confirmed in a revote this week. The risks "stem from a possible acceleration of the slowing of economic growth," Banka Slovenije said in a report on macroeconomic trends. "There are few signs of faster growth towards the end of the year."

Medved calls for further development of single digital market

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved met with his EU counterparts in charge of telecommunications to discuss ethical aspects of key importance for data economy to succeed. The minister called for further development of the single digital market, as Slovenia has a very good experience in the field of open data.

Telekom Slovenije becomes sole owner of Planet TV

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije has become the sole owner of Planet TV, the company running the namesake TV station, after paying out its Greek partner in the venture in compliance with a court decision. With the transfer of the Greek partner's 34% share in the joint venture Antenna TV SL, Telekom changed the company's name from Antena TV SL to Planet TV.

Employers upbeat about employment growth in first half of 2020

LJUBLJANA - Despite figures showing economic growth slowing down, Slovenian employers remain optimistic for the first half of next year. Indeed, they expect labour shortages on average rather than having to lay off workers, showed a survey by the Employment Service. The total number of persons in employment is projected to grow by about 2%, as employers expect to hire almost 32,000 persons, of which 13,500 will be for newly created jobs and the rest to replace retiring workers.

Slovenians in Austria congratulate new Gurk-Klagenfurt bishop

KLAGENFURT - NSKS, an umbrella organisation of the Slovenian minority in Austria, congratulated ethnic Slovenian Jože Marketz on being officially appointed the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt. "The joy in the ethnic community is great and honest." "When the ethnic community almost gave up on this great wish, the Holy Father, Pope Francis decided otherwise, the organisation said. Congratulations also same from the Council of Slovenian Organisations (SSO), an umbrella organisation of Slovenians in Italy.

Six persons injured in gas blast

KRANJ - Six persons were injured, including four children, and 76 persons had to be temporarily evacuated following a gas explosion close to a local road in Britof, north-east of Kranj. The explosion occurred in a manhole, injuring two persons who were performing works there and four children who happened to be nearby. All six have received medical care but the extent of their injuries remains unclear for now. Local residents were allowed to return to their homes after a few hours.

University of Ljubljana celebrates centenary

LJUBLJANA - The University of Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest institution of higher learning, is celebrating its centenary with a series of events that culminated on the day exactly 100 years ago when the first lecture was delivered in the Slovenian language. The university awarded out a doctorate to Kenneth Brian Frampton of Columbia University in New York and held a special ceremony at which it received the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service from President Borut Pahor.

Play on female sexuality to jazz up Ljubljana theatre scene

LJUBLJANA - A play titled this apple, made of gold by acclaimed playwright Simona Semenič is to premiere at the Ljubljana Cankarjev Dom arts centre on Thursday. The play, introducing a new genre into the Slovenian theatre arena, erotic drama, focuses on three women at various stages of life and their sexual desires. Semenič, an award-winning artist, has been nominated for the Grum Prize, the top national accolade for playwriting, for this particular play.

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:

Cerar meets Dačić as he starts official visit to Serbia

BELGRADE, Serbia - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar met his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dačić as he started an official two-day visit to Serbia. The visit is part of the two countries' preparations for a joint 17 December government session, but the pair also discussed EU enlargement and the situation in the Western Balkans. Cerar was quoted by the Slovenian Foreign Ministry as saying that Slovenia would make an effort for EU enlargement to the Western Balkans to be given a fresh impetus with the new European Commission and the EU's new foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. "But just as enlargement must continue and the start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania must be launched, so must continue the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. Status quo benefits nobody," he said.

Slovenia wants focus on reducing illegal migrations

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia advocates a comprehensive approach to migrations in the future EU migration and asylum policy. The underlying goal must be to reduce illegal migrations, Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar told a session of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council. It is necessary to relieve the burden on countries in the management of migrations and establish a new European asylum agency. Poklukar also highlighted the costs incurred by local communities along the border, for example damage to infrastructure, and said the EU should make allowance for such damage in its financial plans.

Lower chamber overrides both state budget-related vetoes

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly overturned both vetoes the upper chamber imposed last week to block the state budget for 2020 and 2021, meaning the 2020 budget will start to be implemented on 1 January as planned. The bill on the implementation of the 2020-2021 budgets had been vetoed due to insufficient funding of municipalities and an emergency bill had been vetoed for envisaging a lump sum increase in pensions instead of a rise in percentage form. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said common sense had prevailed.

Pahor does not think arbitration report release useful

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor commented on the latest row over the parliamentary report on the arbitration intelligence scandal in a televised interview on Sunday, finding that while the report was useful for the country, its publication at the moment was not. This was because "the neighbouring country or some third party could take only what benefits them from the report", Pahor explained in the interview with public broadcaster TV Slovenija.

Janša expects trouble for govt, early election

LJUBLJANA - Opposition Democrat (SDS) leader Janez Janša expects "an early election sooner or later" because the government coalition is running out of "sweets" to distribute among voters, "which will cause big trouble". If fragmented, minority governments do not last long, Janša said as he commenced on political developments on the sidelines of an event marking the 30th anniversary of the DEMOS government. The current coalition will "keep the government alive for a while longer, but all they can do is harm", said Janša, whose SDS won the 2018 election but could not form a government as practically all parties rejected working with it.

Minister Pivec's future uncertain as report confirms wrongdoing

LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) is staying on for the time being even if a report by the Economy Ministry, which was released by news portal Pozareport on Monday, accuses her of wrongdoing in an EU-funded tourism project. Her party boss Karl Erjavec, whom Pivec will challenge for the party leadership in January, said it should be PM Marjan Šarec to decide whether she was still fit to stay on as minister. Pivec reiterated she had done nothing wrong, but announced she would be willing to step down if she lost Šarec's trust. Šarec said he would take a decision after studying the report and talking to Pivec.

Low expectations as climate change conference starts

MADRID, Spain - As the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 opened in Madrid, Slovenian experts and activists do not expect a major breakthrough. Climate researcher Lučka Kajfež Bogataj believes the debates will again go in circles about emissions and historical questions about who is to blame for the situation. She believes this is fruitless because there is no absolute truth about blame. "When we are talking about survival, GDP and economic growth must take a back seat."

Potočnik says Just Transition Fund a good and necessary idea

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Former European Commissioner Janez Potočnik told the STA as a European Green Deal is soon to be revealed by the new European Commission that a fair distribution of burdens will be key for a successful transition to a zero-carbon economy. He believes the emerging Just Transition Fund is a good and necessary idea. "The fact that the Commission is starting its term with a green deal as its first priority task is an important shift, which should not be underestimated," he said.

Importance of dialogue stressed at DEMOS ceremony

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted a reception to mark the 30th anniversary since the formation of the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS), which won the first multi-party elections in 1990. He recalled how dialogue had played an important role in Slovenia's path to independence and stressed that "national unity for independence did not just appear out of nowhere".

Report: C-bank vice governor fails to dispel tax evasion suspicion

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has found that Marko Bošnjak, vice governor at Slovenia's central bank, is unable to provide evidence that he has paid tax from the rent he gets for his apartment in Ljubljana, public broadcaster RTV Slovenija reported. Bošnjak was unavailable for comment, but said through his lawyer the procedure was not over yet, as he could still turn to the Administrative Court. The central bank has not yet received the commission's report.

Return on state equity projected to decrease in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) expects the state assets under its management to yield a somewhat lower return in 2020 than this year. The draft asset management plan submitted by SSH to the government last week projects a 5.9% return on equity in 2020, down from an estimated 6.2% this year, as a result of the slowdown of economic growth, regulatory demands, and the sale of state-owned banks, which had produced generous dividend yields in previous years.

IMAD sees social protection funding as main challenge

LJUBLJANA - Labour shortages and financing of social protection systems are the main challenges for Slovenia that demand public policy action, the government macroeconomic think tank IMAD points out in its latest annual publication Economic Issues. The two challenges "already significantly affect our community, and will do so even more in the future, which is why they demand public policy measures". To ensure that the social protection systems are sustainable, many public policies should be adjusted, both on the expenditure and revenue sides, it added.

Unior selling its tourism subsidiary Unitur

ZREČE - Unior, a group specialising in forged metals and tools, announced it was selling its tourism company Unitur after it reached a deal to sell its tourism business with creditors a few years ago. As part of a deal to restructure its loans, Unior agreed in 2016 that it would sell its tourism business. Unior has already sold RTC Krvavec, a firm managing the ski slopes on Krvavec, while Unitur manages the Zreče spa and Rogla ski centre.

Several cases of measles recorded in November

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health registered seven case of measles in November. One person caught the disease abroad and then infected another five adults in Slovenia, while the seventh case was unrelated to the mini outbreak of the disease. This puts the number of confirmed cases of measles in Slovenia this year to 25, of which two were recorded in foreign citizens. In most of the cases, measles are contracted abroad and brought to Slovenia. There has been a rising global trend of measles infections in recent years, caused mostly by insufficient vaccination coverage, including in Slovenia.

Chestnut Woods wins debut award in Tallinn

TALLINN, Estonia - Stories from the Chestnut Woods won Gregor Božič the first feature film award at the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia, in what is the first international award for the Slovenian-Italian co-production. Based on Anton Chekhov's short stories and folk tradition of Benečija, an area in eastern Italy populated by ethnic Slovenians, the film features an international cast and crew from seven countries. It won 11 awards at the Festival of Slovenian Film in September.

French-Mexican slasher wins top honours at LGBT film fest

LJUBLJANA - Knife + Heart, a French-Mexican slasher by Yann Gonzalez, won the Pink Dragon, the top honour at the 35th Festival of LGBT Film, which concluded on Sunday. The 2018 film tells the story of Anne, who produces cheap gay porn. The audience award went to Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a French historical drama by director Céline Sciamma that focuses on Marianna, a young painter in the 18th-century France who is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloise without her knowing.

Animated film fest kicks off

LJUBLJANA - The 16th Animateka international animated film festival opened at Kinodvor with a selection of shorts, followed by Bunuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles by Salvador Simo, a portrait of the surrealist filmmaker Luis Bunuel. The week-long marathon will see 360 shorts and a dozen feature-length films, including 32 in the competition programme, among them Milanka Fabjančič's Liliana, which won the Vesna Award for best animated film at the Festival of Slovenian Film in September.

Iraqi man gets six years for assault on taxi driver, police officer

NOVA GORICA - The Nova Gorica District Court sentenced Iraqi citizen Al Hamdani Yassin Amar to six years in prison for assaulting a taxi driver and a police officer, and an attempted car theft in the Nova Gorica area in July. After serving his sentence, he will be deported from Slovenia. The 26-year-old confessed to the crimes at a pre-trial hearing last week.

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:

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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This summary is provided by the STA:

30th anniversary of independence milestone marked

MARIBOR - A ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of one of the major events in Slovenia's independence efforts was held in Maribor as Slovenia remembered Operation North, a police campaign which prevented a disputed rally that Serbian nationalists wanted to stage in Ljubljana. The ceremony was hosted by the Sever union of police veteran associations, which also observes its day on 1 December to mark the police campaign in 1989 preventing the attempted nationalist rally.

Police officer injured in Izola hospital shooting suing state for compensation

LJUBLJANA/KOPER - The police officer who was injured in the 2016 shooting at the Izola general hospital is suing the state for damages, according to media reports. Three years after the attack, he is still on a sick leave, while the damages he received from insurers did not cover his costs. A 70-year-old man who seriously injured the police officer in August 20016 had shot and killed another police officer and a doctor in the Izola hospital shooting. The police officer was injured as he attempted to prevent the shooter from fleeing the crime scene. The shooter was killed in the process.

Another Hypo bank corruption trial starts

LJUBLJANA, 30 November - A pretrial hearing was held at the Ljubljana District Court on Friday in an abuse of office case featuring former bankers Andrej Oblak and Božidar Špan, and former Vegrad executives Hilda Tovšak and Matej Košič as defendants. The two bankers pleaded not guilty, while Tovšak will enter her plea later due to poor health, Večer reported. The prosecution claims that Oblak as director of companies from the Hypo Alpe Adria group abused his office between 2003 and 2006 in cooperation with Špan through a series of ownership share deals.

Lanišek third in ski jumping World Cup event in Ruka

RUKA, Finland - Slovenian ski jumper Anže Lanišek finished third in a World Cup event in Ruka, Finland, after a series of disqualifications. The third place was initially to go to Peter Prevc but he was disqualified over his outfit along with several other ski jumpers. This is the second podium finish for Lanišek after he won second place in Wisla last Sunday.

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:

Slovenia's GDP growth slows marginally to 2.3% in Q3

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's economy expanded by 2.3% at the annual level in the third quarter of the year or a seasonally adjusted 2%, the slowest rate in three years, as growth continued to decelerate in line with predictions. Exports were sluggish, growing by 4.5% compared to 5% in the quarter before, but their lacklustre contribution to growth was offset by robust domestic spending and investments, which rose by 3.8% and 4.4% respectively.

Mini pension reform passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the pension and disability insurance act that will raise the pension base for men to equate it with women's and offer incentives to those who stay in work after meeting retirement requirements. Men who have worked for a full 40 years will have their pension set at 63.5% of their wages as of 2025, up from 57.25%. Those eligible for retirement who keep working, will initially get, alongside the salary, 40% of the pension they are entitled to and then 20%.

Inspectors find irregularities in intel agency hiring

LJUBLJANA - Inspectors have detected irregularities in the hiring practices at the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA), in a case connected with the employment of a friend of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. The Public Sector Inspectorate said it had found violations of vetting requirements in four cases and two cases of workers not having had all the qualifications required for their job, but it stopped short of demanding that the employees in question be terminated.

Unemployment benefits rising, requirements stiffened

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the labour market regulation act that significantly increase the minimum monthly unemployment benefit while stiffening eligibility conditions across the board. The minimum benefit is being raised from EUR 350 to EUR 530 gross, the same level as the basic minimum income for single-person households, which currently stands at EUR 402 net. Foreign citizens wanting to claim unemployment benefits will need meet language skill requirements.

NLB sees nine-month group profit rise 2% to EUR 162m

LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, posted a group net profit of EUR 162.2 million for the first nine months of 2019, up 2% over the same period last year. All banks within the group generated profit, with the parent company's profit rising by 21% to almost EUR 163 million. The group's profit before impairments and provisions stood at EUR 170.3 million, up 7%. The group released provisions to the tune of EUR 9.7 million, down from EUR 19 million in the same period last year.

Koper port operator profit down by third

KOPER - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole maritime port, reported its nine-month net profit drop by 29% year-on-year to EUR 34.5 million. Net sales revenue rose by 3% in the period to EUR 173.8 million. Operating profit (EBIT) was down 32% to EUR 38.5 million, which the company attributed to higher labour costs, transshipment fee costs and a one-off event in 2018. Luka Koper transshipped 17.7 million tonnes of cargo, which is roughly on a par with the figure in the same period last year.

Gorenje plans return to profit in 2020

VELENJE - The Velenje-based household appliances maker Gorenje, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Hisense, will finish 2019 in the red but hopes to return to profit next year. According to chief executive Lan Lin, this will require a change of mindset, and it will determine whether a TV production facility will be built in Velenje. Revenue is expected to rise by 5.5% this year and by at least 10% next year. Lin expects a profit of around EUR 15 million in 2020.

Survey unemployment in Q3 slightly up y/y

LJUBLJANA - Survey unemployment rate in Slovenia slid to 4.8% in the third quarter of the year, down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year and 0.6pp more than in the second quarter, according to the Statistics Office. Compared to the April-June period, the unemployment rate increased by 0.8pp in men and 0.4pp in women. By age group, the increase was sharpest among 15-29 year-olds.

Annual inflation steady in November at 1.4%

LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia grew at an annual rate of 1.4% in November, which is level with the month before. On the monthly level, prices grew by 0.1%. The annual inflation is driven by higher prices of services and goods, which contributed 1.1 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively, the Statistics Office said. Annual inflation was pushed up the most by more expensive food and by higher prices in the group miscellaneous goods and services.

Unior revenue up, profit down in Jan-Sept

ZREČE - Tool maker group Unior generated EUR 192.4 million in net revenue in the first nine months of the year, 4.7% more than in the same period last year. Group net profit dropped 4.1% to EUR 9.7 million, show unaudited results. The Unior management attributed the decline in profit to poorer results of associated companies. EBITDA reached EUR 24.9 million, up 7.5%, and EBIT was 17% higher, at EUR 12.5 million.

Private school funding in focus of visit by Cardinal Versaldi

LJUBLJANA - Giuseppe Versaldi, the cardinal prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, met Education Minister Jernej Pikalo for talks that focused on funding of private primary schools. According to the ministry, the cardinal argued for plurality of education, and for giving parents the right to choose education for their children. The Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that private schools should get full public funding, which is yet to be enacted by parliament.

Earliest finds from Slovenia on display at National Museum

LJUBLJANA - A new permanent exhibition was launched in the National Museum. The Earliest Stories from the Crossroads disclose the "furthest and most mysterious past of the territory of Slovenia, as evidenced by the archaeological finds from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age." Finding a special place among the exhibits is a Neanderthal flute, discovered in Divje Babe cave in western Slovenia in 1995 as possibly the world's oldest known musical instrument. The exhibition completes the permanent display of archaeological collections called Stories from the Crossroads, a project that has taken seven years.

BBC airs documentary about Boris Pahor

LJUBLJANA - The BBC aired a documentary about the 106-year-old Boris Pahor, believed to be the oldest living survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. The celebrated author tells BBC journalist Alan Yentob about his experiences of Fascism and Nazism in the 63-minute documentary The Man Who Saw Too Much, which is aimed at raising awareness of the horrors that happened in Europe more than seven decades ago.

Slovenians see waste as biggest environmental challenge

BRUSSELS, Belgium - While climate change is the main environmental problem for a majority of citizens of the 28 EU member states, waste is what bothers Slovenians the most, as 42% of them pointed to this as the main challenge, followed by climate change (37%) and air pollution (36%). At the level of the entire EU, climate change (52%) is followed by air pollution (35%), pollution of the sea (31%), deforestation and increasing quantity of waste (28% each), shows the latest Eurobarometer survey.

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:

Budgets for 2020, 2021 vetoed over funds for municipalities

LJUBLJANA - The upper chamber of parliament unanimously vetoed a bill on the implementation of the 2020-2021 state budgets over what national councillors consider is insufficient funding of municipalities. The implementation bill sets the main source of funds for municipalities - the per-capita sum - at EUR 589 for 2020 and EUR 588 for 2021, whereas the councillors believe the sums should by some EUR 70 higher, at EUR 659 and EUR 668. The members of the National Council also unanimously vetoed a budget bill that limits wage costs in the public sector and envisages a 6.5-euro across-the-board increase in pensions in December 2020 in case GDP growth exceeds 2.5%.

PM declines president's request to convene Natl Security Council

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec turned down a request by President Borut Pahor to convene a session of the National Security Council due to ongoing disputes between SOVA and the parliamentary body which conducts oversight of the intelligence and security agency. Šarec said he did not want to politicise the situation. "A session by the expanded National Security Council would not make sense at this point, with many manipulations and accusations of all kinds making the rounds, for it could politicise this government consultative body," he said in a public letter to Pahor. The latter asked Šarec to convene the expanded National Security Council due to "very worrisome escalation in the relation between SOVA and the Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services".

Top PM aide quits for health reasons

LJUBLJANA - Vojmir Urlep, state secretary at the prime minister's office, is to resign from his post due to health issues, TV Slovenija reported on Thursday. Urlep, former CEO of pharma company Lek and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's point man for relations with the corporate sector, told the broadcaster his health was "just the basis of this decision, the rest is part of politics". TV Slovenija speculates that his decision was motivated by staffing at state-owned companies, in particular energy group Petrol and the telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije, which occurred without his knowledge.

Govt makes staff replacements at Foreign Ministry

LJUBLJANA - Simona Leskovar was relieved of her duties as a Foreign Ministry state secretary, unofficially in order to become Slovenia's ambassador in London. She is being replaced by Matej Marn, the ministry's director general for the common foreign and security policy. According to the Foreign Ministry, Marn will assume the new post on Monday. His successor at the post of director general is to be appointed following a call for applications. The government also dismissed Damjan Bergant as Foreign Ministry secretary general, appointing Mitja Močnik as acting secretary general in his place. According to unofficial information, Bergant is leaving to become ambassador to Serbia.

Slovenia to downsize Lebanon troop deployment

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is preparing to scale down its troop deployment to Lebanon from 15 to six with the government briefed on the planned signing of amendments to the respective agreement with the UN. The ministries of defence, foreign affairs and interior affairs tasked the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in the summer to gradually reduce Slovenia's deployment in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The government was acquainted with the planned signing of an amended memorandum of understanding with the UN on participation in the mission, and only after it has been formally notified of the signed amended memorandum, will the SAF scale down the deployment.

Kozlovič gets full term as Environment Agency head

LJUBLJANA - Lilijana Kozlovič was appointed by the government for a full five-year term as director-general of the Environment Agency, having served as acting director since May. Kozlovič, who has a master's degree in law, served as secretary general of the Miro Cerar government (2014-18). Announcing her appointment, which is effective as of Tuesday, the Government Communication Office said that Kozlovič had a wealth of public administration leadership experience. Kozlovič worked as the head of the Koper administrative unit prior to being elected MP for the Modern Centre Party (SMC) in 2014.

Govt approves quake relief aid for Albania

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will send disaster relief aid to Albania in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Under the decision taken by the government today, the aid is valued at EUR 126,000, including transport. Responding to Albania's request for help, Slovenia will send material aid, including tents, beds, blankets, sleeping bags and generators. The Slovenian Red Cross has meanwhile transferred EUR 6,000 from its solidarity fund to the Albanian peer organisation, while appealing on people to make donations to help those affected by the quake.

Govt allocates aid for migrants in Balkans, for Sahel

LJUBLJANA - The government allocated EUR 40,000 for emergency humanitarian aid for migrants on the Western Balkan route, and EUR 50,000 for the Sahel region in Sub-Saharan Africa. Announcing the decision, the Foreign Ministry said that the number of migrants on the East-Mediterranean route travelling to Europe via the Western Balkans doubled since 2017 and kept rising. As for Sahel, it said it was one of the most vulnerable regions globally which is plagued by extreme poverty, frequent food crises, shortage of potable water, conflicts and irregular migration.

Two illegal Syrian migrants die in car crash

VRHNIKA - Two illegal Syrian migrants died last night as a car carrying eight Syrians crashed into the motorway railing on the Ljubljana-Koper motorway near the town of Vrhnika. The accident happened as the car started to skid while overtaking a lorry and returning onto the main lane. Three Syrian citizens fell out of the boot, of whom two died and the third is still being reanimated, Primož Kadunc of the Ljubljana Police Department said. He added that a fourth person had sustained light injuries, while all the other migrants had asked for international protection. The 42-year-old Bosnian driver was apprehended and faces charges for enabling the Syrians to illegally enter Slovenia and causing a car accident.

Iraqi man faces six years for stabbing taxi driver, attacking police

NOVA GORICA - An Iraqi man who injured a taxi driver and attacked a police officer in the Nova Gorica area in July pleaded guilty at today's pre-trial hearing, with prosecution seeking six years in prison and deportation. Al Hamdani Yassin Amar, 26, told the Nova Gorica district court today that he wanted to kill the taxi driver but that that was god's will. Since he told the court he was not interested in a trial and declined an interpreter and lawyer, Judge Igor Majnik decided that given the confession the main hearing was not necessary. He will declare the ruling on Monday.

NGO urges more ambitious energy and climate goals

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia should set more ambitious goals regarding renewables, as well as regarding phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and coal, the environmental NGO Focus said in its latest appeal to the government just days before EU energy ministers discuss the EU members' draft energy and climate plans and the UN holds a climate change conference in Spain. The least Slovenia could do is to "increase the share of renewable sources of energy, set a more ambitions timeline of phasing out coal and produce a more detailed plan of phasing out subsidies for fossil fuels", Focus said.

High performance material producer Filc gets German owner

ŠKOFJA LOKA - Germany's multinational Freudenberg signed a contract to take over Filc, a Škofja Loka-based manufacturer of needlepunch nonwoven textiles and laminated materials for the car and construction industries, the Slovenian firm said, but did not disclose the value of the deal. Filc boss Anže Manfreda believes Freudenberg is an ideal partner for Filc, as it should enable it to expand in the region and the world, which should encourage its growth and development. Filc, set up in 1937, has around 360 employees at three locations in Slovenia, and entered the needlepunch nonwoven textiles business in 1963.

Carinthian Slovenian reportedly appointed bishop of Gurk-Klagenfurt

KLAGENFURT, Austria - Carinthian Slovenian Jože Marketz has been appointed the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt, the newspaper Kleine Zeitung reported. The news is not official yet, but Marketz has been mentioned as a probable candidate. According to the Slovenian Catholic newspaper Družina, this will be the first time that a Slovenian assumes this position. The 64-year-old Jože or Josef Marketz, as he is known in the Austrian media, has been at the helm of the charity Caritas in Carinthia since 2014. He is to be consecrated bishop on 2 February next year, according to Kleine Zeitung, to succeed Alois Schwarz, who was appointed bishop of the diocese of Sankt Pölten in July 2018 after serving in the Gurk-Klagenfurt diocese for 17 years.

December spending rise ever stronger in Slovenia but still lowest in EU

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians continued the trend of ever higher December spending in 2018, but the rise compared to 2017 was more moderate than in previous years. Although retail sales in Slovenia exceeded the annual average by 15.3% in December, the discrepancy for non-food goods was the lowest among all EU members. December consumption increased by 1.4% year on year after it had risen 3.8% the year before, data released by the Statistics Offices show. Increasing the most markedly in the Christmas season compared to the average of the year, by 37.4%, were sales in electronic and household appliance stores. Food sales increased by 19% and cosmetics sales by 16.3%.

Doctors still afraid of contracting HIV from patients, survey shows

LJUBLJANA - Around 90% of Slovenian doctors consider it normal to treat HIV-infected patients in the same manner as other patients, yet almost 20% are still afraid of contracting HIV in contact with the skin of an infected person, a survey carried out by the National Institute of Public Health and a gay rights NGO shows. Two-thirds of a total of 352 doctors surveyed between 14 October and 12 November have never rejected examining an HIV-infected person in order to protect themselves. Fewer than 10% believe they can reject an HIV-infected patient to protect themselves, and more than 60% would do so if they had no adequate protection available.

Damir Skomina named best referee in the world

DORTMUND, Germany - Slovenian Damir Skomina has been declared the world's best football referee in 2019 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), being picked by football experts from 90 countries in the world. Skomina, who was the first Slovenian referee to officiate a UEFA Champions League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in Madrid on 1 June, thus became the 19th holder of the title that is being conferred since 1987. The IFFHS also picked the best goalkeeper of 2019, with Slovenia's Jan Oblak of Atletico madrid placing third, behind Brazilian Alisson in first and German Marc-Andre ter Stegen of Barcelona in 2nd.

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:

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:

SOVA confirms charges over leaked arbitration info, Pahor demands Ntl Security Council session

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian intelligence agency SOVA confirmed pressing charges over information leaked from materials examined by the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence Services concerning the Slovenian-Croatian border arbitration procedure after public broadcaster reported SOVA had reported Matej Tonin, chair of the parliamentary commission, to law enforcement. Tonin and PM Marjan Šarec exhanged accussations about the political abuse of SOVA and the oversight commission respectively, while President Borut Pahor called on Šarec to convene a session of the National Security Council due to the tensions. Šarec said the proposal was worth considering.

Govt moves to crack down on paramilitary groups

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted legislative amendments designed to crack-down on the activity of self-styled village guards and militias patrolling the border with the intention of stopping illegal migrants. The government proposes for parliament to pass amendments to the protection of public order act and to the state border control act as a matter of urgency.

Visiting asylum centre, Šarec lauds integration effort

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec visited the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants and the appertaining asylum centre in the Ljubljana Vič borough, praising their efforts. Accompanied by Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar, Šarec visited the Reception and Support Division and was acquainted with accommodation procedures. It said that the main challenge in the field was preparing action plans of integration for the implementation of the government's migration strategy.

FDI Awards go to Iskaemeco, Systemair and Swarco Lea

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The SPIRIT investment promotion agency honoured top foreign investors in the country, presenting awards to electricity meter maker Iskraemeco, ventilation company Systemair and maker of LED traffic displays Swarco Lea. FDI Award Slovenia was given out in three categories. Iskraemeco was named the best among big companies, Sytemair won the award in the long-term presence category, and Swarco Lea got the smart products and services development award.

Fajon elected head of EU Parliament's Schengen task force

STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) elected Slovenian MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) the chair of a special task force for the Schengen Area, with Fajon announcing she would strive to restore importance and reputation to the idea, and restore full life to the area without borders.

Pahor forms consultative committee for climate policy

LJUBLJANA - A permanent consultative committee for climate policy attached to the office of President Borut Pahor held its maiden session today, the president's office announced. The seven-member committee features climatologist Lučka Kajfež Bogataj, Mojca Dolinar of the climatology department of the Environment Agency, Andrej Gnezda of the environmental NGO Umanotera and climate change negotiator Zoran Kus of the Environment Ministry.

New legislation to address environmental liability

LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc said a new legislation that was in the making would prioritise the environment over creditors in case a company goes into receivership. The damage it has caused needs to be cleaned up, which is usually a long and expensive effort, he said. When the bankruptcy estate is being divided among creditors, "the damage done to the environmental will be paid first, before all the other creditors", he said at a conference on environmental responsibility.

Medved puzzled by Pahor postponing electoral law meeting for SDS

LJUBLJANA - As the search continues for a two-thirds majority in parliament to change Slovenia's electoral legislation in line with a Constitutional Court ruling, Public Administration Rudi Medved clashed with President Borut Pahor over the latter's decision to postpone a meeting on the topic because of the Democrats (SDS). Pahor planned to host on Wednesday the eighth round of talks addressing the problem of the current electoral districts no longer guaranteeing the one person-one vote principle but decided to postpone it in the face of Medved and the largest opposition party holding differing views.

Nomago not for sale, looking for strategic partner

LJUBLJANA - Adventura Holding has denied it is selling coach company Nomago, though it acknowledged it was in talks with several possible strategic partners which would help it fulfil its ambitions plans for the company. The privately held Adventura Holding issued the statement after a TV report suggested yesterday that national rail company Slovenske Železnice (SŽ) was interested in buying Nomago.

Parliament backs culture euro bill

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed a bill providing more funds for arts and culture to facilitate its development. The field will thus get an additional EUR 122.6 million for investments in 2021-2027, or an average EUR 17.5 million a year, in addition from what its gets in annual state budgets. This sort of funding was first introduced in 1998, but in 2013 the relevant legislation, which was time-limited, was not amended so as to remain valid.

Slovenian Book Fair kicks off with focus on Europe

LJUBLJANA - The annual Slovenian Book Fair got under way. Europe in Focus will bring to Ljubljana a number of Europe-based authors, among them Irish Jacke Harte, German Sibylle Berg, Lukas Bärfuss, this year's winner of the Georg Büchner Prize and Jan Carson from Northern Ireland, the winner of EU prize for literature 2019. The fair will also honour poet, writer and linguist Valentin Vodnik (1758-1818) and the region of Prekmurje, whose people were reunited with the rest of Slovenian nation 100 years ago.

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