STA, 8 October 2021 - The Supreme Court has ruled that issuing penalties for the failure to wear a face mask in enclosed public spaces during the Covid-19 epidemic as a minor offence has no legal basis.

The decision announced on Friday relates to an appeal on the point of law against a final decision of a local court to issue warning to a person over a minor offence under the communicable diseases act.

The Supreme Court assessed whether it is possible to recognise the failure to wear a face mask in enclosed public spaces as a minor offence by taking into account the fundamental principles of criminal law.

The court noted that it did not have to take position on whether it is reasonable to order face mask wearing or regarding the constitutional and other aspects of such an order.

The decisive question was whether a violation of the order to wear a face mask in enclosed public spaces can be defined as a violation of the measures that "prohibit or limit movement of people in infected or directly endangered areas" under the communicable diseases act.

As government decrees cannot be considered as regulations that determine the content of minor offences, the Supreme Court looked for answer in interpretation of the legislative provision.

It thus supports its decision on an assessment of the encroachment on the freedom of movement and systematic interpretation of the wording of the communicable diseases act.

The court senate established that the order to wear a face mask decisively differs in its content from encroachments on the freedom of movement.

This order cannot be understood as a form of prohibition or restriction of movement of people in certain areas, but more so as an independent encroachment on the freedom to act, which required an independent legal basis.

According to the court, this conclusion is also supported by interpretations of other provisions of the communicable diseases act, with which the legislator specifically envisaged the use of protective equipment.

However, this applies to the protection of healthcare workers and other staff in healthcare institutions in order to prevent and manage infections, and not for the entire population.

The decision was not made unanimously, with judge Barbara Zobec providing a dissenting opinion, in which she said that the ruling was a "wrong message to all that they can take off and throw away face masks," reported the MMC web portal.

STA, 8 October 2021 - The Covid-19 vaccination task force at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) has decided to recommend priority use of mRNA vaccines over vector vaccines, according to unofficial information obtained by the STA.

According to the task force led by infectious diseases specialist Bojana Beović, vector vaccines would continue to be used, but only at explicit individual request.

The decision adopted on Thursday was made on the basis of data on rare adverse effects of vector vaccines and the higher efficacy of mRNA vaccines.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that efficacy of the Moderna vaccine is 93%, of the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine 88% and of the Janssen vector vaccine 71%.

The study conducted between March and August involved 3,600 hospitalised adults whose immune systems had not been weakened prior to hospitalisation.

The public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported that the task force recommends that vector vaccines be used only if the person to be vaccinated provides written consent. This would also apply to the Moderna vaccine for persons under 18.

While the official minutes from the session of the task force is not yet available, the Health Ministry told the STA that Minister Janez Poklukar had called Beović today, who had informed him that consultations were still under way.

"When the conclusions are known, expectedly at the beginning of the next week, Poklukar and Beović will inform the public," the ministry added.

This comes as the use of the single-shot Janssen in Slovenia was suspended at the end of September after a 20-year-old woman died due to brain haemorrhaging and blood clots a fortnight after she received the shot.

The move was proposed by the task force and the suspension is in place until all the circumstances of the woman's death have been cleared up, Minister Poklukar said.

At the moment, Slovenia uses the mRNK vaccine produced by Pfizer and Moderna and the vector vaccine by AstraZeneca.

According to the NIJZ, the country has in stock more than 537,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine with expiry dates between February and April 2022 and 125,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine with expiry dates between December 2021 and March 2022.

Also available to Slovenian residents are 13,300 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with expiry date on 30 November, while 45,600 doses of the Janssen vaccine with expiry date in June 2023 are in quarantine.

STA, 8 October 2021 - Pušča, the largest Roma settlement in Slovenia, was hailed as a role model for Roma communities and coexistence with locals as it marked 110 years of its existence on Friday.

Darko Rudaš, a Roma councillor from Murska Sobota, said that Pušča was a model for how to develop a Roma settlement and a solid foundation of co-existence.

The settlement, which gained the status of an independent local community in 2002 and is currently home to some 500 Roma, also sees opportunities in tourism, as the community plans to establish a creative marketplace that will present the rich history, music and cuisine of the Roma.

Officially established in 1991, Pušča today features a community centre, fire brigade, kindergarten, shop, restaurant and football field, and it has paved roads and sewage and water supply system.

Murska Sobota kindergarten director Borut Anželj said that the local kindergarten, opened in 1961 as the first Roma kindergarten in Europe, was one of the landmarks in the development of the settlement.

A public bathroom was built in 1950, a mass employment campaign in the settlement was launched in 1954 and a football club was established in 1955, playing its first official match with Olimpija Ljubljana on 1959.

A monograph entitled Pušča - the Largest Roma Settlement in Slovenia, was also presented as part of the anniversary celebrations on Thursday, whose author Jožek Horvat Muc, who said that the settlement was a hub of good ideas.

He also noted a letter from the national authorities in 1920 praising the Roma in the settlement. "The local authorities protected the Roma, and this is not the case today in many areas," he said.

Stane Baluh, the head of the Government Office for National Minorities, said that Pušča was a role model for the entire Roma community in Slovenia, labelled it an unique example in Europe in terms of its development and progress.

This was echoed by Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina, who said in a written statement that Pušča was an example of inclusive society, praising it for its cultural and social diversity and good cooperation with the local authorities.

STA, 8 October 2021 - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has called on the government to take urgent action in the face of the sharp rise in energy prices, proposing a series of measures it says need to be taken immediately.

"We are in the midst of the biggest energy crisis to date, it's about survival. Immediate systemic solutions are needed," said Tibor Šimonka, the president of GZS.

Energy prices have recently seen a sharp rise, both in Slovenia and across the EU. According to GZS, the consequences will be felt by everyone, households and companies alike, but most of all by the energy-intensive industries.

The chamber has drawn up proposals for short and long term measures together with the Energy Industry Chamber (EZS).

Among the short-term measures, they propose the government reimburse the indirect costs of emissions, reduce contributions, and temporarily suspend the profits targets of state-owned companies.

Among the long-term solutions is the proposal to carry out the planned and ongoing projects related to energy efficiency and renewable energy as quickly as possible.

"Decisions should be taken immediately to provide appropriate energy infrastructure, which would support Slovenia's self-sufficiency in energy supply at competitive prices," the chambers said.

During Slovenia's EU presidency, the government should insist on the adoption of emergency measures at EU level as soon as possible, the appeal to the government reads.

Representatives of the industry have been warning for some time about the high rise in energy prices, as the price of electricity has doubled this year, while the price of natural gas has almost tripled.

The price hikes have been causing problems in energy-intensive industries in particular. The government has not proposed any measures to mitigate the price shock yet.

The Economy Ministry told the newspaper Delo that Slovenia will follow the positions of the European Commission, while Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj told the business daily Finance that VAT and excise duties would not be reduced.

STA, 7 October 2021 - The police caught 7,031 illegal migrants in the first nine months of this year, down by some 41% compared to the same period in 2020. The bulk of them, almost 6,200, came from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The police said there was an upward trend in illegal migration, but the uptick was smaller than expected.

As is usually the case, most illegal crossings of the border have been detected by the Koper Police Department (3,421). The number of such incidents decreased or roughly stayed level across Slovenia, except for the area patrolled by the Maribor Police Department, mainly due to those seeking to avoid Covid border control measures or traffic at border crossings.

The total of illegal migrants who requested international protection rose in the past month, particularly among Afghan citizens, but it was down for the entire nine-month period, from 2,775 to 2,449.

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: 

Janša accuses Brussels of exceeding powers over rule of law

BRDO PRI KRANJU - PM Janez Janša accused the European Commission of exceeding its powers and of political abuse of the rule of law in an interview with Euronews, saying in its efforts to get member states to comply with the EU's fundamental values the Commission is "close to breaking the rule of law" itself. He said that while the European Parliament was a political body, the European Commission should under the EU treaty stay out of political battles. Janša also took aim at Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova, who alongside Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, has become the most public face of the Commission's effort to ensure compliance with the rule of law.

Govt decides to repeat call for delegated prosecutors again

LJUBLJANA/LUXEMBOURG - After a court reversed its decision to annul the original procedure to appoint Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors, the government has asked the Justice Ministry publish yet a new call for applications for the two posts. Under the court's decision, the government was supposed to re-visit its decision. However, the government decided that the court's decision could not be implemented as the procedure it was supposed to re-examine had been concluded with the publication of a new call for applications on 9 July. Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič said that it was in the ministry's interest to "complete the procedure as soon as possible based on the valid legislation." European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said the Commission was "waiting for a clear explanations"

Police union calls for independent probe as chief defends clampdown on protest

LJUBLJANA - The SPS police trade unions called on the human rights ombudsman to open an inquiry into the clampdown on Tuesday's protest in Ljubljana, while the police commissioner defended the action, denying allegations of political interference in the force's decisions. One of the two unions representing police officers would like the inquiry to look into whether orders from superiors on how officers should handle the protest had been lawful and based on expertise. Commissioner Anton Olaj denied the allegation in the strongest terms as he spoke for the late news show on TV Slovenija on Wednesday.

Police search premises of protest leader Stevanović

LJUBLJANA/KRANJ - The home of Zoran Stevanović, one of the principal initiators of protests against the Covid pass mandate, and the headquarters of his party Resni.ca (Truth) were searched after Stevanović was detained by police after Tuesday's riots on suspicion of incitement to resistance. The investigators, along with Stevanović and his lawyer, left the building after an hour and a half. The police explained to the STA that they were unable to disclose precise information due to the protection of personal data. However, they did confirm that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) carried out two house searches.

Govt adopts border management strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an integrated border management (IBM) strategy to better manage illegal migrations. The strategy is binding for all EU member states under the EU law, the government said after its session. The document aims to contain illegal migration on Slovenia's EU external and internal borders and to effectively implement bilateral agreement on return of migrants. It is to ensure fast movement of people and goods at border crossings while taking into account all measures for, and standards of, effective border control.

Budgets for 2022, 2023 investment-focused

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša highlighted record annual investments in excess of EUR 2 billion as he presented the budgets for 2022 and 2023 at the National Assembly. For healthcare investments alone over EUR 200 million is budgeted each year. "In two years more money will be spent on healthcare investment than had been used in the entire previous decade," he said. Significant funding has also been set aside for road and rain infrastructure, flood defence, water supply, education, care homes, sports, culture, science and digital connectivity. The opposition boycotted the session in protest against the government and called on Janša to step down.

Committee okays bill on organisation in police force

LJUBLJANA - The Home Policy Committee endorsed on Wednesday amendments to the act governing the organisation of the police force, which would set out in more detail the status and work of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the way to determine which investigations into suspected crimes are launched by the bureau. While the opposition fears that the amendments pave the way for politicisation of the police, the coalition said they will improve performance.

Home policy committee seeks report on work of prosecution

LJUBLJANA - The Justice Committee discussed actions of prosecutors in some high-profile cases which the ruling Democrats (SDS) party deems questionable. It adopted resolutions asking the Supreme State Prosecution to draw up a report on how rules for awarding cases to prosecutors are implemented, and demanded a a report on the oversights conducted at the Specialised State Prosecution in the last five years. The centre-left opposition walked out in protest. Representatives of prosecutors refused to attend the session, invoking independence of the judiciary from the executive branch.

Vizjak hails EU adopting joint position for COP26 conference

LUXEMBOURG - EU environment ministers adopted on Wednesday a joint EU position for the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, which includes an agreement on a five-year time frame. "For the first time in many years the European delegation is going to the climate conference with a clear position on time frames," Slovenia's Andrej Vizjak said. He added that consensus had been reached about the only remaining open issue - the time frames as one of the fundamental pillars supporting the goals of the Paris climate accord.

Slovenia slips in energy trilemma index, still in top 20

LONDON, UK - Slovenia slipped three places in the World Energy Council's latest energy trilemma index to rank 17th among 127 countries, behind the Netherlands and ahead of Australia. The World Energy Council evaluates countries' energy systems through three dimensions: energy security, energy equity (accessibility and affordability) and environmental sustainability, with grade A being the best. Slovenia scored 75 points, after getting 69 points for energy security, 84 points for energy equity and 73 on energy sustainability.

Slow week-on-week decline in Covid cases persists

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 968 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday in what continues to be a slight week-on-week decline. Hospitalisations increased from 400 to 413 this morning compared to the day before, whereas the number of patients requiring intensive care stayed level at 114. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped by two to 564. Three Covid-19 patients died.

Slovenia and Kosovo agree cooperation in disaster prevention

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Sfecla signed an agreement on cooperation between the two countries in the protection against natural and other disasters, the Defence Ministry announced. The agreement sets out the framework for cooperation in disaster prevention and preparedness, voluntary mutual assistance in the event of disasters on the territory of one of the signatory countries, and other forms of cooperation.

Petrovič nominated to European Court of Auditors

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed Jorg Kristijan Petrovič as Slovenia's candidate for member of the European Court of Auditors to succeed Samo Jereb, whose term at the Luxembourg curt expires on 6 May 2022. Kristijan Petrovič has been the first deputy president of the Slovenian Court of Audit since 2013.

ZSSS highlights issues of platform workers on decent work day

LJUBLJANA - On the occasion of the World Day for Decent Work, Slovenia's largest trade union association, ZSSS, drew attention to platform workers - cleaners, food delivery persons, care workers and others as a group who often lacks any worker or social rights. It urged the Labour Ministry to introduce a legislative framework to prevent unfair practices and introduce a set of general conditions to protect platform workers.

Ex-DG of public broadcaster bidding for STA director

LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, a former director general of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, confirmed he has applied for the post of director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), as the sole applicant. He said he applied because he assessed that no experienced manager would apply, because the STA faced an uncertain future and because of the very demanding requirements in the call, including 10 years of work experience in the media.

Criminal complaints filed against nine over illegal sewage sludge dumping

CELJE - The Celje police filed criminal complaints against nine persons over suspicion of polluting the environment while illegally dumping more than 500 tonnes of sewage sludge from waste water treatment plants at four locations in Slovenia earlier this year. If found guilty, they could go to prison for up to eight years.

Serbia opens Serbian cultural embassy in Goriška Brda

VIPOLŽE - The Cultural Embassy of Serbia, located at the homestead of the well-known winemaker Marjan Simčič in Vipolže in Goriška Brda, was opened on Tuesday by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić said "it is hard to find a higher degree of artistic freedom and expression than in making good wine."

Hidria announces EUR 45 million deal with Volkswagen

IDRIJA - Hidria said it had signed a EUR 45 million deal with the German Volkswagen Group to develop and supply key components for the latest 48-volt system with starter-generator technology. These systems will be used in Volkswagen's mild-hybrid electric vehicles from 2023.

STA, 7 October 2021 - The home of Zoran Stevanović, one of the principal initiators of protests against the Covid pass mandate, and the headquarters of his party Resni.ca (Truth) were searched on Thursday after Stevanović was detained by police after Tuesday's riots on suspicion of incitement to resistance.

Criminal investigators appeared at Stevanović's home on Thursday morning, according to reports by TV Slovenija, and the investigation continued at the headquarters of his party Resni.ca in the centre of Kranj.

The investigators, along with Stevanović and his lawyer, left the building after an hour and a half, according to media reports. He was released today after the house searches ended.

The police explained to the STA that they were unable to disclose precise information due to the protection of personal data.

However, they did confirm that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) carried out two house searches today.

Criminal investigators from Kranj, the Criminal Police Directorate and the NBI, who had taken charge of the investigation on Wednesday, were all involved in the procedures.

The NBI, which normally deals with the most serious cases of white-collar crime, took over the investigation due to "the large amount of unreviewed footage, a short time frame, and providing enough police officers to carry out the required investigative actions".

Incitement to resistance is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.

According to media reports, Stevanović turned himself in to the police on Tuesday.

Resni.ca said after the protest that Stevanović had been "under constant threat from the police that he would be arrested for the duration of the protest".

In the same message, they also distanced themselves from Tuesday's events, while Stevanović said at the rally that he was not using the protests for political campaigning.

Today, the party said it would no longer organise rallies because that would "jeopardise Zoran's liberty".

STA, 7 October 2021 - The centre-left opposition boycotted Thursday's parliamentary plenary session where MPs were presented budget documents for the next two years, protesting against the government and calling on Prime Minister Janez Janša to step down. Janša said the reasons for the boycott were unconvincing.

The walk-out is one of the ways in a democratic society to protest against the government and the prime minister, "who is violating the rule of law and tarnishing Slovenia's reputation abroad", said Brane Golubović, the head of the deputy group of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ).

He highlighted that the opposition would boycott the address by Janša, who, he said, had been flouting the law for a year and a half and using the epidemic to undermine democratic norms. "We will not be at the session; we will use a democratic tool to show our disagreement with the destruction of our country," Golubović said.

The Social Democrats (SD) agree that the current situation in the country is unprecedented, which raises concerns and is also very dangerous as seen in recent days.

There is a sense of fear and great disappointment among the people "behind the barricades", said SD deputy group head Matjaž Han, adding that the responsibility for this lied largely with the Janša government and the calculating individuals and parties that support it.

The Left also believes that the government no longer has any legitimacy and should resign. Left's Matej T. Vatovec accused the government of being able to govern only by force and violence.

This, he said, was also evident during the Tuesday rally, which coincided with the EU-Western Balkans summit, when the government "hosted foreign guests and fumigated its own people". Vatovec pointed out that the government was taking it out on various institutions and media, highlighting the case of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

The Alenka Bratušek Party's (SAB) Maša Kociper also warned about the financial draining of the STA, noting that the agency has been providing public service without payment for 280 days even though the government was required to fund the agency as stated by the law and the Supreme Court's opinion.

Janša, she said, does not want to hear what the opposition has been telling him for a very long time, nor does he listen to people "who are not satisfied with the direction our country and our democracy are taking".

Janša said a boycott was one of the instruments at the opposition's disposal, but added the reasons for the boycott were "unconvincing" and occurred "before you even hear the frameworks against which you are protesting".

As for the call that he should step down, Janša said he was being called upon to resign "because we have good macroeconomic data".

STA, 7 October 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has accused the European Commission of exceeding its powers and of political abuse of the rule of law in an interview with Euronews, saying in its efforts to get member states to comply with the EU's fundamental values the Commission is "close to breaking the rule of law" itself.

"We have the UN Charter of Human Rights. We have a European charter of human rights, but in political language, especially in the European Parliament, everyone can add to this list whatever he or she wants. So it's politically abused term and used for political battle," Janša said in the interview on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans summit at Brdo.

He said that while the European Parliament is a political body, the European Commission should under the EU treaty stay out of political battles. This had been the case until the Commission was led by Jean-Claude Juncker, but it changed as Ursula von der Leyen took over, he said, adding: "I think this is close to breaking the rule of law because the Commission has to be an honest broker."

Janša also took aim at Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova, who alongside Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, has become the most public face of the Commission's effort to ensure compliance with the rule of law.

He accused Jourova of "issuing statements which are a clear violation of the treaty. But she's supported by the European press. So she is continuing with this. If this would have happened 15 years ago, I think she wouldn't stay as a member of the Commission for one week. At that time, the rules were clear," Janša said.

Commenting on the EU's relations with Western Balkan Countries, Janša noted that the EU is not the only investor in the region, but has competitors such as China, Russia and Turkey.

While they are not setting conditions for investment, the EU does, Janša said, listing European standards, rule of law reforms. Such conditioning "is OK, if there is a light at the end of the tunnel".

"There is one big advantage on our side: the EU membership [...] But if this perspective is not real, then we are losing momentum and we are at a crucial moment."

Discussing the EU's strategic autonomy and its global role, Janša argued for continued partnership with the US, including within NATO, but also said that NATO and the US "will not solve the problems and conflicts in our backyard, in our neighbourhood," that is the Western Balkans, the Mediterranean and Africa.

He believes the bloc should be more focused on securing its own external borders instead of "sending money and humanitarian aid, which is then finishing in the hands of the terrorists or the warlords".

About Afghanistan he said: "Our obligation is to help those who helped us", but added that "there is no place in Europe for 10 million Afghanistan people," and asserting that the EU "will not repeat the mistake some member countries made in 2015".

STA, 7 October 2021 - Slovenia logged 968 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday in what continues to be a slight week-on-week decline, show fresh figures by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). Three Covid-19 patients died.

Hospitalisations increased from 400 to 413 this morning compared to the day before, whereas the number of patients requiring intensive care stayed level at 114, show the latest government figures.

The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents dropped by two to 564, and the rolling seven-day average of new daily cases was down by eight to 836.

There are currently 11,943 active cases in the country, according to the NIJZ.

The test positivity rate stood at 18.1% yesterday.

A total of 1,132,152 or 54% of the population have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 1,023,080 or 49% have been fully immunised, NIJZ data show.

All the latest data on coronavirus and Slovenia