15 May 2022, 04:28 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 15 May 2022

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:

SD confirms coalition agreement, which is considered initialled

LJUBLJANA - The presidency of the Social Democrats (SD) got acquainted with the content of the coalition agreement and confirmed its initialling with the partners Freedom Movement and the Left. The coalition agreement has thus been coordinated between all future coalition partners and is considered initialled, the Freedom Movement announced. Before it is signed, the coalition agreement must be approved by all other bodies of the parties of the future coalition. The SD presidency also confirmed the party's ministerial candidates and Jani Prednik as the head of the deputy group.

Coalition agreement sets minimum wage at EUR 800, changes in healthcare

LJUBLJANA - As the future coalition partners are expected to initial a coalition agreement, some details from the document have already leaked out. The agreement envisages changes in the pension and healthcare system, and there is a commitment to raise minimum wage to EUR 800 and minimum pension to EUR 700. Among other things, they announced that around 20,000 apartments with non-profit rent will be constructed in the next two government terms, and plan is to eventually abolish top-up health insurance, and suspend the purchase of Boxer armoured personnel carriers (APCs).

Ambassador Geržina critical of Austria extending border control

VIENNA, Austria - Ambassador to Austria Aleksander Geržina criticised Austria's decision to extend checks on the border with Slovenia, telling the Austrian news agency APA that the measure had not been properly justified by the authorities. Regretting the decision, Geržina noting that crossing the border freely was very important for people and businesses on both sides of the border. He also noted in an interview for Die Presse that 67 years after the Austrian State Treaty was signed, not all its provisions regarding the rights of the Slovenian minority had been implemented.

Storms ravaged through several parts of Slovenia last evening

LJUBLJANA - Storms with heavy rain hit parts of northern, eastern, south-western and central Slovenia on Friday afternoon, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and buildings. More than five kilometres of roads were damaged, almost 70 trees were uprooted and tens of buildings flooded. The relief effort involved two professional fire-fighting units and 35 voluntary units, as the water entered buildings and garages and the wind lifted roofs off buildings and uprooted trees.

Impol net profit more doubles last year

SLOVENSKA BISTRICA - Leading Slovenian aluminium producer Impol recorded EUR 845 million in revenue in 2021, up 45% from 2020. Apart from sales going up by almost 20%, another reason is an increase in aluminium prices. Net profit surged from EUR 14 million to EUR 35.5 million. Impol generated 93% of all revenue in foreign markets, mostly in the EU. Its most important market, generating two-thirds of revenue, was Germany. Just over 10% was generated by Italy, and almost 6% by Croatia.

Verace and Pop's Pizza among top 50 pizza restaurants in Europe

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's Verace and Pop's Pizza rank among the top 50 pizza places in Europe in the latest 50toppizza guide, with the former making it to the list for the second year running. This year, Verace gained four spots to rank 31st, while Pop's Pizza made it to the list for the first time to rank 43rd. 50toppizza said that under pizza chef Fabio Caruso, the restaurant made the authentic Naples pizza with excellent dough and ingredients. As for Pop's Pizza, the guide said that it Neapolitan-style pizzas were very tasty with fresh and quality ingredients.

14 May 2022, 09:03 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 12 - 16 May, 2022

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, 6 May
        LJUBLJANA - Robert Golob, leader of the election-winning Freedom Party and the most likely PM-designate, suggested the new government could have up to four new ministries, as he met with the prospective coalition partners. He said the new coalition would pay particular attention to climate change, inter-generational solidarity, digitalisation and regional development.
        TIRANA, Albania - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič stressed Slovenia supported the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans, as he attended a conference of speakers from the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative.
        UDINE, Italy - President Borut Pahor and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited the Slovenian ethnic minority in Udine, one of the three provinces in Italy's Friuli Venezia Giulai region where the minority lives.
        LJUBLJANA - 5,738 Ukrainian refugees have until now asked for temporary protection in Slovenia, of whom 2,149 underage children. Police data meanwhile show that 21,980 Ukrainians have entered Slovenia since the Ukraine war on 24 February.
        LJUBLJANA - The government approved a EUR 400,000 programme to co-fund investments in local public infrastructure in 2022-2023 in the municipalities of Pivka and Postojna, which host the main training area of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF). The funds are a compensation for the damage SAF activities have on local roads.
        LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) increased its stake in Mladinska Knjiga, Slovenia's largest publisher, to 83.47% after acquiring 32.25% of shares in a takeover bid.

SATURDAY, 7 May
        LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission (DVK) released the official results of the 24 April general election, which correspond to the unofficial results: the Freedom Movement won 34.45% of the vote and 41 seats in parliament, the SDS received 23.48% and 27 seats, the NSi 6.86% and 8 seats, the SocDems 6.69% and seven MPs, and the Left got 4.46% and 5 MPs. Turnout was at a very high 70.79%. However, it said that due to a computer bug, six terms were initially assigned to wrong candidates. Since the mistake was detected and corrected, the DVK released the names of the six new MPs. The incident earned it calls for resignation, which the commission rejected.
        LJUBLJANA - The government approved Brigadier General Roman Urbanč's promotion to the rank of major general. Urbanč, deputy chief of the general staff, has worked for the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) since 1994. He will now have to be formally promoted by the supreme commander, President Borut Pahor.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to discontinue some of the last coronavirus restrictions by lifting the Covid pass mandate health and social care workers and the requirement to wear masks at pharmacies.
        LJUBLJANA - Following a two-year coronavirus-prompted break, the Walk along the Wire, an event commemorating the 9 May 1945 liberation of Ljubljana, attracted almost 26,000 hikers and 2,670 runners between Thursday and Saturday.

SUNDAY, 8 May
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor signed an order calling the maiden session of the new National Assembly for Friday, 13 May, after receiving a report on the official results of the 24 April general election from the National Electoral Commission (DVK). Pahor and DVK president Peter Golob found that the election process was "fair and transparent".
        VRHNIKA - Author Simona Semenič won the Cankar Prize for best original piece of literature published over the past year for Three Plays for Girls (Tri Igre za Punce), which focuses on women's and gender issues. The EUR 10,000 prize is named after writer Ivan Cankar (1876-1918) and was presented for the third year.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Hungary announced a joint bid to host the Ice-Hockey World Championship in 2023 after both teams secured berths in the elite division of ice-hockey at a tournament in Ljubljana. This is after the IIHF decided that Rusia's St. Petersburg will not host the elite group next year.
        OPATJE SELO - Slovenia's 550km section of Via Sancti Martini or St Martin's Way, which runs from Hungary to France, was inaugurated after the 90km section between Logatec and Opatje Selo was recently completed. Together with the famous St James's Way or Camino de Santiago, St Martin's Way is one of the two major European cultural routes running through Slovenia.
        MADRID, Spain - Pia Babnik, Slovenia's best professional golfer, finished third in the Ladies European Tour tournament with a prize fund of EUR 300,000.

MONDAY, 9 May
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Thirteen EU countries, including Slovenia, presented up a non-paper on the outcome of and follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe, warning against rash changes to EU treaties. President Borut Pahor meanwhile joined calls by French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for such changes.
        KYIV, Ukraine - PM Janez Janša addressed Ukrainians in an video aired on Ukrainian national TV, saying that the West remained oblivious to the fact that Russia never de-Communised and that Ukraine was the real heir of the victories of WWII. Janša said only one evil, Nazism, had been defeated in WWII in 1945, whereas Communism was not.
        LJUBLJANA - Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob, the presumptive PM-designate, announced the new government would impose energy price regulation when it took office, targetting not just fuel but other energy sources as well. He said a combination of an agreement with retailers, regulation of margins and duties, and subsidies was needed.
        LJUBLJANA - Zoran Janković announced his plan to stand for his fifth straight term as mayor of Slovenia's capital in the autumn local elections. He has served as Ljubljana mayor since 2006, winning every election since with an outright majority.
        LJUBLJANA - The RTV Slovenija Programming Council endorsed a new statute of the public broadcaster under which TV news programme will be split into two separate production units. Staff see the changes as an attempt to create separate pro-government and anti-government news programmes, so the journalist trade union urged their withdrawal.

TUESDAY, 10 May
        LJUBLJANA - The government introduced a three-month cap on prices of motor fuels after lifting a 45-day cap on 1 May. It set the maximum retail prices at EUR 1.560 a litre for regular petrol and EUR 1.668 a litre for diesel from 11 May. Fuel retailers whose business will be affected will be eligible for compensation.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor's decrees recalling Slovenia's ambassadors to Italy, Egypt, the UAE, Denmark and Slovakia and appointing new ambassadors to Copenhagen, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Bratislava, Brussels and Seoul became effective as they were published in the Official Gazette. Around 15 new ambassadors are expected to assume their posts by the end of August, including several who in the opinion of the incoming coalition are too connected politically with the current government, so the new government could replace them.
        RIJEKA, Croatia - President Borut Pahor addressed a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the umbrella organisation of Slovenians in Croatia, noting the importance of the friendly ties between the two countries and calling for the fastest possible entry of Croatia in the eurozone and Schengen Area.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted the 2022 annual plan of investments in the Slovenian Armed Forces, under which the Defence Ministry will have EUR 120.55 million at its disposal to develop two key capabilities for national and collective defence as part of NATO - a battalion battle group and a special operations unit.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia pledged to provide EUR 150,000 in humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Syria by 2024 at the donor conference organised by the EU, which raised EUR 6.4 billion.
        LJUBLJANA - As Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob, the presumptive PM-designate, announced his wish to create a strong liberal bloc, the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said they were in favour of such consolidation. Golob is seeking to merge his party with the LMŠ and SAB and offered the leaders of both parties, Alenka Bratušek and Marjan Šarec, ministerial posts.
        LJUBLJANA - The government issued a regulation on waste incineration as a public service under which concessions - expectedly four - are to be issued for 30 years. It also adopted a seven-year strategy for tourism that envisages a moderate increase in accommodation capacity and quantitative indicators, and focuses on higher quality, while suspending plans to consolidate state assets in tourism under a new holding.
        KNIN, Croatia - Slovenian energy company Petrol launched its second wind farm in Croatia. The EUR 37 million facility Ljubač with nine turbines, located near Knin in south Croatia, had been on a trial run since last summer, and generates around 96 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year.
        TRBOVLJE - Dewesoft, a Trbovlje-based maker of data acquisition systems, and HBK, a German company specialising in product physics, launched a joint venture called Blueberry to work on backbone standardization for the new generation of data acquisition systems.
        TURIN, Italy - Last Pizza Slice (LPS) did not make it past the semi-final of the Eurovision song contest, the second year in a row that the Slovenian entrant remained without the final.

WEDNESDAY, 11 May
        LJUBLJANA - The three partners of the incoming coalition finalised the coalition agreement and determined most of the candidates for cabinet posts in an expanded government that will apart from prime minister have 19 ministers and another without portfolio. SocDem leader Tanja Fajon is the candidate for foreign minister and Left leader Luka Mesec will be in charge of a new ministry of solidarity-based future. Both will serve as deputy PMs alongside Danijel Bešič Loredan, a surgeon slated for the health portfolio.
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin signed a memorandum with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) that paves the way for the purchase of 45 APCs, just hours after he was authorised to do so and two days before the government is relegated to caretaker role. The incoming government opposes the purchase.
        SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - President Borut Pahor addressed the Sarajevo Business Forum focussing on the role of political stability for economic and social development of Bosnia-Herzegovina. He warned the process of enlargement to the Western Balkans was too slow and appealed for Bosnia to be granted candidate status as soon as possible.
        LJUBLJANA - ECB president Christine Lagarde said the ECB could conduct the first interest rate hike within weeks after it ends purchases under the asset purchase programme early in the third quarter, as she took part in a conference marking the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's central bank.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed cardiologist Mitja Lainščak director of the Public Research Agency (ARRS) for a five-year term, thus ending a saga over the director's appointment and the appointment and dismissal of the founder's members on the agency's management board.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's largest banking group, NLB, posted EUR 231.5 million in net profit in the first quarter of 2022, more than triple the figure recorded in the same period last year, on the back of the acquisition of the Slovenian subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank in March. The profit of the core company NLB dropped to nearly EUR 33 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Film, theatre and television actor Ivo Ban, 72, was announced as the recipient of this year's Bert Award for lifetime achievement in film and television conferred by the Slovenian Directors' Guild.
        VALLETTA, Malta - Maltese customs officers seized a record 1.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a container carrying bananas from Colombia to Slovenia, the Maltese newspaper Malta Today reported. The contraband is estimated to be worth EUR 300 million.

THURSDAY, 12 May
        KOČEVJE - An explosion and a fire at the Melamin chemical factory in southern Slovenia left six people injured, five are missing presumed dead. The fire was likely caused by human error involving the mishandling of a hazardous chemical.
        LJUBLJANA - The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has already signed a contract with Artec, the German supplier of Boxer carriers, on behalf of Slovenia, a day after the government sealed the agreement with OCCAR.
        LJUBLJANA - At its last regular session before being relegated to caretaker role, the government declared 17 May the National Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Communist Violence. It said that the perpetrators of violence and evil acts should be measured by the same criteria.
        LJUBLJANA - A Defence Ministry audit ascertained reasons to suspect criminal offences in the maintenance of Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) vehicles and procurement of spare parts. The Defence Ministry confirmed the Necnzurirano report and said damage was estimated at EUR 1.2 million.
        LJUBLJANA/BEIJING, China - Slovenian president Borut Pahor and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Pahor said Slovenia was in favour of "constructive European-Chinese relations".
        LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the state-owned telecommunications provider, generated EUR 151.2 million in net sales revenue in the first quarter of the year, down 4% from the same period a year ago, the main reason for which is the company quitting electricity retail business on 1 January. The group's net profit rose 23% to EUR 12 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Media reported the bad bank is gearing up to sell tourism companies Istrabenz Turizem and Thermana, including by what unofficial information says are changes to the articles of association regarding the status of the two companies' supervisors, which could facilitate Istrabenz Turizem hotels to be sold to Hungarian buyers.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Zlatko Ratej acting director of the Competition Protection Agency. He will take over for a six-month stint on 1 July, when the term of the incumbent director, Andrej Matvoz, ends

14 May 2022, 09:02 AM

Two Bosnians, One Macedonian Thought Among Dead in Melamin Explosion

STA, 13 May 2022 - Two Bosnian citizens and one Macedonian citizen are believed to be among the victims of Thursday's explosion at the Melamin chemical plant in Kočevje. Their identities will be verified with the help of DNA, police said on Friday. Economy Minister Zrdavko Počivalšek meanwhile visited Malamin to discuss ways of helping it.

Among the five dead, two were Bosnia-Herzegovina citizens, while the survivor being treated with severe burns in hospital is believed to be a Macedonian citizen.

Investigators are working with the relatives who reported missing persons to identify the victims. Since three missing persons are foreigners, the police are also working with foreign security services, Valter Zrinski from criminal police at the Ljubljana Police Department told the press on Friday.

Criminal police officers are investigating the accident working hand in hand with forensics and crime scene specialists to establish the cause of the blast. Zrinski said that this was one of the most demanding investigations ever in Slovenia.

Once all facts have been established, a report will be sent to a state prosecutor's office.

Environmental inspectors inspected the site to find that at least one qualified worker was present where the explosion occurred.

The accident happened when epichlorohydrin, a volatile substance, was transferred in what is believed to have been a wrong on-site cistern causing a strong exothermic chemical reaction

A day after the worst industrial accident in Slovenia's modern history, Melanin was visited by outgoing Economy Ministry Počivalšek, who said the state had several options to help out.

Under EU rules, the state can help all companies hit by an industrial accident cope with the damage to infrastructure but also regarding the loss of income.

"This can cover up to 100% of the damage," he said adding aid could come from the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, the SIB Bank, and the Regional Development Fund.

Melamin director Srečko Štefanič said that they should have all the data next week to be able to apply for EU aid.

Most of the workers are now registered with the Employment Service, with few working to service institutions coming to assess the damage.

"It's important that the instruments are here to pay workers who are now in great worry and shock," the director stressed.

The company still has some reserve so wages for a few coming months should not be a problem, while it could later resort to the ministry's various schemes.

Janja Turšič from the Environment Agency said the first results of water analysis from the river Rinža showed traces of epichlorohydrin and formaldehyde, but the concentrations did not even reach the maximum permitted levels.

The accident at Melamin, which produces plastic materials, paints, varnishes and other coatings and chemical products, happened at 8:30am on Thursday. The precise cause of the blast remains to be established but it was likely the result of human error.

14 May 2022, 08:59 AM

Slovenia’s New Parliament Starts Work

STA, 13 May 2022 - Slovenia's new parliament opened on Friday with the confirmation of the terms of all ninety MPs and the election of the first woman to the speaker post, and a move by the opposition that indicates that the new coalition faces a formidable opponent versed in parliamentary procedure.

Urška Klakočar Zupančič, a former judge, was elected the first female speaker with 55 votes in favour and 25 against in a secret ballot that illustrates the weight of the future coalition, a grouping of three parties with 53 MPs among them that will be formalised within days.

Klakočar Zupančič, 44, called for dignified communication in parliament and said MPs should criticise deeds and actions, not persons, as she stressed that parliament was embarking on a challenging journey after two very difficult years during which the rule of law was undermined.

"The rule of law is the highest postulate of a democratic country that must always remain intact," she added.

She believes that all MPs have a sincere desire to do something good for their country and that each of them would like to help improve the quality of life in Slovenia. Despite their political and ideological differences, she would work to build consensus wherever possible.

A similar message was delivered by President Borut Pahor when he said Slovenia could survive the testing times ahead provided that there is "common ground found on the most important matters of the state".

The new opposition meanwhile tabled more than two dozen bills minutes after parliament opened, a move that will delay the passage of legislation crafted by the new coalition.

Most notably, the Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) tabled a package of media bills, including amendments to the law on public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, legislation singled out as the top priority for the new government.

The National Assembly's rules of procedure stipulate that if two laws dealing with the same subject matter are tabled, the one that is chronologically first to be submitted gets priority. Until it is either passed or voted down, a second law cannot even be considered.

While the opposition described the move as a show of its constructive stance - SDS deputy group leader Danijel Krivec said this was "nothing special", Robert Golob, the presumptive prime minister, said it constituted an "abuse of parliamentary procedure" and was "childish".

"Every normal person asks himself why someone ... who had a majority in the National Assembly until three weeks ago was waiting to join the ranks of the opposition and start tabling legislation," he said.

The move may have been primarily designed to delay changes to the RTV Slovenija law, but parliamentary records show the incoming coalition beat the opposition to that by tabling its bill first - and designating it for fast-tracking.

Golob said the main change involved the National Assembly appointing only two members of the Programming Council rather than 17.

14 May 2022, 04:09 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, May 14 2022

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:

New parliament inaugurated, speaker elected

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's new parliament opened with the confirmation of the terms of all 90 MPs and the election of former judge Urška Klakočar Zupančič from the election-winning Freedom Movement as speaker in what is the first time that a woman MP will lead the National Assembly. She was elected in a 55:25 vote in a secret ballot that illustrates the weight of the future coalition, a grouping of three parties with 53 MPs that will be formalised within days. The new opposition - the SDS and NSi - meanwhile tabled more than two dozen bills, a move that will delay the passage of legislation crafted by the new coalition.

LMŠ too endorses consolidation of liberal bloc

LJUBLJANA - As the Freedom Movement confirmed plans to merge with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), the LMŠ executive committee too endorsed the merger, with the party's governing council yet to take a vote on the matter. Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob, the presumptive new PM, told the press on Thursday that the consolidation of liberal bloc would unfold at an accelerated pace. Commenting on the merger, analyst Domen Kos said that by inviting former PMs Bratušek and Šarc to join his government, Golob made "the most strategic move he can make in the long term".

Staff at public broadcaster opt for token strike

LJUBLJANA - A majority of RTV Slovenija trade union members opted to stage a token strike on 23 May in protest at a situation they describe as "unbearable" due to policies pursued by the management and the Programme Council. The strike demands include editorial and institutional autonomy and resignations by RTV Slovenija director general Andrej Grah Whatmough, TV news programme editor-in-chief Jadranka Rebernik, acting editor of the MMC news portal Igor Pirkovič and RTV Slovenija Programme Council chairman Peter Gregorčič. The leadership expressed regret at the move, while the Association of Journalists (DNS) endorsed the strike.

Five confirmed dead in Kočevje chemical plant blast

KOČEVJE - Firefighters managed to get through to the remains of the five persons who lost their lives in Thursday's explosion at the Melamin chemical plant in Kočevje, south Slovenia, as the investigation into the cause of the accident continues. One of them was a Melamin employee and the rest were contractors who were working on the site at the time. Two victims were Bosnian citizens but will have be identified with a DNA method. The two badly injured Melamin workers remain in critical condition. One of them has still not been identified, but is believed to be a Macedonian national.

Economy minister visits Melamin post-explosion

KOČEVJE - Outgoing Economy Minister Zrdavko Počivalšek visited chemical company Malamin to discuss ways of helping it in the wake of Thursday's explosion. He said EU rules allow the state to help all companies hit by an industrial accident cope with the damage to infrastructure but also regarding the loss of income. "This can cover up to 100% of the damage," he said adding aid could come from the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, SIB Bank and Regional Development Fund. Melamin director Srečko Štefanič said that they should have all the data next week to be able to apply for EU aid.

Bad bank cancels Istrabenz, Thermana sale

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) announced it had revoked a decision to initiate the sale of two tourism companies, Istrabenz Turizem and Thermana, citing the recent change of the national tourism strategy. The government adopted a new seven-year tourism strategy on 11 May to stipulate that equity stakes in tourism companies in the BAMC portfolio remain in state ownership. The revelation that Istrabenz and Thermana would be sold was met with surprise even by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who said it was a damaging solo action by BAMC.

Govt moves to terminate several more agreements with Russia

LJUBLJANA - The government asked parliament to terminate several bilateral agreements with Russia as a means of increasing political pressure on the country and contribute to peace. The initiative was confirmed on Thursday and formally tabled today, on the opening day of the new parliament. A few agreements with Russia were terminated in March, dealing with issues such as judiciary cooperation and the work of scientific and cultural centres, which led to the closure of a Russian centre in Ljubljana.

State to fully cover social contributions for religious staff

LJUBLJANA - A new regulation entered into force increasing the amount of state aid for the payment of social security contributions of religious staff. The figure has gone up from 48% to 100% of the average pay provided that religious communities meet some conditions after the regulation was adopted by the government on Wednesday. Given the number of staff, the Catholic Church will get 20 times as much money as other religious communities combined, according to the news portal Necenzurirano.

Energy taskforce says over EUR 17bn in investment needed until 2050

LJUBLJANA - A debate on a Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) strategy for the development of Slovenia's energy system until 2050 suggested EUR 15 billion would be needed for investment in production facilities in this period, along with EUR 2.3 billion for a network upgrade to secure a green transition. The debate proposed a combination of nuclear energy and renewables to fill the widening gap between expected electricity production and consumption.

Row over Kržanke church set to drag on

LJUBLJANA - A decades-long row over the denationalisation of a Baroque church that is part of the Križanke open-air theatre complex is set to resume in court after the institution using the complex as a festival venue and the Ljubljana city announced an appeal against the Culture Ministry's decision to return the church to the Teutonic Order in kind. Festival Ljubljana expects the Administrative Court to quash the decision. It had done that three times before and also annulled a 2014 decision to award the Teutonic order compensation.

TAB revenue up last year, net profit at EUR 16.5m

MEŽICA - TAB, a maker of starter and industrial batteries, generated EUR 260.2 million in sales revenue last year, up 12% from the year before. Net profit was up from EUR 16.2 million to EUR 16.5 million. Efforts to launch production of lithium-ion cells in Prevalje continue. Certain production and commercial activities are expected to start in Prevalje this year. The project is managed by TAB-Haidi, a joint venture the company has founded with an Asian partner.

Salus ups operating revenue in Q1

LJUBLJANA - Salus group, a pharmaceuticals wholesaler, posted EUR 125.7 million in operating revenue in the first quarter of the year, up 17.5% on the same period a year ago. The group's net profit decreased by 14% to EUR 4.1 million. Last year's Q1 net profit was higher due to a one-off effect of the successful settlement of a lawsuit involving Salus and the bankrupt pharmacy chain Moja Lekarna.

Slovenia's gross external debt almost equal to last year's GDP

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had a gross external debt of EUR 51.9 billion in the first quarter of the year, a figure that was up by EUR 1.6 billion over the year before and almost equalled the country's GDP for 2021 at current prices, the central bank said. The government sector accounts for just under half of total debt. With gross claims on non-residents totalling EUR 53 billion, Slovenia actually had a positive external debt position of EUR 1.2 billion, down EUR 0.2 billion from a year ago.

Value of construction works up by 20% in Q1

LJUBLJANA - The value of construction completed in the first three months of 2022 increased by 19.2% year-on-year on the back of strong figures reported by the building and civil engineering segments, the Statistics Office said. Building construction surged by 33.4% and the value of civil engineering works rose by 17.4%. The sector of specialised construction activities reported a 15.7% decline.

Largest May Salon ever opening in Maribor

MARIBOR - The annual May Salon, the country's oldest art exhibition, opened in Maribor, bringing an overview of contemporary Slovenian art production from classic to new media. According to Zoran Poznič, the head the Slovenian Association of Fine Arts Societies, which organises the event, this is the largest May Salon ever. Held at Slovenia's largest exhibition venue, Kibla Portal, the show Blue Line: From Renaissance to New Media features more than 600 works by 218 artists.

Daily coronavirus count lower still

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 577 cases of coronavirus on Thursday as the caseload keeps falling on the week and day before. Two more patients with Covid-19 died, official data shows. Only five patients continue to be treated for Covid-19 as their main condition in intensive care units, with a total of 78 in hospital. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population has dropped by 32 to 458. The 7-day average of cases fell by 23 from the previous day to 584.

13 May 2022, 12:06 PM

Two Parties Agree to Merge with Freedom Movement

STA, 12 May 2022 - The consolidation of liberal parties led by the Freedom Movement appears to be going forward. The party has confirmed plans to merge with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), parties that did not make it to parliament, the latter having green-lit the proposal as well.

"The procedure will unfold at an accelerated pace," Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob, the presumptive new prime minister, told the press on Thursday.

Golob has already offered both leaders ministerial posts, with Šarec slated for the defence department and Bratušek planned to take over the infrastructure portfolio, which she has led once before.

The proposal for a merger was also confirmed this evening by the SAB executive committee, with the party's governing council due to take a vote in the coming days.

The LMŠ has not formally endorsed the motion yet but is likely to since Šarec has accepted the ministerial post and some other senior party members are in talks to occupy leading positions in parliament and government.

Both parties were at the forefront of the battle to unseat Janez Janša and during the course of the campaign they acted in concert with the Freedom Movement but then failed to make the 4% threshold to enter parliament.

Most analysts and commentators see the merger with the Freedom Movement as a logical step since the parties have scant chances of surviving otherwise.

13 May 2022, 12:00 PM

Slovenia Declares 17 May Memorial Day for Victims of Communism

STA, 12 May 2022 - At its last regular session before being relegated to caretaker role, the Janez Janša government on Thursday declared 17 May the National Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Communist Violence.

The government says that it acted based on two things - on "the civilisational norm that the perpetrators of violence and evil acts be measured by the same criteria" and "in an effort to prevent the most tragic events in our history from being repeated".

Between the summer of 1941 and January 1956, communist violence in present-day Slovenia claimed tens of thousands of violent deaths of civilians and prisoners or war.

Under communist rule after WWII, communist violence affected hundreds of thousands of people in Slovenian through violations of human rights and freedoms.

First individuals and families were killed by communists in the autumn 1941, the government says.

However, 17 May was selected as remembrance day to commemorate the first mass massacre of civilians in 1942.

On that day, a Partisan unit killed 49 Roma people and four Slovenians in the Iška Gorge south of Ljubljana, among them 24 children.

The government says that "this crime was only the first in a series of crimes against humanity perpetrated by the communist partisan movement".

These crimes peaked in the spring of 1945 after WWII when more than 15,000 Slovenians, or 1% of the population, were killed in just a few weeks.

Tens of thousands of POWs and civilians of other nationalities (Croatian, Serbian, Montenegrin, Bosnian and Italian etc.) were also killed immediately after WWII.

Slovenia paid symbolic compensation to the relatives of some of the victims and rehabilitated them, while a good share of the executions have been researched and the sites marked.

However, the government says that the universal right to a grave and a memorial for all the victims of WWII and post-WWII communist terror has not yet been established.

It also says that a respectful memory of the suffering hundreds of thousands of Slovenian inhabitants endured as victims of other forms of communist violence is also not yet part of the public memory. These victims were refugees and exiles, victims of the violence of the secret police, and victims of concentration or labour camps, Stalinist trials and other forms of lawlessness.

The post lists victims of the class war against private property, the fight against religion and the Church, and those who wanted to preserve their freedom and beliefs that were not in line with the communist authorities.

Just like the EU, independent Slovenia was founded in 1991 on the foundation of condemnation of all totalitarian regimes, including communism, the government notes.

And while the victims of fascism and Nazism are remembered with respect, the awareness of the communist violence has not yet entered the collective consciousness.

As a result, the attitude towards the victims of communism is still disrespectful, the governments says on Twitter in English, adding that "even calls for a repeat of the most horrific forms of communist violence" are "increasingly loud and supported by the media".

Historian Božo Repe, chair of contemporary history at the history department of the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts, described the move as an "ideological battle with the past" designed to divert attention from current events rather than a sincere remembrance of the victims of Communism.

It should be interpreted in the context of the outgoing government's latest moves, including staffing and the sale of state-owned companies, he said, noting that holidays are officially designated by the National Assembly so this declaration is not binding on the future government or the community at large.

13 May 2022, 06:57 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 13 May 2022

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:

Six injured, five feared dead in industrial explosion in Kočevje

KOČEVJE - Six people were injured and five are feared dead after an explosion and a fire at the chemical factory Melamin in Kočevje in southern Slovenia, the deadliest industrial fire in modern Slovenian history. The bodies of the missing persons have not been recovered yet. Two of the injured sustained severe injuries and one of them is still fighting for their life at the UKC Ljubljana hospital. According to Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration, the fire has been put out and hazardous substances contained.

OCCAR signs deal with Boxer supplier on behalf of Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) has already signed a contract with Artec, the German supplier of Boxer carriers, on behalf of Slovenia. The first prototype Boxer vehicle will be in Slovenia at the end of 2023, with an additional 44 to be made following the country's clearance, Korošec, director general of the Defence Ministry Logistics Directorate, said. The incoming coalition parties strongly oppose the purchase. Matej T. Vatovec, the head of the Left deputy group, announced a review of all decisions taken by the defence minister in connection with the deal.

Govt declares 17 May memorial day for victims of communism

LJUBLJANA - At its last regular session before being relegated to caretaker role, the government declared 17 May the National Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Communist Violence. The government says that it acted based on two things - on "the civilisational norm that the perpetrators of violence and evil acts be measured by the same criteria" and "in an effort to prevent the most tragic events in our history from being repeated". Between the summer of 1941 and January 1956, communist violence in present-day Slovenia claimed tens of thousands of violent deaths of civilians and prisoners of war

Freedom Movement endorses coalition agreement

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement's top brass unanimously endorsed the coalition agreement and the list of ministerial candidates. Party opresident Robert Golob, Golob, the presumptive new prime minister, said the Freedom Movement will initial the coalition agreement together with the SocDems and Left on Saturday. Afterwards, the agreement, said to number upwards of 80 pages, will be presented to the public. The agreement is based on his party's election platform, which was aligned in some points with the remaining two coalition parties during their negotiations. Golob said the focus was on healthcare, green and digital transformation, intergenerational dialogue, housing policy and media freedom.

Consolidation of liberal bloc proceeding apace

LJUBLJANA - The consolidation of liberal parties led by the Freedom Movement appears to be going forward. The party confirmed plans to merge with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), parties that did not make it to parliament, the latter having green-lit the proposal as well. "The procedure will unfold at an accelerated pace," said Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob, the presumptive new prime minister.

Pahor, Xi exchange congratulations on 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties

LJUBLJANA/BEIJING, China - Slovenian president Borut Pahor and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In his letter to Xi, Pahor said Slovenia and China had reason to be proud at what they have achieved in bilateral ties, noting that Slovenia was in favour of "constructive European-Chinese relations". Xi pointed out that since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, China and Slovenia had treated each other with respect and as equals.

Hungarian MP's term in spotlight at maiden session

LJUBLJANA - As the new National Assembly convenes its maiden session on Friday, one of the issues will be whether the Hungarian minority deputy Ferenc Horvath can re-assume office over alleged breach of the incompatibility of dual-office rules. One of his rival candidates has asked for the Privileges and Credentials Commission to check whether Horvath can serve as MP without giving up his post as president of a minority organisation after courts upheld the anti-graft watchdog's decision that he cannot.

Crime suspected in maintenance of SAF vehicles

LJUBLJANA - The news portal Necenzurirano reported that a Defence Ministry audit had ascertained reasons to suspect criminal offences in the maintenance of Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) vehicles and procurement of spare parts. The ministry confirmed for the portal that the audit "will be added as a document to the criminal complaint which is being drawn up by the criminal police at the Ljubljana Police Department". It said the damage was suspected at EUR 1.2 million.

Telekom Slovenije reports 23% higher Q1 profit

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the state-owned telecommunications provider, generated EUR 151.2 million in net sales revenue in the first quarter of the year, a decrease of 4% from the same period a year ago, the main reason for which is the company quitting electricity retail business on 1 January. The group's net profit rose 23% to EUR 12 million. The management's proposal for the shareholders meeting on 16 June is to pay out EUR 22.7 million in dividends at EUR 3.5 gross per share, one euro less than last year.

BAMC reportedly preparing to sell tourism companies

LJUBLJANA - Media reported that the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) is gearing up to sell Istrabenz Turizem and Thermana, the companies that own hotels and spas in Portorož and Laško, including by what unofficial information says are changes to the articles of association of the tourism companies regarding the status of supervisors. POP TV reported on Wednesday, citing unofficial information, that Franci Matoz, BAMC chairman, wanted Istrabenz Turizem to sell hotels to Hungarian buyers. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the sale would be a "dumb solo action" in violation of the current tourism strategy.

Govt incepts another research hub in Pomurje

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decision to incept another research hub in the north-eastern region Pomurje to support scientific development and innovation there, in the entire Eastern Slovenia, one of the country's two cohesion regions, and in Slovenia as a whole. The new hub will build on the work of other research organisations in Pomurje, in particular the Murska Sobota General Hospital.

Mitja Lainščak appointed research agency boss for full term

LJUBLJANA - The government on Wednesday appointed Mitja Lainščak director of the Public Research Agency (ARRS) for a five-year term, starting on Friday, thus ending a saga over the director's appointment and the appointment and dismissal of the founder's members on the agency's management board just before it becomes a caretaker government. Lainščak, cardiology department head at the Murska Sobota General Hospital, took over in January as acting director to succeed Robert Repnik, who stepped down.

Acting director appointed at competition watchdog

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Zlatko Ratej acting director of the Competition Protection Agency. He will take over for a six-month stint on 1 July, when the term of the incumbent director, Andrej Matvoz, ends. The move is designed to make sure that the agency can continue working normally since the current agency is barely quorate with a director and two members, and in the event a recusal is required from the director, it cannot take valid decisions, the Economy Ministry said.

Passenger traffic at Ljubljana airport continues to recover

BRNIK - Passenger traffic at the Ljubljana airport continues to pick up as the airport handled a total of 198,079 passengers in the first four months of the year, seven times more than in the same period last year. The volume of cargo traffic was up by 16% to 10,493 tonnes. "The significant recovery in traffic has been driven by the relaxation of entry restrictions in European countries and around the world and the ensuing higher demand for flights," airport operator Fraport Slovenija said.

Additional funding approved for health services, investments

LJUBLJANA - The government approved almost EUR 54 million in additional funding for health services. Under an addendum to the framework financing agreement for healthcare, EUR 35.7 million has been earmarked for additional services that hospitals will perform this year and EUR 18 million was set aside for new services such as screening programmes. It also confirmed the co-financing of investments at the primary level of healthcare in the total amount of nearly EUR 6 million.

First Chinese shipment of Teslas in weeks to arrive through Koper

KOPER - The first shipment of Tesla vehicles manufactured in Shanghai after the revival of production that had ground to a halt in March due to Covid-19 restrictions is reportedly set to reach the European market via the port of Koper. Data from Shanghai customs shows a ship carrying 4,767 Tesla electric vehicles left China on Wednesday and sailed for Slovenia, the portal English News reported.

Record number of vacancies on job market in Q1

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian employers reported a record 24,600 job vacancies for the first quarter of the year, up 6% from the fourth quarter last year and almost 50% more than in the same quarter in 2021. "The number of vacancies thus reached the highest level since this survey was launched in 2008. Vacancies grew from one quarter to another throughout 2021, continuing into the start of this year," the Statistics Office said on releasing the figures.

Govt chips in EUR 1.5m for suspension footbridge in Celje

LJUBLJANA - The government will chip in up to EUR 1.5 million for the project to construct a 505-metre long suspension bridge for pedestrians across the Savinja river in Celje, which has been estimated at EUR 4.6 million. The decision was taken by the government on Wednesday. The Celje municipality plans to build the steel footbridge between the Celje Castle hill and the hill on the other bank of the Savinja, which, at 505 metres long, will be one of the longest Tibetan-style hanging bridges in the world.

Covid-19 keeps retreating

LJUBLJANA - A total of 604 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Wednesday, nearly 40% fewer than the same day a week ago. Only six patients continue to be treated for Covid-19 in intensive care units and another patient died on Wednesday, Health Ministry data shows. A total of 72 patients remain hospitalised for Covid-19 as their main condition. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population has gone up by 15 to 490. The 7-day average of cases fell by 56 from the previous day to 607.

Record amount of cocaine bound for Slovenia seized in Malta

VALLETTA, Malta - Maltese customs officers have seized a record 1.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a container carrying bananas from Colombia to Slovenia, the Maltese newspaper Malta Today reported on Wednesday. The contraband, seized at Malta Freeport, is estimated to be worth EUR 300 million. Fifty bags containing 1,494 one-kilo wraps of cocaine were seized aboard a ship bound for Koper, Slovenia.

12 May 2022, 18:22 PM

Four Dead, One Missing in Kočevje Chemical Factory Explosion

STA, 12 May 2022 - A huge explosion at the Melamin chemical plant in Kočevje, south Slovenia, on Thursday morning is believed to have killed five people, who remain unaccounted for, presumably buried under the rubble, making this the worst industrial fire in modern Slovenian history.

"The five missing persons have probably perished because the explosion was so fierce there was no chance of survival," the company's director Srečko Štefanič said.

Two more people are in hospital with severe burns and are fighting for their lives, UKC Ljubljana hospital said.

The explosion occurred when epichlorohydrin, a volatile substance that was being transferred from a tank truck to an on-site cistern, burst into flames, according to Štefanič.

Štefanič said the precise cause of the blast remained unclear but it was likely the result of human error, adding two compounds appeared to have come into contact.

Only one of the missing persons is a Melamin employee, the rest are contractors who were working on the site at the time.

The plant, which produces plastic materials, paints, varnishes and other coatings and chemical products, is located not far from the centre of Kočevje and the 8:30am blast was heard dozens of kilometres away.

While a handful of people were treated for smoke inhalation, the blast did not cause damage in the community.

Firefighters have completed their work and only about a dozen remain on-site as a precaution, said commander of the Kočevje fire brigade and head of the firefighting operation Leon Behin.

The recovery of the bodies will not be able to start before the rubble cools down, presumably tomorrow.

12 May 2022, 17:54 PM

Adriatic Elements: Natural Cleaning Products, Handmade in Slovenia, by South Africans

It isn't always easy to find work as an immigrant, which is why so many start their own businesses and thus add to the vitality and vigour of the countries they settle in. Such is the case with Werner and Nardia, founders of Adriatic Elements. Curious to learn more, we got in touch with couple and asked some questions...

Tell us about your journey. Why Slovenia ?

We are originally from Cape Town, South Africa, where in 2016, Nardia started the now well known “Leaf Jou” brand of handmade natural products. Five years later we decided to relocate as a family to Slovenia and from this Adriatic Elements was born. We could not resist Slovenia’s emerald waters, beautiful mountains and clean air to call home. We now source the elements needed to manufacture Nardia’s natural products right here in the heart of Europe. We found Slovenians to be connected to Mother Nature on many levels, be it their love of hiking and the outdoors , or growing their own organic vegetables in urban gardens all over Slovenia.

What products do you make ?

The first products to be produced right here in Slovenia are our 100% natural dishwasher tablets. They are made of biodegradable ingredients, are vegan friendly and packed in a biodegradable, compostable container. Customers love the lemongrass aroma of the essential oil in the tablets.

We also make biodegradable laundry powder that are unscented, contains no sulphates or phthalates and is compatible with grey water systems. Suitable for sensitive or allergy prone skin.

Watch this space as we are working on launching our natural bubble bath powder, laundry softener and solid dish washing soap bar in the near future.

What do you like about Slovenia the most ?

As a family we love the balance between work, play and family time. We love the outdoors, natural beauty and proximity of the elements, including the Adriatic that inspires us to develop new products that are friendly to the environment.

How are you finding the language ?

Challenging but not insurmountable! We are practicing and learning new words on a daily basis. It is important to us to engage every client or potential customer in their mother tongue. Our labels are also all in Slovene, since the products are proudly made in Slovenia.

Why do you think people need these products ?

There is no Planet B. We still have time to save and renew what we have. We believe Slovenia is proof of this, by nurturing your environment and making conscious and sustainable choices.

What is your vision for the company ?

Moving away from harmful everyday chemical products has been our mission since day one. The prevalence of carcinogenic ingredients in cleaning products we use in and around our homes and bodies are frightening. We decided to change the world and people’s consumer habits one product at a time. The natural alternatives just make so much more sense: no harm to you, your children or the environment.

coming soon...bubble bath powder

Where can people try or buy your products ?

You can visit our website www.adriaticelements.com or drop us a mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for sales, trade enquiries, samples or just to chat. We will also be selling our products in Health and Bio stores, including Trgovina Suzana in Radovljica, at Ulica Staneta Žagarja 2b.

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