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This summary is provided by the STA:
Zero daily Covid deaths for first time in eight months
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported no daily fatalities from Covid-19 for the first time since 10 October as only 83 new cases were logged for Wednesday, pushing the 7-day average case count and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents below 100. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 has dropped to 112 as 38 remain in intensive care. Government data show 250,288 people have so far recovered from Covid-19. A total of 4,724 have lost their lives.
EUR 243 million stimulus package for tourism confirmed
LJUBLJANA - The government passed an emergency law to help the embattled tourism sector. The package is worth EUR 243.5 million, with new tourist vouchers accounting for the bulk of new spending. Businesses think the aid falls short. All adults residing in Slovenia as of 30 June will get a EUR 100 voucher to spend on activities ranging from tourism and restaurants to sports and culture. Those under 18 will get vouchers worth EUR 50. The total value of the vouchers is EUR 192 million.
Healthcare investments worth EUR 1.9 billion planned through 2031
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted legislation that involves EUR 1.9 billion in spending on health investments over the next ten years for hospitals and educational institutions to beef up the capacity of the national health system. The money will be secured in regular annual budgets from 2021 to 2031.
Additional relaxation of restrictions in retail and services as of Monday
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to lift many existing restrictions in the retail and services sector as of 21 June as the epidemiological situation continues to improve. The relaxation affects shop, bar and restaurant opening hours, which will no longer be restricted, even as rules on minimum space per customer remain in place.
Govt introduces new restriction for mass events, rallies
LJUBLJANA - The government introduced a new restriction for public rallies and events featuring more than 100 participants. In line with the decision adopted today, participants of such events will need to be vaccinated, tested or reconvalescent as of next Monday.
The new rule will be in force until 27 June, the Government Communication Office said.
Umbrella bill on long-term care adopted
LJUBLJANA - The government has adopted a long-awaited bill on long-term care. A gradual approach is planned and a special mandatory contribution for long-term care, a key component of the system, will be put in place later, by mid-2024 at the latest. Various governments have been drafting legislation on long-term care for nearly two decades, but none of the various versions have ever been finalised. Slovenia has for years been receiving warnings from various international institutions that it must devise a system of long-term care.
Upgrade of construction and spatial planning legislation confirmed
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted amendments to two major laws that govern the construction sector, the construction act and the spatial planning act. The goal is to make planning and siting easier and faster, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said after a cabinet session. Amendments to the construction act draw on an analysis of the implementation of existing legislation, with Vizjak saying the concept remained the same and was upgraded rather than upended.
Civil protection members to get epidemic hazard bonus
LJUBLJANA - Members of Slovenia's Civil Protection and other rescue services will get hazard pay bonuses under the 2020 emergency law mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic in line with the government's decision adopted today. The bonuses will amount to EUR 10 for work up to four hours and EUR 20 for being active between four and eight hours, whereas those working a shift longer than eight hours will get EUR 30.
Logar discusses regional cooperation in SE Europe at meeting in Turkey
ANTALYA, Turkey - Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended a ministerial of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Antalya, discussing the possibilities for regional cooperation. The ministers and high representatives of SEECP countries adopted the annual report of the Regional Cooperation Council. In his address, Logar highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation in the period following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speakers discuss EU path for Montenegro, Slovenia's EU presidency
PODGORICA, Montenegro - Speaker Igor Zorčič started a two-day official visit to Montenegro by meeting his counterpart Aleksa Bečić. The pair expressed satisfaction over the traditionally friendly bilateral relations, and discussed Montenegro's efforts to join the EU as well as Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency. Zorčič said Slovenia would do everything in its power during its six-month stint at the helm of the EU Council to speed up Montenegro's EU accession talks.
Minister presents presidency priorities to DigitalEurope
LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik presented at a virtual DigitalEurope summit the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency in digitalisation, emphasising digital transformation, digital technologies and cyber security. He said that digitalisation should make life easier for citizens.
Committee okays higher public funding of private primaries
LJUBLJANA - The Education Committee endorsed on Wednesday a legislative proposal sponsored by coalition MPs to secure a full state funding of obligatory curriculum in private primary schools and 85% of optional programmes in these schools. It is the latest attempt to implement the December 2014 ruling by the Constitutional Court which mandated full funding of the publicly prescribed curricula at private primary schools. They currently only received 85% of the funds.
Slovenia drops five spots in IMD Digital Competitiveness Raking
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has slid five spots in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking to 40th among 64 countries, with the Covid-19 pandemic perceived as the main reason as it has significantly affected the competitiveness of all regions, countries and industries. Presenting the report, Peter Stanovnik, director of the Slovenian partner to IMD, the Institute for Economic Research, said "shifts in the crisis are not as important as response to it in the coming years."
Audit: Slovenia partly successful in GHG emission cuts
LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit assessed that Slovenia was partly successful in achieving the objectives of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the 2013-2019 period. It also noted that the international and national targets until 2030 are very ambitious and would be difficult to reach with the current structure and pace of measures. The report notes the role of forests as natural greenhouse gas emission sinks, which after 2013 became even a source of emissions as a consequence of natural disasters.
Greens MEPs expresses concern after mission to Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Two members of the European Parliament from the Greens-European Free Alliance group have concluded their three-day mission to Slovenia, assessing that, politically-speaking, the situation was very complex, and that they are leaving the country feeling concerned. The Germans Daniel Freund and Sergey Lagodinsky visited Slovenia between Tuesday to Thursday for a mission ahead of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU.
Slovenia, Hungary mull development fund for minority areas
LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó agreed on the signing of an agreement on a joint fund for the development of the regions in Slovenia and Hungary where the two countries' respective minorities live. The agreement on the fund, which will boost economic and infrastructural development of both countries, could be signed as early as this September, Počivalšek said on Twitter.
HIT posts EUR 10m loss for 2020
NOVA GORICA - Slovenia's largest gaming company HIT, whose facilities were closed for almost six months last year, generated EUR 100.7 million in gross revenue in 2020 and a loss of EUR 10.4 million. The shareholders did not confirm the proposal on the sharing of profit at today's meeting. The proposal envisaged the sharing of up to 10% of net profit that the company would generate in 2022.
Hungarian foreign minister named freeman of Lendava
LENDAVA - Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was presented with the title of Freeman of Lendava with Mayor Janez Magyar saying that many of the Hungarian incentives for Lendava's economy were linked to his name. Szijjártó said relations between Slovenia and Hungary were based on sincere respect and genuine friendship, and the Hungarian ethnic community in Pomurje played a very important role in these relations. Szijjártó also laid the foundation stone for the new Lendava Football Academy.
Commission finds MPs coaching not incompatible with public office
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Privileges and Credentials Commission found that Gregor Židan, an MP for the Social Democrats (SD), had not committed a breach of incompatibility of office by coaching a junior football team, for which he received per diem payments. It did however conclude he had not informed parliament thereof. The decision means Židan has effectively been cleared of a transgression that could have potentially cost him his seat in parliament. If he did the coalition would gain one crucial vote in parliament since Židan defected from the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) to the SD in May 2020.
Slovenia to donate EUR 60,000 for Venezuela's migrants and refugees
LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan has announced at a virtual donors' conference in solidarity with Venezuela's migrants and refugees in Latin America that Slovenia will donate EUR 60,000, the Foreign Ministry said. The contribution through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will be donated in two instalments, this year and in 2022.
