18 Aug 2021, 05:00 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 18 August 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:

Most new cases since 1 June confirmed on Monday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,058 PCR tests were performed in Slovenia to result in 318 new confirmed coronavirus infections, the highest daily number since 1 June, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population increased by seven to 107. The positivity rate was 15.5%, significantly higher than on the day before. The government reported on Twitter that there are 49 Covid-19 patients in Slovenian hospitals, four more than yesterday, while the number of patients in intensive care was up by one to eleven. The reproductive number, which shows how many people an infected person transmits the infection to on average, is estimated at 1.5.

Opposition announce vote of no confidence in education minister

LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left parties are planning to file a motion to vote Education Minister Simona Kustec out of office, arguing that two weeks before the start of the new school year, it is still not clear how primary and secondary schools will organise the education process while the epidemiological situation in the country is deteriorating. The announcement was made by Tanja Fajon, leader of the Social Democrats (SD) after a meeting of the leaders of the remaining three parties - the LMŠ, SAB and Left. She said that the no-confidence motion could be filed to the National Assembly within a week. The ministry stressed that preparations for the new school year had been in full swing and running smoothly since the start of the summer holidays.

Two Slovenians have left Kabul, one remains in Afghanistan

LJUBLJANA - Out of a total of three Slovenian citizens who were still in Afghanistan on Monday, two embarked on a Qatar-bound plane from Kabul last night, while the third one has remained in Afghanistan, according to unofficial information available to the Foreign Ministry. It explained that the Slovenian citizens had not turned to them for help and that their evacuation was being arranged by their employers. News portal N1 said the citizen staying in Afghanistan is in charge of security of the EU delegation and will stay there until he has arranged for evacuation of his co-workers.

Police file criminal complaint against actor Tribušon over sexual harassment

LJUBLJANA - Police have filed a criminal complaint against actor and drama teacher Matjaž Tribušon, 58, after young actress Mia Skrbinac publicly accused him of sexually harassing her while she was a student in 2014-2016 and filed a sexual harassment complaint at the University of Ljubljana last spring, Delo reported. In early February, Skrbinac, born in 1994, became the first public figure in Slovenia to come forward as a victim of sexual harassment since the start of the Slovenian offshoot of the #MeToo movement.

Janša says every government should support Prekmurje

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša said in his message on Prekmurje Unification Day it was remarkable that Prekmurje has preserved the Slovenian language and culture despite being cut off from Slovenian territory for a long time in the past. Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič meanwhile said that on this day, Slovenians celebrated being together, adding that the people of Prekmurje rightly expected a boost to the regional economy, which will require a prudent, development-oriented and cohesive policy. President Borut Pahor hosted an open day in the Presidential Palace on the occasion.

Insurer Triglav ups H1 group net profit by 40% to EUR 47 million

LJUBLJANA - Insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav saw group net profit rise by 40% to EUR 47 million in the first half of the year as premium revenue rose across all segments and all markets. The company expects to hit end-year profit targets. Profit before tax amounted to EUR 56.2 million, up 39% year-on-year and 35% higher than in the first six months of the pre-pandemic year 2019, according to the interim result released on Tuesday. Consolidated gross written premium at the group level rose by 9% to EUR 731.1 million.

EU approves state aid to Postojna Cave over coronavirus closure

BRUSSELS - The European Commission has approved state aid worth EUR 1.3 million for the operator of the Postojna Cave, a global tourist attraction, to help it cope with the damage resulting from the closure due to the coronavirus. The aid covers the period between 26 October 2020 and 1 June 2021, when the Postojna Cave and the cave under Predjama Castle were closed. The measure entails a lower concession fee and lower investment obligations compared to these set down in the concession agreement for 2020 and 2021.

EU funds available for computer equipment for schools

LJUBLJANA - The European Regional Development Fund will contribute EUR 13.6 million in financing under the React-EU programme for computer equipment for Slovenian educational institutions to promote the development of virtual learning environments. The entire project is valued at EUR 16.2 million. The equipment purchase will be handled by Arnes, a public institute that provides network services to research, educational and cultural organisations.

17 Aug 2021, 14:10 PM

Feature: Afghan Refugees in Slovenia

STA, 17 August 2021 - As the situation in Afghanistan has escalated, more Afghan citizens are likely to seek asylum in Slovenia in the coming week and months, as problems with the Taliban has so far been among the cited reasons for seeking international protection here, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants has said.

There are 48 Afghan citizens who have been granted international protection in Slovenia, procedures are under way for another 46, while another 120 have expressed intent to file a request for it.

Since the beginning of 2005, 62 Afghan citizens have been granted international protection in Slovenia, the office has told the STA.

However, the actual number is lower because one has died, two have left Slovenia and several have been awarded Slovenian citizenship.

Still, the Afghans who are granted asylum largely stay here. "They regularly attend integration activities, learn the language, while children go to school."

The office expects more Afghans to seek protection in Slovenia as problems with the Taliban have so far been frequently cited as a reason for seeking international protection here, and as Afghans who have worked for the Slovenian army in Afghanistan have turned to Slovenia for help in recent weeks.

Among the asylum seekers in Slovenia are Afghans who have managed to escape the Taliban's attempts to recruit them or fled due to the general security situation there.

"There are also some other reasons such as blood feud, change of religion or homosexuality etc, but these are less frequent," the office has explained.

Unaccompanied Afghan citizens under the age of 18 often say they have lost touch with their family in Afghanistan or while fleeing from there.

Last year, 751 Afghanistan citizens asked for international protection in Slovenia.

The figure rose this year, as 750 asked for it in the first seven months alone, of whom 187 women and 563 single men.

The bulk of the single-man group were minors who came to Slovenia without their family.

However, the office has recently recorded a rise in the number of entire families seeking international protection and a rise in asylum seekers who have previously asked for international protection in another EU country and have been granted the status of refugee or subsidiary protection.

With the Taliban assuming power in Afghanistan, the question has arisen of police potentially sending Afghans who will not be granted asylum back to their country.

But under Slovenia's foreigners legislation, police cannot return migrants to their country if their lives would be at stake.

Slovenian Interior Ministry data shows that 24 Afghan citizens were sent back to Afghanistan in the last ten years.

17 Aug 2021, 12:25 PM

Criminal Complaint Filed Against Actor & Drama Teacher Matjaž Tribušon

STA, 17 August 2021 - Police have filed a criminal complaint against actor and drama teacher Matjaž Tribušon, 58, after young actress Mia Skrbinac publicly accused him of sexually harassing her while she was a student in 2014-2016 and filed a sexual harassment complaint at the University of Ljubljana last spring, the newspaper Delo reported on Tuesday.

Tomaž Tomaževic from the Ljubljana Police Department told Delo that Ljubljana criminal police had filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office in June against a professor of one of the faculties in Ljubljana "over criminal acts concerning sexual integrity".

Katarina Bergant, head of the Ljubljana District Prosecutor's Office, told the newspaper they had received on 7 June a criminal complaint about criminal acts against sexual integrity involving abuse of office and harassment, but a decision how to proceed had not yet been taken.

In early February, Skrbinac, born in 1994, became the first public figure in Slovenia to come forward as a victim of sexual harassment since the start of the Slovenian offshoot of the #MeToo movement.

She told public broadcaster TV Slovenija that a professor at the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT), whom she did not name at first, harassed her psychologically and physically during acting classes and outside class. She reported him to the university soon after revealing her story.

The academy meanwhile notified the Ljubljana Prosecutor's Office of the suspected criminal acts before it was acquainted with Skrbinac's complaint with the university.

At the time, it also said that Tribušon remained employed at the academy but would not be teaching until further notice.

The case has drawn a lot of media attention and resulted in strong support for the actress, while Tribušon has not yet publicly responded to the allegations.

17 Aug 2021, 10:16 AM

Poll Suggests Centre-Left Opposition Could Easily Win Election, But SDS Still Strongest Party at 18%

STA, 16 August 2021 - The Vox Populi poll carried out for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows that the four centre-left opposition parties which have previously joined forces in an informal coalition to topple the current Janez Janša government, would win a combined 51 seats in the 90-seat parliament if an election was held this Sunday.

Last week, Marjan Šarec of the opposition LMŠ, urged his remaining three centre-left opposition parties to sign an agreement on post-election cooperation.

While the Social Democrats (SD) and Left welcomed the call in principle, the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) accused Šarec of going solo.

The latest poll shows that Janša's ruling Democrats (SDS) continue enjoying the strongest support at 18%, up 0.2 of a percentage point in August over July.

The SDS is followed by three centre-left opposition parties - the SD at 12.2%, Left at 8.9% and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ at 8.5%), all slightly down over July. The fourth centre-left coalition party, the SAB, polled at 3.4%.

If a general election was held on Sunday, the four opposition parties would win 51 seats to easily form a government coalition, while even the seats of only three of them - the SD, Left and LMŠ - would suffice to form a coalition, as they would win 46 seats.

Based on the number of votes by decided voters, the support would translate into 19 seats for the SD, 14 seats for the and 13 for the LMŠ of former PM Šarec.

The coalition New Slovenia (NSi) meanwhile polled at 5.5%, with all the other parties, be it parliamentary or non-parliamentary, including the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), polling at 1.4% or lower.

The number of undecided voters has increased from 29.6% in July to 30.4%, while 6.9% said they would not go to the polls, up from 6.5%.

The government earned low support in Augusts's Vox Populi, with 69.5% saying it performed poorly, whereas 27.4% consider it successful.

President Borut Pahor reclaimed the top of rankings of Slovenia's 22 most popular politicians to unseat MEP and ex-NSi leader Ljudmila Novak.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar placed third and parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič fourth, Foreign Minister Anže Logar is tenth and Prime Minister Janša 20th.

Pollster Ninamedia surveyed a total of 700 persons between 10 and 12 August.

17 Aug 2021, 04:49 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 17 August 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:

Slovenia concerned over situation in Afghanistan

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. "Violence should be ended, the civilian population, in particular women and children, should be protected, and basic human rights standards upheld," it said on Twitter. PM Janez Janša meanwhile described the chaos in Afghanistan and the handover of modern weapons to the Taliban as "the greatest defeat for NATO in history", writing on Twitter Slovenia shared responsibility for that as a NATO member. Defence Minister Matej Tonin said three Slovenian citizens are currently in Kabul, with attempts being made to evacuate them. Slovenia is in the group of around 70 countries that have called on the Taliban to enable safe departure of all foreign citizens from Afghanistan and also to Afghan citizens who want to leave the country. Several opposition parties and NGO joined the appeal.

56 new coronavirus infections confirmed on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 56 new coronavirus cases for Sunday, which is a week-on-week increase of ten cases, coming from a total of 801 PCR tests. The positivity rate was 7%, down by more than three percentage points compared to the day before, show data from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The rolling seven-day average of new cases grew by two to 183, and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents increased by one to 100. The number of Covid-19 hospitalisations was up by two to 45 today, and the number of patients requiring intensive care increased by one to ten.

Vox Populi poll shows public split on mandatory Covid vaccination

LJUBLJANA - The Vox Populi poll carried out for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows the public is divided over mandatory vaccination against Covid-19. 47.7% of those polled would support the introduction of mandatory vaccination, whereas 47.1% would not support it. Just over 5% refused to state their position. More inclined to support mandatory vaccination are people with vocational education and those older than 60. Almost 64% of those polled have meanwhile already been vaccinated, mainly to protect themselves or their relatives.

NGOs urge minister to propose EU exit Energy Charter Treaty

LJUBLJANA - A group of Slovenian environmental NGOs called on Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec as a representative of the Slovenian EU presidency to propose a political discussion on the EU exiting the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) at the September informal meeting of ministers in charge of energy. The call from the Slovenian NGOs comes after more than 400 European civil society organisations have called on EU leaders to exit the ECT. "The Energy Charter Treaty is an obstacle in the transition to clean energy, which is why it is high time to exit it," the NGO Umanotera said.

Pahor sees unification with Prekmurje as connecting rather than dividing

BELTINCI - President Borut Pahor said that Slovenia's celebration of its reunification with Prekmurje region is a celebration of national identity that is not targeted against any other nation, as he addressed a ceremony held on the eve of Prekmurje Reunification Day. Rather than being targeted against any other nation it is "an opportunity to reflect on the mutuality of national and common European identity in the framework of the shared European homeland". He announced that in September he and Hungarian President Janos Ader will host a meeting of the Slovenian ethnic minority in Hungary and the Hungarian ethnic minority in Slovenia.

Vox Populi poll: Centre-left opposition would win comfortable parliamentary majority

LJUBLJANA - The Vox Populi poll carried out for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows that the four centre-left opposition parties which have previously joined forces in an informal coalition to topple the current Janez Janša government, would win a combined 51 seats in the 90-seat parliament if an election was held this Sunday. Nevertheless, the Janša's ruling Democrats (SDS) continue enjoying the strongest support at 18%, up 0.2 of a percentage point in August over July.

Education minister tests positive for coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Education Minister Simona Kustec has tested positive for coronavirus. She announced on Twitter she had been isolating since Saturday, but added that all activities for the safe start of the school year continued. The minister received the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine on 23 March and appears to have been fully vaccinated. Several other members of the government cabinet have tested positive before, most of them before they were vaccinated, including Foreign Minister Anže Logar as well as the ministers of the environment, culture, and public administration.

NSi founder, first leader Bajuk remembered ten years after death

LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia - the Christian Democrats (NSi) remembered Andrej Bajuk, the party's founder and first leader, who died aged 67 ten years to the day. NSi leader Matej Tonin recalled Bajuk's dedication to the party and his homeland and his focus on dialogue and cooperation. Bajuk (1943-2011), who briefly served as prime minister, as well as finance minister and MP, came to prominence in Slovenia's political arena in 2000 after he was elected in April a vice-president of the SLS+SKD, a party created with a merger of the Christian Democrats (SKD), a member of which he had been, and People's Party (SLS). He served as finance minister in the first Janez Janša government between 2004 and 2008, during which time Slovenia also introduced the euro.

Over 130 shorts from 34 countries at 7th FeKK festival

LJUBLJANA - The 7th FeKK festival of short film will open in Ljubljana in the evening, bringing more than 130 short films from 34 countries until Saturday. According to the organisers, the focus will again be on the Slovenian FeKK SLO and the international FeKK BAL competition programmes. The international competition programme, previously known as FeKK YU and featuring films from the countries of former Yugoslavia, has been expanded to the entire Balkans.

16 Aug 2021, 15:13 PM

Opposition Calls for Clarity from Govt about How Schools Will Be Organised in Two Weeks

STA, 16 August 2021 - Four centre-left opposition parties have requested a session of the parliamentary Education Committee to get answers from the government on how schools will organise when they reopen on 1 September given that coronavirus numbers are surging yet again.

"The new school year starts in just over two weeks but we do not have any answers about how classes will be organised," Marko Koprivc, a deputy for the Social Democrats (SD), said on Monday.

The opposition alleges Slovenia does not have a strategy for the new school year and that schools have not received any instructions from the Education Ministry yet.

They said Education Minister Simona Kustec had failed to use the summer for preparations, instead she attended the Tokyo Olympics as a tourist.

The parties expect Prime Minister Janez Janša to attend the committee session since it is him, not Minister Kustec, who holds the reigns in the educational system.

Indeed, Left deputy Željko Cigler said Janša should dismiss the minister lest he be held responsible for the "collapse of the Slovenian educational system".

The opposition has not yet discussed whether to seek a vote of no confidence against the minister, but Cigler said this was one way to "stop the destructive educational policy".

The Education Ministry has for weeks faced criticism from SVIZ, the teachers' union, and from several head teachers about the absence of instructions as to how school work should be organised.

In the last school year Slovenian pupils spent several months learning from home, before they returned to classrooms in spring.

It remains unclear for now whether there will be mask mandates at schools once again, while according to Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar, mandatory vaccination for teachers is not being considered.

16 Aug 2021, 14:46 PM

Slovenia Expresses Concern Over Situation in Afghanistan, No News on Fate of Afghans Who Worked with Slovenes

STA, 16 August 2021 - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. "Violence should be ended, the civilian population, in particular women and children, should be protected, and basic human rights standards should be upheld," the ministry said on Twitter on Monday.

The ministry told the STA that it was collecting information about possible Slovenian citizens still being in Afghanistan.

It added that no one had asked it for help and that all Slovenian soldiers who had operated in Afghanistan had returned home safely on 20 May.

Unofficially, a few Slovenian civilian citizens were in Afghanistan at the weekend, and they have already left the country. The ministry is checking this information.

Defence Ministry Matej Tonin meanwhile said today that three Slovenian citizens were currently in Kabul, with attempts being made to evacuate them.

There were four Slovenian citizens there until recently, with Slovenia successfully evacuating one of them, the minister added.

The remaining three are still near the Kabul airport, said Tonin, who did not want to identify the Slovenian citizens or explain what they were doing in Afghanistan.

"Taking care of our own citizens is currently our main priority," he said.

There is no news about the Afghan citizens who had cooperated with the Slovenian Armed Forces and who asked for assistance and protection from possible retribution of the Taliban, either.

The Defence Ministry said on Friday it is in constant touch with them, and that possibilities of providing assistance to them and their family members were still being examined.

According to unofficial information, these are two to four Afghans who cooperated with Slovenian soldiers as interpreters. The number could amount to between ten and fifteen persons, their families included.

It is not publicly known where these people are. Slovenian soldiers operated in Herat in western Afghanistan, which was taken by the Taliban on Thursday night. Currently, evacuations take place only from the Kabul airport.

Tonin said that the Slovenian Armed Forces had cooperated with Italy in Afghanistan, hiring interpreters and other staff through the Italian forces.

The Afghans who cooperated with the Slovenian army had the opportunity to go to safety together with their families with the Italian army, which is what the majority of them did.

Some of them, however, hoped that the situation will improve and did not take this opportunity, and now are still in Afghanistan.

They have turned to Slovenia. which has been working in recent days on logistic details to enable them to leave Afghanistan safely, while the situation was deteriorating virtually on an hourly basis, the minister said.

"Our message to these people is that we will not abandon them, that we will carry out all necessary asylum and other processes in Slovenia ... and move them first in a safe country, and then further to Slovenia," Tonin added.

He said that the Slovenian army knew their names, surnames, locations and their precise number, which was not higher than 20.

"The entire global public, and unfortunately intelligence services as well, are surprised by the fact that practically all Afghan institutions, including the army, disintegrated so quickly. This also causes logistical problems."

The Foreign Ministry also told the STA that the EU foreign ministers would discuss on Tuesday the situation in Afghanistan in a meeting called by High Representative of the EU Josep Borrell.

Slovenia is in the group of around 70 countries that have called on the Taliban in a statement to enable safe departure of all foreign citizens from Afghanistan and also to Afghan citizens who want to leave the country.

16 Aug 2021, 04:38 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 16 August 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:

95 new coronavirus infections reported for Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Out of 920 PCR tests performed on Saturday, 95 came back positive, the highest daily case count over weekends since 6 June, as the epidemiological situation kept deteriorating in Slovenia, show fresh data by the National Institute of Public Health. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents increased by one to 99 and the 7-day average of new cases grew by three to 183. The number of active cases in the country rose by 36 to 2,150.

Ljubljana archbishop urges mutual respect on Assumption Day

BREZJE - Marking Assumption of Mary, Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore called for open-mindedness, acceptance and mutual respect as he said mass at Brezje, Slovenia's biggest pilgrimage site. Zore urged people to get vaccinated with pilgrims to Brezje having a chance to get a jab on the spot. According to the head of the Brezje Pilgrimage Office Andreja Eržen Firšt, a few hundred people gathered for the mass, which was held outdoors, a scaled-down figure due to Covid-19. The government described Assumption of Mary as a holiday of hope and faith in the fullness of life, wishing everyone peace on this day.

Olympic champion Roglič wins 1st stage of Vuelta race

VALLADOLID, Spain - Slovenian Olympic champion in time trial Primož Roglič won the first stage of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana, another time trial, on Saturday to take the red jersey already at the start of his bid to defend the 2020 Vuelta title. His compatriot Jan Tratnik finished third. Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who aims to claim the title for the third year in a row, kept the red jersey after today's stage two.

Slovenian Caritas launching campaign to help quake-stricken Haiti

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Caritas, a Catholic charity, launched a fund-raising campaign to help Haiti, whose plight has been worsened in the wake of Saturday's major earthquake. The organisation has already donated EUR 5,000 to the cause and intends to forward the money to Caritas Haiti. Caritas Slovenia has urged everyone to donate either via a special bank account or by texting KARITAS5 to 1919, thus donating EUR 5.

15 Aug 2021, 10:27 AM

Face Masks Mandatory at Public Cultural Events from Monday (16/08)

STA, 14 August 2021 - The government has decided that people attending public cultural events will have to wear face masks as of Monday, with the exception of performers. There are no changes regarding restrictions of public gatherings, while stricter requirements for testing of employees in certain activities are to be introduced soon.

Under the decree that will be in force until 22 August, the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule remains in force for public events and gatherings in enclosed spaces and for outdoor events for more than 100 people.

As for transport, the government decided on Friday evening that taxi drivers and operators of cable lifts will need to meet the PCT rule, while PCR test will be valid for 72 hours and rapid antigen tests for 48 hours.

Meanwhile, employees in nine service activities will need to produce as of 23 August a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours or a rapid antigen test not older than 48 hours, if they have not been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19.

These activities include hygienic care, non-medical advisory and therapeutic services, services of professional or business education and training, gaming, fair and congress activity, hospitality, accommodation services.

Until next Sunday, employees in these nine service activities are required to get tested once a week.

The government said that the changes had been adopted "considering the fast increase in infections with the delta strain in the EU member states."

15 Aug 2021, 10:13 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 6 - 12 August 2021

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

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

Number of new infections on Friday highest since 3 June

LJUBLJANA - A total of 264 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Slovenia on Friday in 1,869 PCR tests, for a positivity rate of 14.1%, up 3.3 percentage points compared to the day before. The number of new infections confirmed yesterday is by 65 higher than on Thursday, and is the highest daily number since 3 June. The rolling seven-day average of new cases rose was up by 19 to 180, and the cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents also continued to steadily increase, going up by six to stand at 92. The number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients remained at 42, with seven of requiring intensive care, one more than yesterday. There were no Covid-19 deaths yesterday.

Face masks at public cultural events mandatory as next Monday

LJUBLJANA - The government has decided that people attending public cultural events will have to wear face masks as of next Monday, with the exception of performers. There are no changes regarding restrictions of public gatherings, while stricter requirements for testing of employees in certain activities are to be introduced on 23 August. Under the decree that will be in force until 22 August, the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule remains in force for public events and gatherings in enclosed spaces and for outdoor events for more than 100 people.

Transit passengers need to produce Covid certificate after 22 August

LJUBLJANA - The government decided on Friday that passengers transiting through Slovenia will not be required to produce a Covid certificate only until 22 August. "As of 23 August, transit will no longer be possible without meeting the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule (PCT) rule," the government said. If they want to avoid being ordered to quarantine for ten days in Slovenia, transit passengers will have to produce a certificate proving that the have either recovered from Covid-19, tested or vaccinated.

Pharma wholesaler Salus sees H1 revenue and net profit go up

LJUBLJANA - Salus, the Ljubljana-based pharmaceutical wholesaler, has reported a 13% rise in sales revenue for the first half of 2021 year-on-year to EUR 217.5 million. Its net profit stood at EUR 7.4 million, which compares to EUR 4.2 million in the same period last year. Earnings before income tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) totalled EUR 10.5 million and operating profit amounted to EUR 8.4 million, the group said in a press release.

Youth Strategic Forum debates development of Slovenia and EU

MARIBOR - A debate on future development of Slovenia and the EU as part of the Youth Strategic Forum heard Defence Minister and coalition New Slovenia (NSi) president Matej Tonin noting that it was right that young people were interested in the future, as it depended on them. Events such as this are an opportunity for them to exchange views, Tonin said at the conference organised by the youth wings of the NSi and the ruling Democrats (SDS) and in conjunction with the Young Entrepreneurs Organisation EU JEUNE and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

Flower show in Volčji Potok marking 30 years of Slovenia

VOLČJI POTOK - An exhibition of flowers opened in Arboretum Volčji Potok to mark the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence. It will be on display until 29 August in ten different spots around the botanical gardens, with visitors being able to admire some 50,000 different flowers that present the natural and cultural heritage of the country. The Flowers and Peace exhibition in the venue located some 15 kilometres north of Ljubljana pays homage to the first exhibition of flowers staged there 30 years ago, after the Slovenian war for independence.

Slovenian literature translation seminar ahead of Frankfurt Book Fair

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - A week-long international seminar on translation of Slovenian literature got under way in Ljubljana and Maribor. Commenting on the event, former Slovenian Book Agency (JAK) head Renata Zamida told the STA that Slovenia's appearance as guest of honour at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair has proved a fresh impetus to translation in recent years. The goal of the seminar is to increase the number of translations of top quality books abroad and to better inform translators about Slovenian books and writers.

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