05 Oct 2021, 03:54 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 5 October 2021

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:

Movement in Ljubljana, Bled and Brdo restricted on Tuesday, Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to restrict or prohibit movement in Ljubljana, the lakeside resort of Bled and around the Brdo pri Kranju conference centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing a high probability of severe violations of public order and peace. The decision taken at a correspondence session also allows the police to prohibit accommodation in certain areas or order people to leave certain areas. This comes as new mass protests of people opposed to the Covid pass mandate have been announced and ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit, which starts in Brdo pri Kranju on Tuesday evening.

Janša says govt will not cave in to pressure

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša said the government would "not cave in to pressure" after Zoran Stevanović, the leader of the protests against the Covid pass mandate, called on the government to resign or face new protests, including a blockade of the upcoming EU-Western Balkans summit. He called on the competent authorities to take action. The more trouble protesters make, the more the EU will understand and support the government's measures, Janša said in a text on social media on Sunday.

MEPs say EU enlargement to Western Balkans crucial

LJUBLJANA - Two days ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia, the Slovenian MEPs taking part in the European Parliament's Liaison Office's online debate stressed that the bloc's enlargement to the region was a long-term process, which, however, was crucial for both sides. The MEPs, Franc Bogovič (EPP), Tanja Fajon (S&D) and Klemen Grošelj (Renew), agreed that the EU was obligated to offer positive changes to the people in the Western Balkans, which they must feel even before the EU accession.

Systemic risks to financial stability improving but remain elevated

LJUBLJANA - In its latest Financial Stability Review, the Slovenian central bank finds that general gravity of systemic risks to financial stability has been reduced as the economy has rebounded, but there are elevated risks stemming from the housing market and the long-term profitability of banks. "Year-on-year growth in housing prices exceeded the EU average by almost two percentage points in the first quarter," vice-governor Primož Dolenc told the press, warning of the increasing share of fixed-interest loans.

MPs urge action against organisers of unregistered rallies, violent protesters

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary interior affairs and justice committees urged the police and prosecution to immediately act against the organisers of unregistered rallies and against violent protesters. The session was requested by the ruling Democrats (SDS), after an unregistered mass rally against the Covid pass mandate in Ljubljana last Wednesday turned violent. The Ljubljana Administrative Unit was meanwhile urged to ban rallies which could turn violent.

Public health fund needs to amend financial plan for 2021

LJUBLJANA - The ZZZS public health fund's revenue will be EUR 135.7 million higher this year than envisaged in the financial plan and expenditure will exceed the planned spending by EUR 58.3 million, so the financial plan will have to be supplemented. The estimated surplus of EUR 77.4 million will cover the losses from the past two years. The ZZZS's top bodies are expected to discuss a supplementary financial plan this month. Current operations of the country's healthcare organisations somewhat improved in the first six months, but liquidity, especially in hospitals, remains a problem.

Major military exercise starts on 18 October

LJUBLJANA - An international military exercise designed to strengthen the army's preparedness for assisting in protection against natural disasters will take place at multiple locations around Slovenia between 18 and 29 October. It will feature around 900 participants from 20 European countries, among them 500 Slovenian troops. Disaster Relief and Military Mobility Exercise 2021 is designed primarily as Slovenia's contribution to the strengthening of the EU's common defence and security policy.

Court of Audit blames faulty system for shortage of doctors

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found the Health Ministry and the Medical Chamber failed to set up a system in 12 years to establish how many doctors were needed in Slovenia and identify reasons for shortages of consultants, so they could not deal with shortages and work overload. In a report, covering the period from 2008 to September 2019, the court notes it is not clear why doctors are overworked, considering their numbers rose by 32% wile the population numbers remained virtually unchanged.

Sunday's coronavirus count at 225

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 225 coronavirus cases for Sunday, a drop of 20% from the same day a week ago, as the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals rose further and eight patients died, official data shows. According to the government, the number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 rose by three more to 431; 122 require intensive care. Data released by the Health Ministry puts the overall death toll from Covid-19 at 4,888.

Pahor meets protest leader after calls for resignation of government

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor held talks with Zoran Stevanović, the initiator of recent protests against the Covid pass mandate who demands that the government step down. Stevanović wanted Pahor to endorse the calls but Pahor turned down the request. "The president explained that he is working with all governments elected by the National Assembly and so he does not accept Mr Stevanović's initiative to urge the government to step down," Pahor's office said.

Coalition want MPs to debate media ownership concentration

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) and the Modern Centre Party (SMC) filed for an urgent session of the National Assembly's Culture Committee to debate media ownership and concentration in Slovenia, particularly in connection with Martin Odlazek, whose family controls more than 60 different media outlets, according to the SDS. The party blames the competent authorities for failing to act to prevent media concentration, which is prohibited under law.

Police union seeking to amend law on dismissals

LJUBLJANA - The SPS police trade union submitted to parliament an initiative to collect signatures from citizens in support of amendments to the employment relationships act that would make conditions for reprimanding employees before dismissal stricter and more specific. The SPS argues the disciplinary measure has been abused in the police force. As the most blatant example, it offered warnings before dismissal issued to three senior officers over removal of far-right protesters from the 25 June rally.

Environmental NGO warns of long road to climate neutrality

LJUBLJANA - The Focus Association for Sustainable Development noted that Slovenia's long-term climate strategy was submitted to the European Commission late, while most urgent measures in the strategy are unambitiously postponed to the period after 2030 and seemingly fall short of the Paris Agreement targets. Analysing the strategy as part of Climate Action Network Europe, the NGO said the objectives of Slovenia's long-term climate strategy are inconsistent with the commitments of the Paris Agreement.

Sparkasse acquires issuer of Diners Club cards in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian branch of Sparkasse bank announced it had acquired Erste Card, which has exclusive rights for issuing Diners Club cards in Slovenia, from the Croatian Erste Card Club. The contract was signed on Friday and still needs regulatory approval. Sparkasse and Erste Card have been cooperating for years in offering personal and business Diners Club cards to Sparkasse clients. The change in ownership will not affect the owners of Diners cards in any way, Sparkasse said.

Teaching still predominantly domain of women

LJUBLJANA - More women than men work in education professions in Slovenia and the situation is getting more imbalanced still. Ahead of World Teachers' Day, Statistics Office data shows that the higher the level of education, the less disproportionate the share. The number of women in education is increasing - in the 2020-2021 academic year the figure rose by 7% compared to four years ago. Their share is highest in kindergartens at 97%, falling to 88% in primary, 66% in secondary and below 50% in tertiary education.

Major earthquake response drill under way

LJUBLJANA - The national earthquake response drill #SIQUAKE2020 got under way in the Ljubljana area. The goal is to check the country's preparedness to a major earthquake in central Slovenia. Until Friday about 500 rescuers will take part in the drill at 12 locations. Specialised units from Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary will also take part in the drill in Ljubljana, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ig. On Thursday, European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič will take part in the even as well.

Drastic decline in number of bumblebees in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The first monitoring of wild bees in 2021 did not yield encouraging results, with the bumblebee count dropping five-fold compared to last year. "This is bad news for both agriculture and nature, as bumblebees are among the most important pollinators," the National Institute of Biology (NIB) said. The most likely explanation for the decline was the exceptionally bad spring weather, with bumblebees not having enough food to nest successfully.

04 Oct 2021, 20:18 PM

Govt Limits Movement in Ljubljana, Bled, Brdo on Tuesday, Wednesday, Citing Public Order Fears

STA, 4 October 2021 - The government decided to restrict or prohibit movement in Ljubljana, the lakeside resort of Bled and around the Brdo pri Kranju conference centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing a high probability of severe violations of public order and peace. This comes as new mass protests have been announced and ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit.

The decision taken at a correspondence session on Monday also allows the police to prohibit accommodation in certain areas or order people to leave certain areas.

This measure is permitted by Article 9 of the police tasks and powers act and may be taken by the government on proposal of the interior minister if there is high probability of severe violations of public order and peace, the government said.

It may be in force for seven days at the most and is suspended immediately when the reasons why it has been introduced no longer exist, the press release adds.

The decision comes after a new mass protest of people opposed to the Covid pass mandate has been announced and ahead of the two-day EU-Western Balkans summit in Brdo pri Kranju, which starts with an informal dinner on Tuesday evening.

Zoran Stevanović, the leader of the non-parliamentary Resni.ca party and the informal face of the protests, has announced protests that could include blockage of roads, as this already happened last Wednesday in Ljubljana.

According to the MMC web portal of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, this is the first time in Slovenia's history that the article will be activated.

Article 9 of the police tasks and powers act envisages various restrictions, in particular of movement and assembly when there is high probability of severe violations of public order and peace.

Limitations may be similar to those introduced by the government during the Covid-19 epidemic, when it prohibited movement among municipalities or statistical regions. Curfew was in force for more than half a year.

Calls for ban on organised rallies in Ljubljana have been coming from the MPs of the ruling Democrats (SDS), and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs mentioned the possibility of activating Article 9 on Saturday.

That day, a march by opponents of abortion called Walk for Life was held in Ljubljana, with a counter-rally being held at the same time. The participants of the two rallies were separated by a police cordon.

Hojs said on Twitter that the "peaceful and registered Walk for Life ... could not be held as planned because of anarchists and possible violence coming from the unregistered rally that had been called by the Left. It's time for Article 9".

Miroslav Žaberl of the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security told MMC that "the reason cited by the minister in his tweet certainly cannot be the reason for activating the mentioned institute".

He added that the government had to prove high probability of severe violations of public order and peace, which means proving that the situation is so serious that the police cannot establish order without this measure.

04 Oct 2021, 16:37 PM

Five-Fold Decline in Bee Numbers Blamed on Bad Spring

STA, 4 October 2021 - The first monitoring of wild bees in 2021 did not yield encouraging results, with the bumblebees count dropping five-fold compared to last year. "This is bad news for both agriculture and nature, as bumblebees are among the most important pollinators," the National Institute of Biology (NIB) said on Monday.

The most likely explanation for the decline was the exceptionally bad spring weather, said NIB, pointing out that research on pollinators in orchards showed that bumblebee numbers in spring, when fruit trees were flowering, were similar to previous years.

This means that the queen bumblebees overwintered successfully, but probably due to bad weather, frost and prolonged rain, they did not get enough food to nest successfully.

An additional problem in the decline of bumblebees is that their role as pollinators is particularly important in bad weather, as they are "known to pollinate even in the rain, cold and wind".

NIB said that bees have also faced similar problems, but they could survive adverse conditions more easily, thanks to the help of beekeepers.

"While fluctuations in animal populations, including bumblebees, are normal in nature, such a large decline in one year is worrying".

"Climate change, or weather extremes such as early springs followed by frosts and prolonged summer droughts, are destroying pollinators' food resources," the researchers warned.

In addition to the Carniolan honeybee, Slovenia is also home to over 500 species of wild bees, while other wild pollinators include flies, butterflies, some beetles and wasps.

According to NIB, the role of wild pollinators is very important in nature, while they also contribute significantly to pollination in agriculture, the value of which is estimated at EUR 120 million a year.

The monitoring of wild bees is a three-year pilot project that started last year and is being carried out at a total of 50 sampling sites across Slovenia.

The project is led by NIB, organised in cooperation with Slovenia's Natural History Museum and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. The funding is provided by the Slovenian Research Agency, the Environment Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture.

04 Oct 2021, 15:28 PM

Court of Audit Finds Plenty of Blame for Slovenia’s Lack of Doctors

STA, 4 October 2021 - While Slovenia is grappling with a shortage of doctors and long wait times for medical procedures, the Court of Audit has found the Health Ministry and the Medical Chamber of Slovenia do not know how many additional specialist doctors are needed, which ones, and how to provide them, describing the system as ineffective.

In a report released on Monday, the Court of Audit found that between the beginning of 2008 and the end of September 2019, the Health Ministry and the Medical Chamber had failed to identify the actual need for additional doctors and the reasons for shortages by specialty.

Despite public warnings about alarming work overloads, especially among general practitioners, the Health Ministry has failed to plan and implement any much-needed activities in this regard over the past 12 years, the Court of Audit said.

"It is therefore not known why doctors are overworked, given the almost 32% increase in the total number of doctors in the public health service and the increase in the annual numbers of specialists over that period, with the population numbers virtually unchanged," they added.

According to the Court of Audit, the main reason for the inefficiencies when doctors enter into the labour market is that it is not possible to identify existing medical capacities, nor to correctly assess the need for additional doctors.

Nobody knows how many effective hours of medical work per month are carried out by each doctor within different forms of medical service with different healthcare providers.

In addition, there is no proper system in place to assess the need for specific doctors, the Court of Audit said, listing the absence of a comprehensive public health service network, a lack of a precise methodology for identifying the need for doctors and the insufficient analyses of doctors' workloads.

Due to the lack of a system, the Health Ministry and the Medical Chamber have been assessing the need for doctors on an annual basis within calls for applications.

The Court of Audit noted that the two organisations had drawn up their own methodologies for each call for applications, which caused them to be largely non-transparent and arbitrary.

Thus, the Health Ministry has failed to develop realistic medical standards over the 12-year period. Instead, it left this task to the Medical Chamber and the health sector trade unions.

The current standards were drawn up in 2011 and approved by the ministry in the face of doctors' strikes, even though they were poorly drafted, the Court of Audit said.

Moreover, the court gave no confirmation that these work standards provide an adequate basis for identifying the need for additional doctors and for addressing the alleged work overload of some doctors.

The Health Ministry did implement several activities and measures, but it did so without first analysing their expected impact.

None of these measures was effective in terms of providing additional medical capacities and relieving the burden on doctors, the Court of Audit concluded.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar commented on the findings by saying that he had not read the report yet, but learned about it through the media. He stressed that the media reports on the content of the report did not constitute new findings.

Prime Minister Janez Janša also responded on Twitter, writing that this was sad, if true. He also took a swipe at the President of the Court of Audit, Tomaž Vesel.

According to Poklukar, the topic of how to meet future staffing needs in healthcare was also discussed during Monday's visit to the general hospital in Murska Sobota.

04 Oct 2021, 12:57 PM

Teaching Profession Dominated by Women, But Less So at the Top

STA, 4 October 2021 - More women than men work in education-related professions in Slovenia and the situation is getting more imbalanced still. Ahead of World Teachers' Day, Statistics Office data show that the higher the level of education, the less disproportionate the share.

The number of women in education is increasing - in the 2020-2021 academic year the figure rose by 7% compared to four years ago.

The share of women working in kindergartens is 97%, in primary school 88% and in secondary school 66%.

In the latest school year, there were almost 19,500 primary school teachers, up by 1% year-on-year, as the number of pupils also increased to some 193,160. The ratio of teaching staff per pupils was 1:10.

Nearly 6,340 teachers taught in secondary schools in the 2020-2021 academic year, also slightly up compared to the previous year as the total of students also rose. The ratio of teaching staff per students was 1:10.

Meanwhile, tertiary education is slightly more of a domain of men as the share of male experts working at tertiary education institution is 53%.

In total, 5,669 experts worked there in the previous academic year, down by almost 2% year-on-year. Most of them had PhDs - 82% among the men and 72% among the women.

The situation in education-related professions is likely to remain gender-imbalanced as more female students than the male were enrolled in teacher education programmes in the past academic year (87%).

Overall, most teachers in the 2020-2021 school year belonged to the 30-49 age group (57%).

Public spending on education in 2019 totalled EUR 2.38 million or 4.9% of GDP, up on 2018. The largest share of these funds was allocated for primary education.

04 Oct 2021, 11:59 AM

Jožef Stefan Institute Releases Results of Study of Drug Residues in Wastewater from Educational Institutions

STA, 1 October 2021 - A study by a group of researchers at the Jožef Stefan Institute (Institut "Jožef Stefan" – IJS) determined the content of drugs in wastewater samples from Slovenian educational institutions. The results showed that nicotine, alcohol and cannabis were the most prevalent drugs, while residues of morphine, codeine and cocaine were detected as well.

Researchers from the Environmental Sciences Division of the Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS) used samples of wastewater from Slovenian primary and secondary schools and higher education institutions to carry out their study.

It aimed to determine the presence of metabolic products of legal drugs (nicotine and alcohol), abused drugs (morphine, codeine and methadone) and illegal drugs (cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and heroin), the IJS said in a press release.

The study covered 44 educational institutions offering different levels of education, selected from both urban and non-urban areas in 7 Slovenian municipalities across 6 statistical regions.

The results on drug prevalence were compared by education level, geographical location and the level of urbanisation.

The survey shows that nicotine, alcohol and cannabis are the most widely used drugs overall, with alcohol and cannabis having comparable prevalence despite the difference in availability.

Among the abused drugs, researchers identified biomarkers for morphine and codeine, while methadone biomarkers were below the limit of detection. Among stimulants, cocaine was the most prevalent.

Nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and cocaine were present in wastewater samples from educational institutions in all seven municipalities.

Meanwhile, biomarkers for all target drugs (except methadone and heroin) were identified only in Ljubljana, the study shows.

The study also showed a correlation between cocaine use/availability and urbanisation, while simultaneous use of alcohol and cocaine was only determined in samples from urban areas.

As explained by the IJS, the results indicate the presence of drugs that were not necessarily ingested in educational institutions, as the metabolic products of drugs take longer to be excreted in the urine.

In addition, the school environment is not only comprised of students, but also teachers, support staff and visitors, who may also contribute to the occurrence of certain biomarkers in wastewater, said the IJS.

Learn more about the study (in Slovene)

04 Oct 2021, 09:48 AM

Earthquake Response Drills Today in Ljubljana, Logatec, Vrhnika & Ig

STA, 4 October 2021 - The national earthquake response drill #SIQUAKE2020 got under way on Monday in the Ljubljana area. The goal is to check the country's preparedness to a major earthquake in central Slovenia. Until Friday about 500 rescuers will take part in the drill at 12 locations.

Rescuers, members of the civil protection and disaster relief, its regional units, bodies and services, NGOs active in civil protection and disaster relief specialising in earthquakes as well as specialised units from Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary will take part in the drill in Ljubljana, Logatec, Vrhnika and Ig, with activities planned during the day and during the night.

In line with the earthquake scenario, other countries would respond to Slovenia's request for international aid.

As part of the drill, participants will assess the damage on buildings, set priorities, practice search and rescue skills, and stabilise damaged buildings.

They will provide emergency aid and set up temporary shelters for the people. About 150 people will participate as the injured, simulating mild and severe injuries.

According to the head of the firefighters' training programme, Aleš Cedilnik, the purpose of the drill is to check the solutions from the national plan, the civil protection and disaster relief plan for earthquake, and the readiness for action in case of an earthquake at the national, regional and municipal levels, and at the level of institutions and NGOs.

On Thursday, European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič will be on a working visit to Slovenia to take part in the drill.

The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief organised the drill in consortium with partners from the Ljubljana city municipality, Germany, Croatia and Italy and the support of the EU mechanism for civil protection in 2019-2021.

The SIQUAKE2020 project has been under way since 2019 with the support of the EU's mechanism for civil protection. It includes various activities and events such as drills, workshops and training for different types of rescuing at different levels.

All our stories on earthquakes and Slovenia

04 Oct 2021, 04:45 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 4 October 2021

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:

Merkel to visit Slovenia on Tuesday to receive Order of Merit

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will receive German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Brdo pri Kranju on Tuesday to confer on her the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service, Slovenia's top honour. Merkel, who is leaving office after 16 years, will receive the decoration for her personal contribution to deepening relations between Slovenia and Germany on all levels and for her credible European leadership, reads a press release by Pahor's office.

Coronavirus case count goes up week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 531 new coronavirus infections on Saturday as week-on-week increase in new daily cases continued, fresh official data show. Another five Covid-19 patients have died. Figures released by the government show 428 Covid-19 patients were in hospital this morning, up by two on the day before, including 123 in intensive care, up by five. The National Institute of Public Health estimates there are now 12,358 active cases in the country, 15 fewer than the day before.

Victims of post-war executions commemorated in Teharje

TEHARJE - An estimated 5,000 victims of war and post-war summary executions were commemorated at a memorial mass in Teharje. More than 600 unmarked killing or burial sites across Slovenia bear witness to these atrocities, said retired Celje Bishop Stanislav Lipovšek at the annual ceremony. He stressed the importance of efforts to mark the graves and properly bury the victims. He also urged stepped-up efforts to tackle open issues related to war and post-war events and reach national reconciliation.

CoE urges Slovenia to address all types of violence against women

LJUBLJANA - The government has received a report by the Council of Europe's group of experts on Slovenia's implementation of the Istanbul Convention. The group believes that the measures taken in Slovenia do not cover all types of violence as defined in the convention. Slovenia needs to respond to all forms of violence in a holistic way, the experts said. The government responded by saying it had tasked relevant ministries and government departments to implement the adopted recommendations in line with their competences.

Hojs says possibility of early election on the table

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told commercial broadcaster POP TV that the possibility of an early election was completely justified. The ruling Democrats (SDS) are discussing this, he said, adding that going to the polls a few months earlier would make no difference as this government was practically at the end of its term. Responding, the opposition Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) and Social Democrats (SD) said the government's resignation was long overdue and Hojs's words would be believed only when PM Janez Janša resigned.

03 Oct 2021, 12:23 PM

City of Women Festival Opens in Ljubljana, Runs Until 18 October

STA, 2 October 2021 - The 27th City of Women, a festival of contemporary art, will focus on community art projects, celebration of women's accomplishments and a reflection on the school system. The festival open on Saturday with a performance by Dr Xenia.

The festival focusing on women performers and collectives and running until 18 October will present 130 artists across three programme sections.

see the full programme here

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The opening section, Hand in Hand, will present community art projects and the strengthening of social ties during the pandemic and the tense political situation.

The opening event will be held at the Alkatraz Gallery and feature a performance by Dr Xenia, a collective entity, entitled The Fourth Corner: Rights for Our Fights.

Another highlight in this section will be the Atlas Collective, which brings together fifteen artists, critical thinkers and cultural workers from Belgium, who will present their exploration of participative practices in Slovenia.

As part of a European project Be Part, an international debate will be held at the Stara Elektrarna (Old Power Station) venue about fair relations and working conditions in the art world.

Dutch platform for dialogue art Building Conversations will be presented, accompanied by several workshops.

The second section, Collective Memory, will celebrate woman's achievements.

In collaboration with the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, an event entitled I Want to Conquer the World 2.1 - Actress on the Crossroads of Cultures, will pay tribute to Barbara Sušec Michieli, a professor at the academy who died ten years ago.

The Kindovor cinema will offer a rich programme, including a poetic migrant odyssey by Italian director Loredana Bianconi Of Gates and of Deserts, and Glory to the Queen! by Tatia Skhirtladze, a film about four Georgian chess grandmasters.

The third section, The School We Want, will offer a reflection on the curriculum and a shadow curriculum, the festival organisers say.

Annette Kraus will present her Hidden Curriculum project at the Škuc Gallery, showing how secondary school students perceive and explore the hidden curriculum.

The concept of school will also be explored in a project in which the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre cooperated with secondary school students in staging a play entitled Everything Is Alright.

The show will be followed by a discussion with its makers and accompanied by a debate on school and kindergarten.

Several other different shows will be held outside the three sections.

Aleksandra Bajde will present her scenic musical work Self-Portraits in Imaginary Places and Fabrice Murgia a pop opera Sylvia, presenting the story of famous American author Sylvia Plath at the Cankarjev Dom arts centre.

Among the Slovenian performances the organisers highlighted Us Witches by Simona Semenič and the Slovenian premiere of Castration by Glass Illka.

Learn more at the website or follow on Facebook

03 Oct 2021, 12:10 PM

Radeče Becomes First Energy Self-Sufficient Town Centre in Slovenia with Blockchain Energy Market

STA, 3 October 2021 - Radeče has become the first Slovenian town whose town centre will be fully self-sufficient in terms of electricity as a solar system was installed on the roof of its community health centre on Friday.

This is after the Sonce company presented in August the first 100% electricity self-sufficient village, Zavrate, which is located near the eastern town of Radeče.

The PV system has the power of 112 kilowatts and is the first step towards Radeče's becoming the first fully self-sufficient town centre in Slovenia.

It will enable Radeče residents to use the renewable source of energy even without own investment thus cutting their electricity bills, Sonce said on Friday.

The new facility was inaugurated by Gregor Novak, a co-owner of the Sonce group and director of energy market SunContract, at a ceremony in Radeče.

He said today's event continued their efforts towards self-sufficient and climate neutral communities in Slovenia.

"There are still enormous opportunities to be tapped into in our country, which we will be able to do only by linking up and cooperating with key stakeholders."

Mayor Tomaž Režun said small municipalities were increasingly aware of the role of sustainable development, so Radeče had been encouraging projects based on renewables for several years now.

The project has also saved the municipality the money to renovate the roof of the health centre, which is also an advantage of such cooperation.

The self-sufficient community Soves Sonce Radeče Town is supported by SunContract, an energy market which links up energy users on the basis of blockchain technology.

It brings a new business model of green energy use for producers and consumers, enabling end-users to directly use energy and distribute the community's renewable source of energy.

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