10 May 2022, 07:29 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 10 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:

Slovenia joins appeal against rash changes to EU treaties

BRUSSELS, Belgium - About ten EU countries, including Slovenia, have drawn 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. In the document obtained by the STA the countries say the ideas presented by citizens at the conference "should not be instrumentalised to serve special institutional interests". Meanwhile, President Borut Pahor joined calls by French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for such changes.

Pahor says V Day and Europe Day more connected than one might think

TOPOLŠICA - Victory Day was marked in the town of Topolšica, some 50 km north-east of Ljubljana, which was one of the five places in Europe where the allies made the German armed forces sign unconditional surrender in 1945. President Borut Pahor said at the event that Victory Day and Europe Day are more connected than one might think. Seventy-seven years ago, the forces of good defeated the forces of evil, and Slovenia was among the forces of good, Pahor said in his keynote address.

Pahor, Milanović to attend Slovenian minority's celebration

RIJEKA, Croatia - The Union of Slovenian Associations in Croatia will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a ceremony in Rijeka on Tuesday, to be attended by Slovenian and Croatian presidents, Borut Pahor in Zoran Milanović. "We see this visit as a recognition by Slovenia and Croatia not only of the union but also of the associations that are active in Croatia," Barbara Riman, the head of the umbrella organisation, told the STA ahead of the visit.

MPs in for busy maiden session on Friday

LJUBLJANA - As the new parliament meets for its maiden session on Friday, the MPs will appoint speaker, deputy speakers, secretary general and the parliamentary Privileges and Credential Commission apart from confirming their own mandates and deciding on the distribution of seats on three committees. These committees will be in charge of foreign policy, EU affairs and general affairs, it was agreed as outgoing Speaker Igor Zorčič met the interim heads of the new deputy factions and minority MPs.

Janković to bid for 5th term as Ljubljana Mayor

LJUBLJANA - Zoran Janković declared his intention to stand for his fifth straight term as mayor of Slovenia's capital in the autumn local elections. "It's nice to be Ljubljana mayor," he said. Janković has served as Ljubljana mayor since 2006, winning every election since with an outright majority, including after a brief foray into politics at the national level in 2011 when his party Positive Slovenia won a plurality in the general election but Janković failed to form a government.

Church bells go silent again in Slovenian minority village

TRIESTE, Italy - The Trieste authorities seized the bells of the church in San Dorligo della Vallenear, a village populated by the Slovenian minority, a second time on Friday after a renewed complaint alleging their ringing was too loud and disturbing. The bells of St Ulrich Church were first seized in January. Klemen Zalar, the Dolina parish administrator, sees the seizure as violation of international law and religious freedom, and an insult to the Slovenian community, Church and local traditions.

Ana Roš opening restaurant in Croatian coastal resort

ROVINJ, Croatia - Slovenian Michelin-starred chef Ana Roš will open a restaurant in a luxury coastal resort in Croatia's Savudrija next year, according to the Croatian newspaper Glas Istre. The Petram Resort & Residences, a project by Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostić, is one of the largest investments in the Croatian hospitality sector so far. "If we sign the agreement, which is 95% certain, we will open the restaurant by June 2023," Roš told the paper. Her Hiša Franko in Kobarid has two Michelin stars.

Slovenia, Hungary mount joint bid to host 2023 Ice-Hockey Worlds

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. "A month ago the IIHF decided that St. Petersburg will not host the elite group next year, which is why we have come up with the idea to quickly organise it together with our Hungarian friends," Matjaž Rakovec, the head of the Slovenian Ice-Hockey Association, told the press on Sunday evening.

Cinemas offer glimpse of life on border between East and West

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana and Nova Gorica in Slovenia, and Gorizia and Trieste in Italy will host a series of screenings and debates until 16 May to shed light on life on the border between Italy and the former Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1954 through the medium of film. The multi-year project East-West, the Frontier in Cinema and History 1945-1954-2025 is part of the programme of the 2025 European Capital of Culture hosted by Nova Gorica and Gorizia. It will visit European cities in 2025.

Ljubljana hosts German exhibition on Russian POWs

LJUBLJANA - A travelling exhibition on Soviet prisoners of war in World War II, mounted by the German-Russian Berlin-Karlshorst Museum, opened at the National Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana.
The exhibition entitled Dimensions of a Crime is dedicated to around 5.7 million Red Army soldiers who were captured by the Wehrmacht during WWII. More than three million of them died.

Križanke Outdoor Theatre reopens under new roof

LJUBLJANA - The Symphony Orchestra and Big Band of RTV Slovenija will give a concert at the Križanke open air theatre tonight featuring a number of Slovenian popular singers to mark Ljubljana Day and Europe Day and to inaugurate the theatre's new roof. The theatre that is used for summer festivals needed a new roof after the previous, movable roof was badly damaged in a snow storm in 2016. Supported by 13 steel pylons, the new roof was designed by architect Peter Gabrijelčič.

Jewellery in spotlight for a week around Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The first rendition of the Slovenian Jewellery Week is getting under way in a dozen Slovenian towns, providing a promotion opportunity for 37 contemporary jewellery designers. It will feature exhibitions, talks and free workshops. Providing an opportunity for artisans to meet, exchange ideas and join forces, the project aims to introduce contemporary jewellery design to the wider public.

Coronavirus curve keeps flattening out

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 196 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, down 14% from the figure reported the same day a week ago, as two patients with Covid-19 died, the Health Ministry reported. A total of 91 patients were treated in hospitals for Covid-19 as their main condition, two more than yesterday. Nine required intensive care. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population dropped to 524.

Helpline urges stepping up efforts against domestic violence

LJUBLJANA - In the wake of another intimate partner homicide in Slovenia, the SOS Telefon anti-domestic violence helpline and association warned that the country has not yet done enough to prevent domestic violence or domestic homicides, and called for systemic measures and more funding. The latest domestic homicide took place in the northern region of Koroška on Saturday when a 33-year-old woman was attacked by her 38-year-old partner at her home despite a restraining order issued against him.

Slovenia's section of St Martin's Way inaugurated

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - Slovenia's 550km section of Via Sancti Martini or St Martin's Way, which runs from Hungary via Slovenia and Italy to France, was inaugurated on Sunday 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.

09 May 2022, 14:59 PM

Janković Aims for 5th Term as Ljubljana Mayor

STA, 9 May 2022 - Zoran Janković has declared his intention to stand for his fifth straight term as mayor of Slovenia's capital in the autumn local elections. "It's nice to be Ljubljana mayor," he said on Monday.

Janković has served as Ljubljana mayor since 2006, winning every election since with an outright majority, including after a brief foray into politics at the national level in 2011 when his party Positive Slovenia won a plurality in the general election but Janković failed to form a government.

The 69-year-old mayor announced his renewed bid at Monday's City Council session marking Ljubljana Day in memory of the city's liberation in World War II. He praised his team and listed the projects implemented and planned by his administration, noting the importance of cooperation with the national government.

Listing the challenges ahead, including an energy crisis and a potential food crisis. "We must be prepared for all that, that's why I'm looking forward to our next government to be led by Robert Golob," he said, describing the prospective PM as one of Europe's biggest energy experts.

Janković, who used to be Golob's party boss, commented on the 24 April general election by saying that Slovenians said a no to PM Janez Janša and his divisive politics, disrespect for the rule of law and attacks on free media.

09 May 2022, 13:50 PM

Ana Roš Plans New Restaurant in Croatian Coastal Resort

STA, 9 May 2022 - Slovenian Michelin starred chef Ana Roš will open a restaurant in a luxury coastal resort in Croatia's Savudrija next year, the Croatian newspaper Glas Istre reports. The Petram Resort & Residences, a project by Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostić, is one of the largest investments in the Croatian hospitality sector so far.

"If we sign the agreement, which is 95% certain, we will open the restaurant by June 2023," Roš, whose Hiša Franko in Kobarid boasts two Michelin stars, told the paper.

The Savudrija restaurant will offer a relaxed atmosphere with food based on Istrian ingredients. "It will be a different story, a different approach to gastronomy, a relaxed restaurant for holidaymakers. There will be no 23-course menus but two- or three-course meals. It will still be top-quality, serious food, but in a more relaxed version," she said.

The restaurant will be located by the 105-metre infinity pool of the resort, the second longest infinity pool in the world, offering views of Piran, Trieste and the Dolomites.

The resort will boast 55 luxury villas, 179 suites and 18 apartments.

Roš has been celebrated for years, having been named the World's Best Female Chef by the World's 50 Best Restaurants culinary portal in 2017 and a year later made the Best Chef Awards list of 300 top chefs in the world.

Her Hiša Franko was awarded two Michelin stars in 2020 and has kept them both in the new edition of the Michelin Guide Slovenia.

09 May 2022, 12:20 PM

Tax Authority Launches Website to Auction Seized Items

STA, 9 May 2022 - The Financial Administration has set up a special portal to advertise and auction off properties seized from tax offenders. The first online action will take place on furs.edrazbe.si on 20 May.

The portal features a section listing foreclosed properties that are up for sale and a section where public online auctions are held live in real time.

"Prospective buyers will be able to access information at a single secure gateway. At the same time they will be able to apply for and take part in a public online auction from the same gateway. Bidding will be anonymous," FURS said in a press release on Monday.

They believe such a solution reduces the risk of collusion between potential buyers compared to a traditional public auction, thus making auctions more effective.

The part of the portal where property is advertised for sale is public and can be accessed without registration or identification.

Access to the part where auctions are held is restricted to pre-registered users, who have to register with their electronic identities.

The site is available in several languages – just look for the flag in the top right corner

09 May 2022, 06:17 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 9 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:

Pahor calls maiden session of new parliament for Friday

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor signed an order calling the maiden session of the new National Assembly for Friday after receiving a report on the official results of the 24 April general election. Both Pahor and Peter Golob, the president of the National Electoral Commission, found that the election process was "fair and transparent". Robert Golob, the leader of the Freedom Movement, which won 41 seats in the 90-strong assembly, plans to form a government with the SocDems and the Left by 3 June.

Simona Semenič wins Cankar Prize for Three Plays for Girls

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) in which she focusses on women's and gender issues. Before accepting the EUR 10,000 prize at Sunday's ceremony in Vrhnika, the 46-year-old multi-award winning author said her plays deal with the subject of the female body as a testing ground for abuse. Named after writer Ivan Cankar (1876-1918), the prize has been presented for the third year.

Novo Mesto remembers founder of Vienna Boys' Choir

NOVO MESTO - Bishop of Novo Mesto Andrej Saje celebrated mass and Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore delivered the sermon at a ceremony marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Jurij Slatkonja, the founder of the Vienna Boys' Choir. Slatkonja was born in Ljubljana on 21 March 1456 when Slovenian lands were under Habsburg rule. He went on to become priest and a chaplain and cantor at the Vienna court where he founded in 1498 what later became known as the Vienna Boys' Choir.

Catholic weekly Družina marks 70th anniversary

LJUBLJANA - Družina, the Slovenian Catholic weekly, celebrates its 70th anniversary with a sizeable readership of 100,000. The first issue of what translates as The Family came out on 7 May 1952. The newspaper was first published as a religious biweekly of the Apostolic Administration for the region of Goriška, western Slovenia. In 1973, it switched to a weekly format. The paper's name was chosen by its first editor-in-chief Jože Premrov and it was to represent the Slovenian nation as one big family.

Covid case count down by third w/w

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 321 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, just two-thirds of the figure reported a week before, and no deaths among Covid-19 patients, data from the Health Ministry shows. A total of 89 patients were treated in hospitals for Covid-19 this morning, four more than yesterday, including eight in intensive care. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population fell to 531.

Golfer Babnik third in Madrid Ladies Open

MADRID, Spain - Pia Babnik, Slovenia's best professional golfer, has notched up another podium, finishing third in the Ladies European Tour tournament in Madrid with a prize fund of EUR 300,000. With the feat at the Comunidad de Madrid Ladies Open the 18-year-old follows up on her third place in the first major tournament of the season, the Chevron Championship in California, US.

08 May 2022, 15:18 PM

GEN-I to Raise Natural Gas Prices for "Old" Customers from Before 25 Feb 2022

STA, 7 May 2022 - GEN-I is joining the natural gas suppliers that have already increased prices over the last heating season, announcing a 1 July price hike for "old" clients after raising the price for households and small businesses that switched to GEN-I after 25 February already in winter.

The new price will be EUR 0.060 per kilowatt-hour VAT included, up from EUR 0.032, according to a price list posted on GEN-I's website on Friday. The price without the 22% VAT rate will be EUR 0,049.

This price has already been charged to clients that switched to GEN-I after 25 February, while the existing clients had been guaranteed the old price until the summer.

The clients who signed the contract with GEN-I before 25 February currently pay EUR 0.026 per kWh (VAT excluded), or EUR 0.032 with the tax.

The price will thus be by some 85% higher. But since it accounts for only around 40% of the final bill, bills for clients will be in fact by only around a third higher.

GEN-I said it was regularly monitoring the situation in Europe and the world that impacts the prices of energy products.

While the prices reached historic highs in the second half of 2021, the situation was expected to stabilise after the winter months. However, the war in Ukraine has exacerbated the situation, and therefore "we need to adapt and align our prices to the changes in the purchasing markets", the company said.

Some other suppliers increased natural gas prices for households and small businesses before, with the latest increases coming as of May.

Petrol initially announced new price hikes for April, but postponed them to May, when the heating season practically ends, to soften the blow to its clients.

Its new price is EUR 0.051 per kWh VAT included, up from EUR 0.037.

The government has recently extended for another three months - until the end of July - the regulation reducing excise duties on energy products, including electricity, motor fuels, heating oil and natural gas.

It has, however, decided against extending the cap on regular petrol and diesel, which pushed the retail prices to new highs on 1 May.

08 May 2022, 09:14 AM

COVID Restrictions Lifted for Health, Social Care Workers, & in Pharmacies

STA, 7 May 2022 - The government decided on Saturday to lift the Covid pass mandate for health and social care workers and the requirement to wear masks at pharmacies. The new rules will enter into force on Sunday as they were published in the Official Gazette on Saturday.

The further relaxation of what are already quite mild restrictions had been put forward by the group of experts advising government on Covid-19.

The group had assessed the epidemiological situation as considerably better while the Omicron variant of coronavirus is milder than the previous ones, the government said after its correspondence session.

The requirement to wear masks indoor was generally lifted in mid April. With pharmacies added today, masks remain obligatory only in health and social care institutions.

While staff at these two types of institutions no longer need the Covid pass - which was imposed for practically all activities in the country on 15 September - it remains in place for visitors to hospitals and to social care homes.

The latest relaxation comes after one of the most extensive relaxations of Covid restrictions entered into force on 21 February.

08 May 2022, 04:49 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 8 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:

Govt further relaxes coronavirus restrictions

LJUBLJANA - The government decided at a correspondence session to lift the Covid pass mandate for health and social care workers and the requirement to wear masks at pharmacies. The new rules enter into force on Sunday, 8 May. While staff at health and social care institutions no longer need the Covid pass - which was imposed for practically all activities in the country on 15 September - it remains in place for visitors to these institutions.

Govt agrees to promoting Urbanč to major general

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 SAF's supreme commander, President Borut Pahor, thus joining another three active Slovenian major generals - Chief of the General Staff Robert Glavaš, Miha Škerbinc, the SAF's force commander, and ex-Chiefs of the General Staff Alenka Ermenc and Alan Geder.

President Pahor visits minority in Udine province

UDINE, Italy - President Borut Pahor and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited the Slovenian ethnic minority in Italy's province Udine on Friday as the 34th festival of songs from Benečija area opened in the Grimacco/Garmak municipality. In his address, Pahor stressed the role of co-existence and the common European homeland, to which the Slovenian and Italian nations belong. Pahor and Jaklitsch also held a meeting with the minority's representatives.

Speaking from own experience, Cerar has advice for Golob

LJUBLJANA - Miro Cerar, a jurist who formed a government in 2014 after his new party won the election, warned in an interview with the STA that now that Robert Golob is following in his footsteps, it will be important how he performs as prime minister but also whether he is able to keep unity in his party and make sure it holds on to true values. Cerar, whose SMC party has since imploded, attributes the historic victory of Golob's Freedom Movement to the political bloc that rallied against outgoing PM Janez Janša getting concerned about potential dispersion and subsequent loss of votes, which was shared by the voters.

Coronavirus cases down 27% in a week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 747 new coronavirus cases were logged on Friday, a 27% drop over a week ago, and three patients died. The National Institute of Public Health estimates that there are now just over 11,400 active cases in the country, a daily drop of 306. Health Ministry data shows that there were 188 persons infected with coronavirus in hospitals on Saturday morning, of whom 20 in intensive care.

GEN-I raising gas prices for "old" clients as well

LJUBLJANA - GEN-I is joining the natural gas suppliers that have already increased prices over the last heating season, announcing a 1 July price hike for "old" clients after raising the price for households and small businesses that switched to GEN-I after 25 February already in winter. The new price will be EUR 0.060 per kilowatt-hour VAT included, up from EUR 0.032, according to a price list posted on GEN-I's website on Friday. The price without the 22% VAT rate will be EUR 0.049.

Almost 26,000 turn out for memorial Walk along the Wire

LJUBLJANA - The 64th Walk along the Wire, an event commemorating the 9 May 1945 liberation of Ljubljana, attracted over 23,150 hikers and 2,670 runners of three-member teams between Thursday and Saturday as it returned to the city after a two-year coronavirus-prompted break. What is one of the biggest recreational sport events in Slovenia usually attracts over 30,000 people. It remembers the period during WWII when the Fascists wired off Ljubljana in February 1942 to stop supplies to the Partisan resistance movement. In 2016, the Culture Ministry entered it into the Slovenian register of living cultural heritage.

07 May 2022, 11:48 AM

5,738 Ukrainians Ask for Temporary Protection in Slovenia

STA, 6 May 2022 - A total of 5,738 Ukrainian refugees have so far asked for the status of temporary protection for displaced persons in Slovenia, of whom 2,149 underage children. The initial number was 5,919 but some refugees have since left Slovenia. Police data shows that since the Ukraine war started, 21,980 Ukrainians have entered Slovenia.

The number of Ukrainian refugees asking for accommodation at Slovenian state-owned centres is decreasing, said Katarina Štrukelj, director of the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants.

There are currently 316 refugees at the Logatec centre, which has room for 250, and 91 in Debeli Rtič, which can accommodate up to 80.

"We're also being contacted by individuals who have taken in Ukrainian citizens but don't have enough room for them," Štrukelj said on Friday, adding that in such cases, the refugees were accommodated at student dorms.

Unofficial information shows that the office has received 806 applications for financial assistance. A third has been granted, with the rest being supplemented.

An adult with temporary protection status is entitled to EUR 422 a month, with every next adult in the family entitled to 70% of the sum and children to 30% of the sum.

Unofficial information also shows that 88 Ukrainian refugees are registered with the Employment Service, while some have already found a job, mostly in hospitality.

Although both Slovenian and Ukrainian are Slavic languages, they are quite different and language proficiency is a problem on the labour market.

This is also true for healthcare workers, as 13 have came to Slovenia with the Ukraine refugee wave, of whom four doctors.

The Health Ministry has already notified them of the conditions under which employment is possible in the Slovenian healthcare system.

From 1 July on, the language requirement will be slightly relaxed as changes to the medical services act enter into force.

Today, the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants signed with the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy an agreement on financing a project to help Ukrainian refugees integrate into Slovenian society.

The project, financed from the Norwegian Financial Facility and another of the European Economic Area, will provide information to persons with temporary protection status about their rights, while school children will get learning support.

Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar meanwhile said the healthcare system was under no additional pressure from Ukrainian refugees, arguing that their numbers corresponded to no more than a small town.

07 May 2022, 11:38 AM

RTV Managers Deny Putting Pressure on Studio City

STA, 6 May 2022 - Responding to a protest letter from the Trade Union of Journalists (SNS) which speaks of pressure on the staff of the popular current affairs show Studio City, the management of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija rejected the accusations, demanding proof of the claims or in the opposite case, an apology.

In Friday's press release, the management of the public broadcaster strongly rejected the accusations of pressure and regretted that the trade union decided not to conduct direct dialogue with the management before addressing the public.

It said that such a way of communication was inadmissible damaging the reputation of the public broadcaster, adding that such an approach failed to enable constructive dialogue.

The letter was penned after Studio City, a TV Slovenija show hosted by Marcel Štefančič since 1998, was suspended two months ago, whereupon the host's contract was not extended. The management has since announced that the show will return in May in a changed format and with a new host.

The SNS called on the management on Thursday to stop exerting pressure on Studio City's team, saying it intended to use all legal and other means to protect their professional integrity, which is now threatened, including from the TV Slovenija news programme editor-in-chief.

The management said in Friday's press release that it demanded from the trade union to present clear explanations and proof of the alleged pressure from the management on the editors of the show.

"If there has been undue pressure on the creators of Studio City, we will take appropriate action, otherwise we expect an apology from the union and retraction of the statements."

The management assessed that the SNS's demand that Štefančič return to the show as host exceeded its competences, as the content of the programme is entirely within the powers of the editor-in-chief, who is also legally responsible for it.

It reiterated that the contract with Štefančič was not terminated but expired at the end of March, and that the management decided not to renew it due to his "insulting statements".

The Mladinsko Theatre meanwhile announced that Štefančič would host a special edition of Studio City on Monday at the Mladinsko Theatre live. A ticket will cost two euro, and the show will also be streamed online.

Editors of RTV Slovenija TV programmes meanwhile urged director general Andrej Grah Whatmough in a statement obtained by the STA to find a solution to the benefit of the public broadcaster and the viewers. They said Studio City was a very important show and a trademark of RTV Slovenija, so any changes that would not be coordinated with the editors, journalists and hosts could damage RTV Slovenija's reputation.

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