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This summary is provided by the STA:
European Parliament adopts rule of law resolution on Slovenia
STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament adopted a resolution on fundamental rights and rule of law in Slovenia which expresses concern over deep polarisation in the country and calls on prominent public figures to engage in a respectful and civilised public debate. The resolution was carried by 356 votes in favour and 284 against with 40 abstentions. 33 of the latter were MEPs of the European People's Party the political family of PM Janez Janša. The document had been tabled by the socialists (S&D), liberals (Renew), Greens and the Left.
Janša sees potential for Normandy Format talks with Russia
BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša hinted at possible new talks with Russia within the Normandy Format, which also brings together Ukraine, Germany and France, as he was asked which sanctions against Russia would be discussed at today's EU summit. The leaders are expected to urge diplomatic efforts, particularly within the Normandy Format, to ensure the Minsk agreements are fully implemented. Janša would not speak about specific sanctions but said it was good The EU was prepared in order to avoid surprises such as the Crimea.
Pahor sees Slovenian EU presidency as success
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed a series of issues in an interview with Radio Slovenija on Wednesday, describing Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU as a success, including with respect to the Western Balkans where he regretted Bulgaria's blocking North Macedonia's accession talks. He also regretted Slovenia "squandered" its reputation through delays in the appointment of delegated prosecutors and the STA financing issue, which led to the European Parliament resolution.
Logar meets French counterpart to discuss EU presidency
PARIS, France - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris to present the achievements of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU and to continue work on key European dossiers. France will take over the presidency from Slovenia on 1 January. The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and expressed their commitment to further deepening the excellent Slovenian-French relations in the future.
Hojs and Dikaučič take part in EU-US ministerial
WASHINGTON, US - The combat against terrorism, migrant smuggling, instrumentalisation of migrations and cyber crime ranked prominently on the agenda of the EU-US ministerial meeting on justice and home affairs in Washington which was also attended by Interior Aleš Hojs and Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič on behalf of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU. Hojs said the goal was "to strengthen the cooperation and the resilience of our societies and so contribute to a higher level of security in the EU and the world".
No vote on RTV Slovenija appointments
LJUBLJANA - The coalition walked out of the parliamentary session in protest after Speaker Igor Zorčič refused to put to a vote appointments to the programming council and supervisory board of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija with the argument that the line-up was not in conformity with the law governing RTV Slovenija, which stipulates that the selection must reflect to the maximum extent possible the composition of the parliament as a whole.
Left delays OCCAR deal with referendum request
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly was scheduled to vote on a bill ratifying an agreement between Slovenia and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for the purchase of 45 eight-wheeled Boxer armoured personnel carries (APCs). The vote was delayed by a motion filed by the Left demanding a referendum on the bill. Meanwhile, the party's latest referendum motion, targeting a resolution on the long-term development of the Slovenian Armed Forces, was voted down by.
MPs pass changes to the investment promotion act
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the investment promotion act under which the state will no longer provide incentives based on the creation of jobs but will encourage high-capital-intensive, high-productivity and green investments to support Slovenia and the EU's green transition. The amendments, which were passed by 48 votes to eight, create the basis for drawing EUR 88.5 million in grants from the EU mechanism for recovery and resilience.
Fiscal Council line-up endorsed for another term
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the current line-up of the Fiscal Council for another five-year term. Davorin Kračun serves as president and Alenka Jerkič and Tomaž Perše as members. The trio's current terms expire on 21 March 2021. They were proposed for reappointment by the government. The Fiscal Council's job is to assess the sustainability and compliance of fiscal policies with the fiscal rule. Its members can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
Anti-graft watchdog opens investigation against Janša
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption opened an investigation against Prime Minister Janez Janša on suspicion of a conflict of interest in management reshuffle at the bad bank. The procedure was launched based on the watchdog's initial findings in regard to appointments at the Bank Assets Management Company, unofficially Franci Matoz, known as Janša's lawyer. The investigation does not mean yet there has been indeed a conflict of interest. Janša in turn accused the watchdog of applying double standards.
Unaffiliated MP Rajić joins opposition SAB
LJUBLJANA - Branislav Rajić, a member of the NeP deputy group comprising four unaffiliated MPs, will join the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and its deputy faction, the NeP and the SAB announced. Rajić notified the NeP deputy group of his decision today. "We hope he will find his way in the political party he has chosen," the NeP said. The SAB held a press conference to confirm that Rajić will indeed join the party. The number of SAB deputies will increase to six.
New Constitutional Court head says constitution is means, not an end
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court held a ceremony to mark Constitution Day, 23 December, with its new president Matej Accetto stressing that even 30 years ago the constitution had not been only an end but also a means, which "we have to properly understand and use". Acceto, who started his term today, said in his address that the "Constitutional Court is not the first but rather the last guardian of constitutionality and the fundamental elements of the principle of the rule of law".
Daily Covid case tally on Wednesday drops 20% week-on-week
LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,345 new coronavirus infections were reported in Slovenia for Wednesday, down by 20% week-on-week. The number of currently active cases has fallen below 20,000. Additional eight Covid-19 patients died. Hospitalisations continued to decrease as there were 776 patients in hospital this morning, down by 28 on the day before, as ICU cases rose by six to 237, show government data.
Slovenia sees record number of persons in employment
LJUBLJANA - The number of persons in paid employment stood at an all-time high of 911,820 at the end of October, having increased by 2.4% on the year before and 0.6% on September, the Statistics Office said. The number of those working for legal and natural persons, and the number of the self-employed rose by a similar share year-on-year, by 2.4% and 2.2%, respectively. This is the fourth consecutive month the number of persons in employment hit an all-time high.
Record number of asylum requests this year
LJUBLJANA - A record 4,568 asylum requests were filed from January through November this year. A total of 15 persons were granted asylum status. The reason for such a low share of approved requests is that a vast majority of asylum seekers during the period in question left Slovenia before the procedure was completed. The Interior Ministry said that as many as 98% of the asylum seekers left Slovenia before the entire procedure of processing their requests was concluded.
Public pension fund balanced at EUR 6.4bn in 2022
LJUBLJANA - The council of the ZPIZ public pension and disability fund endorsed the fund's financial plan for 2022, which puts revenue and expenditure at EUR 6.4 billion each. Under the financial plan, EUR 5.1 billion will be collected from social security contributions, up 2.4% than was estimated for this year, said deputy director general David Klarič. The gap to EUR 6.4 billion will be covered from the national budget and the KAD fund. The document still needs government approval.
NLB bank to pay out additional EUR 67 million in dividends
LJUBLJANA - NLB shareholders approved the management's proposal that the bank pay a further dividend of almost EUR 67.4 million. This will give shareholders an additional EUR 3.37 gross per share on 24 December, while NLB has thus earmarked EUR 92.2 million for dividends this year. NLB shareholders agreed to a further distribution of last year's balance sheet profit of EUR 317.2 million, of which EUR 249.8 million will remain undistributed after dividends are paid out.
Slovenia European leader in AI researchers per capita
LJUBLJANA - Minister for Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič said Slovenia was already a European powerhouse in the field of artificial intelligence as the country already has the highest number of AI researchers per capita in Europe. Slovenia hosts the UNESCO Centre for Artificial Intelligence and has an extremely vibrant AI community, Andrijanič pointed out as he addressed the European AI Forum in Ljubljana.
Telecom operator Telemach plans major mobile network investments
LJUBLJANA - Telemach will invest more than EUR 100 million in its mobile network in the coming years, said Adrian Ježina, the president of the telecommunication company's management board, adding that one of their main goals was to cover the entire country with its own mobile network as soon as possible. While 11 towns had access to Telemach's 5G network in September, this number has now risen to 50. "The coverage is not ideal, but we have covered the main urban centres," Ježina said.
Story about independence-era presidential candidate Kramberger put on film
LJUBLJANA - A feature-length documentary premiered in Ljubljana in which auteur Maja Weiss recounts the story of Ivan Kramberger, an eccentric populist who ran for president in 1990 in the first multi-party elections in Slovenia. Although a man was found guilty of his killing, Kramberger's 1992 death is for many still a mystery. Beli Bojevnik v Črni Obleki (White Warrior in Black Suit) tells about the role Kramberger (1936-1992) played in Slovenia's independence efforts.
Slovenia to play Sweden, Norway and Serbia in Nations League
NYON, Switzerland - A draw for the third iteration of the UEFA Nations League pitted Slovenia against Sweden, Norway and Serbia in Group 4 of League B. The matches will be played in June and September next year. "It's great group, I couldn't wish for a more optimal one," Matjaž Kek, Slovenia's head coach, commented. "These are proper teams and proper fixtures for Slovenia." Slovenia advanced to League B after wining in its group in League C in 2020.
