STA, 8 November 2021 - Commenting on the latest measures taken by the government to contain the Covid outbreak, the newspaper Večer finds the government no longer has any strategy but has opted for natural immunisation to run its course.

Noting that contrary to initial announcements, PM Janez Janša and fellow coalition leaders failed to appear at the press conference to present the measures on Friday, the paper says that economic interests prevailed over saving lives.

"A renewed declaration of epidemic and lockdown would activate hazard bonuses and demands for new aid packages. Despite the June ruling of the Constitutional Court, the communicable diseases act has still not been changed and remains unconstitutional," writes the paper, wondering what that means for new measures.

"The Janša government has opted for natural immunisation. Immunologist Ihan has even described it as reckless [...] There has not been the will or the skill for anything more. This is being emphasized by the fact that neither the PM nor Tonin or Počivalšek addressed the people on Friday. Hiding behind the health minister's broken backbone and politically (self)instrumentalised experts is cowardly and is an admission that the pilots are pulling the aircraft's control wheel each in their own direction [...]

"Given the brutal trends - Slovenia became the global leader by the weekly average of new infections per million last week - a statesman's like appearance would be the minimum of what is called for. There is no strategy anymore if ever there was one," the paper says under the headline (Ir)responsible, appealing to people to "pull the brake" if the government is incapable of doing that.

STA, 6 November 2021 - The Koper cathedral will inaugurate its new organ at Saturday's mass, which is to be attended by Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia Jean-Marie Speich and President Borut Pahor. The organ, which came from the famous Tonhalle concert hall in Zurich, is the second largest in Slovenia and will sound in a concert for the first time in the country on Sunday.

The organ, a donation from Tonhalle to the Koper Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, weighs 16 tonnes and includes more than 5,500 pipes. It was designed by acclaimed French composer, organist and adviser to organ builders Jean Guillou (1930-2019).

It is the second biggest organ and the biggest church organ in Slovenia, so it is fitting that it will now adorn one of the biggest churches in the country.

After time-consuming works to set up the instrument, including the complete renovation of the choir loft, the organ will be formally handed over to the Koper church and blessed at today's mass at 5pm that will be said by Koper bishop Jurij Bizjak.

The event will feature church choirs of the Slovenian Istria. The organ will be played by Mirko Butkovič, whom the Koper Diocese named titular organist.

On Sunday, the first concert featuring the instrument in Slovenia will be held with Pier Damiano Peretti, an Italian professor of organ at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, playing the new organ.

Another six concerts will take place from mid-November until New Year as part of the organ presentation season, including a 21 November performance featuring compositions of contemporary Slovenian sacred music that have been written specifically for this instrument.

The head of the Koper Diocese organ commission Martin Šuštar believes that the organ now has an even better sound quality than in Switzerland, as some mechanical and intonation tweaks have been made.

The volume in the choir loft and throughout the rest of the church has been equalised, he said, adding that the organ was a "wonderful instrument that will play an important role in the cultural and religious spheres in the coming years".

The EUR 650,000 renovation project involved a donation campaign that will continue into 2022.

Tonhalle decommissioned the organ after less than three decades because the old organs, built by the firm Kleuker-Steinmeyer, had never quite fulfilled the expectations of the venue that prides itself on being acoustically one of the best halls in the world.

Instead of simply throwing the old organ away, they decided to donate it, and the Koper cathedral was then picked from six applicants across Europe to get the instrument.

STA, 7 November - A list of Slovenia's top hundred living visual artists has been released by the agency Artindex in a bid to restore trust in the Slovenian art market. Now listed in alphabetical order, the artists will be ranked in a list to be published in June next year.

The first such list has been compiled with the help of 63 Slovenian experts on visual arts, including curators, critics, appraisers, directors of public and private galleries and museums and award-winning artists.

Each of them submitted a selection of 15 best Slovenian living artists. Adding up their votes, Artindex then published the artists in alphabetical order.

The list includes artists of different ages and fields of visual arts, from Nika Autor, Arjan Pregel, Maja Smrekar, the arts collective Irwin and Jasmina Cibic to Marjetica Potrč, Silvester Plotajs Sicoe, Dragan Živadinov, Jože Muhovič to Jakov Brdar and Emerik Bernard.

The final index will be released once data have been collected on the sale of the artists' works. The sum of the works sold will represent a third of the score, while the rest will be based on assessment by experts.

Artindex provides overviews, comparisons and analysis of sales prices of Slovenian visual artists. In cooperation with Artstar, an art certifying and appraising agency, it has set out to tackle anomalies in the Slovenian art market and to make it internationally comparable by 2025.

Damjan Kosec, director of the two agencies and the SLOART gallery and auction house, says art collectors and investors have lost trust in the market as weak legislation has in recent years led to the development of micro markets, which follow various price and sales polices.

The two agencies point to issues such as spread of shadow economy, a lack of transparency in sales prices, tax evasion, high taxes, different prices for comparable works by the same artist or different prices for the same artist at home and abroad, forgeries for forged paperwork.

The flaws make it impossible to track sale of cultural heritage abroad, they say, listing several other problems, including negligence and lack of expertise in appraisals, an absence of national strategy, a poor education system and weak international cooperation.

They would like the state to deal with the legislation and step up oversight to make the art market more transparent. They see the index they have compiled as a step in that direction.

You can see the list here

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Over 2,300 coronavirus cases confirmed Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Another 2,313 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Saturday as over 42% of the PCR tests came back positive. Hospitalisations rose by nearly 50 from the day before to 797 with 184 being treated in intensive care. Eleven more Covid-19 patients died, bringing the total death toll to 5,149, data released by the government show. The National Institute of Public Health estimates there are now over 36,000 active cases in the country as the 14-day incidence per 100,000 rose to 1,707.

Self-testing for pupils to be mandatory

LJUBLJANA - The Education Ministry announced that self testing for primary and secondary school children and youths will be mandatory starting from 15 November after initially announcing that it would continue to be voluntary. Self-testing will be performed on school premises three times a week under new rules that the government adopted on Friday. The Association of Head Teachers expects the new rules to cause problems at schools and objections by the parents who oppose Covid rules.

Minister Logar recovering after surgery

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Anže Logar was recovering at Ljubljana's medical centre (UKC) after undergoing surgery for appendicitis yesterday. In a post on its Twitter profile, the ministry noted that Logar attended a reception on Friday for the diplomatic corps as well as hosted his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Thursday, and visiting Athens the day before for talks with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.

List of Slovenia's top 100 visual artists released

LJUBLJANA - A list of Slovenia's top hundred living visual artists has been released by the agency Artindex in a bid to restore trust in the Slovenian art market. Now listed in alphabetical order, the artists will be ranked in a list to be published in June next year. The final index will be released once data have been collected on the sale of the artists' works. The sum of the works sold will represent a third of the score, while the rest will be based on assessment by experts.

Katja Fain wins bronze at European Swimming Championship

KAZAN, Russia - Katja Fain secured bronze for Slovenia in the women's 200 metre freestyle at the European Short Course Swimming Championship in Kazan, Russia. The 20-year-old clocked 1:53.88 minutes to set a new national record, with a 0.3 gap to Czech Barbora Seemanova in second and an 1.13 lag behind the winner Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands. Slovenia's success was rounded off by Janja Šegel in fourth. Slovenia's last medal at such a major competition was six years ago.

Wine production drops as quality improves

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will this year produce 10-15% less wine than last year, mostly due to the Dolenjska wine region being strongly affected by the spring frost. However, wine growers around the country report above-average vintage in terms of quality. Marjan Colja, director of the wine producer Vina Kras, noted that the production was close to normal in the western region of Primorska, while the Kras area had been affected by wild boars and birds. Slovenia produces 80-90 million litres of wine a year.

Despite the growing number of Chinese restaurants, Slovenia still isn’t a great place for non-European food, and it’s only in the last decade or so that Ljubljana itself has seen more diversity with regard to its dining offers. Much of the excitement there is concentrated on and around Trubarjeva cesta, the colourful but rapidly gentrifying street that runs from Prešeren Square towards one or two of centres of contemporary culture, the Metelkova-Gallery-Museum quarter, and the newly opened Cukrarna.

I lived on the street my first few years in Slovenia, one of the less vibrant members of the immigrant community, albeit one with a long and abiding interest in the spicier end of cuisine towards the other end of Eurasia. Which is why when chef Ziauddin Ahmed started serving food from the subcontinent at Hotel Park (now the B&B) a few years ago I was a very happy customer, joining many others who travelled from far further afield to enjoy his work.

See the full menu. Photo: Zaika

I left Ljubljana two years ago, just at the end of 2019 and a few months before the lockdown put the hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés, clubs and so on through the worst times anyone can recall, and it’s already clear that when this whole mess finally ends the scene will have changed significantly, with some businesses closing, others successfully evolving.

One of those changes to the scene involves Ziauddin, who in March of this year took over the small space at Trubarjeva 60 that previously hosted the Bangladesh restaurant. The place (Zaika) was fully cleaned and renovated, and set up for takeaway and delivery service, making best use of the small space and central location to bring colourful, exotic, and delicious new tastes to the street, with meat, vegetarian and vegan options.
 

Ziauddin Ahmed, photographed in another location. Photo: JL Flanner

I know Ziauddin from way back, so here’s a little of his story and that of Zaika, which you should check out and support if you’d like more of this kind of thing in town.

How did you end up in Ljubljana?
I’m from Kolkata, West Bengal. I did my master’s degree in the hotel industry. After that I got a job in a five-star super-deluxe hotel, the Hyatt Regency Kolkata. So I started my career from there, and I worked there four and a half years, then I got a chance to come to Ljubljana as the head chef of Figovec, when it was an Indian restaurant, called Currylife Figovec, and then I worked at Hotel Park for a few years, until COVID changed everything.

Are people here open to trying Indian food?
Yes, many people in Ljubljana love Indian food– but still many of them are scared of trying it because their perception is that it’s very spicy, maybe there’s no option for vegans, and the like.

Slovenia is still a young country, so I feel it will take little more time for people to get used to Asian flavours, dishes and spices. That said, recipes are not written in the Bible, so you can change them and make good food according to a customer’s taste-buds and choice, they just need to let me know before I start cooking. To my mind, that’s the real difference between a chef and a cook. A cook just follows the recipe, but a chef can adapt it and always make something that pleases all of the senses, no matter what needs to be changed.

See the full menu. Photo: Zaika

How do you like Slovenia?
I like it very, very much. That’s why I came back. It’s a really beautiful country. I like nature and I am not a person for very crowded places, so i can say it’s perfect for me.

You also have a mixed culture. Most of the year – when there’s no epidemic – the city is dominated by tourists from all over of the world.so you can also enjoy the different cultured people here. And that’s a very beautiful thing about this country. Not overpopulated, very nice people, very friendly.

What about the winters?
Honestly, I’d never experienced that kind of temperatures in my entire life . At my birthplace temperature goes maximum 10 degrees Celsius, and we think “oh, it’s too cold”. When I came here it was minus 15. I was scared that I’d die. But the human body can acclimatise very quickly. Now it’s become normal.

What about Slovenian food?
Well, as a Muslim I can’t eat pork, so when I go out I’m always a little bit scared, because most Slovenian traditional foods are dominated by pork or use pork fat to enhance the flavour. But I like štrukli, žlikrofi, prazen krompir, pasta, although bolognese, again, I worry there’s a little pork fat in there, because fat always gives a good taste.

See the full menu. Photo: Zaika

How many people are working at the new place?

I’d like to get some help with the cooking, but until then I’m the only person here – ordering the ingredients, cooking the food, keeping the place clean and the customers happy.Enter

Who are your customers, and what things sell well?
I get both tourists and locals, because that’s who comes to Trubarjeva. There’s a great slection of Indian curries, but the best-selling items  are chicken makhani, tikka masala, subz diwani, hundi kofta, nazakat and naan.

Zaika offers service, takeaway and delivery of meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes from 11 – 21:00 Mon-Saturday. iIt’s very easy to find at 60 Trubarjeva cesta, just down from the famed Trubar café, home to among the best doughnuts in Ljubljana, and – incredibly – still in business after I left town and stopped drinking there.

See the full menu. Photo: Zaika

That café, cake and ice cream store is in good company with the many other small eateries, bars and boutiques that make Trubarjeva a must-see street that’s easy to overlook but much easier, and more fun, to visit, leaving you well-positioned for the various attractions there or just a short distance away, or a pleasant walk along the river, perhaps with an ice cream in hand and your heart open to the life of the city.

STA, 7 November 2021 - The Education Ministry has announced that self-testing for primary and secondary school children and youths will be mandatory starting from 15 November after initially announcing that it would continue to be voluntary. Self-testing will be performed on school premises three times a week.

The changes to self-testing in educational institutions are part of new Covid restrictions agreed by the government on Friday. Except for self-testing applying to schools, new rules will kick in on Monday.

Self-testing will be mandatory for all primary and secondary school students as well as for university students except for those who have been vaccinated against or have recovered from Covid.

Children and youth involved in educational institutions for children and youth with special needs will also need to self test, as will those involved in after-school sports activities at schools.

Until 15 November primary and secondary school children will continue to self test at home twice a week and higher education students at their schools.

From 15 November, primary, secondary and higher education students will be eligible for 15 rapid antigen self tests a month, which they will be able to pick up at a pharmacy with their health insurance card.

The Association of Head Teachers has met the new rules with dismay and apprehension. Its chairman Gregor Pečan predicted objections by the parents who oppose Covid rules as it is.

Speaking to the STA, Pečan expressed concern that the youngest pupils would need assistance with self-testing from school staff.

Offering the example of Austria, he said Slovenia was moving to mandatory self-testing in school setting without even having data how many pupils in fact self-tested at home.

"The head teachers have the feeling we are being pushed to the front lines again [...] being left to our own resources as parents take it out on us."

What makes the situation even more awkward is that most of the Covid measures have turned out to be unlawful or unconstitutional, he noted.

They will try their best to put all the measures imposed in practice despite staff shortages. "However, imposing such measures without a rethink, consultations, is unserious, to put it mildly," said Pečan.

See all the latest data on Slovenia and COVID here

STA, 7 November 2021 - Slovenia will produce 10-15% less wine than last year, mostly due to the Dolenjska wine region being strongly affected by the spring frost. However, wine growers around the country report it has been an above-average year in terms of quality.

The drop in quantity is also attributed to lower yields of certain varieties in the other two wine regions, but not as such as in Dolenjska, where only half of last year's production was achieved, Marjan Colja of the Wine Association of Slovenia has told the STA.

Colja, the director of the wine producer Vina Kras, noted that the production was close to normal in the western region of Primorska, while the Kras area had been affected, not by frost but by wild boars and birds.

Wine growers are nevertheless more concerned about the quality of wine than about reaching records in terms of quantity as competition in the market is fierce and demand has dropped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Weather conditions were favourable ahead of the harvest, with the sunny and not so cold weather being very useful. Colja noted that wine growers around the country reported that it was an above-average year in terms of quality.

The largest Slovenian winery, P&F Wineries, said that despite the very demanding spring and damage done by the frost, the quality of wine was the best in the last 12 years according to preliminary estimates.

In addition to the lower production, wine growers and wine makers have also been affected by coronavirus restrictions, as public lockdowns resulted in lower sales to hotels and restaurants.

Another blow comes as the majority of celebrations of St. Martin's Day around Slovenia have been cancelled due to growing infection numbers, including the largest event in Maribor. "The closures certainly bring nothing good," Colja said.

According to him, some wine cellars decided to distil excess wine, which is being supported by the state. "However blasphemous this may seem to a wine maker, it is still better to make something useful ... than sell at dumping prices."

Colja added that the major winery companies had been generous this year to grape producers and had been ready to raise the purchase prices of grapes, which he believes was the right decision.

While it is not easy to sell wine either in Slovenia or abroad, he noted that exports were still a problem, in particular to the Chinese market, the reason being that there are fewer fairs and opportunities for promotion due to the pandemic.

Colja said that the state had the key role in promoting export activity, and that wine makers were perhaps subjected to too many restrictions. "Many prefer not to use state funds because they don't want to have administrative problems."

According to the Agriculture Ministry, between 80 and 90 million litres of wine is produced in Slovenia annually by more than 2,500 registered wineries that bottle their own wine. Eleven producers make more than half a million litres a year.

The ministry has told the STA that experts of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry had estimated that this year's production will amount to around 55 million litres of wine.

Vineyards in Slovenia are located on steep slopes, which means very expensive production, but also good quality, with quality wines representing as much as 70% of total output.

The total land area covered by vineyards has not changed significantly in recent decades. It was increasing until 1996, after which it started to decline slightly. Compared to 2010, the land area covered by vineyards today is 5% smaller.

Last year, the average price of wine with the Slovenian geographic origin sold in Slovenia and in the EU markets was down for all categories of wine compared to 2019, while sales were up by 6%, with sales of wine for distillation included.

Slovenia mostly imports wine from North Macedonia, Italy, Germany and Hungary, while it exports its quality wines to Germany, Croatia, the US, the Netherlands, Bosnia-Herzegovina and, in recent years, to the Czech Republic.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Covid restrictions stepped up, but no new lockdown

LJUBLJANA - Amidst surging infections, the government decided late on Friday evening to tighten Covid restrictions instead of imposing another lockdown. From Monday, the Covid pass mandate is expanded to apply to people older than 12, opening hours of bars and restaurants restricted, night clubs closed, gatherings banned and only surgical or FFP2 masks allowed. Shops will be restricted to accepting one customer per at least 10 square metres. At cultural and sports events and religious services physical distancing will have to be observed. Schools will remain open, however the frequency of voluntary self-testing among primary and secondary school students will increase to three times per week from 15 November.

Over 3,660 Covid cases reported for Friday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 3,662 new coronavirus infections on Friday with the positivity rate standing at 38.1%, up slightly on the day before, show fresh figures by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). Government data show 14 Covid-19 patients died, and hospitalisations dropped by 13 to 748 this morning, including 175 ICU cases, down by two on the day before. Both the seven-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population increased, by 95 to 2,766 and by 66 to 1,669, respectively, NIJZ data show.

Supervisors dismiss Elektro Ljubljana chairman, report says

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of Elektro Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest electricity distributor, dismissed on Friday the company's chairman Andrej Ribič, reported the N1 portal, quoting the Pozareport portal's Twitter post. The reason for the dismissal is not known, N1 said, adding that the current chief financial officer Marjan Ravnikar was to take over the management of the company.

Committee throws out pharmacy bill after upper chamber veto

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee rejected amendments to the pharmacy act on Friday evening after the National Council vetoed the changes in late October. The bill was thrown out in an 8:7 vote. The centre-left opposition and the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), the initiator of the changes, supported the bill, whereas the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) voted against.

Committee debates staff shortages in primary care

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee heard on Friday experts' warnings about major issues in primary care, including staff shortages, problems with patients' access to GPs and a non-stimulating environment. The MPs mainly agreed with this assessment of the situation with some urging the experts to propose concrete solutions. Željko Cigler of the Left proposed a public consultation on the matter, but the proposal was rejected in a 7:7 vote.

Foreign Minister Logar admitted to hospital, report says

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar has been admitted to the UKC Ljubljana medical centre, reported the news portal Siol.net. According to unofficial information, the minister has appendicitis and is awaiting surgery. No further information on his condition is yet available.

Student Radio raises nearly EUR 88,000 in donations to carry on

LJUBLJANA - Radio Študent, an independent radio station that has been struggling in the wake of funding cuts, has raised EUR 87,820 in a campaign that ended with September. The donations will enable the radio station to finish this year as planned if there are no "new major surprises", Ana Kandare, the head of the Radio Študent institute, told the STA.

Famed Swiss organ unveiled in Koper cathedral

KOPER - The Koper cathedral inaugurated its new organ at a mass, which was attended by Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia Jean-Marie Speich and President Borut Pahor. The organ, which came as a donation from the famous Tonhalle concert hall in Zurich, is the second largest in Slovenia and will sound in a concert for the first time in the country on Sunday.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Pahor, Janša note good relations with neighbours in address to diplomats

BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Janez Janša highlighted Slovenia's good relations with all of its neighbours as they hosted the annual reception for the diplomatic corps at Brdo pri Kranju, which was attended by some 85 diplomats. Pahor also put in his word for sincere ties with Russia and China. He said Slovenia expected Russia to refrain from threats and while reaffirming Slovenia's one-China policy said Taipei's trade office would be welcome as was in other EU countries.

Slovenia sinks in Corruption Perception Index

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia placed 41st among 180 countries in Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perception Index, its poorest showing since 2013, having slipped six spots and losing three points. The organisation's Slovenian chapter said this was the result of corruption prevention being pushed to the political margins and reform failure. Nor does the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption find the result surprising, while the Justice Ministry believes the ranking does not necessarily reflect the actual situation in the country.

Hojs talks Croatia's accession to Schengen in Zagreb

ZAGREB, Croatia - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs met his Croatian counterpart Davor Božinović in Zagreb for talks focusing on Croatia's accession to the Schengen passport-free zone and bilateral cooperation. Slovenia supports Schengen enlargement. "At the same time, we need to ensure a high level of security for the whole Schengen area, thus we expect future members to fully implement the tasks under the Schengen law and control the EU's external borders as their daily practice," Hojs was quoted as saying.

Tally of new cases at 12,772 on Monday, second highest on record

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 12,772 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, an increase of 47% on the week before and the second highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic. While the number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose slightly, to 653, the number of ICU cases continues to decline and stood at 130 this morning. Eleven patients with Covid-19 died.

Tourist arrivals up by 31% in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Tourist arrivals in Slovenia increased by 31% in 2021 to reach just over four million, while overnight stays were up by 22% to 11.3 million, Statistics Office data show. Both figures are still far behind the records of 2019. Domestic tourists accounted for 2.2 million arrivals last year, an annual increase of 17%, while the number of foreign tourists rose by 51% to 1.8 million. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek noted the contribution of tourism vouchers to the results.

Economy Ministry to provide EUR 640m in development incentives

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Ministry will provide a total of EUR 640.7 million in development incentives this year, intended to raise productivity through the green and digital transition and to ensure a balanced development of Slovenia's regions. The ministry said EUR 479.2 million of the sum is to be provided in the form of grants and EUR 161.5 million in reimbursements or subsidies for businesses, municipalities and other target groups.

Lower fees mulled in tackling energy crisis

LJUBLJANA - Media have reported that the Infrastructure Ministry, as it drafts a legal basis for mitigating the consequences of the rising energy prices, plans to provide around 150,000 vulnerable individuals with EUR 140 in energy vouchers. The ministry is also expected to propose a cut in certain fees on electricity bills. Things are apparently not running as smoothly when it comes to aid for businesses with reports there is some confusion as to which ministry should prepare the proposal.

Central bank finds current economic impact of epidemic small

LJUBLJANA - The central bank assessed in its latest bulletin that the aggravated epidemiological situation brought by an increased number of coronavirus infections with the Omicron variant has had a relatively small impact on the economy. Despite the current situation being favourable, the central bank assesses that some macroeconomic risks remain high - including the risk of increased absenteeism with record numbers of coronavirus cases. Another issue is a shortage of skilled workforce.

Slovenia sees surge in work permit applications

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Employment Service recorded a significant rise in applications for the employment of foreigners last year. It received a total of 52,281 applications, the most since the current system was put in place in 2015. The figure compares to 48,127 applications in 2019, when employment of foreigners in Slovenia was at its highest in recent years. Of the 52,281 applications received in 2021, 46,264 were approved.

Ex-minister says govt could have acted better in epidemic

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into the government's response to Covid-19 interviewed former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar to hear that in some cases the government could have acted better in dealing with the first two waves of the epidemic. He was critical of communication with the public, and of closure of schools while the economy kept running. Meanwhile Klemen Nicoletti, one of the owners of the company that supplied rapid tests to the state, failed to appear with his lawyer saying his answering questions could undermine his position in expected criminal proceedings against him.

Controversial changes to penal code unlikely to get passed

LJUBLJANA - The four centre-left opposition parties called for controversial changes to the panel code to be withdrawn from the agenda of the National Assembly's upcoming plenary session. The bill, filed by the opposition National Party (SNS) and endorsed on the committee last week, could result in white-collar crimes becoming statute-barred relatively quickly. The two junior coalition parties and the opposition DeSUS also announced they would not back the bill.

Number of cases against Slovenia at ECHR up 30% last year

STRASBOURG, France - A total of 234 lawsuits against Slovenia were submitted last year to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), 30% more than in 2020, shows the annual report of the Strasbourg-based court. Last year, the court handed down two judgments in connection with Slovenia in seven cases. It noted at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights in both judgments - these were violations of the right to an effective legal remedy and of the protection of property.

Report shows police performance improved in 2020

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee discussed the 2020 annual reports on the work of the police, and it was noted that police officers had successfully investigated more than half of suspected criminal acts, or 2% more than in 2019. There were seven murders or attempted murders, and and there was some more domestic violence than in 2019. Deputy Police Commissioner Danijel Žibret told the MPs the Covid-19 epidemic had impacted on the internal organisation of the police.

MPs discuss situation of Roma community

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee was briefed on the latest report on the position of the Roma community in Slovenia, covering 2020. The debate noted progress on some acute problems but also continuing issues pertaining to living conditions, education and employment. The report was presented by Stanko Baluh, director of the Government Office for National Minorities, who noted increase in funding for municipalities with Roma communities as a major change.

Catholic group urges independent inquiry into church sex abuse

LJUBLJANA - A Catholic advocacy for victims of sexual abuse in the Slovenian Catholic Church urged appointing an independent commission of individuals of high moral integrity to investigate and crack down on the abuse as soon as possible. The group called Dovolj.je (It's Enough) is headed by Janez Cerar, the first Slovenian priest to reveal being a victim of sexual abuse in the Church himself. He complained of too slow progress in dealing with the problem and a lack of empathy for the victims.

Slovenia remains attractive to Austrian investors

LJUBLJANA - Austrian companies had a successful 2021 and are optimistic about this year, shows a survey conducted by the Austrian trade office Advantage Austria Ljubljana among its members. Almost 80% said that Slovenia will remain an attractive environment for investments this year, citing market proximity, the skilled workforce and the availability of local suppliers as the main benefits. The main downsides are red tape, inflexible economic policies and operating costs.

Softnet plans expansion into Africa and Indonesia

TRZIN - Softnet, a telecomms operator which focuses on B2B services and is currently present in 16 countries, plans to expand into new markets in Indonesia and Africa. The company's director and owner Andrej Boštjančič said they had already planned before the pandemic to gain a foothold in Indonesia. They also plan to open at least one office in Africa. The company is currently present in the region of former Yugoslavia, central and eastern Europe, China, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trimo on sale again as takeover by Kingspan falls through

TREBNJE - The newspaper Finance reported the Irish concern Kingspan will not take over Trimo, the Trebnje-based maker of prefabricated building components, as the European Commission has not cleared the transaction due to concerns about its impact on competition an price hikes. The Polish private equity fund Innova Capital signed the contract to sell the outright stake in Trimo to Kingspan in August 2020. Finance reports that a new sale procedure is to be concluded soon.

Business sentiment improves slightly

LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment improved slightly in January, rising by 0.6 percentage point on the month before on the back of improved sentiment in the services sector, show Statistics Office data. The sub-indicator in services accounted for 0.5 points of the total increase, with retail adding another 0.1 point.

EUR 11,000 in fines issued for drone infringements in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Civil Aviation Agency recorded 17 infringements in 2021 that were related to flying unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, and 9 cases concluded with fines in the combined amount of EUR 10,900. In addition to the Civil Aviation Agency, the police and municipal traffic wardens are also responsible for monitoring all activities related to flying drones in Slovenia under new European legislation that became fully effective at the end of 2020.

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

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FRIDAY, 29 October
        LJUBLJANA - DuluxGroup, an Australian paints group, confirmed entering into a binding agreement to acquire Slovenian paints company Jub for EUR 194.5 million. It plans to turn Jub into a hub for Central and Eastern Europe, preserve its existing brands, and make it part of Nippon Paint's R&D community.
        LJUBLJANA - Higher fuel prices pushed Slovenia's annual inflation to 3% in October from 2.4% in September, as the monthly rise in consumer prices hit 0.9%, the Statistics Office said.
        LJUBLJANA - The national budget recorded EUR 7.97 billion in revenue in the first nine months, 19.6% more than in the same period last year, while expenditure increased by 15.3% to EUR 10.42 billion. The deficit amounted to EUR 2.45 billion and was slightly higher than at the same point last year.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee continued its debate on the matter of doctors working in private clinics while being employed within the public health system. The opposition Left proposed several resolutions for limiting such practices, but the committee did not endorse them.
        LJUBLJANA - Bicycle protesters, protesting against the government every Friday for 80 weeks, gathered for another rally, this time to address the issues of green infrastructure, green mobility, public transport and housing. The protest organisers announced a "mass, pan-Slovenian protest" for 12 November.

SATURDAY, 30 October
        SEVNICA - Milan Kučan, Slovenia's former president, accused the Janez Janša government of being undemocratic as he told a ceremony the next election will "decide about the return of democracy". He said the government was undermining the constitution and the rule of law.
        
SUNDAY, 31 October
        LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, former director general of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, took over as the acting STA director, stressing that ensuring financial stability of the STA would be his priority as a prerequisite for the normal functioning and existence of the agency.

MONDAY, 1 November
        GLASGOW, UK - PM Janez Janša highlighted the need to create a realistic path to implement the goals from the Paris climate agreement as he addressed the World Leaders Summit, a high-level political event held in Glasgow as part of the ongoing COP26 climate conference. Moving away from coal and oil is a key element in reaching the set goals, and nuclear energy could replace fossil fuels as a transition source of energy, he said, urging world leaders to make the COP26 conference a success.
        LJUBLJANA - Regular coronavirus testing was introduced in all hospitals and social care institutions while employees in all sectors who are not vaccinated or reconvalescent need to be tested more frequently, every 48 hours. Self-testing for primary and secondary school students and university students was intensified from once to twice a week. Self-testing remains voluntary for the former, but it is now also recommended for all school children, including those in the first six years.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) relaunched a fundraising campaign to secure funds for the STA, which has not received any budget funding for its public service since the start of the year. The DNS first launched such a campaign on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, raising EUR 275,000 in a month.
        LJUBLJANA - A ban was introduced preventing trucks heavier than 7.5 tonnes from overtaking on the Slovenian motorways after the ban kicked in on the A1 motorway, that is between Šentilj (NE) and Koper (SW), on 15 January. A violation carries a fine of 300 euro.

TUESDAY, 2 November
        GLASGOW, UK - PM Janez Janša took part in the launch of an initiative to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, proposed by the US and EU and supported by Slovenia. Janša said that a lot of coordination had taken place between the EU and global partners on the sidelines of the climate conference, and that various open issues had been discussed.
        LJUBLJANA - A meeting featuring hospital directors and the Health Ministry agreed the majority of hospitals will suspend all elective procedures in a bid to increase the capacity of overflowing Covid-19 wards. The number of beds for Covid patients at intensive care units will rise to 182 and the number of non-ICU beds to 590. Robert Carotta, national coordinator for Covid hospital wards, said the number of patients had been growing at the fastest pace since the start of the pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - The national advisory committee on immunisation proposed that, given the current epidemiological situation, those who have been vaccinated with viral vector vaccines receive a booster shot after at least two months since being fully immunised. The list of other groups recommended to get a booster was expanded.
        LJUBLJANA/NOVA GORICA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin and his Hungarian counterpart Tibor Benko exchanged views on topical security issues, defence reforms and other topics of common interest, including the Western Balkans as part of Benko's official visit. They also took part in a ceremony unveiling a monument to Hungarian soldiers killed in the Battles of the Isonzo in WWI at a site above Nova Gorica.
        DUBAI, UAE - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek met Saif Mohammed Rashid Saeed al Shara from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAE, to discuss cooperation in agricultural and food products and the transfer of knowledge, especially in terms of cooperation of expert institutions. A day earlier, Podgoršek took part in a debate discussing efforts to tackle global challenges related to smart villages at the Expo 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee okayed a bill changing the penal code to introduce prosecution of suspects who have threatened the country's senior officials or their relatives ex officio, without the injured party initiating proceedings. If passed, it could be sent into constitutional review.
        LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the STA, and Uroš Urbanija, the director of the Government Communication Office, held their first meeting, with the talks designed to discuss ways to resolve the stand-off regarding financing. They exchanged views on the key dilemmas regarding the public service agreement and steps needed for public financing to resume, the STA management said in a press release.
        LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) announced that its former MEP Patricija Šulin had died aged 55 after a severe illness. Šulin served as MEP (EPP) between 2014 and 2019 when she was a vice chair of the Committee on Budgets, and as a substitute MP in the Slovenian parliament in 2012-2013.

WEDNESDAY, 3 November
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Government ministers and energy sector representatives discussed key frameworks and guidelines on climate change, decarbonisation, and the importance of energy in different sectors at a working meeting convened by PM Janez Janša. "Slovenia's energy independence must be strengthened through renewable energy sources, including the second reactor of the Krško N-plant, and new technologies as well," Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said after the closed-door talks.
        ATHENS, Greece - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias exchanged views on bilateral, regional, European and other topical global issues, focusing on the achievements of the Slovenian EU presidency, as Logar visited Athens.
        KRANJ - Gorenjska Banka, the Slovenian bank owned by the Serbian AIK Banka, signed a deal to acquire the Slovenian subsidiary of the Russian Sberbank. Pending approval by regulators, the merger will create the third largest banking group in the country.
        LJUBLJANA - Several members of the Human Rights Commission of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) expressed concern in an open letter to MPs that Slovenia is moving towards a totalitarian form of government under the Janez Janša government, urging them to stand up against demolition of the constitutional order.
        LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court annulled a December 2020 government decision which says that the public interest of renewables prevails over the interest to protect nature as part of a procedure to obtain a building permit for the Mokrice power station on the river Sava. The court held the entire environmental impact assessment procedure must be carried out before starting the public-interest procedure.
        CELJE - The upgrade of a 26-km railway section between Zidani Most and Celje in eastern Slovenia was declared completed at a ceremony which heard the project cost EUR 230 million, or about EUR 50 million less that initially estimated.
        LJUBLJANA - Summit Leasing Slovenija, a leasing firm owned by NKBM bank, announced it would enter the Croatian market after signing an agreement to acquire Mercedes-Benz Leasing Hrvatska. The details of the deal have not been disclosed.
        LJUBLJANA - The women's section of Slovenian PEN conferred this year's Mira Prize for outstanding women authors on younger-generation writer Luna Jurančič Šribar, whose work focuses on rebellious and strong heroines who have their destiny in their hands despite hardships and life on the margin of society.
        VIŠNJA GORA - The House of the Carniolan Honey Bee was launched in a converted school to present the heritage of the Carniolan bee and innovative beekeeping solutions, the latter as part of the Apilab centre of innovative beekeeping technologies.

THURSDAY, 4 November
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's coronavirus case count hit a record 4,511 on Wednesday since the epidemic broke out in March 2020, up by more than 1,000 on the day before as the epidemic appears to be slipping out of control. The number of Covid patients rose to 735, with 169 of them were in intensive care, and nine patients died. The estimated number of active cases has passed 32,000.
        LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak stepped up his defence of a 2007 conversation with businessman Bojan Petan after new recordings were published by POP TV on Wednesday. He told the press his goal was to protect the interests of the state in a takeover of spa company Terme Čatež and he had a clear conscience. In the latest recording, which Vizjak acknowledged was authentic, the then economy minister is heard proposing to Petan a "gentleman's agreement" on how to move forward with the privatisation of Terme Čatež. The Directors' Association rejected Vizjak's claim that the deal making had been in line with the rules and the laws of the time. The prosecution and police are looking into the leaked tapes, while the centre-left opposition called on the government to resign.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on the latter's first official visit to Slovenia. The ministers expressed the desire to strengthen cooperation and increase trade between the countries, and discussed the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Dnevnik reported Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič had dismissed renewed applications by Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir in a repeat call for Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors after the first one in which they were picked was annulled by the government in May. The minister's argument now is that a new call cannot be carried out as the first appointment procedure is still open until the Administrative Court's ruling becomes final on Friday.
        GLASGOW, UK - Slovenia joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance as part of the Energy Day at the COP26 climate conference. "Slovenia supports the strengthening of the global climate ambition as the only way to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the report of the IPCC on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius," the government said when endorsing a bid on Tuesday.
        WASHINGTON, US - Jamie Linder Harpootlian, the candidate for US ambassador to Slovenia, pledged to strengthen bilateral ties and work to ensure Slovenia's commitment to stability and security remains steadfast, as she appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate in advance of a vote on her nomination.
        LONDON, UK - The EBRD improved its outlook for the Slovenian economy, projecting it to grow by 6% this year, up a full point from its June forecast, while the forecast for 2022 was raised by half a point to 4.5%.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša met in Ljubljana the representatives of the European Muslim and Jewish Leadership Council. They discussed the key priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency, the rights of religious minorities and the dignity of people of all faiths in European society, Janša's office said.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Ivan Simič, the acting director of the Financial Administration (FURS), for a full term, effective on 18 November. His term will expire in November 2026 with the possibility of reappointment, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said.
        LJUBLJANA - Telecoms group Telekom Slovenije reported EUR 486.8 million in net sales revenue for the first three quarters of the year, up by 1% on the same period a year ago. Net profit was up by 31% to EUR 35.9 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Half a year after a police sting that busted the Slovenian cell of the notorious Montenegrin crime syndicate known as the Kavač Clan, the prosecution has filed an indictment against 24 out of 64 suspects. Newspaper Večer reported the indictment, filed on 29 October, did not include two repentants, who have greatly contributed to the arrests of the suspects by providing useful information. One of them will appear as the crown witness.
        KATHMANDU, Nepal - The Slovenian Mountaineering Association (PZS) reported that Slovenian mountaineers Luka Stražar and Nejc Marčič succeeded between 28 and 30 October in making the first ascent on a new 1,700m route on the north-west face of Mount Chobutse (6,680 m) in Nepal, which they named Slovenian Direct.