03 Sep 2021, 10:47 AM

Govt Adopts Changes to Gaming Act, Lifting Many Restrictions on Ownership

STA, 2 September 2021 - The government adopted on Thursday a set of changes to the gaming act that the Finance Ministry had started drawing up in 2015. The changes lift most restrictions concerning casino ownership and introduce granting concessions on the basis of public tenders.

The changes will create a legal framework to enable granting concessions for the ongoing operation of classic and special games of chance in a transparent way based on a public tender, the Government Communication Office said after today's government session.

In line with the existing 1995 gaming act, the government and the finance minister can freely decide on granting and extending concessions.

But under the new bill, the government will grant concessions for operating classic and special games of chance based on public tenders to be published three times a year.

While currently only two companies have concession for operating classic games of chance - Loterija Slovenije and Športna Loterija, now the number could increase to five.

Meanwhile, betting, a specific type of classic games of chance, is to be further regulated. In line with the proposal, special conditions will be set for obtaining concession along with more detailed conditions for their operating.

The proposed changes also eliminate the requirement that a company wanting to obtain a concession for operating special games of chance must be seated in Slovenia, which transposes EU legislation. Restrictions regarding the type of company are also removed.

For concessioners that operate special games of chance in casinos, most restrictions regarding the ownership will be lifted.

Under the current rules, owners can only be the state, local communities, fully state-owned companies and also companies, but the latter may acquire the maximum of 49% of regular shares and meet a number of conditions.

The new proposal, however, envisages that the indirect or direct state's share in the ownership structure of a concessionaire may not be lower than 25% plus one share in the case of a public limited company and no lower than 51% for any other type of company.

The changes also redefine the duration of concessions and envisages extending of concessions for the minimum of three and maximum of five years.

The lowest concession fee is set for ongoing operation of classic games of chance and other types of special games of chance. In casinos, it is set at 5% of the basis and at 20% of the basis for gaming halls, the Government Communication Office said.

03 Sep 2021, 10:31 AM

Slovenia Supports Strengthening EU's Strategic Autonomy

STA, 2 September 2021 - The EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said as he spoke to the press after an informal meeting of EU defence ministers at Brdo pri Kranju on Thursday. Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin said political will would be needed to address this issue.

Almost all member states agree "we have to strengthen our ability to act independently when and where necessary", said the EU's high representatives for foreign affairs and security policy. "We have armies, we have resources, the problem is harmonisation and the will to mobilise these resources."

Afghanistan is a good example coming at the right time to mobilise the will of member states and to realize that there is no other way to face the new situation than being able to act on our own.

EU potrebuje zmogljivosti za avtonomen odziv v kriznih razmerah. Mehanizmi, kot je Evropski obrambni sklad, zagotavljajo sredstva, nujna pa je politična volja, da bomo lahko angažirali obrambne zmogljivosti in zavarovali interese #EU. pic.twitter.com/4pRj08WQxY
— Matej Tonin (@MatejTonin) September 2, 2021

"Afghanistan showed that the shortcomings in our strategic autonomy have their price. The only way forward is to join forces and strengthen not only our capabilities but also our will to act," said Borrell.

This means raising the level of preparedness within the common military training but also the establishment of new tools such as a rapid reaction force.

Borrell admitted there was no full consensus among the member states on the force yet, but this was not that important as only a discussion was held at today's meeting, while a decision would be taken in November.

The idea about the European rapid reaction force, which could count around 5,000 soldiers, is an important segment of the Strategic Compass, a key process to reach a higher level of Europe's strategic autonomy, according to Borrell.

Minister Tonin meanwhile stressed that the EU had its own defence fund to address this issue. "We have the money, and if we have a political will to build in the coming years these urgent capabilities for autonomous action, including in very demanding areas, then we have definitely taken a step forward."

Tonin saw major progress at today's meeting as individual countries announced to present their proposals how to change the existing mechanism to enable faster political decision-making and faster intervention.

"It's definitely a step forward that member states will make a concrete proposal, and if it is acceptable to all members, we have a concrete solution," he said.

Consensus is an important mechanism especially for small EU member states, so some members are reluctant to give up consensus-based decision-making. Tonin said this is the key obstacle as the EU searches for a solution.

Afghanistan was the main topic as the ministers discussed the EU's operative activities. They stressed that evacuation of people from the country had not yet been completed and that support in diplomatic, humanitarian and development areas needed to continue, according to a press release from the Slovenian Defence Ministry.

The ministers also shared a view that the EU should learn from the Afghanistan crisis to apply the lessons to its operations and missions in Mali, Mozambique, Libya and the Western Balkans.

The debate on common geostrategic challenges and cooperation with NATO and the UN was also attended by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana and UN Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. The ministers agreed that global challenges are the same for all and that common issues should be addressed jointly.

03 Sep 2021, 04:32 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 3 September 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:

Need for cooperation dominates BSF debates on topical challenges

BLED - The 16th Bled Strategic Forum brought a number of discussions on topical challenges in Europe and the world, from the Afghanistan crisis and a potential new migration crisis to problems stemming from climate change, with the need to cooperate in addressing global issues being stressed at most of the debates. The need to draw lucid lessons from Afghanistan was emphasised at a panel on European defence, while the foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries urged against a repeat of the 2016 refugee crisis. A panel on cooperation in the Adriatic Sea revolved around the emerging exclusive economic zones and cooperation of the Slovenian, Croatian and Italian ports, while Slovenian officials used the opportunity of the two-day event for a number of bilateral meetings.

Opposition leader notes Eastern Partnership of key importance for Belarusians

BLED - Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Bled Strategic Forum to note the Eastern Partnership should be supported as a crucial instrument for helping the Belarusian people. She called for visa liberalisation and inclusion of democratic forces in European Partnership meetings. She called on the EU to suspend all consultations with Belarusian officials while they are still part of the oppressive state apparatus. Tsikhanouskaya also met PM Janez Janša, with the government saying they had talked about the state of democracy and human rights in Belarus, touching on the issue of political prisoners.

Borrell and Tonin urge strengthening EU's strategic autonomy

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU defence ministers agreed the Afghanistan experience called for enhancing building the EU's defence and military capabilities with a view to ensure the bloc's strategic autonomy. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy, part of which would be a rapid reaction force, as he spoke to the press at the end of a two-day informal meeting as part of Slovenia's EU presidency. Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin said that to do that the EU would need political will for change, most notably to change the consensus-based decision making.

EU foreign ministers discussing relations with the Taliban

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU foreign ministers discussed ways of engaging with the Taliban, in particular in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to people in Afghanistan who want to leave, as they began a two-day informal meeting as part of Slovenia's EU presidency at Brdo pri Kranju. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said the purpose of the meeting is to try to reach an agreement on coordinated engagement with the Taliban on the basis of certain conditions, and on the possibilities of cooperation with regional players. This does not mean recognition, he stressed. On Friday, the focus will be on EU-China relations, the EU's approach towards the Gulf countries and o EU cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.

Logar and Indian FM Jaishankar discuss cooperation

BLED - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum, with the pair expressing their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields, while Jaishankar also highlighted Slovenia's support for India's agreements with the EU. Jaishankar met President Borut Pahor, with meetings with PM Janez Janša and Speaker Igor Zorčič scheduled for Friday. This is the first official visit by an Indian foreign minister to Slovenia.

Hojs criticised in EU Parliament over statement on Afghanistan

BRUSSELS, Brussels - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs presented the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency in the area of internal affairs to the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He also received numerous criticisms over the recent joint statement of EU home affairs ministers on Afghanistan which called against an uncontrolled wave of illegal migration. Hojs responded by saying the advocates of an open door to Europe were louder and had more media space, and that the MEPs' criticism was a reflection of their pain at not being in charge of certain issues.

Opeka receives Bled Strategic Forum award

BLED - Slovenian priest and missionary Pedro Opeka is the recipient of this year's Distinguished Partner Award, an accolade bestowed at the Bled Strategic Forum. He was honoured for his humanitarian work and fight against poverty in Madagascar. During his thirty years at the mission, he has built 4,000 houses, sports halls, churches and schools, and provided jobs and education to more than 500,000 Malagasy. There are currently 14,000 children in schools built by his two humanitarian associations.

Slovenia red, with over 6,000 active coronavirus cases

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia turned red as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control updated its Covid-19 colour-coded map of Europe. The country recorded 666 positive coronavirus cases for Wednesday to push the number of active cases over 6,000. The 7-day average of new cases stands at 491 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents at 283. Covid-19 hospitalisations passed 160, including 40 ICU cases. The total death toll from Covid-19 reached 4,781.

Govt overhauls gaming legislation

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a set of changes to the 1995 gaming act that the Finance Ministry started drawing up in 2015. The changes lift most restrictions concerning casino ownership and introduce granting concessions which will be granted on the basis of newly introduced public tenders. The changes will create a legal framework to enable granting concessions for the ongoing operation of classic and special games of chance in a transparent way based on a public tender, the Government Communication Office said the government session.

SDS presents resolution to condemn all totalitarianisms

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) presented a draft declaration with which the party would like the National Assembly to support the European Parliament's 2009 resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism, which condemns all totalitarian regimes. The resolution amounts to democratic development, while victims of totalitarian regimes deserved respect, MP Branko Grims told the press. The SDS said the draft declaration had not yet been filed to parliament as it was being harmonised with its coalition parters. This will be the fifth time the SDS files such a declaration, with its latest attempt turned down in the National Assembly in March 2019.

Another exception added to the rules for entering Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The government changed the rules for entering Slovenia to allow crossing the border for emergency medical procedures without observing the PCT (recovered, vaccinated, tested) rule or having to quarantine. The other exceptins to the rule are international transport, transit, children under 15, landowners abroad, migrant workers, and the transport of a child under 15 for the purpose of education. The government was also expected to present a new traffic light system with tiers of restrictions which will be based on the number of hospitalisations, but the new system is still being coordinated and is expected to be adopted next week.

Qualified opinion for 2020 budget, positive opinion on closing account

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit issued a positive opinion on the closing account of the national budget for 2020, but it issued a qualified opinion on the implementation of the budget itself due to a range of shortcomings. These included flaws in the payment of hazard bonuses in the public sector, in the allocation of social transfers, and in public contracting. Some shortcomings were related to Covid-19 relief measures.

Restrictions on profit distribution for banks ending

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank said it would not extended a requirement that banks, savings banks and leasing companies may not distribute profit beyond the end of September. Banka Slovenije nevertheless expects the financial institutions will apply a conservative approach while taking into account individual circumstances. The regulator said banks should not underestimate still high risks when planning distribution of profit.

Hisense Europe makes loss in 2020, profit in last 14 months

VELENJE - The Hisense Europe Group generated just under EUR 2 billion in sales in 2020, more than 97% of which came from home appliances. It ended the year with a loss of EUR 12.8 million, of which Slovenian household appliances and TV sets Gorenje's loss was EUR 11.5 million. Nevertheless, the group has been generating profit in the last 14 months, Gorenje said in a written statement.

Mercator debt-to-equity swap confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Croatia's Fortenova, the largest single shareholder of Slovenia retailer Mercator, will convert EUR 6 million in claims into equity under a decision confirmed at a shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The operation involves the issue of 166,667 new ordinary shares at EUR 36 apiece, whereby the existing shareholders will not have the right of pre-emption, only Fortenova will be entitled to the new shares, show minutes of the meeting. The EUR 6 million claim stems from a subordinated loan Mercator got from its former owner Agrokor in 2014. After Agrokor became insolvent, the claim was transferred to Fortenova.

02 Sep 2021, 13:11 PM

Home-Schooling Becoming More Popular in Slovenia (Feature)

STA, 2 September 2021 - Home schooling appears to be ever more popular in Slovenia with the number of kids taught from home spiking by 75% last year, which is attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic and measures related to it.

In the past school year 687 children were schooled at home, most of them the youngest children in the first two years of primary school.

The number of first formers taught from home rose by 75% to 126, from 72 in the 2019/2020 school year as the number of second formers rose by also as much, to 106, from 61 the year before.

Data for the school year that started yesterday will be available after 10 September as parents have time until 31 August each year to opt for home schooling, but a new rise is expected.

Lara Romih, the head of the Parent Councils' Association, believes the reason for the surge is that some parents opted for home schooling because they oppose vaccination and testing of their children.

More generally, the association attributes increased popularity of home instruction to classes being held remotely during the Covid-19 outbreak and often disrupting the family's daily routine.

Talking with the STA, Romih said the association had noticed parents wanting to home-school their children have been joining into various initiatives, mainly on social networks.

In the run-up to the new school year, there was an increase in queries on social networks about the terms of home schooling.

The Institute for Development of Home Schooling, a non-profit promoting home schooling, has currently 2,292 followers on its Facebook site.

Home schooling has been legalised in Slovenia since 1996, but has not been practised until 2004 when first cases were recorded by the Education Ministry.

The ministry says that under valid legislation primary schools cannot deny pupils the right to home schooling, but they can if the pupil fails to pass exams at the end of the school year.

To home instruct their children, parents only need to notify the respective primary school by the start of each new school year, without needing to state their reasons for it.

However, the requirement is that home-schooled pupils attain at least the level of education standard afforded by state school, which is tested by exams.

These are held from the end of May Day break until ten days before the new school year with the level of attainment assessed by a three-member exam panel appointed by the headteacher of the primary the pupil is enrolled in.

In the first three grades, home-schooled pupils are tested in maths and the Slovene language, or in areas with the Italian or Hungarian minorities in Italian or Hungarian.

A foreign language exam is added in the fourth to sixth form, with exams in several more subjects added in the final three years of primary school.

02 Sep 2021, 11:29 AM

Interior Ministry Proposes €500-1,000 Fines for Harassing Officials or Family Members

STA, 1 September 2021 - The Interior Ministry has prepared changes to the public order act that introduce fines for indecent behaviour towards state officials, senior representatives of the authorities and their families. The proposal, which has already been endorsed by the government, is yet to be approved in parliament.

In line with the changes a person "arguing with, shouting at or behaving indecently to an official who is conducting their official duties or to a high-level representative of the state, MP, member of the National Council or the government, a Constitutional Court or a Supreme Court judge, or their family members" could be slapped with a EUR 500-1,000 fine.

The government said after today's correspondence session that the changes had been proposed in light of a rise in "threats to MPs and other senior representatives of the state recently".

At the beginning of summer, as the National Assembly discussed changes to the communicable disease act, several MPs were harassed by anti-maskers in front of the parliament building.

Deputy groups assessed after the incident that the parliament's security system needed changes.

As questions were raised why police officers guarding the building had not acted, Police Commissioner Anton Olaj ordered an inquiry and three officers of the Ljubljana Police Department have been given written warnings before termination of employment due to violations of the employment contract in relation to their conduct.

The coalition parties has been calling for changes to the penal code to make an assault on state officials a criminal act prosecuted ex officio. The Justice Ministry is drawing up this proposal.

Responding to the proposed changes to the public order act that would introduce the fines, the opposition Left said the proposal was "an arrogant attempt to silence protests" against those who were privatising healthcare, abusing efforts to tackle the Covid crisis, suppressing criticism and undermining public institutions.

The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) sees it as yet another repressive way with which the government is trying to silence all citizens who would express criticism of the government policies in any way.

LMŠ MP Tina Heferle stressed that the LMŠ absolutely opposed indecent and insulting behaviour towards anyone not just state officials. "Why punish someone who insults me three times stricter than someone who insults you. Thus the government is again creating first- and second-class citizens," she said.

Matjaž Han, the head of the deputy group of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), also assessed the proposal as harmful. "Such proposals do not help reduce conflicts in our society, they only enhance them."

He stressed that relevant institutions for dealing with inappropriate reactions already existed in the country.

02 Sep 2021, 11:23 AM

Cycling: Roglič Takes Red Jersey in 17th Stage of La Vuelta (Video)

STA 1 September 2021 - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič has recaptured the red jersey at La Vuelta with a win in the mountainous 17th stage on Wednesday that puts him on track for the third consecutive overall victory.

The Jumbo-Visma rider was the only one to join the Colombian Egan Bernal for a runaway 67 kilometres before the finish.

With seven and a half kilometres to go in the 186-kilometre stage, he left Bernal in the dust on the last climb, winning with a gap of one minute and 35 seconds.

In the overall standings, Roglič now has a comfortable two minutes and 22 seconds on the Spaniard Enric Mas and three minutes, 11 seconds on the Colombian Miguel Angel Lopez.

The riders face another mountainous stage tomorrow.

02 Sep 2021, 04:32 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 2 September 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:

BSF leader's panel focuses on migrations

BLED - The Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) opened with a leader's panel that largely discussed a potential new migration wave coming to Europe and what the EU's response should be. European Parliament President David Sassoli said the EU was faced with the responsibility of protecting asylum-seekers and managing the migration flows together. Slovenian PM Janez Janša noted resolving migration issues was also about hard power, and not only soft power, as a secure environment needed to be created in the countries of origin of migrations. Other participants warned against migrant smuggling, among other things. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state of the Holy See, said politicians in the EU should have a positive attitude to migrations and integrating refugees instead of displaying a negative approach.

Renewed call for continuation of EU enlargement to Western Balkans at BSF

BLED - The stalled process of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans was one of the topics debated at the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) panel on the future of Europe. The panellists called for a continuation of the enlargement process as a matter of strategic importance. The debate was prompted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who assessed there was no enthusiasm for the enlargement process, and that he would like to see the EU providing some clarity to the Western Balkans. EU Parliament President David Sassoli said now was the time to inject new energy into the enlargement process, which he hopes the Slovenian EU presidency can contribute to. European Council President Charles Michel said that Serbia needed more investments from the EU and that the bloc indeed wanted to deliver concrete projects that would be visible for Serbian people.

Situation in Afghanistan topic of debate at Bled Strategic Forum

BLED - The situation in Afghanistan was one of the topics of debate at the Bled Strategic Forum, after EU home affairs ministers adopted a joint statement to that effect that the bloc would prevent mass inflows of asylum seekers from Afghanistan by providing aid in the region and protecting its borders. "Not a single European country wants a repeat of 2015" or the policy of open borders, PM Janez Janša said about the prospect of an influx of migrants from Afghanistan at the opening panel of the BSF. European Parliament President David Sassoli voiced disappointment with the conclusions adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council and the fact that none of the EU member states had expressed willingness to accept Afghan refugees.

Crucial for EU enlargement is W Balkans' integration in EU, panellists agree

BLED - While stressing the importance and benefits of the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans as a strategically important issue, leaders at a panel on the future of Europe and enlargement held as part of the Bled Strategic Forum agreed that integration of the region into the EU will be crucial. "The enlargement is a process that has its stages. It is a more of an administrative than a political process. However, what we should discuss is how the Western Balkans will become a part of the EU," said European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi. President Borut Pahor was critical of the lack of progress in the case of North Macedonia, deeming this a "moral concern".

PM Janša calls for return to EU's roots

BLED - PM Janez Janša urged the EU to return to its roots, to the basic principles laid down by the founding fathers, as he argued at the Bled Strategic Forum that this is the only way to ensure unity while preserving diversity. FM Anže Logar said that Europe had started to be "more like a problem-solving union instead of a community adopting a strategic approach", noting that it was now necessary to identify the bloc's role in the world. European Council President Charles Michel noted that talking about the future of the EU must be about "what it should be ... its relationship with entire European geographic area, how it is organised ... and how to involve the citizens more".

Slovenia aims to make EU-Western Balkans summit regular feature

BLED - Slovenia's EU presidency will host an EU-Western Balkans summit in early October and its desire is to make these summits a regular annual event as a means of accelerating the EU enlargement process, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said. Such regular summits would represent "an important type of pressure" on countries in the region to achieve headway in accession, while at the same time putting the onus on the EU to make significant steps, Logar told the press at the Bled Strategic Forum. He noted the high-level participation in this year's forum had set a new benchmark and showed how joint efforts could be leveraged to further affirm Slovenia in the international arena.

Former leaders discuss Afghanistan, EU enlargement, differences in EU

BLED - Developments in Afghanistan could be an opportunity to strengthen the EU, was one of the views presented at the former leaders' panel at the Bled Strategic Forum, where the importance of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans and differences in understanding European values in the EU were also highlighted. "I can't imagine strong prospects for the Western Balkans without a strong Brussels, in the strategical sense," said Slovenia's first Prime Minister and former MEP Lojze Peterle.

Green transition, digitalisation key for recovery, BSF debate hears

BLED - A debate on post-pandemic recovery at the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) noted the importance of green transition and digitalisation for the process, with a broad agreement that economic measures must go hand in hand with healthcare measures, in particular vaccination. Boštjan Vasle, the governor of the Slovenian central bank, admitted that "we do not understand completely how the health crisis will translate into the economy", while noting that the current support measures were essential.

Bilateral talks on the sidelines of BSF focus on Afghanistan

BLED - Several bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines of the first day of the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF). President Borut Pahor met Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, while Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Defence Minister Matej Tonin met Jean-Pierre Lacroix, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. Pahor and Zaev said Slovenia and entire Europe were hoping for the open issues between North Macedonia and Bulgaria to be resolved, and that the Slovenian EU presidency was an opportunity to deal with this challenge, the Macedonian press agency MIA reported. The situation in Afghanistan was the main topic of talks between Lacroix and Tonin and Lacroix and Logar.

Plenković confident Slovenia-Croatia border issue solvable this term

BLED - Arriving at the Bled Strategic Forum, Croatian PM Andrej Plenković lauded Slovenia and Croatia for bringing their relationship into a very good phase through a mature approach. He said the bilateral border issue could be tackled this government term. During the term of Slovenian PM Janez Janša, the two countries established "splendid dialogue, excellent communication and cooperation", said Plenković, adding that everything was being solved to the satisfaction of both countries.

Janša and Mitsotakis talk Afghanistan, Western Balkans

BLED - PM Janez Janša met on Tuesday evening his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis to talk about the situation in Afghanistan and related migration challenges. They also discussed the situation in the Western Balkans and called for the commitments given to the region at the EU summit in Thessaloniki to be met. "During our [EU] presidency we will try to convince other member states that it is high time to take further steps towards enlargement," said Janša, who thinks that a step forward also needs to be taken in including countries in the Schengen Area.

Daily coronavirus count hits 4-month high

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 764 coronavirus infections for Tuesday, the highest daily increase in infections since 5 May, data from the National Institute of Public Health shows. This was as Covid-19 hospitalisations rose to 159, with 37 patients in intensive care according to the tracker site Covid-19 Sledilnik. As many as 20.1% of the tests performed yesterday were positive. The 7-day average of new daily cases rose to 468, and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents to 270.

Slovenia to get invitation to join Med7 this month

BLED - The Med7, a club of seven Mediterranean EU countries, will invite Slovenia to become a member at a summit scheduled to take place later this month, Foreign Minister Anže Logar told the press at the Bled Strategic Forum, noting membership would give Slovenia "a place at the table" in a group that was an important voice in the EU and other forums. This will be "particularly important in the light of potential new migration pressure in the future," Logar said.

Dikaučič hopes European delegated prosecutors will be appointed ASAP

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič presented via video call Slovenia's EU presidency priorities in judiciary to the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He also stressed Slovenia was making efforts to appoint its European delegated prosecutors as soon as possible. Apart from the European Public Prosecutor's Office, committee members were primarily interested in Slovenia's positions on the rule of law, the fight against hate speech, the protection of children's rights, and on the e-evidence dossier.

Koritnik meets tech giants representatives in Bled

BLED - Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik met representatives of tech giants Microsoft and Facebook to discuss cyber security and regulation of digital services. He also met representatives of Saudi Arabia's National Center for Artificial Intelligence. He is due to meet Google officials on Thursday. "As an EU presiding country, Slovenia strives for development of innovative practices, but we mainly wish to protect users and provide a safe online environment," Koritnik said.

Fines proposed for indecent behaviour towards officials, their families

LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry has prepared changes to the public order act that introduce fines of EUR 500-1,000 for indecent behaviour towards state officials, senior representatives of the authorities and their families. The proposal, which has already been endorsed by the government, is yet to be approved in parliament. The government said the changes had been proposed in light of a rise in "threats to MPs and other senior representatives of the state recently". Some centre-left opposition parties opposed the proposal, saying it was an attempt to silence criticism.

New school starts in person, but amid uncertainty

LJUBLJANA - A new school year started for almost 270,000 Slovenian primary and secondary school children and nearly 30,000 teachers. Classes will be held in person for everyone for the time being but with safety measures in place, including mandatory Covid certificates for staff, masks for staff and all children in communal areas and voluntary self-testing for older children. If schools flout the rules, they may be ordered by inspectors to switch to remote classes under a decision taken by the Education Ministry on Tuesday night.

EANA urges Slovenian government to restore financing of STA

BERN, Switzerland - The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) called on the Slovenian government to restore the statutorily provided funding of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) to enable it to operate in a stable manner. "Political pressure on the STA must end," EANA stressed. "We consider that STA, as any national news agency, is one of the main pillars of democracy in Slovenia, and it doesn't deserve to be shattered by adverse policy," said the Board of EANA.

Slovenia records 400-600 missing persons per year, vast majority are found

LJUBLJANA - Between 400 and 600 people are reported missing in Slovenia every year, a third of them being adolescents or children. Most are found within a day, while more than 90% of the children are found within four hours, said Damjan Miklič, head of the Police Expert Network on Missing Persons, on the sidelines of an international conference on missing persons. He said that investigating missing persons was difficult precisely because there are so many unknowns at the outset. According to the police, there are currently 237 missing persons reported in Slovenia.

Cinkarna Celje reports 60% higher half-year net profit

CELJE - Cinkarna Celje, the Celje-based chemical company, saw its half-year sales revenue rise by 12% year-on-year to EUR 99.39 million on the back of good demand, boosting net profit by 60% to EUR 15.8 million. The company's CEO Aleš Skok said the demand was favourable across the geographical regions. The increase was mainly due to growth in construction and the competitiveness of Asian suppliers in Europe being affected by strong demand at home and by high transport costs.

Newspaper Večer getting new owners

MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA - Media company Časnik Večer has transferred the daily newspaper Večer with its 94 employees onto Večer Mediji, a new company incorporated today. The new company is to be sold to six companies which are, according to unofficial information, owned by media mogul Martin Odlazek. Večer newspaper staff were informally told in July that classifieds magazine Salomon and tabloid Svet24 would be among the new owners of the newspaper. Delo reported that a several-owner solution was to bypass the rule to seek a Culture Ministry regulatory clearance in case a company owns 20% of a media company or more.

Tiršek wins second medal at Tokyo Paralympics

TOKYO, Japan - Shooter Franček Gorazd Tiršek won bronze in the men's 10m air rifle prone event at the Tokyo Paralympics in what is the second medal for him and Slovenia at the ongoing games. Tiršek won silver in the air rifle standing competition on Monday, having already won medals of the same colour in this discipline at the two previous Paralympics. He now has four Paralympic medals under his belt. "Even though bronze, this medal is gold to me," said Tiršek.

01 Sep 2021, 13:36 PM

Slovenia's New School Year Starts with In-Person Classes, Uncertain Future (Feature)

STA, 1 September 2021 - A new school year is starting today for almost 270,000 Slovenian primary and secondary school children and nearly 30,000 teachers. Classes will be held in person for everyone for now but with safety measures in place, including mandatory Covid certificates for staff. If schools flout the rules, they may be ordered to switch to remote classes.

The third school year marked by Covid restrictions will start the same way the previous one ended, following model B, with an additional requirement for the staff to be either vaccinated, recovered or tested weekly for Covid-19.

Apart from the mandatory Covid certificates for staff, model B entails in-person instruction for all children, mandatory masks and voluntary self-testing for older children, hand sanitising, distancing and extensive airing.

Provided health authorities' recommendations are heeded, all school programmes and activities will be allowed, including school camps and swimming classes, while pupils from different classes will be able to mix for elective subject classes.

However, under a decision taken by the Education Ministry last night and coming into effect today, inspectors will be able to decree classes to switch online for the schools that fail to follow the prescribed measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The coronavirus outbreak this time around is much worse than a year ago with the number of infections increasing by an average of more than 400 a day so concerns are growing how school will proceed beyond the first week.

Facing extensive criticism over a lack of a clear roadmap and instructions, the government has announced new rules can be expected after 6 September depending on the state of the coronavirus outbreak.

But unofficial information indicates the Covid-19 advisory group drawing up a proposal of restrictions to be introduced in various stages of the epidemic does not plan school closures even if the situation deteriorated.

The Education Ministry has set out four different basic models for primary education depending on the epidemiological situation, with the extremes being A under which classes are held for everyone without restrictions, and D where classes are held remotely for all.

Model C envisages a combination of in-class and distance learning, which would kick in should the Covid outbreak worsen after 6 September. However, even under that model primary pupils up to 5th grade plus final year primary pupils would be kept in schools.

Teaching staff who have not been vaccinated or have not recently recovered from Covid-19 will need to undergo mandatory weekly testing, with the possibility of self-testing being introduced after 6 September give sufficient test supplies.

However, as some staff oppose vaccination and even testing, the Education Ministry has sent out a circular warning that unjustified refusal to get tested or wear a mask warrants a disciplinary procedure and as a last resort a dismissal from the job.

And a regulation that the government adopted last night stipulates that the Education Inspectorate will have the power to order schools to switch to remote learning in the event they not comply with Covid-19 restrictions.

The government said this constituted "a zero tolerance approach to schools' failure to create conditions for safe ... learning environments."

The problem of opposition to testing and vaccination was highlighted as the head teacher of the primary school in Prebold questioned coronavirus measures and even the existence of the virus, yet the school council has failed to dismiss him.

It is not clear how many teachers have been vaccinated, but their trade union, SVIZ, has called on Health Minister Janez Poklukar to provide the figures after he alleged the inoculation rate among teaching staff was low.

SVIZ supports Covid vaccination and self-testing, which has prompted some members to quit as an informal union is emerging round the anti-vaccination and anti-testing sentiment.

SVIZ could not get hold of the data on the vaccination rate among teaching staff but says secondary data from some local communities suggests "at least 55% to 60% of teachers are fully vaccinated", which compares to 43% of the total population.

With less than 10% of under 18s fully vaccinated, pupils in the last tree grades of primary schools and secondary students can pick up free antigen tests for voluntary weekly self-testing at pharmacies.

However, no one will check the results with Health Ministry State Secretary Robert Cugelj saying they will "play the card of trust". Also, children in mandatory education cannot be barred from classes if they do not wear masks, yet their parents will be informed of the requirement and cases of such pupils will be referred to school inspectors.

In the face of the many uncertainties surrounding the education process, all stakeholders pledge that their main concern is to keep schools open, especially in view of the impact remote classes have had on pupils' mental health and learning gaps.

The results of a national study into the impact of distance learning are expected to be released later this month.

Even if schools had to switch to distance learning, Arnes, the internet provider for public institutions, says it has upgraded its services and infrastructure so that the process will run smoothly.

Covid-related problems have stolen the limelight from the 21,123 six-to-seven-year-olds who will have their first day at school today. Their parents will be eligible for an extra day of paid leave on the occasion, but they will need a Covid certificate to accompany their kinds inside the school.

In all, school is starting today for more than 193,000 primary pupils and 76,000 secondary students.

To ensure their safety outside of school gates, local communities have teamed up with police, traffic safety promotion groups and insurance companies to come up with innovative ways to boost traffic safety.

Zebra crossings have been repainted and equipped with additional markings as the country's first 3D-zebra crossings have been unveiled in Velenje and drivers are being urged to look out for schoolchildren.

01 Sep 2021, 12:34 PM

Janša Calls for EU to Pursue Unity While Preserving Diversity

STA, 1 September 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has urged the EU to return to its roots, to the basic principles laid down by the founding fathers, as he argued at the Bled Strategic Forum that this is the only way to ensure unity while preserving diversity.

"It is my opinion that the European structure must built on stone, on the firm foundations set by the fathers of the EU. Any attempt to build out the European structure on sand has failed and will fail," he said on arrival at the event.

He said the guiding principles should be unity when it comes to strategic decisions and "freedom in everything else".

Laying out his vision in his opening address to the forum, Janša said the founding fathers had formulated four principal mechanisms - consensus, mutual respect, subsidiarity and solidarity.

Along the way Europe has sometimes moved away from these principles or even against them, but he said the bloc should be well advised to continue heeding them. How to implement these values is "the defining question of our time".

The prime minister acknowledged that there were different visions about the future of Europe, which is why Slovenia's EU presidency was keen to have "a sincere and open discussion on the European future" in which everyone can speak and be listened to.

The debate must be about the core principles of consensus seeking, solidarity, mutual respect and subsidiarity if Europe is to successfully tackle challenges, he said, noting that "unnecessary fights" were preoccupying its political agenda.

The debate must be about "who we are" and the strategic goal is to ensure unity while preserving diversity. "Europe does not have to reinvent the wheel, we have to return to the origins."

Laying out his vision of Europe three decades from now, Janša said he saw a strong EU based on the European civilisation with strong member states, a bloc that is "able to project and execute soft and hard power".

He also sees Europe at peace with itself and set in peaceful and prosperous surroundings, a part of a strong NATO and a world leader in terms of freedom and quality of life, a place of "dynamic and free expression of opinions".

It would also have high standards of respect for human rights and rule of law based on equal standards for all and on the cooperation of democratic institutions elected by the people.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar said in his address that the optimism of 2004, when Eastern European countries joined the EU, had been replaced by "a heavy dose of political realism and even pessimism", but the consensus was that the EU is still able to deliver, which it has shown during the Covid-19 crisis.

He noted that Europe had started to "more like a problem-solving union instead of a community adopting a strategic approach," noting that it was now necessary to identify the bloc's role in the world.

Such a debate should "not shy away from security and migrations". "We do not wish to evade issues which might be difficult or controversial to discuss, we wish to have an open debate."

European Council President Charles Michel noted that talking about the future of the EU must be about "what it should be ... its relationship with entire European geographic area, how it is organised ... and how to involve the citizens more."

While solidarity is at the root of the EU and its future, the EU has also become a project of influence, he said, noting that the bloc had become the largest exporter of standards in global trade.

"Yet the most important export standard is democracy, human rights and the rule of law... It is chosen freely, but it is both gateway to the union and vital to its proper functioning."

01 Sep 2021, 11:17 AM

Slovenia Changes Proposed Cryptocurrency Tax – 10% Tax on Amount Sold, of 25% of Profit

STA, 31 August 2021 - Only a day after putting out a proposal on taxation of trading in cryptocurrencies, the Financial Administration (FURS) said it will amend the proposal amid a strong response from stakeholders to give taxpayers the option to choose between paying tax either on the profits they make or as a percentage of the cryptocurrency they cash in.

FURS initially proposed imposing a 10% tax rate on the amount of cryptocurrency turned into non-virtual currency or spent on goods or services, a proposal that FURS today said met with "extensive response from the interested public".

Having looked into the reactions, FURS now plans to change its proposal so that the taxpayers - individuals who are Slovenian tax residents - can either opt for the 10% tax rate on the amount of the cryptocurrency cashed in or, alternatively, pay a 25% tax on the profit they make.

The tax authority emphasized that the proposal applies only to physical persons who are Slovenian tax residents and not to legal entities.

Under the amended proposal, amounts of up to EUR 15,000 during one calendar year will not have to be reported and will not be taxed.

Given the immense development in virtual currencies in recent years, FURS said the bill sought to respond to the trend at least to some extent and simplify things. It said Slovenia wanted to be the first European country to take such and approach.

FURS offered a calculation demonstrating how two modes of taxation would function in practice. If an individual bought one Bitcoin in 2018 at the price of EUR 3,000 and cashed it in today for EUR 40,000 they would either pay EUR 4,000 tax on the amount sold or a EUR 9,250 capital gains tax.

Commenting on the original proposal in Tuesday's commentary newspaper Finance has calculated that it would mean that if you buy EUR 1,000 worth of Bitcoins and later sell them for EUR 1,100, your profit would be EUR 100 while the tax would be 110 euros.

Under current legislation taxable income from virtual currencies depends on the circumstances of each individual case but as a rule physical persons need to pay capital gains tax from selling cryptocurrencies when they make the income as business.

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