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This summary is provided by the STA:
Janša calls for enlargement plan for Eastern partners
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Attending the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Janez Janša said as the EU presiding country Slovenia had been striving for EU accession of Eastern partners and for the enlargement timeline to be set down. "In the next ten years both sides should take concrete steps towards enlargement," he told foreign media. Janša met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan and Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Ten Omicron cases confirmed in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Omicron count increased to ten by Monday from the first four cases of the new variant reported the day earlier. The National Institute of Public Health said the cases were in two separate clusters including persons who arrived from Sweden and the UAE and secondary transmissions. The Covid-19 advisory group is debating potential new measures in response to the development. This was as all coronavirus cases kept falling with 1,526 reported for Tuesday to push the 14-day incidence per 100,000 below 1,000. Eight Covid-19 patients died with 804 now in hospitals, including 231 in intensive care.
Vote on income tax cuts moved to next session
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to take a vote on a government-sponsored bill designed to reduce taxation of salaries across the board and cut capital gains tax as a majority endorsed a proposal by an MP for the ruling Democrats (SDS) to move the vote to a next session. Meanwhile, the opposition Left submitted a bid for a consultative referendum on the bill, which its leader Luka Mesec said would drill a "800 million-euro hole in the budget" while rewarding the 1% of top earners.
Forecaster expects end-year growth to exceed projections
LJUBLJANA - The government's macroeconomic forecaster IMAD predicts that Slovenia's end-year GDP growth will have exceeded its latest projection, driven by buoyant private spending and a robust labour market. It estimates the growth rate will be between half a percentage point and a full percentage point above its September forecast of 6.1%, even as it predicts growth will slow in the final quarter.
Conference hears future of Slovenia lies in green, digital transitions
LJUBLJANA - A conference on the future industry and the Slovenian economy's internationalisation heard the pandemic should be an opportunity to change patterns of thinking and focus on strengths and abilities. Slovenia's future lies in the green transition, digitalisation, sustainability, resilience and open-mindedness, the participants, which included PM Janez Janša and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, agreed. Janša said the ambition to always be better was particularly important in times of crisis.
Slovenia hosts Europol management board meeting
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia hosted a two-day online session of the Europol management board with Interior Minister Aleš Hojs calling for enhancing the EU law enforcement agency's mandate to make it even more efficient in the fight against international organised crime as a major threat to European security. The board discussed allocation of the 2022 budget of EUR 192.4 million, which is up EUR 23.4 million from the final budget for 2021. It also approved hiring of 71 new staff in 2022.
Law on deployment to civilian missions amended
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act on deployment in civilian missions and international organisations, legislation designed to make it easier to nominate and deploy Slovenian experts. The amendments were necessary because portions of the existing law from 2006 proved to be unfeasible and sometimes even made it difficult to effectively deploy Slovenian experts to international organisations or civilian missions.
MPs pass changes to audiovisual services law
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the audiovisual services act which were drafted by unaffiliated MPs to transpose a relevant EU directive and which enjoy government support. The bill is very similar to the government's proposal that failed to be passed in a re-vote in September following a veto by the upper chamber. However, it no longer contains a controversial 6% levy providers would pay from their gross annual revenue to finance a special fund for European audiovisual production.
President decorates diaspora organisation
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor bestowed the Order of Merit on the Slovenian Emigrant Association for its invaluable contribution to efforts to preserve the Slovenian identity and culture among Slovenian expatriates. The association marks its 70th anniversary this year. Pahor also bestowed the Medal of Merit on the SDGZ business association of the Slovenian minority in Italy, and on Saša Verbič, the head of the Slovenian community's umbrella organisation in Serbia.
Speaker stresses importance of constitution for democracy
LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič addressed a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the declaration of the Slovenian constitution saying the constitution remained a guarantee for the democratic and free country that Slovenians were longing for today just as they did 30 years ago. Former PM Miro Cerar, who was involved as the constitution was drafted in the early 1990s, said it was still a "good and reliable foundation of our legal and political system" although it could be amended to reflect development.
SMC adamant it will not be affected by latest defection
LJUBLJANA - Gregor Perič, the head of the deputy group of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), told reporters the group's or the coalition's majority in parliament would not be affected by MP Mateja Udovč leaving the SMC to join the Our Land party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec. The SMC faction is now reduced to four MPs from original ten. Udovč plans to act as independent MP. Pivec said her party would run in the election on its own but did not rule out pre- or post-election alliances.
Watchdog finds integrity breaches in SSH boss sacking
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has established breaches of integrity in six former or current members of the management and supervisory boards of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding in relation to an agreement to terminate the term of chairman Lidija Glavina in 2019. The findings are not final yet because the six officials have challenged them in court, the anti-graft watchdog said.
Watchdog finds no conflict of interest in biogas plant sale
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption found no breach of integrity in the bad bank's sale of a biogas plant in eastern Slovenia to a Hungarian group, a case into which it looked because of a potential conflict of interest of Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) chairman Franci Matoz. The watchdog established the sale of the biogas plant in Dobrovnik was discussed by BAMC's six credit and investments boards before Matoz joined BAMC.
Closure of Trbovlje-Hrastnik mine pushed back by a year
LJUBLJANA - The deadline to completely shut down the Trbovlje-Hrastnik coal mine was extended yet again, this time until the end of 2023, as the National Assembly endorsed changes to the 2000 law on coal phase-out and restructuring of the Zasavje region. The brown coal mine has not been operational since 2014. The cost of the additional works is now estimated at EUR 11.7 million, of which EUR 8.9 million will come from the national budget. The closure has so far cost an estimated EUR 250 million.
Writer Drago Jančar honoured at Serbian festival
NOVI SAD, Serbia - Slovenian writer Drago Jančar won the Milovan Vidaković International Literary Prize, awarded at the Prosefest international prose festival in Serbia's Novi Sad. This year's 15th edition of the festival, organised by the Novi Sad Cultural Centre, is taking place online between 13 and 16 December. Jančar's novels and essays have been translated into 21 languages and published in Europe, Asia and the US. He has also won several awards and honours for his work in Slovenia and abroad.
First fifty Slovenian books available for bibliophiles
LJUBLJANA - The first fifty Slovenian books from the 16th and early 17th centuries, accompanied by detailed analyses and pictures, have been published by Cankarjeva Založba in a special collection entitled Stati inu Obstati (To Stand and Withstand). Out of the 300 copies issued, only 16 are still available. Author Kozma Ahačič said a major problem ha had grappled with had been how to write a scientific monograph that would not be boring and would be appealing also to the general public.
New additions to the register of intangible cultural heritage
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian register of intangible cultural heritage has been expanded with three new entries: the traditional building of nativity scenes, the traditional Slovenian festive pastry - potica, and the health profession and practice of midwifery.
