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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here
This summary is provided by the STA:
Shareholders to learn more about Petrol management resignation at shareholding meeting
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) sent a response to the government regarding the 24 October resignation of the Petrol management, which has upset the business community and the public, which however brought no new insight into the reasons for the move. Shareholders now expect to get more information at a shareholder meeting. The prime minister's office welcomed the idea about the shareholder meeting, saying any step enabling the shareholders to obtain more information was welcome.
Slovenia and Italy to extend, intensify joint border policing
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Italian police forces will further enhance cooperation in fighting illegal migrations, as the number of joint police patrols, launched on 1 July, will be doubled from four to eight, the General Police Department told the STA. This was agreed in Trieste on 24 October. Seven units will be patrolling the border in the area of the Koper Police Department in the south-west of Slovenia and one in the area of the Nova Gorica Police Department further north on the Slovenian-Italian border. The two countries' police forces also agreed to exchange information more promptly to allow for more flexible planning of joint policing of the border, the Slovenian police also said.
Decade on, arbitration agreement yet to be implemented
LJUBLJANA - It is ten years, to the day, since Slovenia and Croatia signed an agreement to take their long-running border dispute to a binding international arbitration. However, rather than ending what had been a recurrent source of tensions between the two countries, these only mounted after Croatia withdrew from the arbitration process in 2015. The arbitration tribunal declared the award in June 2017, but Croatia refuses to accept it, which is why Slovenia brought legal action against it at the EU Court last year.
Slovenia promoted in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China - Slovenia will be showcased as a country of advanced technologies and a winter sports destination at China International Import Expo (CIIE). Its opening on Tuesday will be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek arriving from Slovenia for the occasion. This is the second time that CIIE is being held and the second time that Slovenia is being featured. Slovenia will also be promoted as a partner for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Opinions vary, issues raised as provinces debate is revived
LJUBLJANA - Representatives of parliamentary parties and experts agreed that administrative provinces should indeed be established in Slovenia as President Borut Pahor hosted a debate on the topic, while the opinions differed regarding the territorial division as well as the question of their powers and financing. The debate focussed on a new proposal, coming after a ten-year break and envisaging eleven provinces centred around existing city municipalities.
Task force to look for solutions for border areas affected by migration
LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec met the mayors of border municipalities to discuss ways to reduce the impact of illegal migration on the lives of people living in border areas. They agreed to set up a task force that will prepare systemic solutions. The task force will consist of representatives of the municipalities and the government, and will be coordinated by Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar. It is to start work within the next two weeks.
LMŠ considering easing 2015 fiscal rule
LJUBLJANA - The ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) declared that the time had come to ease up on the fiscal rule which was introduced to put constraints on public spending in mid-2015. The party said that most EU countries were relaxing fiscal policies, while Slovenia continued with a strategy that was slowing down progress. The party is drawing up an amendment to ease the fiscal rule. After being presented to coalition partners and following a public consultation, it is to be tabled in parliament in December.
LMŠ urges freezing loan caps until adoption of housing bill
LJUBLJANA - Following up on a critical response from Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, his LMŠ party called on Banka Slovenije to put the new restrictions on consumer loans on hold until a new housing act is passed that facilitates housing credit access for the young. "We believe that the Banka Slovenije measure is worsening the social situation of a significant number of citizens," the party commented on the much criticised loan restrictions which are in force since 1 November.
Former NLB, NKBM execs say they had no say in asset transfer to bad bank
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into suspected abuse of office at the bad bank interviewed the former chairmen of NLB and NKBM, Janko Medja and Aleš Hauc, who said that the banks had no power in determining which assets were going to be transferred to the bad bank and which not as part of the 2013 bailout. Medja said the bank did not agree with certain results of asset quality reviews (AQR). Similarly, Hauc described the 2013 stress tests as "too brutal", asserting that the AQR strongly underestimated the value of loan collateral.
Telekom ordered to pay Greek partner in joint media venture
LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the telecoms incumbent, confirmed it had been ordered to pay EUR 17.6m plus default interest to its Greek partner Antenna Group for its remaining 34% stake in a media joint venture that the Greeks have long sought to exit. The venture, Antenna TV SL, produces Planet TV, a commercial TV station that has been in the red ever since it was launched in 2012. Since the partners could not reach an agreement, they resorted to the Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, which decided on 31 October that Antenna Group exercised its put option correctly. Telekom said its own legal costs and the counterparty's plus default interest totalled EUR 5.3m.
SID Banka to provide consultancy on Juncker Plan investments
LJUBLJANA - SID Banka signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to expand its services to investment consulting. The state-owned export and development bank has been Slovenia's entry point for the Investment Plan for Europe, also known as the Juncker Plan, since November 2015. Sid Banka will use the EUR 440,000 it is entitled to under the agreement to finance an investment consultancy hub to help develop and structure projects, and offer financial advice and assistance in obtaining EU funds.
SDS, SLS spent the most on EU election campaign
LJUBLJANA - A report on party campaign costs for the 26 May elections to the European Parliament showed that the winning coalition of the Democrats (SDS) and People's Party (SLS) spent the most on their campaign, EUR 230,000. Meanwhile, the campaigns of the Social Democrat (SD) and Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) were the most effective given the money invested, having spent EUR 35,000 and EUR 36,000, respectively for each of two seats won. The least effective was the campaign of the Modern Centre Party (SMC).
Krško nuclear station back at full capacity
KRŠKO - The Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) announced it was operating at full capacity again following a nearly month-long scheduled regular maintenance shutdown. The station was reconnected to the grid last Tuesday and reached full capacity on Saturday. The power plant is operating in a stable way and the next regular maintenance shut-down is scheduled for the spring of 2021.
ETI to raise pay to all employees
IZLAKE - The increase in the statutory minimum wage has prompted the foreign-owned industrial concern ETI to overhaul the pay system in its five companies in Slovenia as a result of which wages will go up by over 10% on average. The Izlake-based company said all its employees would benefit from a rise next year, not just the lowest paid workers, because otherwise a change in pay ratios could negatively impact on employee motivation. The concern employs 1,600 people in Slovenia and abroad.
Slovenian literature showcased in Vienna
VIENNA, Austria - Slovenia's contemporary authors and illustrators are being showcased in Vienna as the Week of Slovenian Literature got under way as part of Year of Neighbourly Dialogue between Slovenia and Austria. The festival opened with the launch of an exhibition on Slovenian illustration since 1976 at the central Vienna library and a concert. The highlight will be Thursday's presentation at Buch Wien, the international book fair, featuring writers Drago Jančar, Aleš Šteger and Mojca Kumerdej.
New ballet production in Ljubljana retelling Great Gatsby
LJUBLJANA - The first ballet premiere of the 2019-2020 season at the Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet House is a modern retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel The Great Gatsby choreographed by internationally acclaimed Leo Mujić. The ballet, which explores the bombastic construct of the 1920s American Dream through a modern perspective, will open on Thursday. Istvan Simon, the former principal dancer of the Dresden Semperoper Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet, is cast as Jay Gatsby.
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