STA, 12 June 2022 - Slovenian rider Primož Roglič won the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine road cycling race after letting Jumbo Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark take the final mountain stage between Saint-Alban-Leysse and Plateau de Salaison.

The 32-year-old three-time winner of La Vuelta is the second Slovenian to win this race leading up to the Tour de France after Janez Brajkovič attained the feat 12 years ago.

It is Roglič's 64th career victory and the fourth this season. He is only the fourth rider in history to win the biggest week-long races in France, the Paris-Nice and the Dauphine, the same year after French Jacques Anquetil (1963, 1965), Belgian Eddy Merckx (1971) and Briton Bradley Wiggins (2012).

Coming in second today, Roglič finished the race with an overall lead of 40 seconds ahead of Vingegaard. The pair reached the top of the Plateau de Solaison hand-in-hand but the Dane was the first to cross the finish line. Australian Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroen) finished the stage and the race third.

"Finally I got to win a few races in France, the feeling is really great," Roglič said in his first comment.

He praised the whole Jumbo Visma team for their excellent joint effort as they controlled the stage the whole way from the start to finish.

"Jonas was very strong on the last climb, it was really a crazy, amazing finish for the team," he added after his last test ahead of the start of the Tour of France in Copenhagen on 1 July.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Roglič overall winner of Criterium du Dauphine

ANNECY, France - Primož Roglič won the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine road cycling race after letting Jumbo Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark take the final mountain stage between Saint-Alban-Leysse and Plateau de Salaison. The 32-year-old three-time winner of La Vuelta is the second Slovenian to win this race leading up to the Tour de France after Janez Brajkovič attained the feat 12 years ago. It is Roglič's 64th career victory and the fourth this season.

Bronze for Slovenia at European Archery Championships

MUNICH, Germany - The Slovenian women's team won bronze in the Olympic recurve bow discipline at the European Archery Championships in Munich. Ana Umer, Urška Čavič and Nina Corel defeated Denmark 5:3 (201:196) in the bronze medal match for what is the best result for Slovenian women recurve bow archers since the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almeria. Germany took gold and Turkey silver.

Hoogerland defends Franja Marathon victory

LJUBLJANA - Dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland won the 41st Franja Marathon to defend last year's victory in what is Slovenia's largest amateur cycling event. The 39-year-old former Tour de France polka-dot jersey winner finished the 156-kilometre race in 3 hours, 37 minutes and 28 seconds, beating an Italian breakaway group. The marathon takes riders from Ljubljana on a round trip to Cerkno in the west of the country and back. It is named after a WWII Partisan hospital near Cerkno.

Golnik clinic tracks progress in lung cancer treatment

GOLNIK - The Golnik Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases is one of Slovenia's main lung cancer treatment facilities, diagnosing about 40% of some 1,500 new cases of the disease that get detected in the country every year. Its register of patients shows encouraging progress in treatment in the past decade. Now 60-70% of the patients who get their lung cancer discovered at an early stage are still alive five years on. The clinic campaigning for a screening programme to further reduce mortality.

Survey shows Slovenian online stores increasingly popular

LJUBLJANA - Online shopping has retained the popularity gained during the Covid-19 pandemic with three out of four of those questioned in a survey commissioned by Mastercard Slovenija saying they shop online at least sometimes. A growing number make their purchases at Slovenian sites. The share of those who more often opt for a Slovenian site rose to 45% from 36% last year, as the proportion of those who prefer to shop at foreign online stores dropped to 18% from 22%, according to the Masterindex survey.

August most popular month to tie the knot

LJUBLJANA - Close to 6,000 couples got married in Slovenia last year and 58 same-sex couples registered formal civil unions. August was the most popular month for a wedding, data from the Statistics Office shows. Compared to the year before, the number of couples who got married increased by 13% to 5,916 whereas the number of those who got a divorce rose by nearly a third (31%) to 2,322. Most couples tied the knot on 21 August; as many as 209, which compares to 16 on an average day.

STA, 12 June 2022 - Dutch rider Johnny Hoogerland won the 41st Franja Marathon on Sunday to defend last year's victory in what is Slovenia's largest amateur cycling event.

The 39-year-old former Tour de France polka-dot jersey winner finished the 156-kilometre race in 3 hours, 37 minutes and 28 seconds, beating an Italian breakaway group.

Luca Chiesi came in second and Ettore Carlini third, followed by two more Italians, Francesco Bongiorno in fourth and Christian Dallago in fifth. The latter built a lag of 52 seconds.

The best Slovenian was Tadej Sedar in 9th.

Slovenia's Laura Šimenc was best among women, finishing the race in 3:50:17 for her third Franja victory after 2017 and 2020. Her compatriot Nina Pugelj came in second and Italian Elena Maria Palmisano placed third.

The marathon takes riders from Ljubljana on a round trip to Cerkno in the west of the country and back. It is named after a hospital operated by the Partisan resistance movement during World War II near Cerkno.

STA, 11 June 2022 - This year's Pride Parade festival culminated in Ljubljana Pride on Saturday in what was a parade celebrating difference and equality. Members of the LGBTIQ+ community called for peace in Ukraine, and several senior officials participated in Pride and addressed them at the end of the parade. 

LGBTIQ+ organisations put up Pride Village in Congress Square prior to Pride. Visitors were able to learn about what they do, get creative in the arts and crafts corner or get their face painted for the parade.

Held under the slogan Time for the Rainbow Voice, Ljubljana Pride or the Pride march was dedicated to calls for visibility, equality and respect for everyone, as well as to calls for an end to the war in Ukraine.

The Rainbow Voice helped the community to turn out in record numbers and have a say in the outcome of the April election, said Katja Štefanec from the Pride Parade Association in her speech. "We demand that your pre-election promises and goodwill are put into practice!" she told the new government.

In Congress Square, where the march ended, the participants were also addressed by Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković and Simon Maljevac, Labour Ministry state secretary who is expected to become the minister in charge of labour, family, social affairs and equal opportunities after the planned government reshuffle in the coming months.

When this happens, he will become Slovenia's first openly gay minister.

Maljevac argued that the rainbow did not mean much if it did not become an active part of politics as a symbol of diversity and respect for human rights for all. "It is time to make our beautiful words that no one should be overlooked reality," he said.

The event was also addressed by Beograd Pride representative Filip Vulović and Lambda Warsaw representative Krzysztof Kliszczynski, and attended by, among others, Labour Minister Luka Mesec, Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan, Culture Minister Asta Vrečko and MEP Milan Brglez, the organisers said.

Several ministries also flew the rainbow flag to mark the Pride day.

The Interior Ministry wrote that "discrimination, ridicule or intimidation have no place in a modern and inclusive society". They added that the Constitution clearly states that Slovenia is a country of all its citizens.

"Diversity does not impoverish society, but enriches it and makes it more meaningful," the ministry said, announcing that the police would ensure the safety of all participants today.

There were no reports of any incidents during Pride, however in the run-up to it a number of LGBTIQ+ posters in the capital had been vandalised.

The Pride Parade festival, which started on 3 June, focused on the integration of local LGBTIQ+ communities and the needs of rural LGBTIQ+ people as well as the impact of local and national elections on their rights. Other focus areas included solidarity towards LGBTIQ+ refugees from Ukraine, housing issues of LGBTIQ+ people and freedom of expression.

The highlights were also Koroška Pride in the northern town of Slovenj Gradec and a spoken word performance by British poet Joelle Taylor, the latest winner of the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize.

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:

Commemoration of Ljubelj liberation calls for peace and end to evil

LJUBELJ - A ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Ljubelj concentration camp urged efforts to prevent the spread of evil and called for peace in light of the war in Ukraine. The keynote speaker, Anica Mikuš Kos, head of the Slovenian Philanthropy humanitarian organisation, pointed out that the horrors of the concentration camps could ignite vigilance and a rapid response to developments that can again lead to mass suffering.

*Ljubljana Pride wraps up rainbow-coloured festival

LJUBLJANA - This year's Pride Parade festival culminated in Ljubljana Pride in what was a parade celebrating difference and urging equality. Members of the LGBTIQ+ community called for peace in Ukraine, and several senior officials participated in Pride and delivered speeches at the end of the parade. Several ministries also flew the rainbow flag to mark the Pride day.

S&P Global and DBRS Morningstar affirm Slovenia's ratings

LJUBLJANA - The Toronto-based credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar has affirmed Slovenia's A rating and the New York-based agency S&P Global Ratings has affirmed the country's AA- rating, both with a stable outlook, the Finance Ministry said. S&P Global expects the Slovenian economy and public finances to remain robust despite geopolitical risks, rising inflation and demographic disparities.

Opposition critical of call to govt to rethink stance on Ukraine war

LJUBLJANA - The former defence minister and head of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi), Matej Tonin, thinks that a recent call to the new government to rethink its position on the war in Ukraine is a threat to national security. The former PM and head of the Democrats (SDS), Janez Janša, believes that this was an expression of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine.

Slovenia 7th globally in environmental performance

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranks seventh out of 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), which is calculated by Yale University to assess the state of sustainable environmental care. Slovenia is the highest-scoring Eastern European nation in the report. "Under the EU's Natura 2000 initiative, Slovenia has protected over 30% of its territories - more than any other European nation."

Court dismisses case against suspected attacker on judge

LJUBLJANA - Nearly three years after a brutal attack on a Maribor judge in front of her home, the Slovenj Gradec district court dismissed the case against the chief suspect, the judge's former partner, due to a lack of evidence, the newspaper Večer reported. Both the Maribor prosecutor's office and the victim appealed against the decision, but were unsuccessful.

Slalom canoeist Peter Kauzer wins World Cup event in Prague

PRAGUE, the Czech Republic - Slovenian slalom canoeist Peter Kauzer won the first World Cup race this season in whitewater slalom in Prague. After barely qualifying for the final, he then rode the rapids with flying colours to win by almost a second over his rivals. Second place went to Italy's Giovanni De Gennaro, and Martin Dougoud of Switzerland finished third.

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

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 FRIDAY, 3 June
        BRIJUNI, Croatia - The presidents of Slovenia, Croatia and Austria urged accelerating EU accession talks with Western Balkan countries and condemned the war in Ukraine, which they believe cannot be resolved diplomatically at the moment. At their annual meeting in Croatia, they also discussed NATO enlargement and supported Croatia's entry into the eurozone and Schengen Area.
        LJUBLJANA - Dzmitry Hleizer, an opponent of the regime of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, is awaiting a decision on his potential extradition to Belarus after being detained in Slovenia on an international arrest warrant in late April. The Belarus diaspora says the warrant is politically-motivated.
        LJUBLJANA - The government replaced the supervisors at three state-owned electricity companies, ELES, Borzen and SODO, as well as at DRI, a consulting and engineering company specialised in infrastructure projects. The day earlier the cabinet named four new non-executive directors the Bank Assets Management Company, who are responsible for appointments of executive directors and the chairman.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Maja Pak director of the Slovenian Tourism Board for a full five-year term. Pak stepped down as director in November 2021 due to disagreements with the then economy minister, Zdravko Počivalšek.
        POSTOJNA - National Assembly Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič visited the children from a Luhansk orphanage at their temporary home in the village of Slavina near Postojna. She promised to strive for their integration and for securing additional staff to help their Ukrainian guardians.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office reported that Slovenia's merchandise exports expanded by 28.2% year-on-year in April but were far outpaced by a 42.6% growth in imports, further widening the trade deficit.
        LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service registered 55,854 people as being out of a job in May, the lowest figure since 1990 and a quarter down from the year before.
        NOVO MESTO - Drug company Krka announced that the Romanian anti-corruption watchdog found no irregularities in connection to allegations from 2020 that Krka had been paying doctors in Romania kickbacks to prescribe its products.
        NOVA GORICA - Kaja Širok stepped down as the head of a public institution in charge of organising Nova Gorica's 2025 European Capital of Culture project to become a state secretary in charge of culture at the prime minister's office.

SATURDAY, 4 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Robert Golob joined a call by French President Emanuel Macron for the formation of a new European centrist alliance that would go beyond the ALDE party, according to Politico.
        KOČEVSKI ROG - Victims of post-WWII summary executions were honoured with a ceremony in an area in south Slovenia dotted with mass graves. Bishop of Novo Mesto Andrej Saje and President Borut Pahor called for efforts towards reconciliation.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that the Bank Assets Management Company became the sole owner of Salomon, a company that forms a key part of a sprawling media empire controlled by Martin Odlazek and his family, after successfully suing to expropriate the only other shareholder.
        AALEN, Germany - Boxer Ema Kozin defeated Hungary's Szilvia Szabados to become the world champion in the women's light middleweight category in the WBF organisation. This is third weight category in which the 23-year-old Slovenian holds the world champion title.

MONDAY, 6 June
        LJUBLJANA - Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg visited Slovenia as the first senior foreign official after the new government took office for meetings with his counterpart Tanja Fajon, Prime Minister Robert Golob and President Borut Pahor. Slovenian officials urged Austria to end checks on its internal Schengen border with Slovenia, but Schallenberg said Austria did not see any alternative to the measure for now.
        LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council criticised the coalition agreement as being too vague, warning of a potential increase in expenditure that could outstrip that of revenue. It urged the government to specify the fiscal implications of the measures planned in the document.
        LJUBLJANA - The State Attorney's Office announced it had withdrawn suits against individuals to compensate the Interior Ministry for the costs of policing anti-government protests held in the past two years after the ministry under the new government withdrew its consent for the damages claims.
        SLOVENJ GRADEC - Journalist Vladimir Vodušek was acquitted of attempting to extort a business executive in 2012 in a retrial at the Slovenj Gradec District Court. In the original trial Vodušek was given a year and a half in prison in 2018, but the ruling was overturned by a higher court.
        LJUBLJANA - The death toll of the powerful explosion that ripped through the Melamin chemical plant in Kočevje, south Slovenia, on 12 May increased to seven after a second of the two severely injured workers died at UKC Ljubljana hospital.
        KOPER - The shareholders meeting of port operator Luka Koper endorsed a counter-proposal by Slovenian Sovereign Holding to pay out dividends of EUR 1.14 gross per share of EUR 15.96 million in total. The state and state owned-funds hold over 67% in the company.

TUESDAY, 7 June
        LJUBLJANA - Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Olena Kondratiuk thanked Slovenia for its support for her country as she addressed the press with Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, who also promised support for Ukraine's EU accession efforts. Kondratiuk also met President Borut Pahor and Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court stayed parts of the new environment protection act dealing with extended producer responsibility pending its final decision on an application by Interseroh, the German-owned waste management company, and its associates who are worried about the damage the new system would do to their business.
        LJUBLJANA - Having conducted a mission to the country between 22 and 30 May, a team of international experts under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency found Slovenia had a comprehensive and well-functioning radioactive waste and spent fuel management system, but there was still room for improvement.
        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Human Rights at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) submitted a proposal to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the UN to establish an international court dealing with war crimes against children between 2000 and 2022.
        LJUBLJANA - Žiga Debeljak, a former CEO of retailer Mercator, was appointed chairman of the board of directors of the Bank Assets Management Company as the new board appointed by the government the week before held its inaugural session. He replaces Franci Matoz, the lawyer of former PM Janez Janša, who had stepped down.
        TRIESTE, Italy - Several hundred people gathered at St Ana's Cemetery for the funeral of Boris Pahor, the internationally-acclaimed Slovenian writer who died at his home in Trieste aged 108 on 30 May.
        LJUBLJANA - Latvian poet Amanda Aizpuriete was declared the winner of this year's International Vilenica Prize for Central European literature, to be presented at the conclusion of the 37th Vilenica International Literary Festival in September.
        LJUBLJANA - Ghanaian visual artist Ibrahim Mahama was appointed artistic director of the 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, to take place between 15 September and 14 January, 2023.
        GORNJA RADGONA - A bust dedicated to Ivan Kramberger (1936-1992), a humanitarian, inventor and a candidate in the 1990 presidential election, was unveiled to mark the 30th anniversary of his assassination during his pre-election speech. A book and a documentary on him also marked the occasion.
        CLEVELAND, US - Joe Valencic, a well known promoter of Slovenian and polka events in the US, became the sixth American of Slovenian descent to be inducted to the Cleveland International Hall of Fame to join the ranks of Senator George Voinovich, journalist Dick Russ, jurists Vladimir Rus and Avgust Pust and Bishop Edvard Pevec.

WEDNESDAY, 8 June
        LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found major flaws in the way the Koper-Divača rail project had been prepared and run from 2015 until the end of June 2020, finding the government and the ministry in charge had been inefficient in preparing the basis for the construction and management of the project and only partly efficient in their oversight of the project.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of prominent academics and politicians, including former presidents Milan Kučan and Danilo Türk, urged the new government to "take a sensible stance on the war in Ukraine" that would lead to Ukraine and Russia engaging in "serious peace talks". They said "a new security architecture" would have to be built in Europe.
        LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič and her Polish counterpart Elzbieta Witek discussed Ukraine, relations between Slovenia and Poland, and future cooperation by video call. Klakočar Zupančič accepted Witek's invitation to join a group of women parliamentary speakers from EU members to focus on humanitarian aid and other mechanisms to help refugees.
        LJUBLJANA - Members of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) endorsed a merger with the Freedom Movement, the party of Prime Minister Robert Golob, in a near unanimous vote after the party failed to make the 4% threshold to enter parliament.
        LJUBLJANA - The Government Communication Office (UKOM), which has a new leadership following the change of government, announced it would no longer compile reports scrutinising the work of RTV Slovenija journalists and would finance the STA in line with the contract signed in early 2022 by the STA's director and UKOM's former head.
        PARIS, France - The OECD downgraded its economic forecast for Slovenia by 0.8 percentage points to 4.6% for this year and by 0.7 points to 2.5% for next year, partly due to the negative impact of the war in Ukraine.
        CELJE - Mirko Tuš, once one of Slovenia's wealthiest businessmen, and his wife Tanja Tuš pleaded guilty to abuse of office and money laundering charges in exchange for milder sentences over the transfer between 2011 and 2016 of the Tušmobil mobile telephony brand. The pair face suspended sentences plus fines of EUR 450,000 and EUR 90,000 respectively.

THURSDAY, 9 June
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Peter Grum acting director general of the Financial Administration (FURS). He succeeds Ivan Simič, who stepped down right after the Robert Golob government was sworn in. Grum served as FURS deputy director in 2014-20.
        LJUBLJANA - Pavel Car resigned as director of the National Museum a day after he had to cancel an exhibition of 160 works of art from a Slovenian private collection amid concerns that works by artists such as Picasso, Cezanne and Miro were forgeries.
        LJUBLJANA - After the new government made a promise to remove the fence from the border with Croatia, the Interior Ministry told the STA this was one of the priorities, with the removal expected by the end of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - The government tasked the ministries of justice and home affairs to draw up an analysis of the legal bases used in procedures against individuals for breaking Covid-19 containment measures by the end of August to see whether fines might have been unfair or unlawful. The former government's decision to sue protesters for the costs of policing their rallies were annulled.
        LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry unveiled the draft of a bill that would require gas suppliers to secure storage in other EU countries equalling at least 15% of average annual gas volumes they sell in line with a recently agreed EU regulation.
        LJUBLJANA - The authorities announced they were looking into suspicions of forced labour and human trafficking following reports alleging modern-day slavery conditions at a fishpacking plant owned by the family of Boris Šuštar, a former state secretary who was convicted in the early 2000s for taking bribes. The companies concerned were banned from working with foreign workers.
        LJUBLJANA - Acting Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav ordered an internal inquiry at the National Bureau of Investigation to clarify claims of alleged stalling of certain investigations, including into procurement of medical supplies during the epidemic.
        NEW YORK, US - It transpired Slovenia had formally nominated international law expert Vasilka Sancin for a new term on the UN Human Rights Committee past the deadline after the new government unblocked her bid. 17 candidates are vying for nine vacancies.
        OSLO, Norway - Slovenia pulled off a goalless draw with Norway in the third round of League B of the UEFA Nations League to earn their first point just days after being defeated by Serbia 1:4 in Belgrade and losing to Sweden at home 0:2.

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 elected to UN Economic and Social Council

NEW YORK, US - The UN General Assembly elected Slovenia to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the six principal bodies of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social policies of the organisation. Slovenia announced its candidacy for the ECOSOC for the 2023-2025 period five years ago, in what was the country's first candidacy for the rotating membership of 54 UN member states. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon responded to the election on Twitter, declaring it "an important victory for Slovenia" and expression her "congratulations and thanks to the colleagues at the Foreign Ministry for the work they have done".

Pahor endorses Ukraine and W Balkans' EU future at SEECP forum

THESSALONIKI, Greece - President Borut Pahor stressed that "we must not leave Ukraine in the lurch" and urged EU enlargement to the Western Balkans as he addressed the annual summit of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), which he attended upon the invitation of Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He repeated his idea to give Bosnia-Herzegovina EU candidate status as soon as possible and only then expect the country to carry out certain reforms to get it out of the vicious circle. He will discuss this with European Council President Charles Michel next week, saying one should take advantage of the EU summit at the end of June to "accelerate the process of obtaining status for Ukraine, and bring the Western Balkans into this context".

FM Fajon notes importance of credible EU enlargement policy

THESSALONIKI, Greece - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon attended a ministerial of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Thessaloniki, noting the importance of a credible EU enlargement policy for the reform efforts of the Western Balkans. She said that enlargement policy was the EU's most effective geostrategic policy, which was also important in the context of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the EU's future relations with Georgia and Moldova. She also had several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event.

SAF contingent deployed in Slovakia

LJUBLJANA - A 101-strong contingent of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) has arrived in Slovakia as part of NATO's international Enhanced Vigilance Activities, the SAF said. The first days are dedicated to creating the conditions for the operation and to integrating it into the international battalion battle group as soon as possible. The first phase will be followed by operational deployment. The Slovenian soldiers will operate within the framework of the international battle group command with a light infantry company. The government took a decision for Slovenia to take part in the Enhanced Vigilance Activities mission with up to 200 troops on 23 March.

Slovenia opts out of voluntary solidarity mechanism for now

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The Slovenian Interior Ministry said that for the time being, Slovenia does not intend to participate in the voluntary solidarity mechanism for the transfer of asylum seekers from the countries of their first entry, which has been unofficially joined by 12 EU member states so far. The statement comes as EU interior ministers reached progress in talks on the solidarity mechanism for the transfer of asylum seekers and strengthening of the EU border protection. French press agency AFP said the political statement discussed by the ministers provides for the establishment of a one-year solidarity mechanism that could be renewed.

Slovenian minister supports tighter rules on internal border checks

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - EU interior ministers reached agreement on a negotiating basis to reform the Schengen Borders Code as part of which the rules when a Schengen member state wants to reintroduce internal border controls would be tightened. Slovenian Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar stressed these checks must be temporary, and introduced only when other alternative measures have been exhausted. Austria has been controlling its border with Slovenia ever since the 2015 refugee crisis, with Slovenia arguing that there is no need for such checks any longer.

Media reveal deals with Covid ventilators included kickbacks

LJUBLJANA - Parts of the criminal complaint filed against former Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over purchases of ventilators at the start of the Covid-19 epidemic were revealed on the Tarča current affairs news show on TV Slovenija on Thursday. Investigators are said to have found proof of deals for the payment of kickbacks and of notification of suspects about upcoming house searches. According to Tarča, documents from the police investigation show that there was an agreement between the Economy Ministry, company Geneplanet and communication agency Pristop regarding Geneplanet supplying ventilators to the state.

CoE sees progress in Slovenia's fight against money laundering

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenia has moderately improved its measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. However, there are still significant legislative deficiencies as regards the criminalisation of terrorism financing, suggests a report by MONEYVAL, the Council of Europe's (CoE) anti-money laundering body. Slovenia has demonstrated some progress at the level of compliance with the Financial Action Task Force standards, it noted.

Intelligence agency denies overstepping powers

LJUBLJANA - The SOVA intelligence and security agency said it did not breach its powers in recommending to former government officials right after the April election to destroy their work mobile phones and laptops before the transfer of power. Responding to a report on the matter by the investigative outlet Necenzurirano, which broke the story on Thursday, SOVA said this is a legitimate counter-intelligence measure.

Melamin promised full state support in renovation

KOČEVJE - New Economy Minister Matjaž Han promised Melamin the government's full support in reconstruction as he visited the Kočevje-based chemical company nearly a month after it was destroyed by a deadly explosion. As talks are under way to move the most hazardous part of Melamin's production to a different location, the minister said the key was for the company and the local community to agree on the location. Han expects opposition to relocation plans.

EU urged to act to stop anti-Roma sentiment

MURSKA SOBOTA - An international conference in Murska Sobota heard of the worsening situation of the Roma in Europe as genocide, hate speech and anti-Roma activities spread in some countries and Roma refugees from Ukraine were mistreated. The conference sent out a message to European institutions what Roma want and propose for the situation to improve. Jožek Horvat Muc, who heads the Slovenian Roma Association and the European Roma Union, said the EU had many declarations and levers to help threatened groups but more should be done in practice.

Anti-graft watchdog joins European network for public sector transparency

PARIS, France - Slovenia's Commission for the Prevention of Corruption joined the new European network for ethics in the public sector at an international conference hosted in Paris by the French High Authority for Transparency in Public Life. The network brings together akin bodies from another eleven EU countries. Although there are networks bringing together corruption prevention authorities at European level, this is the first one focusing exclusively on integrity in the public sector.

Koper port completes south quayside extension

KOPER - Luka Koper, Slovenia's sole maritime port, has completed a EUR 45.6 million investment by acquiring an operating permit for the last section of the new extension of Quay 1 of the container terminal, a release from the company said. The expansion of the container terminal will continue to the north "in what will be a much bigger investment", Luka Koper chairman Boštjan Napast said.

Industrial output up in April

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial production rose by 2.1% in April year-on-year, mostly on the back of the increase in mining, as manufacturing drove a 0.4% month-on-month growth, the Statistics Office said. Industrial revenue rose by 2.3% month-on-month and by 18.9% at the annual level, with inventories in April 2022 up 1% on March and 23.2% on April 2021.

AmCham declares Top Potentials for 2022

LJUBLJANA - Aljaž Dobnikar, a software development engineer at Plume Design, and Matej Duraković, a talent acquisition partner at IBM Slovenija, were declared Top Potentials of the Year by AmCham Slovenia on Thursday evening. Dobnikar and Duraković were selected among the five superfinalists in the 12th generation of the AmCham Young Professionals programme.

Bode Miller partners with Elan in production of own ski brand

BEGUNJE NA GORENJSKEM - Former US skiing star Bode Miller has paid a visit to Slovenia as part of a partnership with sports goods maker Elan in the production of Miller's own ski brand. Miller was in Slovenia with his wife Morgan Beck, who published a series of Instagram photos, including a one of Miller in what appears to be an Elan production hall. Elan meanwhile confirmed a collaboration with Miller, saying that Peak Ski Company's skis would mostly be manufactured by Elan.

Slovenia pull off a point in Norway

OSLO, Norway - Slovenia pulled off a goalless draw with Norway in Oslo on Thursday evening to come away with their first point in this year's UEFA Nations League after previously losing to Sweden at home and Serbia away in group 4 of league B. Despite failing to score, the Slovenian side displayed much more fighting spirit than they did in Belgrade last Sunday.

STA, 10 June 2022 - Aljaž Dobnikar, a software development engineer at Plume Design, and Matej Duraković, a talent acquisition partner at IBM Slovenija, were declared Top Potentials of the Year by AmCham Slovenia on Thursday evening.

Dobnikar and Duraković were selected among the five superfinalists in the 12th generation of the AmCham Young Professionals programme.

The other superfinalists were Diana Berte, a marketing & China relations specialist at Instrumentation Technologies, Marko Maučec, director of development and co-owner of Escapebox, and Tjaša Tomšič, chief operating officer at PDiVizija.

The winners were selected by their colleagues, a panel of experts and the audience present at the award ceremony on Thursday.

"The young are those who inspire us to want to be better and do more as a business community. This is why I believe the young platform is the best that AmCham can give, not only to Slovenia but also to Europe and worldwide," Ajša Vodnik, CEO of AmCham Slovenia, said.

The Top Potential of the Year awards is part of the Young Professionals Programme through which AmCham promotes and trains next generation business leaders.

Young leaders, aged 25 to 35, are suggested for the programme by their superiors. The programme features workshops, lectures, debates with business leaders, field visits and a weekend meeting, among other activities.

We met on a sunny afternoon, at his property in the old farming part of Logatec, a growing town about 30 minutes’ drive from Ljubljana. Various old but maintained farmhouses, cottages and barns can be found in this part of town by the local stream, that once also served as a public bathing site.

On the left bank of the stream one can find many interesting carved sculptures, most of them arranged on a sunny corner by the public road leading to the nearby supermarkets.

 

Around the corner of a quaint old farmhouse there is a yard with two sets of outdoor seating arrangements, fitting in perfectly in a rustic style of wood and stone. Here I was warmly welcomed by our interviewee, Gregor Tršar, and presented with a choice of either sitting in the sun or shade.

Before I ask about the sculptures, did you make all these benches and tables yourself?

Yes, I made these myself. 

If I wanted one, would you make it for me?

I certainly would.

This space where we are now is a sort of osmica, many people come to hang out, many things happen here. I will show you the insides later.

 

Can I call you an artist?

I would consider myself more like a village weirdo of some sort, regardless of the negative connotation. I don’t push people off my property or forbid them from walking on my grass. I like to see people stop by and children playing around the sculptures.

Older people take a rest on their way from the store and families go out with some goal in their mind, like “let’s go see the bears”.

The sculptures by the side of the road seem like a great contribution to the town. They also reflect a great sense of humour, like the mama bear with an assault rifle...

I decided to make the bear family when they were adopting new legislation about culling bears. I’m not attempting to interfere with any expert opinion, but the bears, just like people like to keep their offspring safe. Since hunters are always the ones carrying rifles, I decided to equip mama bear with one for a change.  

The display also changes through time, I remember once seeing a witch who crashed into a pole on her flight through the town here…

That was about three years ago. Not entirely a wood carved sculpture, but more like a holiday display.

 

Once I also placed a bench by the road with a bear sitting at one end, so that a visitor was kept company. It’s more interesting if things change over time.

There are also some sculptures I made for other people. For example, an ant (SLO: mravlja) for Mr. Mravlje.

 

Would you like to see some before and after photos?

I’d love to. Where were they taken?

This is at my friend’s, Diht’nga [a nickname meaning gasket] from Hotedršica. Do you know him? This is at his place.

How did you start chainsaw sculpturing?

Two people were responsible for that. One is my colleague Darko Kmetec from Lovrenc in Pohorje. I have a forest there and we collaborated in business. However, through our working together I could see this man had developed many talents in private. He would, for example, see some tree roots and think of creating an interesting chair with them.  

The other influential figure in the development of my hobby is Vlado Cencel, the president of the society of chainsaw sculptors. I met him at an event in Postojna.

Are you a member of this society?

Yes, I am. We have a speed carving championship every year at Lavrič’ hut in Gračišče by Stična. Wonderful place, such a good energy. You get 60 minutes to carve something out of a piece of wood, then a team of judges decides the winner.

I ran out of time this year. The important thing, however, is not to win but to take part.

Photo: Gregor Tršar, personal archive

Have you ever won?

I have. I gave the winning sculpture to the chef. He cooked for us all weekend. Whom else should one give a gift, but the one who prepares your food?

 

What was the first piece you ever made with a chainsaw?

About ten years ago it all started with this little eagle. My daughter was laughing at me, but I finished it, and it’s staying here. I’d would never give this one away.

(A visitor shows up by in the middle of our conversation. They greet each other and the visitor is told we are having an interview. He introduces himself: the new president of the Pensioners’ Society of Logatec.)

He [the visitor] helped me make wine. The wine of Logatec.

Wine of Logatec?

Would you like to try it? It's made from that vine over there that grows up the barn.

Is it Isabella?

(visitor) No, it has smaller grapes. Isabella needs to be mixed with other grapes for the wine to taste good.

It tastes great! How did you make it?

I made wine must and he made it into wine.

• [Visitor] I told him how to do it.

I put must into a big bottle (SLO: flaškon), added a bit of sugar, I also bought a vent peg, which lets the air out but not in. Wine clears itself this way.

• [Visitor] It’s strong, 12.5 % alcohol.

 

I noticed a cute pit latrine toilet in the back of the barn, is it functional?

This is not a toilet to be used.

Once we were joking how we should make a toilet on the platform above the stream. Friends then got me this as a gift for my 50^th birthday.

 

 Do not try to use that toilet!                                                           Photo: Neža Loštrek

We then put it on the platform above the stream, no hole was made in the platform, of course, but it did look as if it had one. You could see it from the bridge and some ladies, not realising it was a joke, were quite appalled: “how could such a thing even be allowed!?” they wondered.

 

 End of the pier relief                                          Photo: Gregor Tršar, personal archive

There is a “thinker” standing on that platform now. People tend to stop at the bridge and look at the stream, so he’s there looking back at them. 

 

Photo: Neža Loštrek

Let me show you the chainsaw museum I keep inside.

Chainsaw museum?

Yes. A person dies and their chainsaw remains.

Photo: Neža Loštrek

What's that little piece of wood on the wall that says, “remove in case of war”. What's behind it?

Remove it and you'll see.

I better wait for the war first.

That's the right answer. (laughs)

I’m guessing nothing’s behind that piece of wood but the wall, but I hope we never need to find out.

 

 Another practice piece for the speed carving competition. Only part of it survived the test of time and it now helps to warn visitors away from the toilet. Photo: Gregor Tršar, personal archive

 

 A joke that only works in Slovenian.                    Photo: Gregor Tršar, personal archive

 

 Happy hands                                                      Photo: Gregor Tršar, personal archive

STA, 10 June 2022 - The 41st iteration of the Franja Marathon, the largest recreational and amateur cycling event in Slovenia, will take place this weekend, with the main event, the 156-km classic marathon Franja BTC City, scheduled for Sunday.

The festivities will start with a 72-km Barjanka race, which is shortened this year due to road work, followed by the 21-km Ikea family marathon, and a 1.2-km race for children.

In addition to the main race, which is part of the world series of marathons under the auspices of the International Cycling Union (UCI), Sunday's programme will also feature a short marathon (97 km) and the closing ceremony with awards.

Franja Marathon director Gorazd Penko, a former cyclist, is happy that the event will be held this year without coronavirus-related restrictions, and is convinced that this year's iteration will be the best ever.

After the number of participants reached 2,500 last year, the number is expected to be slightly higher this year, and foreigners are also returning to the Franja Marathon, with last year's winner, Dutch Johnny Hoogerland, to return.

Learn more at the official website