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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here
This summary is provided by the STA:
FM Cerar proposes joint police patrols on border with Italy
BRUSSELS, Belgium - FM Miro Cerar proposed to his Italian counterpart Enzo Moavero Milanesi joint police patrols on the Slovenian-Italian border to prevent illegal migration, saying he wanted to show to Italy that Slovenia wanted to strengthen mutual trust. Cerar said border controls within the Schengen zone were unacceptable for Slovenia, because they went against the European ideas of connectivity and freedom. According to him, Milanesi welcomed the initiative, which will be presented to the two countries' interior ministers, while their police commissioners are expected to discuss it in a few days.
Mlinar says Austria's border checks undermining EU
LJUBLJANA - Angelika Mlinar, an Austrian MEP who is standing in the EU elections on the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) in Slovenia, came out strongly against an extension of police checks on the Austrian-Slovenian border, accusing Austria's government of "non-European conduct". The extension "does not resolve any problems, it creates new problems for Slovenians who work in Austria and it damages bilateral relations, in particular the Slovenian economy," she told the press. Mlinar, a vocal critic of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, said the "utterly unwarranted checks" treated Slovenians as "second-rate citizens of Europe" and "undermine our common EU".
MPs discuss allegations about political pressure on judges
LJUBLJANA - MPs discussed the opposition Democrats' (SDS) proposal to have the National Assembly order an analysis of the allegations of abuse in and pressure on the judiciary, and draw up legislative changes. The debate had been prompted by Ljubljana District Court judge Zvjezdan Radonjić's recent statements about pressure he allegedly experienced in trying Milko Novič for the December 2013 murder of the Chemistry Institute boss. Since the SDS's proposal was rejected already by the parliamentary Justice Committee last week, the MPs did not vote on it, but coalition parties and the opposition Left swarned that discussing on-going court procedures was a form of pressure in itself.
MPs confirm delay of next round of real estate appraisal
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislative changes delaying the next round of mass property appraisal for about a year. Under the government-sponsored changes, the appraisal will be completed by the end of March 2020 and not the end of July 2019. The delay is deemed necessary to allow more time to reach a consensus on an appraisal model. Slovenia introduced the real estate appraisal system in 2006. After the Constitutional Court raised an issue with parts of the legislation in 2013, it was amended at the beginning of 2018.
Motorway a must for all heavy cargo vehicles in NE Slovenia as of June
LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Agency announced that all heavy cargo vehicles crossing the north-eastern part of Slovenia will be obligated to take the motorway as of 1 June. The ban on the use of regional roads for heavy cargo vehicles will apply to the area between the border crossings Bistrica ob Sotli and Središče ob Dravi. Only local traffic and vehicles destined to Slovenia will be allowed to use parallel regional roads. The measure is to improve safety and the quality of living in the area, the Infrastructure Ministry said. Locals had been protesting against heavy traffic for years, claiming trucks used regional roads to avoid paying toll.
Slovenia gets equity growth investment programme
LJUBLJANA - Small and medium-sized companies in Slovenia as well as those providing for up to 3,000 full-time jobs will be able to apply for EUR 100 million in funds offered by the Slovenian Equity Growth Investment Programme (SEGIP), which is designed to help attract private investors from abroad. The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Slovenia's SID export and development bank each contributed EUR 50 million to the scheme. SID CEO Sibil Svilan said the initiative for the SEGIP had come from SID after the crisis revealed a major deficiency in private equities in Slovenia.
Four out of five Slovenians regular internet users
LJUBLJANA - Some 80% of Slovenians aged 16 to 74 regularly used the internet in the first quarter of 2018, shows data released by the Statistics Office ahead of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. Most accessed the internet via their smartphones. The percentage of people aged 16 to 74 who have never used the internet halved in 10 years - from 33% to just 16% in 2018. In the same period, the percentage of regular internet users increased from 62% to 80%. The biggest increase was recorded among older citizens, with 47% of those aged 65 to 74 being regular users, a dramatic increase from 8% in 2009.
Roglič retains Giro pink jersey
ROME, Italy - Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič retained his pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia after Sunday and Monday's legs by finishing both in the leading group, after winning the first stage of the legendary race on Saturday. The 29-year-old former ski jumper, who competes for Jumbo-Visma, is considered one of the favourites to win this year's race across Italy. By taking the opening time trial on Saturday, he won a Giro stage for the second time in his career, the first coming in 2016.
40th anniversary of Slovenian conquest of Mt Everest
LJUBLJANA - 40 years to the day Andrej Štremfelj and Nejc Zaplotnik made history as the first Slovenians to reach the summit of Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world. The pair were part of a 25-strong Yugoslav expedition which featured 21 Slovenians and which was led by Slovenian mountaineer Tone Škarja. The two mountaineers reached their goal after 45 days of climbing the mountain's western ridge in extreme weather conditions and struggling with oxygen deprivation. The anniversary was marked at the Slovenian Alpine Museum in Mojstrana with a ceremony and an exhibition. The majority of the Slovenian members of the expedition and representatives of the Mountaineering Association were also received by President Borut Pahor.
Mächtig's iconic K67 kiosk unveiled in Times Square
NEW YORK, US - The iconic K67 kiosk by acclaimed Slovenian architect and designer Saša Mächtig has been featured in the Times Square Design Lab exhibition. The kiosk, currently sitting on Broadway Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets, is one of the landmarks of Slovenian industrial design. Tim Tompkins of the Times Square Alliance, responsible for improving and promoting Times Square, says their goal is to showcase the best design from around the world in the square, through which some half a million people pass every day, making it great for advertising.
Medieval burial ground discovered in Pomurje
TIŠINA - A team of archaeologists from the Pomurje Museum has discovered a medieval burial ground in Tišina, the first of its kind in the north-eastern Pomurje region. Some 50 graves were identified, although the team estimates there to be several hundred. The most important artefacts found in the graves were various types of female jewellery, mostly headdresses and rings. According to Samo Sankovič, the leader of the team, these belonged to the time of the Bijelo Brdo Culture, which inhabited the Pannonian Plain between the 10th and 12th centuries.
