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This summary is provided by the STA:
New coronavirus infections at two-month high
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw a surge in coronavirus cases on Monday, when 13 out of 984 tests came back positive, the highest number of daily infections since 24 April. Six out of the 13 infections were imported and a further five were related to the imported cases with two yet to be determined. Mario Fafangel, the chief epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health, said Slovenia's epidemiological situation remained good, while the government will decide on potential new measures in response to the increase in cases tomorrow. Face masks could again become mandatory in public places.
Croatia still deemed safe despite minister's concern
LJUBLJANA - After Health Minister Tomaž Gantar expressed concern regarding the epidemiological situation in Croatia and mentioned possible quarantine for Slovenians returning from the country in an interview with POP TV on Monday, a public health official labelled Croatia a safe country whose situation was comparable to Slovenia's. Mario Fafangel, the chief epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health, told the government briefing that the epidemiological situation and the 14-day incidence in Croatia was comparable to Slovenia's, was not dramatic and was still at a safe level.
Janša, Merkel and Costa confirm priorities for upcoming EU presidency
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa agreed in a videoconference the EU and its member states must find solutions to the social crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. They also confirmed the priorities for the trio's upcoming EU presidency. The three countries' priorities for their year-and-a-half stint which starts next month as Germany takes over for six months had been adjusted to the pandemic, so the main goal will be Europe's quick economic and social recovery. Originally, today's meeting was to be held in Berlin but was instead held virtually because of the coronavirus situation.
Slovenian, Italian presidents plan reconciliation act for 13 July
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Italian presidents, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella, will attend the 13 July signing of a document under which National Hall, a Slovenian commercial and cultural centre in Trieste, will he handed over to the Slovenian minority 100 years after being burnt down by Fascists. Before the signing, the pair will go to the outskirts of the town of Basovizza to lay wreaths at two memorials, one commemorating the Slovenian anti-fascists that were executed by Fascists in 1930 and the other the Italian victims of post-World War II killings by Partisans.
Logar and Di Maio agree to keep cooperating in fight against Covid-19
ROME, Italy - In what was their second meeting in less than three weeks, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio called for continued close bilateral cooperation in the tackling of the pandemic. After restrictions on the Slovenian-Italian border were lifted on 15 June for the citizens of both countries, the pair agreed that epidemiological trends at home as well as in other countries needed to be monitored closely and reacted to so as to prevent a new wave. Logar also raised the question of Slovenian minority representation in the Italian parliament, while he highlighted the symbolic importance of the 13 July ceremony in Trieste that will mark the 100th anniversary of the arson of the Slovenian National Hall in Trieste by Fascists. EU topics were also discussed.
Tiffany Sadler appointed new UK ambassador to Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Tiffany Sadler has been appointed the new UK ambassador to Slovenia to succeed outgoing Ambassador Sophie Honey in September, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced on its website. Sadler, who was director for Tech Overhaul Programme at the Foreign Office until 2019, has been preparing to take up a post in Slovenia, having studied Slovenian since last year. She has worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1994. Honey, who came to Slovenia in March 2015, will be meanwhile transferring to another diplomatic service appointment after completing her term in Slovenia.
Veronika Simoniti wins Kresnik Prize for novel Ivana Before the Sea
LJUBLJANA - Veronika Simoniti, 52, won the 30th Kresnik Prize for best novel of the year for Ivana Before the Sea (Ivana pred Morjem). She thus became only the fourth woman to win the prestigious award, given out by publisher Delo. The novel tells multiple parallel stories happening in different periods to different generations in one family. The writer said it had been inspired by the old-fashioned character of a photo and the smell of an old sofa, adding she had played with memory and forgetfulness in it. Simoniti was shortlisted for the prize once before, in 2015, for Kameno Seme (The Seed of Stone), while today she won against another fourt shortlisted authors. Looking back at the award's 30 years, its "father", author Vlado Žabot said he was happy it had survived the three decades.
Environment minister welcomes EU climate law as key step
LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak praised the planned European Climate Law as a key step in creating a stable investment environment in the EU, as he took part in a video-conferenced ministerial. Climate change will play a significant role in the EU's economic recovery as the bloc aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. "In terms of this, the European Climate Law is an important step in building a predictable investment environment," he was quoted as saying in a press release by the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry. The ministerial focused on the European Green Deal and the measures it entails for the recovery of the EU's economy and to build a more resilient society.
NSi calls for extending furlough scheme for another month
LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi) will seek an extension of the furlough scheme by at least another month and amendments to the second stimulus package to help companies solve liquidity issues. The junior coalition party announced that after its ministers and MPs met representatives of business associations. NSi leader Matej Tonin said the first and third stimulus packages were very efficient and were producing results, but the second was not, so the NSi would push for changes to the furlough scheme.
Debate on EU in new global reality focuses on China, multilateralism
LJUBLJANA - The EU's relations with China and potential undermining of multilateralism were discussed in an online debate on the role of the EU in the new global reality, hosted by the European Parliament's Office in Slovenia. On the one hand, China is a key partner of the EU but also a strong economic rival and an adversary in terms of democratisation and human rights, RTV Slovenija correspondent in Brussels Igor Jurič illustrated. Jernej Müller of the Foreign Ministry said that there is an apparent trend of China increasing its economic and investment presence in Europe and the EU has started to address this. Zlatko Šabič of the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences said that "the EU is not a player in international relations because it does not have a single voice".
First vouchers spent at the seaside, in spas
LJUBLJANA - Slovenians appear to have embraced the free vouchers for tourism accommodation facilities around the country with more than 3,390 of them being spent in the first three days. For now, the most popular destinations appear to be the coast and spas. Data from the Financial Administration show that tourism facilities received more than EUR 400,000 in voucher payments between Friday and 4pm on Monday. Cities and destinations that mostly attract foreign visitors such as Bled have seen few bookings.
Slovenia to reach GHG emission reduction goals
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is expected to reach its 2020 goals in greenhouse gas emissions not included in the EU emission trading scheme, according to the Climate Mirror 2020 report, compiled by the Environment Ministry and the Jožef Stefan Institute. The largest gaps remain in measures related to transport, in particular railway infrastructure and the promotion of public transportation. Meanwhile, steps are deemed satisfactory to improve energy efficiency of household- and municipality-owned buildings.
Slovenia's innovation performance down again
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's innovation performance decreased again in 2019, with the country ranking 15th among EU countries, shows the 2020 European Innovation Scoreboard. Sweden continued to be the most innovative country, whereas the EU was doing better then the US for the second year in a row. Based on their performance, countries were listed as innovation leaders, strong innovators, moderate and modest innovators, with Slovenia classified as one of the top three moderate innovators. According to the report, its performance declined relative to that of the EU in 2012. The decrease started in 2018, including because of fewer new PhDs in science.
On 30th anniversary, Consumer Association urges better protection
LJUBLJANA - Marking its 30th anniversary, the Slovenian Consumer Association (ZPS) stepped up its call for restoring proper consumer policies and for giving consumers a voice in the government. "While Slovenia was an exemplary state when it comes to consumer policy when it entered the EU, this is no longer the case today," the association head Breda Kutin said, calling for a national strategy, a government programme and an advisory body for the coordination of consumer protection policies.
Recourse to remedy in local elections act found inadequate
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has ruled several articles of the local election act governing access to legal remedy unconstitutional, thus effectively calling into question the result of the 2018 mayoral election in Šmarješke Toplice. Deciding on a challenge filed by former Mayor Bernardka Krnc, who ended up two votes short of winning her fourth term against challenger Marjan Hribar, the court gave parliament one year to fix the local election act to ensure effective recourse to legal remedy. Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said the ministry would address all the open issues, but added that the planned changes to the general election legislation would have to take precedence.
Govt to set up inter-ministerial task force for Roma issues
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs met the mayors of Kočevje, Novo Mesto and Črnomelj to discuss the problems with the Roma community that the mayors had recently highlighted in a letter to the government. Hojs announced that to find solutions, an inter-ministerial task force led by his State Secretary Anton Olaj would be set up. Apart from representatives of all relevant ministries, it will feature two mayors from the most affected municipalities. The mayors welcomed this proposal, expressing hope that the issue would finally be tackled.
Cross-country sprinter Vesna Fabjan and ski jumper Tepeš retire
LJUBLJANA - Vesna Fabjan, Slovenia's elite cross-country skiing sprinter, and Slovenian ski jumper Jurij Tepeš, known particularly for his ski flying talent, announced their retirements from competitive sports. announced an end to her career. Fabjan won the Olympic bronze medal in Sochi 2014. The 35-year-old has six podium finishes in World Cup events, including two victories, while her best result at World Championships was a fourth place in Oslo in 2011.
Pro-Nazi poet priest stripped of Maribor freeman title
MARIBOR - The Maribor city council stripped Austrian Ottokar Kernstock (1848-1928) of his title of a honorary Maribor resident due to his deep involvement in the Austrian Nazi movement, the awareness of which re-emerged only recently. The decision to take away the title, awarded to Kernstock in 1909, was taken on Monday at proposal of the local branch of the Youth Party - European Greens. A priest and poet born in Maribor, Kernstock wrote the official anthem of a local Austrian branch of the Nazi Party.
Total number of children born in Slovenia down 1.3% in 2019
LJUBLJANA - A total of 19,328 children were born in Slovenia in 2019, 1.3% fewer then the year before, but the birth rate remained at 1.61. The number of deaths, at 20,588, exceeded the number of births for the third year running, show data released by the Statistics Office. This was the second year in a row that fewer than 20,000 children were born in Slovenia after the figure had been exceeded for ten consecutive years prior to 2018. Meanwhile, the number of the deaths increased by 0.5% compared to 2018. The average age of the deceased exceeded 78 for the first time last year, reaching 78.1, at 73.9 for men and 82.1 for women. The infant mortality rate was 2.1 deaths per 1,000 life births, decreasing in the last decade and being among the lowest among EU member states.
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