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:
Talks with Germany on military gear swap continue
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Matej Tonin acknowledged that talks with Germany for a swap under which it would send Yugoslav-era tanks to Ukraine in exchange for more modern German armoured vehicles have stalled, but he said negotiations were continuing. "Slovenia has done its part. The equipment we intend to send to Ukraine is ready for transport. We've notified the Germans in writing what kind of equipment we want, now we're waiting for feedback from the German side," he said. Slovenia is interested only in "modern equipment which the arms can actually use in the next ten to fifteen years."
Vote on PM-designate to be held on 25 May
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly could vote on the appointment of Robert Golob as Slovenia's next prime minister as early as Wednesday, 25 May, Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič and President Borut Pahor said at their first meeting. The names of the heads of deputy groups in the new parliament will be known this Thursday. On Friday, Pahor will send them invitations for formal consultations on the PM-designate, which will take place next Monday.
Remaining candidates for minister revealed
LJUBLJANA - The names of all nominees for ministers in the Robert Golob government have now been revealed. The Left confirmed that the party's vice-president Asta Vrečko, a curator and art historian, was slated for the culture portfolio and Simon Maljevac, the party's secretary general, for labour, the family and social affairs. Irena Šinko, a senior civil servant who served two terms as the director of the national Farmland and Forest Fund in 2010-2018, is the Freedom Movement's candidate for agriculture ministry.
Changes in government structure pass first hurdle in parliament
LJUBLJANA - The temporary parliamentary Joint Committee passed changes to the government act with which the emerging coalition proposes a new structure of the government, consisting of 19 ministries and one government office. While the coalition thinks this will improve efficiency, the opposition argued the result would be the opposite. Under the proposal from the Freedom Movement, Social Democrats (SD) and Left, the new government will have three ministries more than the outgoing government.
Slovenian MEPs complain over Austria extending border control
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Five Slovenian MEPs sent a public letter to Austria and the European Commission criticising the recent decision of Austria to again extend police controls on the border with Slovenia, labelling the move as unjustified and disproportionate. They argue that this is confirmed by the valid EU law and the recent decision of the EU court. The letter signed by Irena Joveva, Klemen Grošelj (both Renew/LMŠ), Milan Brglez (S&D/SD), Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) and Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) is addressed to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Commissioner Ylva Johansson.
NATO mission in Slovakia to upgrade Slovenia-Czechia cooperation, minister says
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Matej Tonin met his Czech counterpart Jana Černochova in Brussels before a meeting of EU defence ministers. The pair discussed NATO's mission in Slovakia and the role of EU presidency, which the Czech Republic will assume in July, the Defence Ministry said. Tonin offered to share Slovenia's experiences in the challenges of the EU presidency. He is happy the Czech presidency's priorities are in line with Slovenia's ambitions in defence policy, including strengthening EU-NATO cooperation.
Minister candidate says doctors will be able to work on the side
LJUBLJANA - After the announcement in the draft coalition agreement that doctors in the public sector will be banned from working for private providers was met with pushback from doctors' organisations, Danijel Bešič Loredan, the candidate for the health minister, said that such work would not be prohibited for now. He told POP TV and TV Slovenija that such a ban was part of a different, more distant part of the coalition agreement that is planned to be in place by 2024.
Writers find coalition agreement vague, artists and NGOs hopeful
LJUBLJANA - The coalition agreement of the future government of Robert Golob lacks vision and concrete solutions, said the Writers' Association. An association of freelance artists and NGOs finds the document ambitious, while economist Andrej Srakar welcomed the announced stable financing of culture. Mitja Šuštar, the head of the Glosa trade union of culture workers, expressed fear that culture will again be marginalised.
Dismissed TV Slovenija boss now put forward for the job
LJUBLJANA - Andrej Grah Whatmough, director general of the Slovenian public broadcaster, has put forward for director of the broadcaster's TV arm Natalija Gorščak, whom he himself dismissed from the job in August last year. RTV Slovenija said Gorščak was the only candidate to apply for the job in line with the terms of the call by the 13 May deadline. Another application arrived by e-mail and was thus not considered.
Alpina sold to Czech company K&H
LJUBLJANA/ŽIRI - The Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) announced it had sold its outright stake in footwear maker Alpina to K&H, a Czech company that is part of the Franco de Poisd'eau & CIE group, for an as yet undisclosed amount reported to be EUR 20 million. The buyer has been picked not just because it submitted the best financial offer but also because of a thorough development strategy, BAMC said. The new owner has already presented its plans to the management and workers as it announced that it will focus on restructuring improvements in production and sales, and the development of the Alpina brand.
Prevent & Deloza takes over German business
LJUBLJANA - Prevent & Deloza, the Celje-based protective clothing manufacturer, has taken over Askö, the German maker of fire-resistant gloves for what the newspaper Delo reports is roughly EUR 2 million. The company plans subsequent takeovers to form a group that will offer a comprehensive range of equipment for firefighters, police and the military. "We're in talks on new acquisitions, eyeing north and west," CEO Boštjan Marolt told Delo.
Slovenian companies to seek business opportunities in Nevada
MARIBOR - A memorandum of understanding between the SPIRIT agency and the Office of the Governor of Nevada was signed to help Slovenian companies enter the US market, a priority market for Slovenian companies as defined in a government strategy. The memorandum, signed on the sidelines of the PODIM conference, should create a basis for increasing bilateral trade, investment, and technology transfer between Slovenia and Nevada, said acting SPIRIT head Rok Capl.
EU Commission clears EUR 150m aid scheme for companies
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission approved the re-introduction of a Slovenian scheme, including an EUR 150 million budget increase, to support companies affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the development of coronavirus-relevant products. The original scheme was approved in August 2020 and expired on 31 December last year. Slovenia sought the re-introduction of the scheme until the end of June this year.
Presidential decorations for humanitarian work
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor has decorated four individuals for work spanning remembrance of the Holocaust, fight for the rights of the victims of war violence, and helping children with cancer. Robert Waltl, a theatre director and leader of the Jewish Cultural Centre, received the Order of Merit, as did Ivica Žnidaršič, who heads the Association of Slovenian Deportees 1941-1945. The husband and wife team of Valerija and Ivo Čarman, founders of the Golden Bow Institute, a charity for children with cancer, received a Medal of Merit.
Restored monument to Ukrainian Isonzo Front fighters unveiled
PANOVEC - A restored monument to the Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the WWI Isonzo Front was unveiled in Panovec near Nova Gorica, with the speakers noting that it was not a monument to generals and military leaders, but to ordinary soldiers who had died there. The monument to the 20th Imperial-Royal Landwehr Infantry Regiment, which fought around Nova Gorica, was erected in 1917 in the vicinity of its command and today represents the central monument to all Ukrainians who fought on the Isonzo Front.
