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:
Significant easing of restrictions on public events
LJUBLJANA - Restrictions on public events will be significantly eased from Saturday, and the convention industry will reopen from Monday under decisions taken by the government late on Thursday. The number of participants at sports or cultural events will now depend on capacity. Indoors, there must be at least one empty seat between each spectator and masks are mandatory. Outdoors, there has to be a metre's distance between them at a minimum. In libraries, archives, museums and galleries, the limit is one visitor per ten square metres.
Digital green certificate to be ready no later than end-June
LJUBLJANA - A digital green certificate proving a person has been vaccination against Covid, tested negative or recovered from Covid will be available to Slovenian residents no later than at the end of June, the Government Communication Office said after the government discussed the matter. To receive the digital document, which should facilitate safe travel within the EU, a person will have to have SMSPass mobile identity or a digital certificate. The Public Administration Ministry was tasked to speed up efforts to allow as many residents as possible to obtain a safe mobile identity.
Downward trend continues as 331 new cases recorded
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 331 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, down significantly from the week before, and the test positivity rate was 8%. Three persons died, the latest government data showed. Hospitalisations dropped significantly, to 348, but the number of patients in intensive care rose by one to 111. The 7-day average of daily new cases fell to 372 from 384. By yesterday almost 314,000 were fully vaccinated, 18% of the adult population.
Government names EU presidency spokespersons
LJUBLJANA - The government released the names of all 22 official spokespersons or press contacts for the country's coming EU presidency. Domen Petelin had been appointed the government's EU presidency spokesman. The official spokespersons should not be mistaken with chief or political spokespersons of Slovenia's EU presidency, that is Prime Minister Janez Janša, ministers or in some cases state secretaries, and the head of Slovenia's Permanent Representation in Brussels Iztok Jarc and his deputy Tamara Weingerl-Požar.
Vizjak talks EU presidency with Timmermans
LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak held a virtual meeting with European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans to present the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency in the environment and climate change. They also touched on Fit for 55, a legislative package under the European Green Deal, and the Glasgow climate conference scheduled for November. Slovenia is to continue with steps aimed at making the EU a leading global player against climate change.
Slovenia welcomes ceasefire in Middle East
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry welcomed on Twitter the ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Palestinian militants after the latest escalation of tensions in the Middle East as "an encouraging development", but at the same time urged further efforts to reach a lasting political solution and peace. The ceasefire came into effect early on Friday morning after eleven days of airstrikes and rocket fire between Israel and Islamist group Hamas, which killed over 250 people.
Protesters serve govt ultimatum, back Palestinians
LJUBLJANA - Friday's anti-government protesters gave the government a week to resign or face a massive "uprising" to push for an early election next Friday. The ultimatum was issued as the latest weekly cycling protest merged with an event staged by a movement for Slovenian Palestinian community with many of the protesters waving Palestinian flags. There was some pushing between the protesters and the police, and some protesters, mainly Palestinians, were apprehended.
RSF urges Slovenia to preserve public media independence
PARIS, France - The NGO Reporters without Borders (RSF) urged authorities in Slovenia and the Czech Republic to stop exerting political pressure on public media, and to safeguard their independence in line with Council of Europe recommendations from 2012. The RSF says the public service media in the two countries are resisting political pressure, including accusations of criminal acts and threats to funding, but their editorial and financial independence is clearly in danger.
Jourova reiterates call for solutions to STA financing
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova repeated her expectation for swift solutions to be found to ensure the sustainable funding and independence of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA). In a letter to international journalist organisations, Jourova noted it was the duty of the Slovenian government to ensure the independence and appropriate funding of the public service provided by the STA.
Vrtovec discusses logistics cooperation in Prague
PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec discussed closer bilateral cooperation in transport and energy as he met Czech PM Andrej Babiš and Transport Minister Karl Havliček in Prague. Opportunities to boost Czech companies' cooperation with the Slovenian port of Koper was discussed as Slovenia is building a new rail track to the port. Vrtovec said that cooperation aimed to facilitate a greater flow of goods via the Koper port.
Petrol ups Q1 group net profit by 27% on flat revenue
LJUBLJANA - Energy group Petrol posted a net profit of EUR 27.8 million for the first quarter, an increase of 27% year-on-year and up by more than half over the same quarter in pre-pandemic year 2019, as revenue inched down marginally to EUR 912 million. EBITDA rose by 16% to EUR 54 million and adjusted gross profit was up by 30% to EUR 137 million. The company said the performance was a result of the "successful adaptation of sales to market conditions and effective cost management".
Slovenian economy in the black despite poorer results in 2020
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian economy as a whole posted somewhat poorer results in 2020 compared to 2019 but managed to stay afloat, suggest data by the AJPES agency for legal records, as net profit shrunk by almost two-fifths and total revenue by almost 6%. Slovenian companies recorded a higher total net profit than the total net loss at the end of 2020 for the seventh year in succession. This time net profit reached EUR 2.8 billion, which is down 38% compared to 2019. Companies mostly kept their staff and slightly increased net added value.
Consumer confidence improves in May
LJUBLJANA - Consumer confidence in Slovenia improved in May, as the relevant indicator was up by seven percentage points compared to April and 17 points higher than in May 2020. It also surfaced above the long term average for the first time since early-2020, the Statistics Office said. Among the components that constitute the consumer confidence indicator, consumers' expectations regarding the economic situation in the country improved the most, by 19 percentage points.
Pre-trial hearing in TEŠ6 case postponed
CELJE - Ten individuals and two legal entities suspected of corruption in the construction of unit six of the Šoštanj thermal power station (TEŠ) were to be arraigned at the Celje District Court today but the hearing was postponed, as the lawyer of the chief defendant, Uroš Rotnik, demanded recusal of the chair of the judging panel. Lawyer Mitja Jelenič Novak demanded the recusal of judge Mojca Turinek as she convicted Rotnik in last year's criminal procedure.
War crimes charges against Yugoslav army officer dropped after thirty years
NOVO MESTO - The tabloid Slovenske Novice reported that the prosecution had dropped war crimes charges against Dragomir Grujović, an officer of the Yugoslav National Army, over an incident during Slovenia's independence war nearly thirty years ago. He is still being tried for an attempted murder charge in absentia, but the charge will become statute barred in June. Grujović, an army captain, was indicted in November 1994 for war crimes against civilians and attempted murder in relation to the clash for a Yugoslav army fuel and weapons depot in Mokronog, southern Slovenia.
Slovenian pavilion launched at Venice Biennale of Architecture
VENICE, Italy - The Slovenian pavilion was launched online at the 17th architectural exhibition La Biennale di Venezia. The Slovenian project focuses on the Yugoslav-era community centres as a type of social infrastructure, highlighting the role of architecture in building a sense of community. The heritage and societal role of this phenomenon remain relevant today, said architects Blaž Babnik Romaniuk and Rastko Pečar, who created the Slovenian show along with curators Martina Malešič and Asta Vrečko.
Maribor art gallery reviving triennial of art and ecology
MARIBOR - The Maribor Art Gallery relaunched the EKO 8, International Triennial of Art and Environment, exploring the current social and economic challenges, environmental policy and postcolonial globalisation, and presenting projects by around 30 international artists. Founded under the name Ecology and Art in 1980, the triennial is one of the oldest of its kind. This year it is held for the eighth time after a 15-year break.
Artist Jasmina Cibic presenting her Palace project in Poland
LODZ, Poland - A solo exhibition by Slovenian artist Jasmina Cibic opened at the Sztuki museum in Lodz, Poland, exploring solidarity in the face of crisis and manipulation of art through film, photography, sculpture and sound. The project entitled Palace explores what the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Stalin's Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw and the nationalised residence of a manufacturer in Lodz have in common.
