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11 Jul 2021, 17:05 PM

Janša Calls for Inquiry into 1988 Massacre in Iran

STA, 11 July 2021 - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša endorsed an inquiry into a 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in Iran as he delivered a video address to the annual Free Iran World Summit, a global event organised by the Iranian diaspora.

"For nearly 33 years the world had forgotten about the victims of the massacre. This should change," he said in a video address he posted on Twitter on Sunday.

Janša expressed his support for a UN-led commission of inquiry into the massacre, after the UN investigator on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, recently called for an independent inquiry into allegations of state-ordered executions of thousands of political prisoners.

A courageous address by PM Janez Janša of Slovenia @JJansaSDS & president of Council of EU: Iranian regime must be held accountable for #HumanRights violations and int'l community must be firm about 1988 Massacre, forgotten for 33 yrs. #FreeIran2021 https://t.co/oK5uCOi8sX
— Alireza Jafarzadeh (@A_Jafarzadeh) July 11, 2021

PM Janša appears around 1 hours 54 minutes

Janša said such an inquiry commission was "of crucial importance to shed light on the horrible 1988 massacre" and would help the families of victims to finally achieve closure and justice.

"This is especially important in light of the fact that the regime's next president will be Ebrahim Raisi, who is accused by Amnesty International of crimes against humanity for his role in the massacre," he said.

"I will personally continue being engaged on all these issues of concern. You can always count on my understanding and support," he said.

According to Janša, the Iranian people deserve democracy, freedom and human rights "and should be firmly supported by the international community".

"The Iranian regime must be held accountable for human rights violations and the international community must be firmer on this."

11 Jul 2021, 04:34 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 11 July 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:

President hopes National Hall in hands of Slovenian community soon

TRIESTE, Italy - President Borut Pahor said that National Hall, which used to be the centre of the Slovenian community in Trieste, should be returned to the Slovenian community there as soon as possible, the symbolic restitution having taken place a year ago. "I ask both the mayor and the regional government to do everything so that National Hall materially belongs to the Slovenians as soon as possible, just as we agreed then," he said. Mayor Roberto Dipiazza said there were just a few formal obstacles left. The statements came as Pahor was conferred the Tre Sigilli di Trieste, the city's highest honour.

Timmermans boycotted family photo over rule of law

LJUBLJANA - Frans Timmermans, vice-president of the European Commission, told Delo he boycotted the family photo during the recent visit by the College of Commissioners due to rule of law concerns. Personal attacks and defamation of judges and members of the European Parliament with hints that they are doing something inappropriate or that this means the judicial system is corrupt constitutes disrespect of the rule of law and division of powers, he said.

Rising trend persists as 82 new cases of coronavirus confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 82 cases of coronavirus on Friday and the rate of positive PCR tests hit 5%. The daily caseload is up more than 170% over the week before and the positivity rate climbed from 2% to 5% in just a week. There were no fatalities.

10 Jul 2021, 09:30 AM

What Mladina & Reporter Are Saying This Week: Voter Suppression vs Janša’s Communication Problems

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 9 July 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Govt engaged in voter suppression

STA, 9 July 2021 - In its latest commentary, Mladina questions the current government's law-making practices and mentions failures in the fight against the epidemic, the intensifying repression and obstruction of political participation, adding that events surrounding the latest referendum on the new water law suggest this can't be just a coincidence.

"The repressive content of the law on infectious diseases and the referendum on the new waters act suggest that there are too many coincidences to believe that this is not a deliberate obstruction of the electorate," says the commentary headlined Are These Really Just Coincidences?

"Were we naive to think that the institution of elections would not be touched?" asks Mladina and continues with listing suspicious administrative occurrences surrounding the referendum on the new water law.

The left-leaning weekly also criticized the government's handling of the Covid-19 epidemic: "They have known since March that they have big problems here, that people do not trust them, but they continued with the very same incompetent team that brought us into this situation. No reflection, no consideration, all the same nonsense and mistakes as last summer."

"Do these people really understand nothing? Or do they understand and continue doing these things deliberately because this situation suits them, because they want the country in a new lockdown, so they can continue their cultural and social revolution during this period?"

Mladina says that "nevertheless, it is worth believing that these are just coincidences or incompetence, and to behave politically." They say that voters' political behaviour was also proven by the early voting turnout in the referendum.

"If the new waters act is defeated in the referendum despite all the 'coincidences', this will send a loud and clear message to the government and the coalition."

"So far, they have been able to declare the polls unreliable and downplay the importance of protests. But if you don't allow people to have early elections, even when they made their wish clear, they will find other ways of political engagement. Underestimating people has a high price," concludes the commentary.

Reporter: Janša's problems with communication growing

STA, 5 July 2021 - The right-leaning weekly Reporter says in its latest editorial that Prime Minister Janez Janša's problems in communication with politicians and media are becoming ever bigger. Not many people can turn a routine event such as the start of the EU presidency into a scandal, says the paper.

The start of the EU presidency is usually a boring, routine event full of predictable statements and cliches. The country taking over the presidency boasts its achievements and presents its ambitious agenda for the next six months.

But in the case of Slovenia, the country's priorities and all the positive messages, which an army of clerks and PR experts has been working on, were overshadowed by the statements and actions of top Slovenian officials.

Even on 1 July, the EU's recovery after the pandemic, Conference on the Future of Europe, strengthening of security, preserving the European way of life and respect for the rule of law were not the main topics of media reports on Slovenia.

Instead, media have been writing for a few days about photographs and swines and ice-cold relations between Janša and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

The most credit for this goes to Janša himself, who again made his domestic resentments towards media and judiciary international as the delegation from Brussels paid a visit.

It was almost inevitable that he will do it sometime in the next six months, but it was expected he will pick better timing and do it more successfully.

A photo of judges at a picnic hosted by the SocDems is not something that would shock von der Leyen and European commissioners. She made it clear that judges can be members or sympathisers of political parties.

Moreover, not long ago court proceedings involving Janša were cancelled because of jurors who were members of his Democrats (SDS).

And by attacking the SocDems, Janša offered Frans Timmermans, the European Commission vice-president from the ranks of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), a chance to make a scandal b

All our posts in this series are here

10 Jul 2021, 08:15 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 2 - 8 July, 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.

FRIDAY, 2 July
        OHRID, North Macedonia - President Borut Pahor made a case for the EU's rapid enlargement to the Western Balkans as he addressed the Prespa Forum Dialogue, arguing that this was in the interest of the EU and would strengthen the bloc as well as the region. The president said continued enlargement was instrumental to the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Parliament President David Sassoli said Slovenia's EU presidency had a great responsibility to defend EU values and the rule of law, noting on Twitter that the appointment of Slovenia's prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office was a way to guarantee transparency and protect legal rights.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs raised eyebrows at a briefing for Brussels correspondents, as they interpreted one of his replies as taking aim at European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans with a pearls-to-swine metaphor. It later transpired that the comment was referring to Slovenia's member of the European Commission, Janez Lenarčič, over claims that he opposed the confirmation of the national recovery plan. The Commission denied the claim saying the plan had been approved unanimously.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry commission investigating the government's handling of the Covid-19 crisis held its first interviews, hearing that two epidemiologists had quit the government advisory group as they had too little say in the decisions.
        ZAGREB, Croatia - The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) gave Slovenia's energy company Petrol a green light on the takeover of Croatian petroleum products seller Crodux. It also cleared the acquisition of electric cable manufacturer Elka by Slovenia's Iskra electronics group.
        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Corruption Prevention (KPK) has found no conflict of interest in the case of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak in connection to the construction of the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava river. The matter was investigated after the KPK received several reports of suspected conflict of interest.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) will be chaired for the next two years by Jana Kolar, the Slovenian representative to ESFRI and a member of its executive board. Kolar will take up her two-year term in 2022 as the first Slovenian and the first woman in this post, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport said.
        LJUBLJANA - The director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), Bojan Veselinovič, proposed to the government an agreement that would temporarily sort out the relations between the STA and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) since the agency has been without public funding of its service for over 180 days.
        CHALON SUR SAONE, France - Slovenia's Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won stage 7 of the Tour de France from La Vierzon to Le Creusot and took the polka dot jersey for the best climber.

SATURDAY, 3 July
ČRNA NA KOROŠKEM - President Borut Pahor spoke at a traditional get-together at the Najevnik Linden Tree to emphasise the importance of respectful dialogue and people listening to each other. He urged people to try to talk to those who think differently and look for compromises for the common good.
ANNECY, France - Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar has taken the overall lead at the Tour de France after an individual attack that secured him the fourth place in the 150.8-km eight stage of the prestigious race from Oyonnax to Le Grand-Bornand.

SUNDAY, 4 July
        KAUNAS, Lithuania - The Slovenian national basketball qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time after NBA star Luka Dončič led the team to a 96:85 win against Lithuania in the final of one of the four qualifying tournaments.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič decided to leave the Tour de France early due to injuries he sustained in the early stages of the race.

MONDAY, 5 July
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša highlighted the EU's post-pandemic recovery and resilience as a clear response to crises as he presented the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency to the National Assembly. He said successive crises since 2008 had shown that the bloc had been poorly prepared for the majority of these crises.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša called for joint efforts to convince people to get vaccinated against coronavirus as he warned that a vaccination rate of 70% would have to be achieved until the end of the summer if Slovenia is to avoid new lockdowns. He said this was the only way to prevent having to make vaccination mandatory for certain professional groups.
        LJUBLJANA - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said he was doing everything in his power to get trade unions back to the negotiating table after they quit the Economic and Social Council (ESS) in May, yet under the condition that they refrain from taking part in anti-government protests.
        LJUBLJANA - More restrictions on the services sector were lifted. Casinos fully reopened and restrictions on the number of customers in shops were lifted. The rule of reconvalescence, testing or vaccination remains in place indoors.

TUESDAY, 6 July
        STRASBOURG, France - PM Janez Janša told the European Parliament the time had come for the EU to start acting more strategically, including in the Western Balkans. Presenting the Slovenian EU presidency's priorities, he said the first short-term priority was to do everything to prevent the fourth wave of the pandemic.
        STRASBOURG, France - MEPs from the majority of political groups in the European Parliament sent PM Janez Janša some stark messages about the rule of law after he presented Slovenia's EU presidency priorities in the Parliament. Most of the criticism centred on the non-appointment of European delegated prosecutors, media freedom and independent judiciary.
        STRASBOURG, France - PM Janez Janša did not wish to comment on the European political future of his Democrats (SDS) as he visited Strasbourg to address the European Parliament. Asked about the SDS's membership in the European People's Party (EPP), he said that his party was not dealing with such issues but was focused on current challenges.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec hosted ministers in charge of transport from Slovenia's neighbouring countries and the Western Balkans to discuss efforts to improve cross-border connectivity between the EU and the region. He said a proposal to adopt appropriate measures to boost connectivity would be presented at an EU-Western Balkans summit in October.
        LJUBLJANA - Proponents of the referendum on the waters act have sharply criticised the organisation of the voting, alleging voter suppression regarding information on how and where people can vote early and polling station staffing. There were reports of long waiting lines in Ljubljana, where there was just one polling station for early voting, and confusion in Maribor, where there were seven instead of one.

WEDNESDAY, 7 July
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed an emergency bill worth EUR 243.5 million to help tourism and other sectors most affected by the Covid-19 epidemic. The legislation also brings a series of measures to help companies in tourism, convention industry, restaurants, sports and culture.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the communicable diseases act after the Constitutional Court declared parts of the act and by extension the measures introduced during the epidemic unconstitutional. The amended act determines that expert assessments are required for some measures, and that certain indicators must be taken into account when restrictions are adopted.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill on emergency measures in healthcare which the government had fast-tracked through parliament. The bill, worth EUR 66.6 million, introduces some temporary measures to deal with the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic while also seeking to cut long waiting times.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission projects that Slovenia's economy will expand by 5.7% this year, a 0.8-point increase on its May forecast. The outlook for 2020 was slightly downgraded to 5%. It said Slovenia's recovery was buoyed by growing private spending, investments and exports, with merchandise exports already at pre-crisis levels.
        LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry's oversight of police tasks and powers at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has revealed several shortcomings, including too long investigations and mistakes related to house searchers. Based on the report, Minister Aleš Hojs believes that "certain staff changes" should be made at the NBI.
        RIGA, Latvia - Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin visited the Slovenian soldiers serving in NATO's mission Enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia. Together with his Montenegrin and Macedonian counterparts, Olivera Injac and Radmila Šekerinska, he met the mission's senior officers at the Adazi base.

THURSDAY, 8 July
        SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Borut Pahor met his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev to discuss Bulgaria's veto on North Macedonia's bid to join the EU. The presidents are personally committed to see a compromise solution that would pave the way for the start of North Macedonia's EU accession talks, Pahor's office said.
        LJUBLJANA - The government abolished the quarantine requirement for people who come to Slovenia from countries and areas listed as red and dark red and show proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recently recovered from the disease as of this Saturday.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia should improve the use of digital tools and new technologies in the judiciary and continue training justice professionals to use them, European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said as he presented a report on the judiciary in the EU, ninth so far. He urged Slovenia to appoint its European delegated prosecutors.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar presented via videolink the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), highlighting the EU's resilience, economic recovery and the Conference on the Future of Europe.
        NOVO MESTO - Pharmaceutical group Krka posted a net profit of EUR 177.4 million for the first half of the year, up 11% on the back of sales that reached EUR 808.6 million, a 1% increase over the same period last year, CEO Jože Colarič said

10 Jul 2021, 04:31 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 10 July 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:

V4 prime ministers endorse Slovenia's presidency priorities

LJUBLJANA - The prime ministers of Visegrad Group countries endorsed the priorities of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU as they held talks with Prime Minister Janez Janša. The statement adopted at the recent summit of the Visegrad leaders "largely reflects our priorities and to a large extent the positions that Slovenia has about all these topical issues," Janša said. Since it joined the EU, Slovenia has often cooperated with the V4 countries and coordinated priorities. "I'm glad that we are doing it at a time when Slovenia has additional responsibility ... and the EU faces many challenges that require timely answers," according to Janša.

Justice Ministry publishes new call for delegated prosecutors

LJUBLJANA - The Justice Ministry published a new call for applications for two European delegated prosecutors after the previous was annulled. The government expects six names, three for each post. Mirjam Kline from the Association of State Prosecutors said there was no basis for a list with six candidates. The State Prosecutor's Council indicated it would not go along with the new call. The two candidates whose selection has been annulled will challenge the government decision in court.

Pahor calls for sustainable development at Three Seas Initiative summit

SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Borut Pahor said at a meeting of leaders from the Three Seas Initiative that the initiative could only be successful if it acted in line with the goals, priorities and policies of the EU. He said one strategic goal must always be pursued, and that is sustainable development. He said the initiative contributed to European cohesion, its stability and prosperity. It will also enhance our trans-Atlantic ties. The president welcomed the declaration the leaders adopted which endorses the Paris climate agreement.

EU ministerial says dialogue key to resilient labour markets

BRDO PRI KRANJU - To have resilient and inclusive labour markets, a regular and constructive dialogue with the civil society needs to be boosted, EU ministers in charge of employment and social policy concluded after a two-day informal meeting in Slovenia as part of the country's EU presidency. "Only in dialogue can we look for joint solutions for a resilient and inclusive Europe," Slovenian Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said.

Covid certificate mandatory for entering Slovenia as of 15 July

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will tighten rules on the border starting on 15 July, as the colour-coded lists of countries will be cast aside in favour of the requirement that passengers who wish to enter the country will need to have a Covid certificate. Passengers will need a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours, a negative rapid antigen test no older than 48 hours, certificate of vaccination, or proof that they have recovered from Covid. The EU's green digital certificate will be accepted, as will the equivalent certificates of third countries.

Public Health Institute endorses vaccine mixing

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians who wish to mix different coronavirus vaccines will be allowed to do that under new guidance issued by the National Institute of Public Health. The general rule is that the same vaccine be used for both shots, but if individuals express the wish to mix vaccines, they can do it. A four-week gap between the two jabs is mandatory.

Week-on-week increase in Covid cases continues

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 82 new coronavirus cases for Thursday in 1,696 PCR tests and over 24,000 rapid tests in what continues to be an upward trend in infections week-on-week, show data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). There were no fatalities. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents rose by two to 22. The 7-day average of new cases has increased to 44.

Changes to audiovisual media services act confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the audiovisual media services act under which content providers will have to earmark 6% of their gross annual revenue to a special fund to finance European audiovisual production. It was originally proposed that the levy be set at 2%, but the coalition partners pushed through an amendment raising the share to 6%. The legislation has been met with criticism from content providers and the Association of Slovenian Journalists, which said the levy was too high.

Early referendum voting draws record number of voters to polls

LJUBLJANA - More than 84,000 voters, or 4.96% of the electorate, cast their votes in a three-day early voting on the new waters legislation, which the National Electoral Commission says is the highest turnout in any early referendum or early elections voting in Slovenia's history.

Report shows police handled 25 June protest in line with the law

LJUBLJANA - An investigation into the conduct of the police at the 25 June anti-government rally has found no fault in the decision of police officers to remove a far-right group, though several irregularities in the policing of the event have been detected, including a failure to respond to at least four cases of violations among the protesters, shows a report presented by Police Commissioner Anton Olaj.

MPs harassed by anti-maskers

LJUBLJANA - At least three MPs were harassed by what appear to have been anti-maskers after the National Assembly passed amendments to the infections diseases act on Wednesday. NSi deputies Jožef Horvat and Tadeja Šuštar, and SNS leader Zmago Jelinčič have reported being heckled and spat on. The incidents were debated by deputy group leaders, who agreed it was necessary to change security around the building.

Slovenian Digital Centre opens

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Digital Centre opened at the BTC City shopping district to promote digitalisation of businesses and Slovenian society. The centre will foster cooperation among Slovenian companies and other organisations and promote them abroad during Slovenia's EU presidency. 80 events are planned to promote some 200 companies during the coming six months, with business delegations to come from Slovakia, France, Hungary, Austria and Japan.

Warnings about corruption risk in mega rail project

LJUBLJANA - A task force keeping an eye on the construction of the new rail track between Divača and Koper has warned there are "significant corruption risks" in the project worth EUR 744 million VAT excluded, in particular with regard to the disposal of excavated material. "If you do not provide a detailed breakdown for EUR 50 million [for the removal of excavated materials], there is something wrong. We estimate this constitutes a very high corruption risk," said Emil Milan Pintar of the Project Council for Civilian Oversight.

EU Justice Scoreboard: Trust in Slovenian judiciary improving

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's judiciary is stable and the public's trust in it is improving, shows the EU's latest report on EU justice systems released on Thursday. The 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard focusses on digitalisation, where Slovenia placed 7th in digital options to initiate and follow proceedings in civil/commercial and administrative cases. After Slovenia placed 24th in terms of perception of independence of the judiciary in 2017, its standing has improved to 20th spot, the Supreme Court said.

Carthago planning expansion of production

ORMOŽ - The German motorhome maker Carthago, which has a large production location in Odranci in eastern Slovenia, plans to expand to nearby Ormož in the coming years. Under an agreement signed with the local community, Carthago plans to buy a 100,000 m2 plot of land in the Ormož industrial zone. Production is set to start in early 2023 and the company plans to employ 300-400 workers there initially, said Sandra Županec, the director of Carthago's Slovenian subsidiary.

May's exports of goods up by 31% year-on-year, imports by 52%

LJUBLJANA - In May, Slovenia exported EUR 3.2 billion worth of goods and imported EUR 3.4 billion. The value of exports was 31.2% higher than a year ago, while the value of imported goods increased by 51.6%. The value of imports was higher than that of exports for the second month in a row. The export/import coverage was 93.4% and the deficit amounted to EUR 200 million, according to data published by the Statistics Office.

Industrial output up 22% year-on-year in May

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian industrial output was up 22.1% in May over the year before on the back of a strong performance in manufacturing and exceeded the pre-crisis level, the latest Statistics Office data show. Manufacturing surged by over 24% on the year before, whereas electricity, water and steam supply posted a 1.2% gain and mining declined by 6.2%.

09 Jul 2021, 13:30 PM

Slovenia to Change Colour-Coded Country Lists for COVID Certificates as of 15 July

STA, 9 July 2021 - Slovenia will tighten rules on the border starting on 15 July, as the colour-coded lists of countries will be cast aside in favour of the requirement that passengers who wish to enter the country will need to have a Covid certificate showing they have been vaccinated, tested or have recovered from coronavirus, regardless of where they come from.

Under a government regulation adopted on Friday, passengers will need a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours, a negative rapid antigen test no older than 48 hours, certificate of vaccination or proof that they have recovered from Covid.

The EU's green digital certificate will be accepted, as will the equivalent certificates of third countries, which must contain the same information as the EU certificate and be issued in English.

The acceptable vaccines are those by Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen as well as the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the Chinese Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.

Only owners of land on both sides of the border and accompanied minors under 15 are exempted.

Persons without a Covid certificate will have to quarantine for ten days and foreigners without a certificate and without residence in Slovenia are allowed entry and quarantine only if they can prove they have a place to quarantine for ten days.

The decision comes amidst concern about a rising number of new cases and a surge in the share of the more infectious delta variant of the novel coronavirus

09 Jul 2021, 11:00 AM

Feature: Campaigning in Slovenia’s Water Referendum Comes to a Close

STA, 9 July 2021 - Voters will be heading to the polls on Sunday to support or reject a set of changes to the waters act passed on 30 March. The government and the bill's opponents have presented diametrically opposing views on whether the new legislation expands or limits construction in areas around bodies of water.

Coastal or embankment areas are currently defined as five or 15 metres from the perimeter of a body of water such as the sea, lake or river.

Under Article 14 of the existing waters act, the government can narrow coastal or embankment areas on the proposal of developers, but only under certain conditions.

Construction is now allowed only in an existing building plot within a town, it must not worsen flood safety or threat of erosion, and must not affect water quality.

If a coastal or embankment area is narrowed, however, no special safety measures regarding construction apply to it, despite the closeness of water.

The new act regulates this in Article 37, which the referendum proponents find the most problematic.

Although it introduces the provision that a water permit will have to be obtained for all construction projects, it no longer requires building only within an existing building plot within a developed area.

The opponents claim this significantly expands areas eligible for construction if municipal zoning plans are changed, which is easy under pressure from capital.

But the government says that the new Article 37 expands the strict rules from coastal and embankment areas to water areas and areas of intermittent lakes, as it prevents construction there, except for certain exceptions.

The exceptions are among others construction of public or utility infrastructure, including for the country's defence, or buildings constructed for public good, including hotels and restaurants.

Several types of construction related to water protection are also allowed along the construction for safe navigation or protection of people, animals or property.

These exceptions have been transposed from the existing law into the new one, with two more added: simple buildings and buildings for public use.

While the opponents admit that a few simple buildings will do no harm to waters, they believe a cumulative effect could be extremely harmful.

Since 2008 when the law enabled narrowing of coastal and embankment areas, there have been very few exceptions approved, which the opponents see as the existing law protecting waters relatively well.

Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Andrej Vizjak meanwhile says the new legislation improves the existing situation.

He has recently explained that the existing legislation allows all types of buildings if a coastal or embankment area is narrowed, including private mansions.

This will no longer be possible, as only simple and public-use buildings could be build there, while every project will also have to be approved by the Water Agency.

This means decisions will be in the hands of experts rather then politics, Vizjak has argued in favour of the new legislation.

However, the government and the three coalition parties seem to be largely isolated in their promotion of the new rules for areas close to waters.

The referendum proponents - a broad coalition of environmental NGOs termed the Movement for Drinking Water - had opposed the bill while it still in its early stages.

They have since seen massive support by those with vested interest, such as water experts and engineers, but also organisations with practically no direct link to water management, such as WWII veterans.

The University of Ljubljana stressed the new law enabled construction even on water, and the Speleological Association said it enhanced risks of pollution.

"In Slovenia we are well aware of the role of water and the water sources which we manage. We are one of the two EU member states which have legislated the right to drinking water by writing it down in the constitution," the Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) has said as it presented its view against the bill.

In a heated political atmosphere, some see the referendum as a vote on the government, while the two opposing sides have also accused each other of misleading voters.

The campaign wraps up at midnight after problems with early voting at several major polling stations in Maribor and Ljubljana as well as problems with registration for absentee voting, leading to accusations of voter suppression.

09 Jul 2021, 10:31 AM

Changes to Quarantine Rules for Arrivals from Red Countries on Saturday

STA, 8 July 2021 - People who come to Slovenia from countries and areas listed as red and dark red but show proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recently recovered from the disease will no longer need to quarantine as of this Saturday, the government decided on Thursday.

Digital Covid certificates from EU and third countries will be accepted.

However, a 10-day quarantine requirement remains in place for foreigners without residence in Slovenia coming from red-listed areas.

The border police page - in English - with the list of dark red, red, and orange countries is here

To enter Slovenia, they will need to provide a negative PCR test and prove they have a place to stay for the 10-day period. Those who fail to do so will be denied entry.

Foreigners without residence in Slovenia coming from dark red areas are not allowed to enter the country.

There are no changes for entry from the green-listed countries.

Persons entering Slovenia from orange-listed countries can enter without quarantine if they provide a digital Covid certificate from the EU or third countries. Otherwise they need to quarantine for 10 days.

Foreigners without residence in Slovenia will be allowed to enter the country and go into quarantine only if they prove they have a place to stay during the quarantine.

09 Jul 2021, 09:15 AM

Krka Reports Record January-June Sales & Profits, 95% from Exports

STA, 8 July 2021 - Pharmaceutical group Krka posted a net profit of EUR 177.4 million for the first half of the year, up 11% on the back of sales that reached EUR 808.6 million, up 1% over the same period last year, CEO Jože Colarič said at the company's annual general meeting in Otočec on Thursday.

Operating profit dropped by 8% to EUR 200.1 million according to early figures and gross operating profit decreased by 7% to EUR 254.7 million, Krka said in a release.

As much as 95% of the sales were generated on markets outside Slovenia, where products worth EUR 764.8 million were sold.

Krka's biggest single market, Eastern Europe, accounted for over 34% of the sales, or EUR 276.5 million, up 2%.

The dominant market within this region is Russia, where sales dropped by 7% to EUR 168 million, while growth was posted in most of the Eastern European markets and Asia.

Following Central Europe as the second biggest market accounting for 23.4% of the sales, Western Europe was third with an almost 20% share, and Germany the leader.

SE Europe placed fourth with 14% or EUR 112.3 million in sales, while in Slovenia, Krka's sales rose by 9% to EUR 41.8 million, accounting for 5.2% of group sales.

Other, overseas markets accounted for 3.4% of all group sales in the first six months, translating into EUR 27.5 million, up 14%.

The Novo Mesto-based group's investments in January-June amounted to over EUR 28 million, including over EUR 22 million at the parent company, the company said, adding the supervisory board would discuss the unaudited business results on 28 July.

Krka's shareholders will receive a record dividend of EUR 5 gross per share, up almost 18% from 2020, as the AGM backed the management's proposal to distribute EUR 156 million from last year's distributable profit of EUR 337.52.

Krka plans to end 2021 with sales of EUR 1.5 billion and a net profit of around EUR 265 million. Investments should total EUR 114 million.

"Business results in 2021 will depend on the spread of Covid-19 and related measures in individual countries, on global post-pandemic recovery and on exchange rate fluctuations in Krka's key currencies," the release says.

At the end of June, the Krka group employed 11,607 workers, while together with agency workers, the count reached 12,524.

09 Jul 2021, 04:07 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 9 July 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:

68 new coronavirus cases confirmed as upward trend persists

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 68 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, in what marks the third consecutive day of significant week-on-week increases. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population rose by one to 20. The bulk of the recent surge comes from an outbreak that started at a school trip to Spain. Of the 334 secondary school students from the southern Dolenjska region who holidayed on the Spanish coast, 58 have tested positive since returning and all 334 are in quarantine.

Pharma group Krka posts record January-June sales, profit

NOVO MESTO - Pharmaceutical group Krka posted a net profit of EUR 177.4 million for the first half of the year, up 11% on the back of sales that reached EUR 808.6 million, a 1% increase over the same period last year, CEO Jože Colarič said at the company's annual general meeting in Novo Mesto. Operating profit dropped by 8% to EUR 200.1 million according to early figures and gross operating profit decreased by 7% to EUR 254.7 million.

Both advocates and opponents of new water law invoke protection of water

LJUBLJANA - Advocates and opponents of the changes to the waters act, to be put to a referendum vote on Sunday, stressed the need to protect water as they faced off on public broadcaster TV Slovenija on Wednesday evening. However, the advocates said the new law would better protect water, maintaining that compared to the existing legislation, construction would be limited, while water protection would be enhanced, including for drinking water. The opponents said it would endanger it because it enabled construction on the coast and along rivers and lake banks, posing a threat to waters.

Significantly more bears culled in six months than entire 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian authorities dealt with more incidents of damage caused by bears and fewer by wolves in January-June compared to the same six-month period last year, while the total damage is lower. A total of 128 bears were culled in this period, a significant rise from a total of 99 culled in the entire 2020. In the first six months of 2021, authorities dealt with 120 cases of damage caused by brown bears and 80 cases of damage caused by wolves. Data the STA obtained from the Slovenian Forest Service shows the total damage is estimated at just under EUR 90,000.

Businesses feel latest stimulus package falls short

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's largest business chambers said the latest stimulus package for tourism did not meet expectations. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said several measures that businesses had proposed and that would have gone farthest were not included in the package. The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) said the package did not address their concerns and would not help the entire economy.

EUR 689 million so far paid for furlough, short-time work

LJUBLJANA - From the start of the epidemic in April last year until 1 July this year, the Employment Service paid out a total of EUR 688.7 million for furlough subsidies, absence due to quarantine and reduced working hours. The funds were paid out under the eight laws determining emergency measures to contain the COVID-19 epidemic. The highest number of applications (57.9%) was for subsidized furlough.

Art Stays brings contemporary art to Ptuj

PTUJ - The 19th Art Stays international festival of contemporary art kicked off in Ptuj. This year's festival, entitled Structura, will present projects and works by new talents and established artists through 18 September. The central exhibition will be on show at the Ptuj City Gallery and present Structura through monochromatic works of Duša Jesih and Julie Mangold. It will also include various Slovenian artists, Israeli artist Gal Weinstein, young Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed and Mohammad Al-Hemd from Kuwait.

Exhibition on illustrator Hinko Smrekar opens at National Gallery

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition on versatile Slovenian artist Hinko Smrekar opened at the National Gallery in Ljubljana. Smrekar (1883-1942) was one of the pioneers of Slovenian graphic art and left his mark on the artistic, social and political life in Slovenia in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his illustrations on playing cards, illustrations of Ivan Cankar's books and Fran Levstik's Martin Krpan, the first original Slovenian picture book.

08 Jul 2021, 12:30 PM

128 Bears Killed in First 6 Months of 2021

STA, 8 July 2021 - Slovenian authorities dealt with more incidents of damage caused by bears and fewer by wolves in January-June compared to the same six-month period last year, while the total damage is lower. A total of 128 bears were culled in this period, a significant rise from a total of 99 culled in the entire 2020.

In the first six months of 2021, authorities dealt with 120 cases of damage caused by brown bears and 80 cases of damage caused by wolves. Data the STA obtained from the Slovenian Forest Service shows the total damage is estimated at just under EUR 90,000.

In the first six months of last year, there were 86 such events linked to bears and 143 to wolves, with the total damage estimated at EUR 112,000.

Both last year and this year, the most damage was caused in the region of Bela Krajina, south-east, and in the area around Kočevje, south.

128 bears have been culled this year, of which 112 were shot under a permit issued by the Slovenian Environment Agency, seven were shot under individual culling permits, and the rest died in railway or road accidents.

Only four wolves have been culled so far this year - two were shot under individual permits, one was killed on the road, and one is suspected to have been poached. Last year, a total of 99 brown bears and 14 wolves or wolf-dog hybrids were culled, according to the Forest Service data.

The Forest service estimates that more than 1,000 bears live in Slovenia. The number of wolves has been estimated at 113 for the 2019/20 season, and the estimate for the 2020/21 season will be known in the autumn.

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