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A few years back, I embarked on a road trip. The plan was to eat our way around Slovenia, following a trail of 20 ingredients, most of them indigenous, that Janez Bratovž, one of Slovenia’s most famous chefs, use as key building blocks in his acclaimed restaurant, JB.
You may have seen JB around, if you’ve not yet eaten at his restaurant. He’s a celebrity both here and abroad—he’s cooked for Ferran Adria and the pope and his Ljubljana restaurant has been listed in the top ten in Europe. If you shop at Hofer, you might have also seen his face on a range of products made from his recipes. He’s been described as the godfather of Slovenian fine dining and provided inspiration for our best chefs, like Michelin-starred Ana Roš and Luka Košir, whom he mentored.
Janez Bratovž and Noah Charney. Photo: Restavracija JB's Facebook
So when he and I discussed writing a cookbook together, I was excited (and hungry) to begin. The result was a beautiful, luxury book that was published in Slovenia in an edition designed by Zare Kerin (winner of more than 200 international design awards), and with photographs by Manca Jevšček (of food) and Matjaž Tančič (of everything else). JB wrote the recipes and is the protagonist. I wrote essays about JB, our adventures and profiles of each ingredient and producer of them who we visited over a fun summer. The result is a travelogue love affair with Slovenia through its food, which happens to have recipes in it. The original edition won five international awards, including a prestigious Gourmand Award. Now a new edition, entitled Slovenian Cuisine: From the Alps to the Adriatic in 20 Ingredients, has been published by the American publisher, Skyhorse. And at only $35, it’s a great holiday gift for anyone with a love for Slovenia and food. You can order a copy on Amazon.
This essay is an excerpt from one of the 20 chapters.
First, let it be said that they are huge. Monster trout, twice the size of their more common cousins, and with a gorgeous, mottled leopard-spot design on their scales. The reason that they very nearly went extinct, as the locals describe it, was due to a single piece of technology put to improper use over just a two-year period. From 1915-1917, the Isonzo Front, a territory along the Italy/Slovenia border near the Soča River, was the scene of some of the most casualty-heavy fighting of the First World War, with an estimated 1,492,209 killed there in just two years. The setting for Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, it is also a place of immense natural beauty, the Soča River named by the Huffington Post as “the most beautiful river in the world.” During the war, hungry soldiers resorted to whatever measures they could to gather up a meal. Fishing took time and left you open to the enemy. It was far faster, and more efficient, to “fish” with grenades. Soldiers would lob bombs into the Soča River. When they blew up, they killed everything beneath the emerald-colored water, and scores of fish would float to the surface, to be retrieved and eaten. It was far too efficient. This method, in this narrow period, almost completely wiped out a species of trout that only exists in this one river and its tributaries, in the mountains of Slovenia.
Sometimes called a “marble trout,” this is one of the largest in the trout family, with a world-record fish having weighed in at an astounding 55.1 pounds. It is also considered the most subtle and delicious of the species, and indeed among all freshwater fish, worldwide.
Related: A Brief Guide to Fishing in Slovenia
To rescue this remarkable species and bring it back from extinction, while still allowing a selection of top chefs to serve it at their restaurants, a team set up the Faronika Fish Farm in Tolmin, not far from the restaurant that is best-known for serving Soča River Trout, Hiša Franko, run by the 2017 World’s Best Female Chef, Ana Roš. Just opened in 2016, Faronika Fish Farm has the capacity to raise 40-45 tons of trout per year, most of which are more common varieties (with 35 tons of Rainbow Trout), but they still hope to raise some 3-4 tons of Soča River Trout per annum—and the fish often weigh around 20 kilos.
According to Dušan Jesenšek, a marine biologist specializing in Soča River Trout and director of the Faronika Fish Farm, the fish are particularly slow to grow. “As a result of this slow growth, their flesh has a particular texture and flavor that is different from fish who have a more intense and rapid growth period. The flesh is more subtle and easier to digest, and so is often served raw, carpaccio, to experience the full flavor.” Dušan and his colleagues were able to bring back the Soča River Trout from the brink of extinction because their DNA was similar enough to other breeds of sea trout (for Soča River Trout can live in salt or fresh water) that they could cross-breed. While there are now Soča River Trout in the wild, their populations can vary dramatically. In a tributary of the Soča, Dušan said that his team counted 270 fish during one round of monitoring. But just a few weeks later, with reduced rainfall, it was down to 12.
Tolmin and its surrounding towns, like Bovec and Kobarid, are not so far off the beaten track when you look at a map, but they are difficult to get to from the rest of Slovenia. To date, there are only local, very windy roads, and it is actually faster to drive to Italy on the highway and access these border towns from the Italian side. Kobarid has an award-winning museum of the First World War, and the Narnia films had scenes shot here, as the terrain looks suitably for some fantasy realm, particularly the almost artificial-looking turquoise of the Soča River. It is a place that feels far-flung, but that is part of its charm. You can’t stumble upon it but must make a pilgrimage. And its pilgrims are rewarded.
Thanks to the efforts of folks like Dušan, the Soča River Trout is no longer officially an endangered species, but as he says, “It doesn’t mean that we can relax.” Responsible sport fishermen always catch and release Soča River Trout (after taking a selfie), which means that the only such trout you can eat come from Faronika Fish Farm. At least, that’s what’s supposed to happen. There’s a danger in being so wildly delicious.
And there is hot competition for the limited number of Soča Trout raised here. When I visited the farm, I was accompanied by Janez Bratovž, known to all as JB and dubbed by Ana Roš as the godfather of Slovenian fine dining. Before Ana, he was certainly the most famous chef in the region. And yet he was told that, at least on the day we went, there was no Soča Trout to be purchased—the stocks had already been reserved for Roš and a handful of other super-local chefs (as in, within a short drive of Tolmin). That is how rare the fish remains, a tough “catch” even for industry stars and insiders. This makes it that much more important to travel to the source, in order to taste this remarkable fish. Ana Roš likes to serve it as a carpaccio, while Bratovž likes to feature it with artichoke and trout caviar, or as ceviche. The bottom line is that you have to travel to Slovenia to taste this indigenous delicacy, whether at Ana Roš’ Hisa Franko or Janez Bratovž’s JB. When he can get them.
If you'd like to read more, and perhaps order a gift for yourself or a loved on, you can get the book on Amazon, along with Charney's ever popular and personal look at the delights and idiosyncracies of life in Slovenia - Slovenology.
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:
1,908 new coronavirus cases recorded on Friday
LJUBLJANA - Another 1,908 coronavirus cases were discovered in Slovenia on Friday, as 34.6% of PCR tests came back positive, data provided by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) show. The new daily cases are thus down week-on-week but up in daily comparison. Another 18 deaths have been reported. A total of 1,029 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals today, down 30 from Friday, of whom 259 need intensive care, down 10 from the day before.
Italian army medical teams coming to Slovenian hospitals
LJUBLJANA - Fifteen Italian military health professionals will come to Slovenia on Sunday to join the medical teams of the Slovenian Armed Forces helping in Covid-19 hospitals. The Italian team will be greeted by Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Health Minister Janez Poklukar in Kranj, the Defence Ministry said in a press release. The arrival of the Italian team had been agreed at a meeting between Tonin and his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini in Rome on 17 November.
Protest against new Covid legislation held in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - A group of protesters against government Covid-19 measures and the new bill on additional measures for curbing the epidemic and its consequences gathered in the Ljubljana city centre. There were some clashes with police and a few protesters have been detained. The protesters gathered unannounced in Ljubljana's Republic square at the invitation of the Resni.ca (Truth) party and civil initiatives. The party head, Zoran Stevanović, addressed the protesters, none of whom wore face masks or adhered to the rules on distancing.
GAS and SMC parties merge into Concretely
CELJE - The coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the non-parliamentary Economically Active Party (GAS) merged at a congress into a new party called Concretely that will focus on the social and economic development of Slovenia. The new party promises a policy of cooperation and inclusion. Concretely will be a political partner of business, and the economic and social development will be its key priority, heard the merging congress. The head of the new party, Zdravko Počivalšek, said after the congress that Concretely offered a breakaway from the old politics that focusses on the past.
Police commissioner issues dismissal warnings to trade unionists
LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj has allegedly signed dismissal warnings for the heads of the two police trade unions, Kristjan Mlekuš from the SPS trade union and Rok Cvetko from the PSS, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. Mlekuš reportedly received the warning because of statements he made in an interview with the newspaper Svet24, which Olaj believes have caused big moral damage to the police force and were a violation of his employment contract. According to Dnevnik's unofficial information, Olaj also signed the dismissal warning for Cvetko, who gave an interview in mid-October.
Parliamentary body endorsees changes in education
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Education Committee endorsed late on Friday amendments to the organisation and financing of education act, which would change the composition of school and kindergarten councils to increase the influence of the founder - government or municipality, as members of the opposition obstructed the vote.
Small protest staged in Maribor targeting Mayor Arsenovič
MARIBOR - A small rally was held in Maribor's central square targeting Mayor Saša Aresnovoč. About a hundred people gathered near the Town Hall calling for his resignation. The protesters also burnt a few posters with the mayor's image. The rally was addressed by its initiator Roman Križnjak, known as a founding member of Viole, the ultras of the local football club Maribor. He said Arsenovič's rule was arrogant, lacked care for the vulnerable groups and that he was putting his own interests first.
Fitch affirms Slovenia rating, outlook stable
FRANKFURT, Germany - Rating agency Fitch has affirmed Slovenia's credit rating at A with a stable outlook, Fitch said on its website on Friday, adding that this reflected the agency's expectations of a permanent recovery of the Slovenian economy thanks to the expected increase in investment and continued exports.
Slovenian ski jumping team third in Wisla
WISLA, Poland - The Slovenian ski jumping team featuring Cene Prevc, Peter Prevc, Timi Zajc and Anže Lanišek finished third in the first World Cup team event in Wisla, Poland. The victory went to Austrians, while the German team was second. The Slovenian team scored 834.4 points in the event marked by strong winds, with Cene Prevc boasting the longest jump of 135 metres in the finals.
STA, 4 December 2021 - A group of protesters against government Covid-19 measures and the new bill on additional measures for curbing the epidemic and its consequences gathered in the Ljubljana city centre on Saturday. There were some clashes with police and a few protesters have been detained.
The protesters gathered unannounced in Ljubljana's Republic square at the invitation of the Resni.ca (Truth) party and civil initiatives. The party head, Zoran Stevanović, addressed the protesters, none of whom wore face masks or adhered to the rules on distancing.
Since the rally was unannounced police were at the site, and after three hours they called on the protesters to leave the site but they refused.
Stevanović said they had invited people to a peaceful, loud rebellion in Republic Square and to a festival of freedom.
In his speech at the square, he called for elimination of Covid-19 measures and a new government. He finds attempts at legalising obligatory vaccination unacceptable and also the punishing of the disobedient. Other speakers highlighted the same issues.
After a couple of hours, the rally moved to the Prešeren Square and the old town, accompanied by police.
At around 3pm police stopped the rally in Adjovščina Square, urged protesters to leave the site and stop obstructing traffic.
Protesters clashed with the police in the near-by Miklošičeva Street, where police blocked the road. Some of the protesters have been detained while most left the site at around 3:30pm.
Web portal N1 reported that the Interior Ministry planned to demand a reimbursement of the costs of police protection from the alleged organisers of the rally.
The ministry told N1 that talks were under way with police and the state attorney's office about filing claims for reimbursing the costs of police work at unannounced rallies from the organisers.
The epidemiological situation in the country has been improving but the National Institute of Public Health estimates that there are still over 30,400 active infections in the country, while hospitals are treating over 1,000 patients, including almost 260 in intensive care.
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic last spring, the government has sent several anti-Covid bills to parliament, the last one being adopted on 19 November. The latest bill envisages measures worth EUR 180 million to help mitigate the consequences of the epidemic.
What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 26 November
LJUBLJANA - Travellers arriving in Slovenia from areas with the new coronavirus variant that the WHO has declared to be of concern face mandatory quarantine on arriving in Slovenia under a decision taken by the government. Entry is banned to foreigners without a residence permit in Slovenia arriving from those areas.
LJUBLJANA - The government made a few changes to Covid restrictions, including detailing rules for open-air Christmas fairs, which will have to be fenced off with separate entrances and exits. Open-air stalls serving food and drinks need to put up notices limiting customer numbers.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU ministers in charge of research adopted conclusions on new governance of the European Research Area (ERA) and a three-year action plan, which Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec hailed as an important milestone for European science and a major achievement of Slovenia's EU presidency.
LJUBLJANA - EU environment ministers endorsed the further implementation of the EU Urban Agenda by adopting the Ljubljana Agreement. Slovenia's initiative to include small and medium-sized cities in policy-making processes was also successful.
LJUBLJANA - A police inquiry found that officers acted lawfully when they used various types of force during a 5 October riot by opponents of vaccination and the Covid pass mandate in Ljubljana. The commission, appointed by Police Commissioner Anton Olaj, did however identify certain irregularities in the use of tear gas.
LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court annulled the verdict in the Balkan Warrior drug trafficking case and ordered a retrial, and the defendants, including the chief defendant Dragan Tošić, were released. The court of first instance will now have only two years to process the case before it becomes statute barred.
LJUBLJANA - The government approved a draft agreement on the basis of which 13 Slovenian feature films currently kept at the Yugoslav Cinematheque in Belgrade, Serbia, will return to Slovenia. The classics, including the first Slovenian feature sound film On Our Own Land (1948), had been sent to Belgrade because Slovenia did not have an adequate storage facility.
TRIESTE, Italy - Slovenian literary historian and academician Boris Paternu died at the age of 95. His expertise was Slovenian literature of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, while he also extensively studied the poetry of Slovenia's greatest poet France Prešeren.
SATURDAY, 27 November
LJUBLJANA - The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) of the previous prime minister endorsed its election manifesto and platform at a virtual congress setting out solutions which they say should restore a normality in Slovenia and pave the way for a development breakthrough. Marjan Šarec said the next government would have its work cut out fixing the consequences of the current rule.
LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi) met for a virtual congress in preparation for next year's general election where their leader Matej Tonin said the Christian democratic party should get the mandate to form a government in order to avoid the "inefficiency" of the centre-left and the "sharpness" of the SDS, the NSi's partner in the current coalition.
LJUBLJANA - The national advisory committee on immunization recommended a booster shot of a vaccine against Covid-19 to all adults, after initially recommending boosters for several most vulnerable groups, including everyone over 50.
NIZHNY TAGIL, Russia - Slovenian women ski jumpers secured their first ever double victory in the individual World Cup event. Ema Klinec won the second event of the season after finishing as the runner-up at the same venue yesterday. Her teammate Urša Bogataj placed second.
SUNDAY, 28 November
BELGRADE, Serbia - Visiting Belgrade as part of the preparations for the next summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, President Borut Pahor met his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić. Pahor said that the process of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans was too slow, which led to renewed policies of nationalism and border changes that threaten security.
RUKA, Finland - A day after fishing second at the men's Ski Jumping World Cup event, Slovenian ski jumper Anže Lanišek won the second such event at Finland's ski resort this season in what is his first World Cup individual event victory.
MONDAY, 29 November
PRISHTINA, Kosovo - President Borut Pahor called for headway in the Prishtina-Belgrade dialogue as he held talks with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and PM Albin Kurti. He endorsed Kosovo's efforts to join Euro-Atlantic organisations and urged the country to continue adopting and implementing reforms, while emphasising the need to implement the Kosovo-Serbia agreements reached so far.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) discussed a report on a mission to Slovenia it completed in October. The debate saw a heated exchange between Slovenian MEP Romana Tomc, who said the mission had missed the mark, and chair Sophie in 't Veld, who dismissed the criticism and urged the EPP to cooperate constructively.
LJUBLJANA - Montenegrin Speaker Aleksa Bečić started a three-day visit to Slovenia by holding talks with his Slovenian counterpart Igor Zorčič. The pair discussed primarily Montenegro's European prospects, with Zorčič saying that as the presiding EU country, Slovenia was committed to accelerating the EU enlargement process in cooperation with Western Balkan countries.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - In response to the coronavirus pandemic, EU education ministers adopted recommendations on blended learning approaches which combine school site and other physical environments away from the school as well as digital and non-digital learning tools.
LJUBLJANA - The Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy, an NGO, presented amendments to the communicable diseases act after parts of the law were found in breach of the constitution and the National Assembly failed to amend them by the deadline imposed by the Constitutional Court. Efforts were launched to get deputy groups to support the bill.
LJUBLJANA - The Programming Council of RTV Slovenija confirmed the public broadcaster's production plan for 2022, which had been met with criticism from the broadcaster's news staff because several news shows are being cancelled and some moved to the lower-rated second channel. In a secret ballot, 17 councillors voted in favour, two were against and five abstained.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) is one of the 16 European press agencies to join forces in a common European press centre whose creation was announced by the European Commission. The pan-European Newsroom will be supported with EUR 1.76 million in EU funds and coordinated by the German news agency dpa.
LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the state-owned telecoms operator, announced it will quit the electricity retail business as of New Year's, the second company to leave the retail market in the last few months amidst surging electricity prices. Telekom has a 2% share of the household market.
TUESDAY, 30 November
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša spoke with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg via videoconference about the Covid-19 pandemic, including the new Omicron strain of coronavirus, to note the importance of booster vaccine shots. They assessed the epidemiological situation and exchanged information about measures aimed at managing Covid-19 and their effects.
LJUBLJANA - A commission appointed to examine the death of a 20-year-old woman after she was given the Janssen vaccine in September announced its unanimous assessment that the death was "definitely linked" to the vaccination. The investigation confirmed the vaccination led to the thrombotic thrombocytopenia.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor warned against politicisation of police as he addressed a ceremony remembering the 1989 Operation North, a police campaign which prevented a Serbian nationalist rally in Ljubljana. He said depoliticisation of police started at the time of Operation North and was one of the milestones in Slovenia's independence process.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU ministers in charge of sport endorsed the European model of sport that calls for solidarity, open competition and accessibility of sport for all. Slovenian Minister of Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec said the adoption of the resolution was a "historic day for sport and the European Union".
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's GDP grew at an annual rate of 5% in the third quarter of 2021. Just like in the previous quarter, it was largely fuelled by household consumption, up by 9.3%, and gross capital formation, up 9.6%, the Statistics Office said.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate accelerated to 4.6% in November from 3% in the month before, the highest it has been since late 2008, on the back of higher prices of oil derivatives. At the monthly level prices were up by 0.7%.
WEDNESDAY, 1 December
RIGA, Latvia - Following a two-day NATO ministerial, FM Anže Logar said the developments after the withdrawal from Afghanistan had come as a surprise and had brought up numerous risks that needed to be properly addressed. When planning future missions, goals should be laid out in advance according to regional characteristics, he noted.
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs rejected allegations by NGOs that Slovenian police officers were engaged in pushbacks on the Slovenian border in an interview with the newspaper Delo, while he criticised Croatian police for giving migrants instructions to ask for international protection in Slovenia.
ROME, Italy - The Italian Chamber of Deputies put into law a government decree on the transfer of National Hall in Trieste thus giving the go ahead for the process to start to return it to the Slovenian community there. The return was agreed during last year's ceremony marking the centennial of the torching of the building by the Fascists.
LJUBLJANA - The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief officially set up an RescEU stockpile of protective personal equipment. The first batch of face masks has been already received, and in 2022, the reserve is expected to provide supplies of protective masks, gloves, coats, aprons, goggles and visors.
LJUBLJANA - The government will allocate an additional EUR 210 million to agriculture in 2023-2027, on top of the EUR 100 million promised in the summer under an agreement reached as agricultural organisations met with PM Janez Janša and Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek.
LJUBLJANA - The State Prosecutorial Council expressed strong opposition to the proposed amendments that would give the government greater say in the appointment of Slovenian prosecutors delegated to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), saying that this allowed for "inadmissible political staffing."
LJUBLJANA - Electronic tolling for cars was officially rolled out. Annual e-vignettes for cars and semi-annual e-vignettes for motorbikes became available immediately, with weekly and monthly e-vignettes to follow in February 2022.
PARIS, France - The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) substantially upgraded Slovenia's economic growth forecast. It projects the economy to expand by 5.9% this year, up from its May forecast of 3.5%, whereas the outlook for 2022 was revised by 0.8 percentage points to 5.4%. Growth is projected to slow to 3.2% in 2023.
THURSDAY, 2 December
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after a meeting of home affairs officials from the EU and the Western Balkans that they had agreed on the need to improve the exchange of information and cooperation on the ground in the combat against organised crime and terrorism and managing of migration.
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a new version of the national foreign policy strategy, which takes into account new challenges, particularly hybrid threats and other crises. The document, titled Slovenia: Safe, Successful and Respected in the World - Foreign Policy of the Republic of Slovenia, is a revised and updated version of the country's strategy endorsed in July 2015, said the Government Communication Office.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU member states confirmed the common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2023-2027 to make the CAP greener, fairer and more transparent at a session chaired by Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, who said the new CAP was a milestone in the EU's agricultural policy.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Attending a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, Foreign Minister Anže Logar advocated the restoration of mutual trust and strengthening of political will of the organisation's members.
STRASBOURG, France - President Borut Pahor attended a ceremony remembering Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who served as the president of France from 1974 to 1981 and is remembered for his role in the Convention on the Future of Europe, which concluded its work in 2003 by drafting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
LJUBLJANA - Lovro Šturm, former minister, Constitutional Court judge in the 1990s and professor emeritus at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, died aged 83. In 2000 he served as minister of education and sport in the Andrej Bajuk government and in 2004-2008 as justice minister in the first Janez Janša government.
LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed the decision of the council of UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest medical centre, to appoint acting director Jože Golobič for a full term.
STA, 3 December 2021 - A collection of Slovenian cultural and natural heritage, folk tales, stories and traditions was presented on Friday as part of the Google Arts & Culture portal. "This project will give many people around the world the opportunity to hear about Slovenia's natural beauty, culture and unique features," said president Borut Pahor.
Slovenia is a small but diverse country, both naturally and culturally, and Pahor believes that the Stories from Slovenia collection within the Google Arts and Culture project is of great value for Slovenia and its people.
"Those who are curious about Slovenia will now have the opportunity to see what they might be interested in, and then actually visit our country," Pahor said at Friday's presentation of the project at the Cankarjev Dom cultural centre in Ljubljana.
Google Arts and Culture Director Amit Sood explained that Google's new service was available free of charge, online or as a smartphone app. The Stories from Slovenia collection has been in the making for almost a year and, according to Sood, would surely inspire people to visit Slovenia.
The project presents Slovenia's culture, nature and its many unique features. The collection contains more than 60 different stories, folk tales and virtual tours, while visitors can also admire more than 1,200 photographs, artworks and frescoes.
Google was supported in the design and implementation of the project by the Slovenian Tourist Board, the Computer Museum, the National Museum, the Posavje Museum Brežice, the Slovenian Mountaineering Association, the Slovenian Mountain Museum, the Beekeeping Museum in Radovljica, and the National and University Library.
More than 2,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries around the world are participating in the Google Arts and Culture project.
STA, 3 December 2021 - Kanin, Slovenia's highest-altitude ski resort, will this year expand its services by offering off-trail skiing with a mountain guide and heli-skiing. Next year, the ski resort is to see a EUR 50 million renovation, which will include replacing the old ski lift system with a new one.
The new skiing season in Kanin starts this Saturday and the two main new attractions this year will be off-trail skiing with a guide, which will be available only in good weather conditions, and heli-skiing.
According to the head of the Bovec Alpine School, Robert Rot, Kanin is a very interesting location for off-trail skiing but because of the many pits near the ski slopes it is best to hire a guide.
In cooperation with the association of Slovenian mountain guides, the school also offers workshops and lessons on off-trail skiing and protection against avalanches.
Those in for an even more adventurous experience will be able to take a helicopter ride from the Bovec or Lesce airports offered by company Flycom Aviation to Mt Kanin or any other remote location they want to start skiing from.
The head of the ski resort, Manuela Božič Badalič, believes the future of Kanin is the planned renovation, worth EUR 50 million, which will include the replacing of its 50-year-old ski lift system.
Because of its age, the current system is sensitive to wind and entails high maintenance costs.
Financial planning is currently under way and the preparations for the renovation are expected by the end of the year, said Danijel Krivec, an MP for the senior coalition Democrats (SDS).
A public call for applications is expected to be published after New Year's, with the project also including the setting up of an anti-avalanche and snow-making systems, and a new restaurant.
Construction work is to start next year and conclude by the end of 2023.
As the old ski lift system is to be replaced, the ski resort will probably be closed for one summer season, but all efforts will be invested into not losing a winter season, Krivec said.
He was not specific about the sources of financing, noting that the money would be drawn from different sources, including EU funds.
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:
Prešeren Prizes for classic philologist and conductor
LJUBLJANA - Kajetan Gantar, a translator of classical literature and philosophy, and Mirko Cuderman, a choir conductor, were declared the winners of the 2022 Prešeren Prizes, the highest national accolade for lifetime achievement in culture and arts. Meanwhile, the Prešeren Fund Prizes for individual accomplishments in the past three years will go to author Anja Štefan, actress Jette Ostan Verjup, composer Damijan Močnik, soprano Andreja Zakonjšek Krt, painter Dušan Kirbiš and animated film auteur Špela Čadež, the Culture Ministry announced.
Slovenia's coronavirus curve keeps flattening
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's coronavirus curve keeps flattening out with 1,737 cases confirmed on Thursday, more than a quarter fewer than the week ago and 18% down on the day before. Almost 32% of the PCR tests came back positive yesterday. Covid-19 hospitalisations remained high despite a drop and 17 more patients died, government data shows. According to the National Institute of Public Health, there are still 31,757 actively infected people in the country. This is down 1,770 compared with yesterday's estimate.
Quarantine mandatory for all in close contact with Omicron
LJUBLJANA - All those who have had a high-risk contact with a person highly suspected to be infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus will have to quarantine at home. The rule, adopted by the government, also applies to those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have already recovered from it. A high-risk contact is a person confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant or a person who was in the past 14 days in one of the countries where this variant is highly spread, according to the changes to the government regulation on exceptions to quarantine at home, which enter into force tomorrow.
Boštjan Napast appointed new CEO of Luka Koper
KOPER - The supervisory board of Luka Koper appointed Boštjan Napast the president of the management board of the state-owned port operator for a five-year term. Napast was until recently the head of the board of the gas distributor Geoplin. Chief supervisor Franci Matoz told the press after the session that the appointment had been made on proposal of a staffing commission and that the third member of the management board was yet to be appointed. The third member of the management board, who will be in change of finance, is expected to be found by the end of the year, but the supervisors say they would not rush things.
Govt proposes that current Fiscal Council line-up stay on
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to propose to the National Assembly to re-appoint for another five years Davorin Kračun as the president and Alenka Jerkič and Tomaž Perše as members of the Fiscal Council. With the current terms of the Fiscal Council members running out on 21 March 2022, the government issued on 1 October a public call for applications from potential candidates for the posts of the president and the two members of the advisory body. The current members of the Fiscal Council, tasked with assessing the sustainability and compliance of fiscal policies with the fiscal rule, were appointed in the spring of 2017.
Foreign Policy Committee approves new bill on deployment
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Policy Committee approved a proposed new bill on deployment in civilian missions and international organisations in second reading. The proposal is intended to enable the timely nomination and deployment of Slovenian experts, said Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan, adding the amendments had been necessary because the existing law from 2006 proved to be partly unviable. The changes will make it possible to deploy judicial officials, which was not possible until now.
Funds for higher care staff pay to be secured from budget
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour Committee voted down a proposal by the centre-left opposition yesterday for the government to secure an extra EUR 16 million for higher wages of staff at care homes through a state budget reallocation after the ruling coalition tabled an amendment to the same effect to the long-term care bill. While the government initially calculated the fees for aged-case homes would need to go up by 5.6%, Labour Minister Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said yesterday there would be no rise in fees as a result of the amendment to the long-term bill.
Janša emphasizes connective role of CEI in address to summit
BUDVA, Montenegro - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša discussed the need to bring the Western Balkans into the EU as he addressed by video link the summit of the Central European Initiative (CEI), and he also emphasised the initiative's role as a bridge between the EU countries in Europe's east and south-east. The main topic of the summit, hosted by Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, was EU enlargement and boosting cooperation with East European CEI countries, Janša's office said.
Logar says economic development in Africa key to less migration pressure
ROME, Italy - FM Anže Logar attended the Rome MED 2021 - Mediterranean Dialogues conference in Italy on Friday to discuss current issues in the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. Speaking on a panel on the Mediterranean as a common good, Logar said that economic development in Africa was key to reducing the migration pressure. "There is a demanding period ahead of us and without adequate action, our problems will be unsurmountable in 30 years' time," he was quoted by the Slovenian Foreign Ministry.
Committee agrees with amendment to audiovisual services act
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee endorsed on Thursday an amendment to the audiovisual services act filed by the group of non-affiliated MPs to transpose an EU directive after a government-sponsored proposal did not make it through parliament. The government too agrees with the proposed changes. Presenting the proposal, MP Branislav Rajić said the proposal was identical with the government's proposal only that it did not envisage a controversial contribution or a special budget fund for European audiovisual production.
Eco Fund to get nearly 72 million extra
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted on Thursday a revised 2021 business and financial plan for the Eco Fund under which an additional EUR 71.8 million will be allocated to the fund. The extra amount will go for environmental investment loans, energy efficiency grants and sustainable construction. Under the revised plan, the funding for the environmental investment loan scheme will increase by EUR 20 million to EUR 50 million.
Slovenia's joblessness declines in November
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total fell in November, with 65,379 people registered with the Employment Service, 1.9% fewer on a monthly level and 22.3% fewer annually. A total of 4,996 newly unemployed were registered in November, which is less than in October, year-on-year and November 2019, the Employment Service said. The number of newly registered unemployed persons decreased by 27.5% on a monthly level and by 32.1% annually. On average, 75,074 people were registered as unemployed in the first eleven months of the year, down by 11.5% on the same period last year.
Government bans serving of food and drink at outdoor stalls
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to ban as of Saturday the serving of food and drinks at outdoor stalls, with the exception of roasted chestnut. As for outdoor fairs, organisers will have to make sure that visitors move in a one-way direction, and access to the venue must be fenced off, so that entry outside the official entrance is not possible. Congresses and fairs are permitted to be held both outdoors and indoors, provided that the attendees meet the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) condition, wear face masks and keep distance. Supervision of compliance with the rules and conditions must be ensured by the organisers.
Rules for safe operation of ski lifts adopted
LJUBLJANA - As the skiing season is starting, the government set the conditions for the operation of ski lifts, whose use is permitted to skiers who meet the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) condition. Wearing surgical or FFP2 face masks is mandatory in enclosed facilities and also in outdoor facilities if distancing is not ensured. Windows must be open at all times, even while facilities are moving, and the distance between skiers while travelling with a ski lift and buying tickets must be 1.5 metres.
Zorčič urges climate change measures in Mediterranean
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič advocated the need to implement measures to tackle climate change in the Mediterranean as he addressed a summit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. The region is heating up 20% faster than other parts of the planet, he said, noting that the effects of climate change posed an increasingly big threat to the continued survival of humanity.
Slovenia presents collection on Google Arts & Culture portal
LJUBLJANA - A collection of Slovenian cultural and natural heritage, folk tales, stories and traditions was presented as part of the Google Arts & Culture portal. "This project will give many people around the world the opportunity to hear about Slovenia's natural beauty, culture and unique features," said president Borut Pahor. Google Arts and Culture Director Amit Sood explained that Google's new service was available free of charge, online or as a smartphone app. The Stories from Slovenia collection has been in the making for almost a year and, according to Sood, would surely inspire people to visit Slovenia.
Anti-graft watchdog insists Hungarian MP in breach of dual-office rule
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has found that Ferenc Horvath, the MP for the Hungarian minority, remains in breach of the incompatibility of dual offices as he also serves on the council of a minority organisation in Lendava. Horvath failed to fix the breach despite being urged to do so within three months, the commission said. Horvath would not comment on the finding, telling the STA he had said what he had to say on the matter two years ago when the watchdog found his office as chairman of an umbrella minority organisation incompatible with his office as MP.
National postal company signs collective bargaining deal
LJUBLJANA - Staff at Slovenia's national postal company and its sheltered workshop are looking at higher pay under a collective bargaining agreement signed on Thursday that caps months of negotiations. The agreement, signed by the management and trade unions representing staff in both companies, is to provide a suitable level of social security to employees and stable and successful business in the long term for the state-owned company, the sides said.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities marked by calls for inclusion
LJUBLJANA - People with disabilities should be enabled full inclusion into society, organisations representing the disabled said on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. All obstacles both in the physical and social environments must thus be removed, they said, pointing to the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
EUR 19m worth of orphan assets from privatisation unclaimed
LJUBLJANA - EUR 19 million worth of assets left behind from the privatisation in the early 1990s are still waiting for their rightful owners to claim them. Unless they move the securities to trading accounts by the end of the year, the assets will pass irreversibly to the state. The assets concerned are left behind after the KDD clearing corporation in January 2017 discontinued free accounts on which citizens had kept shares they received in exchange for privatisation vouchers during denationalisation.
Maribor's new cultural centre gets govt funding
LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - The Culture Ministry approved EUR 12.7 million in state co-funding for the city of Maribor's new centre that will host the main library, an art gallery and a cinema. The Rotovž Centre, estimated at around EUR 25 million, will be built in Rotovž Square in the city centre where Maribor's dilapidated library will be torn down. The centre will solve the pressing space issue of the main library, while also improving conditions for fine arts and other creative practices, the ministry said as it endorsed the city's request for emergency co-funding. Construction work is expected to start in the spring of 2022.
Merry Day of Culture brings mix of online and in-person events
LJUBLJANA - This year's Merry Day of Culture, a celebration of the birth anniversary of Romantic poet France Prešeren (1800-1849), one of Slovenia's greats, is marked in hybrid form. Cultural institutions, where admission is free the entire day, organised both online and in-person events. A number of theatres are again taking part in the cultural celebration, as well as museums and galleries, with free guided tours and activities for children.
STA, 3 December 2021 - The government decided on Friday to ban the serving of food and drinks at outdoor stalls, with the exception of roasted chestnuts. As for outdoor fairs, organisers will have to make sure that visitors move in a one-way direction, and access to the venue must be fenced off, so that entry outside the official entrance is not possible.
In line with the latest decree, congresses and fairs are permitted to be held both outdoors and indoors, provided that the attendees meet the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) condition, wear face masks and keep a distance of 1.5 metres.
Supervision of compliance with the rules and conditions will need to be ensured by the organisers of congresses or fairs, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said.
In bars and restaurants, food or drinks are permitted to be served only to sitting customers between 5am and 10pm. The maximum permitted number of persons must be visibly displayed at the entrance of bars and restaurants.
As for outdoor fairs, including Christmas and New Year's fairs, which are currently being organised in several cities around Slovenia, the decree also stipulates that one-way movement of visitors must be ensured, with separate entrances and exits.
Access to the venue must be fenced off, so that entry outside the official entrance is not possible, UKOM added.
The decision comes after the Covid-19 task force called for a ban on stalls serving food and drinks due to risk for the spreading of coronavirus infections, which is much higher at the stalls than in restaurants.
"The task force believes that stalls offering food and drinks should not be allowed, because a great number of people come into contact and the chance of a transmission of infection is increased," task force head Mateja Logar said.
STA, 2 December 2021 - The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) got a new interim head on Thursday, after Maja Pak, the long-serving director, stepped down in mid-November, citing differences in views with Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over the management of the organisation. Pak will be temporarily succeeded by Ilona Stermecki, effective from Monday.
Stermecki will be at the helm of the STO until a new director is appointed but no longer than six months.
She had been put forward for the post by the STO board, the Government Communication Office said after today's cabinet session.
Pak, a close aide of Počivalšek's, did not specify how her views differed from the minister's as she announced she was stepping down on 17 November, and neither did the minister, who thanked her for her effort and cooperation.
Pak's first stint at the helm of the organisation was in 2010-2012, when the STO was merged into the investment promotion agency SPIRIT Slovenia.
She returned as director in 2015, when the STO became independent again, and received a new five-year term in March this year.
As she announced her resignation Pak was said to be returning to her previous job at the STO.
STA, 2 December 2021 - The government has submitted to parliament a bill amending the financing of municipalities act whose goal it says is to streamline the procedure to award funds to the local communities with Roma settlements. The amendments also expand the list of state-subsidised services provided by joint municipal administrations.
A release issued after the government session on Thursday said one of the changes concerned the provision on the co-financing of municipalities with Roma populations which the government says has been open to misinterpretation.
Apart from the systemic solution applying to all municipalities with recorded Roma settlements, the proposed amendment would secure an additional amount of 100% to the municipalities located in development regions whose at risk of development index is 125 or more.
The indicator comprises more than a dozen indices and is used to monitor regional development based on the national average. The figures above 100 show a development lag to the average.
In response to the Human Rights Ombudsman's call to select a ministry that will conduct oversight of municipalities with Roma communities that have not yet set out detailed programmes and measures in compliance with the Roma community act and local government act, the government called on the municipalities with Roma communities to consistently meet their obligations.
Another change in the bill on municipalities financing expands the list of tasks performed by joint administrations of several municipalities that are co-funded from the state budget.
The release says that the introduction of new technologies leads to new services on behalf of residents, which also creates the need for new staff qualified to manage and provide the new tasks of joint administrations. By subsidising that staff the state would help boost the municipalities IT-wise and in providing new services to the residents.
STA, 2 December 2021 - Lovro Šturm, minister in two governments, Constitutional Court judge in the 1990s and professor emeritus at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, has died aged 83, the New Slovenia (NSi) said on Thursday.
Šturm became professor of administrative law at the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts after he got his PhD there in 1966. He was also active in international organisations of jurists.
He was appointed judge at the Constitutional Court in 1990 and presided the court in his final two years in office, until late 1998.
In 2000 he served as minister of education and sport in the short-lived government of Andrej Bajuk. In 2004-2008, he was the justice minister in the first Janez Janša government.
He remained active in politics after he left the government, including as president between 2011 and 2016 of the Assembly for the Republic, a conservative think-tank.
Last year Šturm received the Silver Order of Merit from President Borut Pahor for his services in establishing the rule of law, constitutionality and constitutional law in the country.
The Justice Ministry said today Šturm had believed in the rule of law and promoted the development of law.
"He was a minister drawing on experience and history ... He had a remarkable sense of historical injustices and their correction," wrote the ministry, which Šturm headed as a minister from the NSi quota in the first government of Janez Janša.
As minister, Šturm helped modernise court proceedings and did an excellent job in heading demanding negotiations during Slovenia's first EU presidency, the ministry said.
"His contributions to the development of the rule of law and human rights in the Republic of Slovenia, as well as his contributions in the area of redressing past wrongs, will not be forgotten," the ministry wrote.
NSi head Matej Tonin described Šturm on Twitter as a "relentless fighter for the consistent implementation of the rule of law and the values of Slovenian independence". "He set an example in the protection of human rights and dignity through his work. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," he wrote, offering his condolences.
PM Janša noted that Šturm had also been one of the founding members of the DEMOS coalition during Slovenia's independence efforts, the president of the Constitutional Court and the Assembly for the Republic, as well as a great patriot, intellectual and human rights fighter. Janša too extended his condolences to Šturm's relatives.
President Pahor also conveyed his condolences to Šturm's family, noting the Silver Order of Merit the late law expert received in 2020.
Slovenian bishops joined expressions of condolences, thanking God for Šturm's "life mission, especially in the field of religious freedom of Slovenian Christians".
A joint statement by the Pravnik association of law graduates and students and the Slovenian Bishops' Conference reads that Šturm made a significant contribution to the development of law studies and theoretical basis for the Slovenian legal system.
As a former constitutional judge and president of the Constitutional Court, he contributed to the development of the free and democratic society doctrine, the legal principles of the rule of law, the principle of proportionality, state power limitation, the protection of private property and individual liberty, they added.
