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Number of coronavirus cases up by 39 to 841, death toll at 15

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,288 tests for the new coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Tuesday, with 39 new Covid-19 cases confirmed to increase the total to 841. Two more patients died, bringing the total to 15. Of the 119 Covid-19 patients in hospital, 31 are in intensive care, up from 28 on Monday. Nursing homes remain the main hot spots, with 137 residents and 30 staff at care homes having contracted the disease. To address the rapidly worsening situation in nursing homes, authorities are looking for solutions, urging residents' families to secure domestic care if possible.

Extended police powers to be thrown out of anti-coronavirus legislation

LJUBLJANA - The coalition backtracked somewhat on the decision to extend police force for the purpose of controlling the Covid-19 epidemic. Amendments filed by the coalition strike out the possibility for police to track people in quarantine without a court warrant, create photo robots and enter apartments. This was after Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik said the measures would be tantamount to a police state. The package aiming to curb the coronavirus epidemic would still allow the police to search for people, use photo facial recognition, set up road blocks, temporarily prevent the movement of people and collect and process data.

Support for proposal to give army police powers in doubt

LJUBLJANA - The government's proposal to invoke a legislative provision giving the army limited police powers to help police secure the southern border against illegal migration appeared unlikely to garner the required two-thirds majority in parliament as the Defence Committee debated the proposal. The opposition National Party (SNS) announced its support, while the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the ruling party in the previous government, was unhappy because the government failed to accept its compromise solutions, while the Social Democrats do not think the situation at the border is such as to warrant the powers, and the Left are dead set against.

Govt tables legislation determining procedure to ban certain referenda

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an amendment to the referendum act that prescribes the National Assembly's course of action in case of a referendum initiative challenging a law that cannot be challenged under the constitution, which would include laws imposing measures designed to curb the Covid-19 epidemic. The amendment, which the government wants to be rushed through parliament, seeks to implement the constitutional regulation of the legislative referendum of 2013 in terms of procedure. The constitutional amendments passed in 2013 ban referenda on laws vital to the country's defence and security or dealing with natural disasters.

Dozens more Slovenians returning home

LJUBLJANA - Dozens Slovenians returned home on flights organised by the Foreign Ministry. Around midnight a plane from Lisbon carrying 16 Slovenians touched down, and another 20 arrived home from Thailand, the Philippines and Switzerland by bus from Zurich airport. They were ordered a 14-day self-isolation. A plane from Helsinki is expected to land in Ljubljana tonight, bringing 45 passengers from Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Italy through Copenhagen. The ministry said that after 6 April no more special flights will be organised from distant locations.

Four more crossings on Slovenia-Austria border to close

LJUBLJANA - Only nine points on the Slovenian-Austrian border will remain open as of 2 April after the Austrian government has put in place additional restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus. The border points at Karavanke, Šentilj (the motorway and rail crossing), Gornja Radgona and Kuzma will operate around the clock. Trate, Radlje and Ljubelj will be open from 5am to 9pm, while Vič will be open between 5am and 11pm. Holmec, Jurij, Korensko Sedlo and the crossing in Šentilj that is on the main road will be closed, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said. However, efforts are under way to keep Holmec open.

Public broadcaster journalists targetted in assaults

LJUBLJANA - Three teams of journalists of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija have been assaulted in recent days; in two cases they were harassed verbally, and in another the company's vehicle was damaged. The incidents were condemned by the Journalists' Association (DNS) and politicians, including PM Janez Janša. RTV Slovenija reported the attack in which its vehicle was damaged to police. According to the broadcaster, police unofficially stated that an increase in violence in society had been detected in these challenging times. The broadcaster stressed that any form of violence was unacceptable and called for tolerance.

Slovenian, Estonian presidents discuss Covid-19 pandemic

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid discussed the coronavirus pandemic and measures to contain over the phone, agreeing on mutual assistance should the respective country need it. While endorsing measures taken by their government to curb the outbreak, Pahor and Kaljulaid stressed that democratic values and the rule of law must be respected. The pair also highlighted the role of rapid and effective action at European level, urging a videoconference and a joint message by presidents of the countries taking part in the Arraiolos group to call for more unity, solidarity and efficiency within Europe.

Businesses urge boost measures after production resumes

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Business representatives urged Prime Minister Janez Janša and relevant ministers in a meeting at Brdo pri Kranju to include measures ensuring companies stay afloat after resuming production in a second coronavirus crisis stimulus package. "At today's meeting of employers' organisations, the prime minister and key ministers, businesses pointed out that following the No. 1 package, it was necessary to actively consider a quality No. 2 package which would provide liquidity support after restarting production," said Boštjan Gorjup, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS).

BSH among first major Slovenian manufacturers to restart production

NAZARJE - BSH Hišni Aparati, which was one of the first large manufacturers in Slovenia to halt production over the coronavirus epidemic, is also among the first to resume business. The company, the largest producer of small household appliances in Europe, operated at 15% of capacity on Monday and hopes to be at 50% next week. We mostly had to close because public transport was suspended, as 75% of our workers used the bus to come to work...The second reason was the absence of protective equipment and the fact that an outbreak in our factory would have meant an excessive peril for the Upper Savinja Valey," BSH director Boštjan Gorjup told Finance.

Slovenian researchers involved in new virus identification effort

MARIBOR - Two researchers from the University of Maribor, in cooperation with British and Chines researchers, have come up with a new way of identifying viruses and bacteria which could speed up the process of determining the type of infection. Tine Curk and Urban Bren of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering are members of a team that started their work months ago, but their findings are timely as the method they have developed can be used for coronavirus. It currently takes a whole day before the results of a coronavirus test are in, while the new approach could significantly speed up the process, Bren said.

Telekom Slovenije solution allowing remote monitoring of Covid-19 patients

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije announced that the UKC Ljubljana hospital was already using its telehealth solution to remotely monitor individual Covid-19 patients, with talks under way to introduce it at two more hospitals. Peter Pustatičnik, head of e-health at Telekom Sloveije, told the STA that the solution, developed with their partners, had originally been developed for chronic patients, but the coronavirus pandemic revealed wider applicability. It allows the monitoring of patients in domestic care, constant communication with health staff, while reducing the risk of transmission.

No major violations of stricter movement rules

LJUBLJANA - Police report that residents in Slovenia mostly respect the movement restrictions introduced on Monday to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, moving largely within their own municipality. There are a few exceptions to the rule, allowing Slovenians to go to another municipality to go to work, do farm work, provide assistance to persons in need of care, and to access emergency services, pharmacies, diplomatic missions and judicial authorities. On Monday the police referred 107 cases to the health inspectorate, which is responsible for fining, and in 85 cases, the police warned people of inappropriate conduct.

Robert Šumi takes over as new anti-corruption commission head

LJUBLJANA - Robert Šumi, a researcher at the Police Academy, took over as the new head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption for a six-year term. He highlighted the importance of strengthening integrity in all walks of life. Preventive in nature, integrity is the flip side of the coin of fighting corruption and it has the potential to bring results in the long run, Šumi was quoted as saying in a press release. In this respect the commission as a preventive oversight institution plays a very important role, said Šumi, stressing his goal was a society with a high degree of integrity and zero tolerance to unethical actions.

Slovenia among countries with fewest non-executed ECHR rulings

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is yet to implement 13 rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which makes it one of the countries with the lowest number of such rulings, according to the Council of Europe's annual report on the supervision of the execution of the court's decisions for 2019. The report highlights as a success the implementation of a group of judgements against Slovenia related to child custody and contacts between parents and children. Under enhanced supervision by the CoE's Committee of Ministers are still Mandič and Jovič cases related to overcrowdedness at Ljubljana prison.

Sociologist urges universal basic income

LJUBLJANA - Sociologist Valerija Korošec says it is high time to introduce a universal basic income (UBI), arguing it is a vital safeguard against the consequences of crises. She thinks Slovenia will introduce it this year to lead the way in a post-corona and post-Brexit EU when it chairs the bloc in 2021. Although she admits a crisis such as the coronavirus epidemic is not the best time to do that, she believes UBI is urgently needed as the pandemic wreaks social and economic havoc, because it is a means of protection when social systems stop working.

Govt replaces its reps at Public Health Institute

LJUBLJANA - The government replaced all four representatives of the state on the seven-member council of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ), a move that completes an overhaul at the NIJZ after Ivan Eržen was named acting director on 20 March. The first of the four government representatives in the NIJZ council was replaced on 17 March, with Mateja Lesar appointed to replace Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of UKC Ljubljana's infectious disease clinic. The remaining three members were replaced today as Rok Tavčar, Matej Forte and Matjaž Vrtovec were named in place of Branko Bregar, Blanka Česnik Wolf and Tomaž Rusimovič.

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Banka Slovenije expects 6-16% GDP contraction in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank Banka Slovenije said that the the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Slovenian economy will likely be higher than in the last global financial crisis. It expects GDP to contract by between 6% and 16%. Publishing a preliminary analysis that does not factor in emerging fiscal and monetary policy measures, Banka Slovenije outlined three possible scenarios. It stressed the impact would be very large in any case, while its gravity would depend on how long containment measures remained in place and on the speed of the recovery after they are lifted.

Four die as number of Covid-19 persons rises by 46 to 802

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll rose to 15 as four people died on Monday and Tuesday, the latest government figures show. The number of new coronavirus cases increased by 46 to 802 after 1,125 persons were tested on Monday. As many as 119 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, of whom 28 were in intensive care on Monday. The number of persons who have so far been tested for the virus in Slovenia has risen to 22,474. Seven out of 27 Slovenian nationals who were evacuated from Austria on Sunday and placed in quarantine have tested positive for coronavirus, the National Institute of Public Health said.

Govt adopts motion to give police powers to military

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a motion that, if passed in parliament, will activate a legislative provision that gives the military limited police powers in controlling the border. To be passed, the proposal needs the support of two-thirds of MPs. The National Assembly might discuss it as soon as on Thursday alongside the stimulus measures to help companies and individuals cope with the ongoing coronavirus epidemic. The government said that it would brief the relevant parliamentary bodies about the troops' engagement on the border every two weeks and that the troops would have police powers for a period of three months.

Public health chief thinks latest restrictions not necessary

LJUBLJANA - The latest government-imposed restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus appear not to have been coordinated with the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ). Acting NIJZ head Ivan Eržen told the weekly Mladina he saw no reason for the new measures. Eržen believes that the measures, including restricting people's movement to their home municipalities and disinfecting of multi-apartment buildings, are not necessary. Meanwhile, Slovenia decided to uphold the mandatory use of protective face masks in closed public spaces after the World Health Organisation said general use of masks was not recommended. Appearing at a government press conference, paediatrician Tina Bergant stressed that countries in which wearing face masks was more common had managed to contain coronavirus much faster than countries where face masks in public are uncommon.

Annual inflation rate drops to 0.5% in March

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate dropped to 0.5% in March from 2% in February. The prices of food, which were up 4.9%, contributed 0.7 of a percentage point to the annual inflation in March, while higher prices of water supply and services related to the dwelling (+9.3%) and higher prices of miscellaneous goods and services (by 4.0%) contributed another 0.3 of a percentage point. On the monthly level, a deflation of 0.8% was recorded mainly due to lower electricity prices, the Statistics Office said.

Slovenia records general government surplus of 0.5% of GDP in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded a general government surplus of EUR 260 million or 0.5% of GDP in 2019 after already posting a EUR 330 million surplus in 2018. Expenditure growth, at 5.2%, was higher than revenue growth, at 4.8%. Consolidated debt decreased by EUR 479 million to EUR 31.7 billion or 66.1% of GDP. The Statistics Office said that compared to 2018, when revenue growth was 7.1%, the slowing of GDP growth in what were still favourable economic conditions affected revenue last year, while they also noted a significant decrease in revenue from profits in fully or partly state-owned companies.

Public health fund ends 2019 with over EUR 50m in surplus

LJUBLJANA - The sixth consecutive year of Slovenia's economic growth also reflected in higher revenue of the national public health fund, which had EUR 213 million more in its 2019 budget than the year before and finished the year with a surplus of EUR 50.6 million, according to its business report. But despite the surplus and EUR 16.8 million set aside for reserve, the Institute of Health Insurance (ZZZS) could not fully pay all the current services provided by medical organisations because the National Assembly limited its 2019 spending and the services could only be paid out in 2020.

Stimulus package in parliament no earlier than Thursday

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee started discussing the new stimulus package to mitigate the impact of coronavirus, suspending the debate and postponing the plenary planned for Wednesday by at least a day. Meanwhile, Equal Opportunities Ombudsman Miha Lobnik called on the government to give special attention to protecting and assisting vulnerable groups in its next legislative package, especially the disabled, Roma, homeless and single parents. The Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) welcomed the proposed fiscal stimulus package, but noted that sports organisations in Slovenia had so far recorded a drop in expected revenue of more than EUR 25 million. A survey has also shown that around 800 full-time jobs in the sport industry are at risk.

Two additional border crossings opening on Slovenian-Hungarian border

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto agreed that two additional border crossings will open on the Slovenian-Hungarian border, Hodoš-Bajansenye and Čepinci-Verica (Ketvölgy), the Foreign Ministry said. Logar and Szijjarto agreed over the phone that they will respond to initiatives from both sides of the border and make life easier for the people. The Čepinci-Verica (Ketvölgy) border crossing in particular is very important for the Slovenian community in the Hungarian region of Porabje, being its only link to Slovenia now that all other road connections with the country are closed.

Hisense with major donation of medical equipment for Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian civil defence received a donation of protective and medical equipment from Hisense, the Chinese owner of the Velenje-based household appliance maker Gorenje, which includes 200,000 protective masks and 2,000 hazmat suits. Also donated by Hisense are 500 respirators, protective goggles and a medical ventilator, while the company has also mediated in an agreement to supply 46 ventilators to Slovenia, Gorenje said.

Plečnik Stadium among most endangered heritage sites in Europe

LJUBLJANA - The pan-European Europa Nostra organisation released a list of seven most endangered European cultural heritage sites for 2020, with a stadium designed by acclaimed architect Jože Plečnik also making the list. One of Ljubljana's top landmarks has been in a dilapidated state for a decade. Being declared one of the most endangered sites in Europe might give fresh impetus to the cause though. Europa Nostra and EIB Institute representatives plan to visit the seven sites and meet key shareholders to discuss the respective situations.

Slovenian poem Zdravljica receives European Heritage Label

LJUBLJANA - Zdravljica, a poem written in the 1840s by Slovenia's France Prešeren to celebrates peace, freedom and fraternity, was awarded the European Heritage Label by the European Commission alongside nine other pieces of heritage which testify about European ideals, values, history and integration. The seventh stanza of Zdravljica, or A Toast in English, set to music by Stanko Premrl in 1905, was chosen to be Slovenia's national anthem in 1990.

Three Slovenian researchers win prestigious EU grants

LJUBLJANA - Three researchers from the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) and the National Institute of Chemistry have won over seven million euro in European Research Council (ERC) grants for their research projects in physics and biomedicine. The Slovenian projects winning the ERC Advanced Grant 2019 will be led by senior researchers Peter Križan and Igor Muševič, both from the ISJ, and Matej Praprotnik from the Chemistry Institute.

Motorway operator's net profit down almost 10% last year

LJUBLJANA - DARS, the state-owned operator of Slovenia's motorway network, generated EUR 480.75 million in revenue last year, or 3.3% more than in 2018, but its net profit was down by 9.5% to EUR 139.61 million, shows its unaudited annual report. The toll collected represented the bulk of the total revenue, standing at 466.61 million, or 3% more than in 2018, while write-offs represented the highest share in expenses, increasing by 17% to EUR 211 million. Expenses related to financial obligations were down by 6% to EUR 37.5 million, costs of goods, material and services were up by almost 6% to EUR 50.38 million, and labour costs were up by 11% to EUR 45.24 million.

Unior group revenue up, profit down last year

LJUBLJANA - Tool maker group Unior saw its revenue rise by 3% to EUR 256 million last year, continuing a multi-year trend. Net profit dropped by 14% to EUR 10.4 million. EBITDA rose by almost 6% to EUR 32 million, while EBIT was up from EUR 15 million to EUR 16 million. The group's operations were marked by unpredictable and changeable economic growth, which mostly affected the operations of its forging plants in Croatia and China, which failed to reach their targets and posted worse results than in 2018.

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Stricter measures to fight coronavirus in effect

LJUBLJANA - Strict new measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic entered into force with movement additionally restricted and shopping rules tightened to protect the most vulnerable groups. From today Slovenians are confined to their home municipality for most daily activities except to go to work, do farm work, provide assistance to persons in need of care, and access emergency services, pharmacies, diplomatic missions and judicial authorities. Face masks are now mandatory in closed public spaces.

Number of coronavirus cases up by 26, no new deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's tally of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 26 on Sunday to 756, but there have been no new deaths, so the death toll remains at 11. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar told reporters 115 Covid-19 patients were currently in hospital, 28 of them in intensive treatment units. As many as 108 of those who tested positive are heath workers, 24 of them at care homes. By Sunday midnight, 21,349 tests had been conducted. Gantar acknowledged the curve of infections had flattened, but said these were result of the strict measures imposed and should not lull anyone to sleep.

Staff reinforcements and protective equipment urged for nursing homes

LJUBLJANA - Two associations specialising in elderly care urged the government to provide sufficient staff and protective equipment in Slovenian nursing homes, some of which have become coronavirus hotspots. The Srebrna Nit association campaigning for dignified old age asked the government and the Human Rights Ombudsman to activate competent volunteers and notably all precious experts who have been relegated to their homes with the closure of spas, private health institutions etc.

Companies donating medical equipment to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The corporate sector is jumping in to help Slovenian authorities fight the coronavirus epidemic, with the United Group, the owner of the Slovenian telecommunications operator Telemach, donating seven artificial ventilation devices and 150,000 protective face masks worth half a million euro in medical equipment, and the company Acron providing in 60,000 face masks of the protective class FFP3.

New stimulus package in parliament on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič announced that the new stimulus package, adopted by the government on Sunday to mitigate the impact of coronavirus, will be discussed and voted on in the National Assembly on Wednesday. The EUR 3 billion package supporting companies, self-employed, pensioners and other vulnerable groups will be fast tracked in parliament. The legal service of the National Assembly meanwhile highlighted a number of shortcomings in as many as two-thirds of the bill's 111 articles. The opposition parties mostly voiced support for the government-proposed new legislative package addressing the coronavirus crisis, the left-leaning ones have however expressed criticism of provisions giving police sweeping powers to control the movement of individuals.

Information watchdog, ombudsman say govt proposal entails Slovenia becoming police state

LJUBLJANA - The Information Commissioner and the Human Rights Ombudsman warned against giving police sweeping powers to control the movement of individuals as the government tries to contain the coronavirus epidemic. Both institutions say two articles from the new umbrella bill violate basic constitutional rights. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the changes were "intended to merely prevent unauthorised and incomprehensible movements of infected persons who should be in quarantine but are freely walking around".

Unions, businesses welcome mega stimulus bill, expect more from another

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions and businesses welcomed the EUR 3 billion bill to help the economy and society cope with the coronavirus crisis as a step in the right direction meant to avert massive layoffs. However, the unions say certain groups have been left out and criticise the government for ignoring social dialogue in adopting it. Some systemic measures are poorly worded and should be more concrete, ZSSS trade union confederation boss Lidija Jerkič said.

Slovenians in other EU countries asked to stay put if possible

LJUBLJANA - Indicating a gradual winding down of efforts to repatriate Slovenians located abroad amid the coronavirus crisis, Foreign Minister Anže Logar called on Slovenians living in other EU countries in manageable conditions to stay there. Slovenia has called on other countries to extend visa and work permits to Slovenians, while residence permits for foreigners in Slovenia are being extended. More than 360 Slovenian and 300 foreign nationals have been airlifted to Slovenia, and 120 more brought back by buses. Between 800 and 1,000 returned individually with the assistance of the diplomatic network.

Minister Vrtovec urges stepping up of infrastructure projects

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec argued for a stepping up of ongoing and planned infrastructure investments in Slovenia, pointing to the economic benefits and the fact the empty streets allowed work to be executed fast. "This is a great opportunity to speed up work and to work without traffic congestions," said Vrtovec, who agrees with the importance of containment measures but also sees a chance to boost ongoing infrastructure projects.

Sentences suspended for 68 prisoners, 15 released early

LJUBLJANA - Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič announced that prison sentences had been suspended for 68 persons and an additional 15 prisoners have been released early under the measures in administrative matters to contain the coronavirus epidemic. All of them have passed security checks. The law allowing a one-month suspension of a prison sentence and an early release of prisoners up to six months before the end of their sentence entered into force on Sunday.

Business sentiment, consumer confidence dive

LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment and consumer confidence in Slovenia plummeted in March amid the concerns fuelled by the coronavirus epidemic. Statistics Office data show the business sentiment index dropping to -3.7 percentage points, down 8.8 points from February and down 12.5 points year-on-year. The index had not been in the negative territory since August 2014. Consumer confidence sunk to the lowest since May 2016, having declined 3 points from February and 11 points since March 2019.

Housing prices up another 5.2% in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Housing prices rose by 5.2% in 2019, the fifth consecutive year of growth. Data released by the Statistics Office show the number of real estate transactions going up 4%, mostly on account of used flats, while the value of the deals amounted to EUR 1.3 billion, an increase of roughly 6% on 2018. The sale of new units had been modest for two years, but the sale of used units was going strong, with 3,458 transactions worth a record total EUR 340 million in the last quarter of 2019.

New Slovenian Philharmonic acting head appointed

LJUBLJANA - Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti appointed Matej Šarc as interim director of the Slovenian Philharmonic. Šarc will take over on 2 April and will preside over one of Slovenia's central cultural institutions until the appointment of the new full-fledged director or for a maximum period of a year.

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

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This summary is provided by the STA:

52 new Covid-19 cases confirmed, no cabinet member infected

LJUBLJANA - 52 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed but no new deaths recorded in Slovenia on Friday, putting the national total of infected persons at 684 and death toll at nine. The daily rise in new cases is below Thursday's record 70. 1,387 persons were tested for the virus on Friday. By that day 90 infected persons were admitted to hospital, of whom 25 are in intensive case and the majority need a ventilator, the government's spokesperson for the coronavirus crisis Jelko Kacin told the press. He also announced that due to the complexity of the matter, the government is unlikely to adopt the EUR 2 billion economic stimulus package today. It is more likely that it will complete the session on Sunday, when it is also expected to present it to the press. Kacin also said that no cabinet member was infected.

Over 80 residents in six nusing homes infected

LJUBLJANA - 83 residents of six nursing homes and 23 staff were infected with Covid-19 in Slovenia as of Friday, government figures show. A nusing home in Postojna could become a hotspot after an employee tested positive for the virus yesterday; all residents - there are some 40 - and staff are being tested today. Nine infected persons have so far died in Slovenia, all of them elderly persons with underlaying conditions, and several of them residents of nusing homes. The government announced that a special body bringing together directors of hospitals, community health centres and nursing homes would be set up in the coming days to see what else could be done to prevent the virus from spreading to nursing homes.

Poll shows 58% trust government on coronavirus action

LJUBLJANA - More than 58% of those polled trust the government it is doing the right thing amid the coronavirus epidemic, with 22% not trusting it, a poll released by the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows. Over 55% believe the planned measures to help business, sole proprietors and the self-employed are sufficient, around 25% consider them inadequate and 20% said they were not familiar well enough with them to comment. The online survey was carried out by pollster Ninamedia among 1,300 people on 25 and 26 March.

Kopp new sole provider of maritime piloting services

LJUBLJANA - The government concluded on Friday a contract with the state-owned Kopp Izobraževanje company to provide maritime piloting services in the port of Koper as a public service. So far these services have been provided by private company Piloti Koper. A decree to set up a public company as the sole provider of maritime piloting services in the port was adopted by the previous government last month, with the new government concluding the contract with Kopp, a company established and operated by state asset custodian Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH). Under the decree, the contract is concluded for up to ten years, the Government Communication Office said.

Spas' revenue could drop by a third due to coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian spas have been closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus epidemic, and estimate "an alarming 30-35% loss of revenue this year", Association of Slovenian Natural Spas director Iztok Altbauer told the STA. "Nobody knows how we'll cover such a loss of revenue." The association thus asked its members to come up with proposals for measures that could help tourism companies survive. One of the proposals sent to the government is the Austrian aid model, which entails EUR 1,000 a month for a tourist worker, as well as other liquidity, employment and marketing measures.

Saharan dust brings record concentration of PM10 particles

LJUBLJANA - The Environment Agency (ARSO) has issued a warning for Saturday about extremely high concentrations of harmful PM10 particles for Slovenia after Saharan dust reached Europe on Friday. It has advised people to stay indoors. An average daily concentration was expected to exceed 100 microgrammes per cubic metre, while the allowed daily concentration is 50 microgrammes. The situation should gradually improve on Sunday, yet high concentrations are still expected in central and southern Slovenia. Very high concentrations, even around 400 microgrammes per cubic metre, were recorded already on Friday. Janja Turšič from ARSO told the STA she could not remember Slovenia ever having recorded such high levels.

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Janša warns lack of joint action potentially fateful for EU

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for joint EU action to fight the coronavirus crisis. "The scale of the crisis is truly large and may have grave and fateful effects on the cohesion of the EU and the economic and monetary union," he told EU leaders at Thursday's EU summit. He said adequate and timely action was needed to mitigate the social and economic consequences of the crisis. "Considering the extraordinary circumstances, Slovenia has endorsed the initiative for a common debt instrument," Janša was quoted in a Government Communication Office press release.

Covid-19 death toll rises to nine as two more deaths reported

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus death toll in Slovenia rose to nine as two persons died, the second day in a row that more than one fatality has been confirmed. By Thursday midnight the total number of confirmed infections rose to 632, up by a record 70 cases in a day, the latest government data show. More than 18,000 tests were carried out by midnight on Thursday, over a thousand yesterday alone, while reports from hospitals suggest 101 Covid-19 patients were in hospital today. The National Institute of Public Health expects the growth in cases to slow down because of the lockdown measures imposed in Slovenia nearly two weeks ago.

Hojs optimistic about chances of giving army police powers

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs is optimistic a two-thirds majority could be mustered to trigger article 37.a of the defence act to temporarily give the Slovenian Armed Forces police powers. After consulting deputy groups, he said he would shortly send them the final proposal updated with some of their proposals so that the government could adopt it and parliament pass next week. With the exception of the National Party (SNS), the opposition is reserved towards the proposal, but would make its mind up once it has seen the final proposal. However, today Hojs praised all opposition parties for being constructive. Among their proposals he finds useful he highlighted strictly limiting the territory along the border with Croatia on which soldiers would be allowed to exert police powers to help the police cope with illegal migration.

Government to continue work on stimulus package on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - The government convened a session to finalise a economic stimulus package estimated at EUR 2 billion, but later announced that it would take a vote on it on Saturday after conducting further talks due to its complexity. The government was only acquainted with the package today, the STA has learned. The proposed measures include loan guarantees for companies, purchase of claims to companies, co-financing of social contributions and temporary layoffs, temporary basic income for the self-employed and a one-off allowance for pensioners. PM Janez Janša has said the ideal scenario would be to pass it by 1 April and parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič has announced that en emergency session would be held in the middle of next week.

Quarantine protocol to apply to all Slovenian returning from hotspots

LJUBLJANA - The government announced all Slovenians returning to Slovenia from coronavirus hotspots will be put into state-administrated quarantine. The announcement was made after 41 Slovenian citizens who were flown in from Madrid late on Thursday were not sent into self-isolation but quarantined in a hotel in Velenje for two weeks. There is some opposition in Velenje, with the local community expressing indignation that it had learnt about the Paka Hotel quarantine from the media. Jelko Kacin, the government's spokesman for the coronavirus crisis, confirmed today the measure would apply to all Slovenians returning from coronavirus hotspots. Another group from Spain is to arrive on Saturday.

Slovenia urges cohesion policy flexibility due to crisis

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU ministers in charge of development and European cohesion policy appealed to the European Commission to come up with a second set of measures enabling more flexibility in the phasing of EU funds to tackle the coronavirus epidemic ramifications, with Slovenia urging maximum possible wiggle room for taking action. Slovenia's Zvonko Černač urged the greatest possible degree of flexibility in allowing changes and implementing measures to mitigate the coronavirus fallout, adding that every day counted.

Electricity consumption in Slovenia down

LJUBLJANA - In the wake of production shutdowns and public life grinding to a halt, electricity consumption in Slovenia has seen a downward trend in the past two weeks, show the latest data from SODO, the state-owned electricity distribution system operator. Between 12 and 26 March, electricity consumption decreased by 7.85% compared to the same period in 2018 and by 3.89% on 2019. Trends recorded by power supplier Elektro Maribor reflect the shift to nationwide lockdown mode: industrial consumption decreased by 6% in March, while household consumption increased by 6%.

Cavitation researcher Dular wins prestigious Bessel Research Award

BERLIN, Germany - Matevž Dular, a lecturer and researcher at the Ljubljana Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award. This is the second Bessel prize for a Slovenian researcher in as many years, last-year's winner being particle physicist Jure Zupan. Financed by the German government and conferred by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation on around 20 scientists each year, the honour includes a EUR 45,000 grant and a six-month research project in Germany.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

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This summary is provided by the STA:

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.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Govt announces EUR 2bn stimulus package for economy

LJUBLJANA - The government presented a package of economic stimulus measures worth roughly EUR 2 billion designed to protect jobs and keep society in general functioning through the crisis. The measures, which will be hashed out in the form of legislation this week, include loan guarantees for companies, purchase of claims to companies, co-financing of social contributions, temporary basic income for the self-employed and allowances for pensioners. Matej Lahovnik, the economist who heads a special task force of economists and executives advising the government on the measures, said this was the biggest stimulus ever in Slovenian history. PM Janez Janša and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj assured the public that the funds to finance the package were sufficient, with reliable sources available to tap into. Both the opposition and businesses welcomed the package.

Fourth Slovenian coronavirus death confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded the fourth coronavirus-related death today as an elderly woman died at the Šmarje pri Jelšah nursing home, one of the hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. The woman had multiple underlying chronic conditions and died "at a very advanced age", the Šmarje pri Jelšah municipality said on its website without specifying the woman's age. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia was up by 38 in a day to 480 by 10am today.

Slovenia reintroducing border checks with Austria

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will reintroduce border checks with Austria from midnight to restrict access to the country because of the coronavirus epidemic. A total of 13 border checkpoints will be set up at former border crossings with Austria, announced Jelko Kacin, the spokesman for the government coronavirus crisis unit. According to Kacin, PM Janez Janša has signed a decree restricting entry to Slovenia from Austria in line with the rules that already apply on the Italian border.

Slovenian, Portuguese presidents discuss anti-coronavirus efforts, post-coronavirus future

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian President Borut Pahor rang up his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to discuss their countries' efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic and a post-coronavirus future. Pahor's office also said that Rebelo de Sousa's April visit to Slovenia was rescheduled. Exchanging views on a post-coronavirus future, the heads of state assessed people and societies needed to brace for major changes. These will also have to be taken into account by individual countries and the international community.

Four presidents to discuss state of political institutions this week

LJUBLJANA - The president of the country, the heads of the parliament's two chambers and the prime minister will hold their first meeting after the appointment of new government on Thursday to discuss the functioning of political institutions during the crisis. The meeting of the four presidents is usually held in December, but given the circumstances a decision was made to meet sooner, President Borut Pahor announced on Twitter.

Around 400 Serbians stuck in Slovenia to be taken home

LJUBLJANA - The government has reached an agreement with Serbia to organise transport for around 400 Serbian citizens who are stuck in Slovenia while trying to return home from Slovenia or while on their way back from other European countries as Serbia shut down its borders to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The agreement was reached on Tuesday following diplomatic efforts by the Serbian Embassy in Slovenia and the relevant Serbian and Slovenian institutions authorities.

Slovenia welcomes EU's greenlighting accession talks for N Macedonia, Albania

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan welcomed the decision of EU European affairs ministers who agreed via videoconference to let Albania and North Macedonia begin accession talks after a series of setbacks. Dovžan said the step was a vital political signal for the region indicating a path to EU membership. Dovžan also stressed the importance of the EU's practical approach in tackling other open issues in the Western Balkans.

ECB's supervisory measures expanded to all banks in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank has decided to extend to the entire banking system in the country a series of supervisory measures the European Central Bank (ECB) has taken amid the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to extend the measures to smaller financial institutions under Banka Slovenije's direct supervision is designed to provide equal treatment of all banks in a bid to prevent a potential deterioration of their situation, Banka Slovenije said.

Slovenia issues EUR 1.1bn worth of bonds

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia today issued EUR 850 million worth of three-year bonds and increased by EUR 250 million the existing 10-year bond issue with a maturity date on 14 March 2029, the newspaper Finance reported, adding that the required yield on the three-year bond is 0.253% and 0.695% on the nine-year debt. Earlier today, the Finance Ministry said it had commissioned several major international banks to manage a new issue of a three-year euro-denominated bond and increase the issue of the bond due in 2029.

Supply of ventilators and protective gear on schedule

LJUBLJANA - Senior Slovenian officials have assured the public that the supply of ventilators and the protective equipment required to contain the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country is running without disruptions. President Borut Pahor received Chinese Ambassador Wang Shunqin today to thank him for his country's support in the supply of ventilators, which are expected to be used on patients most affected with the coronavirus.

Crisis already reflecting in sole proprietorship, unemployment figures

LJUBLJANA - After the government's economic think-tank IMAD projected on Monday a six to eight percent contraction in the country's GDP for 2020, preliminary data showing spikes in the number of sole proprietorships closed and of newly registered unemployed persons are starting to reveal the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The Agency for Public Legal Services (AJPES) told the STA that 779 sole proprietors had closed shop between 1 and 20 March, which is 44% more than in the same period last year, 48% more than had been the case for 1-20 February and 29% more than in the 1-20 January period.

Illegal migrant flow increasing, no Covid-19 cases yet

LJUBLJANA - The flow of illegal migrants across the Slovenian border appears to be continuing apace despite the coronavirus pandemic, a trend that the police attribute to warmer weather. Last week alone, 234 migrants were recorded, but no one has yet tested positive for the novel virus. Slovenian police recorded 1,165 cases of people crossing the border illegally in the first two months of the year, an increase of 80% compared with the same period a year ago.

Work on major infrastructural projects slows down

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus epidemic and the ensuing restrictive measures have slowed down work on major infrastructural projects in Slovenia. Work on the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel is down to a minimum and the intensity of work on the new railway serving the port of Koper has been reduced. Major works have been suspended because of disruptions in the supply of material and difficulties in securing proper accommodation for workers.

Over 100 prisoners sent home due to coronavirus concerns

LJUBLJANA - Some 130 prisoners were released in March as a result of efforts to stem the coronavirus spread, the newspaper Večer reported today, based on unofficial information. Former Istrabenz CEO Igor Bavčar and former Laško CEO Boško Šrot are supposed to be among them. Due to the epidemic, visits to Slovenian prisons have been banned and inmates' movement outside prisons restricted since 13 March.

Ljubljana Stock Exchange launching GDR trading

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE) is to enable trading with global depositary receipts (GDR) as of Wednesday. The step will facilitate indirect listings of securities from foreign countries, which would open doors for more investment opportunities on the stock exchange. "The new product is the outcome of collaboration between a number of Slovenian capital market participants and points to our commitment to the development of the domestic market," said the LJSE.

Slovenian cultural institutions to incur significant loss of income

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's public cultural organisations are trying to work out to what extent the coronavirus outbreak will affect their business if they stay closed for two weeks, a month or more. Some have opted to offer their production online as a gesture of good will for many staying at home, but this will not improve their bottom line. All events have been cancelled, work largely suspended or reorganised from home, with those unable to work from home being put on hold, or instructed to use days off.

Slovenia welcomes decision to postpone Summer Olympics, Olympic committee calls for measures to help sport

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) president Bogdan Gabrovec welcomed the decision to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which had been scheduled for 24 July-9 August. He said that common sense had prevailed and that it was athletes who would benefit the most from the decision, which took a huge burden off their backs. The OKS called on the government today to include sport in its measures to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, noting that sport had suffered a great loss with the cancellation of competitions.

NBA star Dončić makes it into EuroLeague all-decade team

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian basketball player Luka Dončić, one of the key players of the Dallas Mavericks and former member of Real Madrid, has been named to the EuroLeague's 2010-2020 All-Decade Team, being a third pick after Spanish Juan Carlos Navarro and US Kyle Hines. Dončić was first short-listed for the team, with fans, sports journalists and EuroLeague captains and coaches deciding on the final selection of ten players.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Third Slovenian coronavirus death confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian authorities confirmed the third coronavirus-related death as a 67-year-old man with multiple underlying conditions died at the infectious diseases department at the UKC Ljubljana hospital. The Health Ministry said the man had arrived at the hospital from home and his death was not the direct result of the infection. It described the case as a "complex situation" since the man was multimorbid and had experienced multiple medical complications in the past. The number of coronavirus cases rose by 28 in a day to 442 by 2pm today. A total of 13,812 tests have been performed so far.

Second emergency package taking shape, govt to discuss guidelines

LJUBLJANA - The government discussed this evening guidelines for a new emergency package to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic. PM Janez Janša announced that the guidelines, to serve as a basis for legislation the government wants to adopt by Friday, had been coordinated by the coalition parties and supplemented with proposals by ministries and the advisory task force led by economist Matej Lahovnik. The package includes 10-200% pay bonuses to those working in critical sectors and a temporary 30% pay cut for all state officials. Janša said the guidelines would include solutions for the self-employed.

Pahor supports giving army police powers

LJUBLJANA - Responding to an initiative by the new government to activate legislation giving the army police powers, President Borut Pahor said in his capacity of commander-in-chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces that he understood the need to give the military additional powers within the bounds of law. The response comes after Interior Minister Aleš Hojs recently said he was considering proposing the activation of article 37.a of the defence act, which allows the Slovenian Armed Forces to help the police in "broader protection of the state border".

Support for govt below 50%, SDS leads party rankings

LJUBLJANA - A public opinion poll on the new government, conducted before it took the latest measures to fight the new coronavirus outbreak, sees the government support below 50%, while the ruling Democrats (SDS) lead the party rankings with a support of 20%. In the Mediana poll conducted for the commercial broadcaster POP TV, 45.4% of the respondents said they supported the right-leaning government, which also features New Slovenia (NSi), Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and Modern Centre Party (SMC).

Govt economic forecaster projects up to 8% contraction, central bank chief calls for action

LJUBLJANA - After halving its economic growth forecast for Slovenia for the year to 1.5% less than a fortnight ago, the government economic think-tank IMAD is now projecting a six to eight percent contraction in the country's GDP due the worsening coronavirus crisis. Banka Slovenije governor Boštjan Vasle believes the coronavirus crisis will have a huge impact on Slovenia and Europe's economies, and monetary policy measures will be commensurate to the gravity of the situation, while decisive and fast fiscal policy action will be equally important. He said the scope of the economic contraction could only be assessed once the health situation calms down.

Employers present proposals to mitigate impact of epidemics

LJUBLJANA - Employer representatives proposed to the government further measures to mitigate the impact of the lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus epidemic. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry proposed that, in order to secure financial stability and liquidity, the obligation to pay taxes and social security contributions for March and April be written off, while the Chamber of Craft and Small Business proposes full coverage by the state of the wage bill in companies for sole proprietors who have been banned from working or have no work due to the crisis situation. The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber said that, in order to avoid mass lay-offs, the state should provide EUR 1,000 per worker in the tourism industry a month, or adopt amendments increasing the state's share in wage compensation from 40% to 80%.

Businesses reckon EUR 2-4bn stimulus package needed

LJUBLJANA - Almost all Slovenian businesses have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and its ramifications, with 93% of the companies surveyed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) reporting serious difficulties. "The situation at businesses is getting more alarming by the day," the GZS said today as it released the results of a survey conducted last week showing that 40% of companies estimate their revenue will drop by more than 70% in March, a further 18% expect to halve their revenue and as many project a fall of at least 30%. The chamber estimates a stimulus package of up to 4 billion euro is needed to avert an economic and social crisis.

New Covid-19 testing rules in place

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian authorities have changed the 16 March rules to test more people for Covid-19, chiefly those with milder signs of a potential coronavirus infection. The new rules expand testing to persons older than 60, to persons with other risk conditions and those with immunodeficiency disorders regardless of their age even if they only have mild symptoms. In cases of other persons with mild symptoms, it will be up to GPs and paediatricians to decide whether testing is needed. Under the previous rules, patients with signs of acute respiratory infection, regardless of fever, were not eligible for testing when the disease is mild except if decreed by epidemiologists.

Thousand Slovenians still looking to be repatriated

LJUBLJANA - More than 1,000 Slovenians are still looking to get home from other EU member states or third countries amid travel restrictions across the globe as a result of the escalating coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Anže Logar revealed following a videoconference with his EU counterparts. A group of 26 Slovenians stranded abroad returned home on a repatriation flight from the Montenegrin capital Podgorica today, eleven evacuated from Montenegro and 15 from Kosovo.

Slovenian engineers join forces to develop ventilator

LJUBLJANA - With only 168 ventilators available as Slovenia expects to soon see the Covid-19 outbreak culminate, several groups of engineers are busy developing various types of new ventilators. The first prototypes were turned on Sunday after development of several versions started over a week ago, Ljubljana Technology Park director Jernej Pintar told the newspaper Finance. The initiative to develop a homegrown ventilator came from the Association for Electrical Engineering and Electronics after doctors said at least another 100 ventilators would be needed if the number of the most seriously ill started rapidly rising.

Slovenia receives fresh shipment of protective gear, Boxmark launching face mask production

LJUBLJANA, KIDRIČEVO - Slovenia received another shipment of protective gear today, including 125,000 surgical masks, 93,000 pairs of gloves, 856 Tyvek suits, 20,000 head covers and 2,550 shoe covers, according to a tweet by Defence Minister Matej Tonin. Like many other countries, the country is also launching its own mask production. Boxmark Leather, the Kidričevo-based maker of car upholstery, launched production today to produce between 40,000 and 45,000 masks per week or some 5,000 to 8,000 per day. The Celje-based Prevent&Deloza plans to soon make between 30,000 and 40,000 washable masks, first supplying critical services and then also selling them in shops.

Fuel prices fall to ten-year low

LJUBLJANA - As the coronavirus turmoil continues to spread globally, administered fuel prices in Slovenia will slump to multi-year lows as of midnight. Regular sold at service stations outside the motorway network will cost 1.029 per litre, down 17.6 cents, while diesel will be 12.9 cents cheaper at EUR 1.017. Retail prices of regular in Slovenia have not been this low since May 2009 at the time of the global financial and economic crisis, while diesel has not been this cheap since March 2016, a time when Slovenia was deciding on a gradual liberalisation of oil derivatives.

MP Franc Trček joining SocDems after leaving Left

LJUBLJANA - MP Franc Trček, who left the opposition Left after the National Assembly confirmed the Janez Janša cabinet in mid-March, is joining the deputy group of the Social Democrats (SD), the party announced. More information about the move, which increases the SD deputy group to 11 MPs, will be known on Thursday, when a press statement is scheduled to take place.

Candles lit in front of parliament in protest against govt moves

LJUBLJANA - Several candles were lit in front of Parliament House to show disapproval of the government's recent moves. "This is not a rally, it is not assembling, it is not socialising. It is lighting of candles to mark the death of democracy in Slovenia," wrote the author of the event on Facebook. The candles were lit by those "who care" for all the people that will be unable to pay their bills, will lose their jobs, as well as those working "on the front line", and by those concerned by restrictions imposed on journalists at pressers and those fearing that the Slovenian army would be forced to act against its own people, the organisers said.

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