22 Apr 2022, 04:19 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 22 April 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 reportedly sending tanks to Ukraine in a weapon swap

BERLIN, Germany - The German news agency dpa reported that Germany had concluded agreements to send heavy weapons to Ukraine with several other European countries, including Slovenia, which would send its tanks to Ukraine in return for tanks and armoured personnel carriers from Germany's own stock. The Slovenian Defence Ministry initially said it could not comment, but then told the STA that Defence Minister Matej Tonin and his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht discussed via video call on Wednesday "how allied countries can help Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, and from this aspect, various ways in which Slovenia and Germany can jointly help Ukraine".

Janša and Blinken discuss support for Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underlined in a phone call the need to continue supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity with strong security support. Blinken thanked Slovenia for its clear support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Janša expressed gratitude for the US's strategically important role in providing security of the European NATO members and for its diplomatic, humanitarian and defence efforts to help Ukraine. The pair also condemned the atrocities of the Russian forces in the war against Ukraine and stressed that Moscow should be held accountable, Janša's office said.

Turnout reaches almost 5% in first two days of early voting

LJUBLJANA - A total of 84,209 people or 4.97% of all eligible voters cast their ballots in the first two days of the three-day early voting for the 24 April general election, a significant increase over what was already a record turnout in early voting for the waters act referendum last July. The figure also exceeds the overall turnout for the 2018 early voting, which was at 3.1%.

Valicon expects tough battle for election victory, high turnout

LJUBLJANA - Pollster Valicon expects a tough battle for election victory this Sunday. The Freedom Movement is just slightly ahead of the Democrats (SDS) and the Social Democrats (SD), New Slovenia (NSi) and the Left will most probably get into parliament. The fate of three parties - Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and Connecting Slovenia - is to be decided by tactical voters. Resni.ca and the Pirates may also become parliamentary parties, but the actual turnout will be decisive. Valicon estimates the turnout will be at around 68%, at least 62% but possibly even at 73%.

SD says it will be cornerstone of stability in next govt

LJUBLJANA - The Social Democrats (SD) will continue defending the fundamental values of social justice and democracy, SD leader Tanja Fajon said as she addressed the party's last major event before the general election. She is convinced that the SD will be the cornerstone of stability in the new government. "We'll protect the social justice of Slovenia, we will guarantee that we have democracy in the country, that all people live in freedom." Judging by the high turnout in early voting, Fajon believes that voters want change, a new start.

Parliamentary speaker urges votes to go to the polls

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič urged voters to go to the polls this Sunday, as he termed the general election "a holiday of democracy" in a statement. Zorčič, who is not standing for election, called on voters to take a decision on their future and vote for those whom them trust. Some 1.7 voters will head to the polls on Sunday in what will be the ninth election for a new, 90-seat parliament. The newly-elected MPs are expected to hold their maiden session on 13 May.

Slovenian pavilion opens at 59th Venice Biennale (adds)

VENICE, Italy - The Slovenian pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale opened with the exhibition of paintings by Marko Jakše, one of Slovenia's most acclaimed painters, known for his surrealist Daliesque canvases. Jakše represents Slovenia at the prestigious visual art exhibition with the Without a Master display, which brings 13 canvases the 62-year-old artist has made in this century. The pavilion was inaugurated by Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti, but Jakše could not attend the opening.

Illegal crossings of border up almost 80% in first quarter

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police recorded 2,023 attempts at illegal crossing of the border in the first three months of the year, an increase of 77.5% over the same period last year. Afghanis accounted for over a third of all those intercepted, the latest police statistics show. A total of 664 migrants were returned to foreign law enforcement, a 60% increase over the year before, with the vast majority returned to Croatia.

Poll shows Slovenians increasingly distrustful of media

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians are increasingly distrustful of the education system and teachers and the media and journalists with the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija sinking most in their regard, a Velicon poll suggests. The Covid-19 epidemic caused major shifts in public trust in institutions and professions, but as the police and healthcare and doctors have since regained some trust in the eyes of the public, media and education keep loosing it. Slovenian small businesses continue to top the ranking of trustworthy institutions, the level of trust in which has increased further since the last poll in October 2021 to 65 on the scale of -100 to +100.

Heating oil price regulation extended by a month

LJUBLJANA - The government extended the regulation of heating oil prices under which retailers' margin is capped at six cents per litre. The decree entered into force today and is valid for 30 days. The base price to which the margin is added is calculated as a 14-day average price that takes into account prices on Mediterranean markets, the euro-dollar exchange rate and several other variables.

Telekom Slovenije net profit up 52% to EUR 38m last year, revenue flat

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije posted a group net profit of EUR 37.9 million for 2021, an increase of 52% over the year before, on sales revenue that was broadly flat at EUR 648.2 million. Earnings before interest, taxes, amortisation and depreciation (EBITDA) totalled EUR 220.8 million, an increase of 5%, with earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reaching EUR 51.7 million in 2021, up 21%, the company said. The group earmarked a total of EUR 208.2 million for investments in 2021.

Petrol shareholders to get EUR 30 dividend

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of energy company Petrol decided to distribute practically the entire distributable profit from last year, or EUR 61.8 million, meaning that they will receive EUR 30 gross per share, which is EUR 8 more than in 2021. The shareholders also confirmed the management's proposal to split one Petrol share into 20 shares in order to improve liquidity and attract new investors. The revevant procedures will get under way on 19 August to no cost or inconvenience to the shareholders.

Bad bank ups pre-tax profit by 57% to EUR 63m last year

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company finished 2021 with EUR 178.4 million in revenue from asset management and a pre-tax profit of EUR 63.2 million, up by 57% year-on-year. The average annual return on equity, whose target value under law is set at 8%, reached 25%, the annual report shows. From its inception in March 2013 until the end of last year, the bad bank generated over EUR 2.083 billion in revenue, which is 100.2% of the cumulative transferred value of assets it got from commercial banks.

SID Bank reports profit surge as lending up by 10%

LJUBLJANA - SID Banka, the state-owned development bank, nearly trebled net profit in 2021 to EUR 24 million while keeping up high-level of crediting to help the economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The volume of lending was up by about 10%. The bank's total assets declined by 2.5% in a year to EUR 2.83 billion as of the end of 2021, which is still 18% above the figure in 2019 before the Covid-19 crisis. In the introduction to the annual report, SID Banka CEO Damijan Dolinar said 2021 was a period of the economy's adjustment in the wake contraction caused by Covid-19 where the bank helped by retaining a high level of financing.

Mutual fund managers call for favourable taxation to encourage investment

LJUBLJANA - Mutual fund management companies, looking for ways to popularise investments in funds as deposits in banks are reaching record levels, addressed a call ahead of the general election for a more favourable taxation in order to encourage investments. "We expect from the new government equal treatment in terms of regulation of tax incentives for all players on the capital market," said Mira Koporčić Veljić of the Slovenian Investment Fund Association.

Nova KBM shareholders allocate almost EUR 109m for dividends

MARIBOR - The shareholders of Nova KBM bank decided that almost EUR 109 million of last year's distributable profit will be allocated for dividends, or EUR 10.89 gross per share, according to the minutes of last week's shareholder meeting. The bank's distributable profit stood at EUR 446.52 million, with EUR 337.59 remaining undistributed.

Public health institute proposes priority vaccination for Ukrainian children

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health proposed that Ukrainian child refugees be vaccinated in line with the vaccination schedule in place for Slovenian children, arguing it was of paramount importance for public health in the country that refugees be vaccinated. Jabs against measles and polio have been singled out as a top priority for children in the event they do not have written documentation or it cannot be reliably proven otherwise that they have been inoculated against the two viruses.

Coronavirus cases down by fifth on week before

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,255 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, a week-on-week decrease of almost 20%. Hospital numbers declined, Health Ministry data show. Three patients with Covid-19 died. The overall number of patients with Covid stood at 245 this morning, down by 14, of whom 99 were in hospital with Covid as their primary diagnosis, down by six.

New gene bank for Šentjernej rooster opens

ŠENTJERNEJ - A new gene bank with some 100 specimens of the Šentjernej rooster breed opened in Šentjernej, south-east, today. The project is a collaboration of the cultural and ethnological association Gallus Bartholomaeus, the Agriculture Ministry and the Department of Natural Sciences at Ljubljana's Biotehnical Faculty. Some EUR 20,000 were annually invested in the the project by 2010, with the ministry and the faculty funding experts, while breeders helped cover the remaining costs.

Translator Koncut conferred French Arts and Letters Order

LJUBLJANA - The French Institute in Slovenia decorated translator Suzana Koncut with the rank of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters for her work in literary translation, notably in the past six years. The second-rank cross was conferred on Koncut on Wednesday for her numerous translations of French plays, works on humanities and social sciences, as well as comics.

Maribor launches bike share system

MARIBOR - The city of Maribor launched a bicycle sharing system called Mbajk that currently comprises 21 docking stations and 210 bicycles spread across the broader area of the city centre. The first hour of rental is free of charge. The system is scheduled to officially open after the May Day holidays. The bikes are for single-ride hire, not for multi-hour or full-day hire.

21 Apr 2022, 17:15 PM

Slovenia Sending Tanks to Ukraine in Weapons Swap with Germany

STA, 21 April 2022 - The German news agency dpa has reported that Germany has concluded an agreement to send heavy weapons to Ukraine with several other European countries, including Slovenia, which is to send its tanks to Ukraine in return for tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from Germany's own stock.

The press agency, citing unnamed sources, said on Thursday that the agreement had been confirmed in Berlin.

Asked for a comment, the Slovenian Defence Ministry initially told the STA that it could not comment on potential agreements on sending weapons to Ukraine.

Later on, it said in a statement that Defence Minister Matej Tonin had talked with his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht via video call on Wednesday.

"At the meeting, they discussed how allied countries can help Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression, and from this aspect, different ways in which Slovenia and Germany can jointly help Ukraine," the ministry said.

According to dpa's sources, Slovenia will send Soviet-made T-72 tanks to Ukraine, while Germany will give Slovenia German-made tanks and APCs from the country's own stock.

That Germany has concluded an agreement on sending heavy weapons to Ukraine was confirmed on Thursday by German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht, according to the French news agency AFP.

The sources say that, in line with the agreement, Germany will give Slovenia Marder and Fuchs APCs, while Slovenia is said to have asked for more modern weapons, including Leopard 2 tanks and Puma and Boxer APCs.

According to the information available on the website of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Slovenia does not have T-72 tanks, but Yugoslav-made M-84 tanks, an updated and upgraded version of T-72.

21 Apr 2022, 14:42 PM

Maribor Launches Mbajk Bike Share System

STA, 21 April 2022 - The city of Maribor launched on Thursday a bicycle sharing system called Mbajk that currently comprises 21 docking stations and 210 bicycles spread across the broader area of the city centre. The first hour of rental is free of charge.

The system is scheduled to officially open after the May Day holidays.

The bikes are for single-ride hire, not for multi-hour or full-day hire. "This is a practical and environmentally friendly addition to the public passenger transport system in the city," the Maribor municipality said.

Users can rent a bike at any of the stations and return it to any of the stations as well. Bikes can be rented via the terminal at the station or using the Mbajk mobile app. Users can also check the availability of free bikes and locks for each station.

They pay an annual registration fee of EUR 3. The first hour of each rental is free for an unlimited number of rentals. Users can register for the system at www.mbajk.si.

The system will be operational 24 hours a day and every day of the year.

The municipality has contracted Europlakat to set up the system under a 15-year contract. The company provided 15 stations and 150 bicycles, while other partners, led by the NLB Group, provided the rest.

According to Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič, the network will be expanded further in the future.

21 Apr 2022, 11:25 AM

Heating Oil Price Control Extended by a Month

STA, 21 April 2022 - The government has extended the regulation of heating oil prices under which retailers' margin is capped at six cents per litre. The decree entered into force today and is valid for 30 days.

The base price to which the margin is added is calculated as a 14-day average price that takes into account prices on Mediterranean markets, the euro-dollar exchange rate and several other variables.

Heating oil price regulation was introduced in November to stem the rise of energy prices. Fuel prices remain regulated as well.

21 Apr 2022, 11:20 AM

Illegal Border Crossings Up 77.5% In First Quarter

STA, 21 April 2022 - Slovenian police recorded 2,023 attempts at illegal crossing of the border in the first three months of the year, an increase of 77.5% over the same period last year. Afghanis account for over a third of all those intercepted, the latest police statistics show.

A total of 664 migrants were returned to foreign law enforcement, a 60% increase over the year before, with the vast majority returned to Croatia.

As the overall migrations figures rose, the number of requests for international protection surged, rising five-fold to 1,916, mostly on account of the uptick in refugees from Afghanistan.

The figures also include 300 Ukrainians, but this was before Slovenia activated the temporary protection mechanism under which all Ukrainian refugees are eligible for asylum and are processed in a fast-track procedure.

21 Apr 2022, 09:01 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 21 April 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:

Agriculture Minister Podgoršek resigns over hotel bill payment

LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek resigned on Wednesday after he became the target of media scrutiny over a lack of clarity regarding the payment of his weekend stay at an upscale hotel in Bohinj in January. He said he was "resigning exclusively due to the late payment of the bill", and was accepting responsibility for this.

SAB and LMŠ slip below parliamentary threshold in Ninamedia poll

LJUBLJANA - The tracking poll conducted by Ninamedia for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows the Freedom Movement and the ruling Democrats (SDS) remaining in the lead ahead of Sunday's general election, projected to win 26.3% and 25.5%, respectively. The Connecting Slovenia alliance is projected to make it to parliament, whereas the centre-left opposition parties LMŠ and SAB risk being squeezed out. The Left ranks third at 8.8%.

High turnout on first day of early voting

LJUBLJANA - Early voting for the 24 April general election started on Tuesday with voter turnout three times higher than on the first day of early voting in the 2018 general election. According to the National Election Commission, 35,754 or 2.1% of the 1,695,766 eligible voters cast their ballots, which compares to 11,713 or 0.68% in the 2018 election.

Tonin touts NSi as guarantee for good government

LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin described the ministerial team of his Christian democratic party as the most efficient part of the current government as New Slovenia (NSi) held a campaign convention. He said Slovenia deserved a good government, but there could not be such a government without the NSi. He said the key battle on Sunday would be for the third spot because it would decide "the colour" of the next ruling coalition where he said the NSi would guarantee a bright future.

Connecting Slovenia highlights role of cooperation

LITIJA - The alliance Connecting Slovenia, which includes the coalition party Concretely, stressed the importance of cooperation and rural development at their final major event ahead of the general election on Sunday. "We are proving that it is possible to do things differently, that Slovenia can breathe with both left and right lungs, that we need to think about all regions, that living in the countryside must become a privilege again, and that no one should be left behind," the alliance said.

Šarec makes one last appeal to voters to back LMŠ

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Šarec, the former prime minister, addressed the final event of his LMŠ party ahead of Sunday's election, declaring that a vote for the LMŠ was a vote for perseverance, principles, public healthcare and public education. He is convinced Slovenia's next government will be centre-left."We are at a breaking point and on Sunday it will be a referendum on what country we want to live in, because four more years of such a government would bring a demise of democracy," Šarec told the event.

SAB wants to be strong member of centre-left govt

LJUBLJANA - SAB leader Alenka Bratušek stressed that the party's candidates are a responsible team who know what Slovenia needs and thus act accordingly, as she addressed the party's last major event before the general election. She is convinced the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) will be a strong member of the centre-left government, saying that the party had proved to be able to act in hard times.

Slovenia with biggest democratic decline in region in Freedom House report

WASHINGTON, US - Freedom House, a US NGO that evaluates the state of democracy around the world, says in its latest annual report that last year Slovenia saw the biggest democratic decline in the broader region. It also warns that democracy has been in decline in the region for the 18th year in a row.
Slovenia is listed among the six countries that are still labelled as "consolidated democracies", but all suffered score declines due to the "corrosive effects of illiberalism and corruption".

Criminal complaints filed against incumbent and ex-police chiefs

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into alleged political interference in the work of the police filed criminal complaints against Police Commissioner Anton Olaj and against Anton Travner, former police commissioner. They suspect them of workplace bullying and perjury, respectively. In early April, the inquiry filed such preliminary charges against former police commissioner Andrej Jurič for perjury.

Maribor mayor apologises for assaulting teen, will not resign

MARIBOR - Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič regretted the incident in which he got physical with a 13-year-old boy on Easter Sunday after what he said was an act of vandalism. He said he would not to resign as mayor. He apologised to everyone involved and to the public, noting that he had only grabbed the boy by the arms. The teenager's father would not accept the apology.

Slovenian Red Cross sends 55 tonnes of food to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA/UZHHOROD, Ukraine - Six trucks organised by the Slovenian Red Cross delivered 55 tonnes of food and 25,000 litres of water to war-stricken Ukrainians at the end of last week. The aid package will provide 40,000 meals for babies and 112,000 meals for adults, the organisation said in a press release.

Catalan course officially inaugurated at Faculty of Arts

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Faculty of Arts inaugurated a language centre for Catalan as part of its Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. The new course had been available to students since last autumn. The new course is a valuable addition for the faculty, noted Katarina Marinčič, head of the department, as it provides students with the possibility of learning another Romance language.

Monograph launched on Slovenia's independence year

LJUBLJANA - The Catholic publisher Družina and the Government Communication Office launched a monograph chronicling events from 23 December 1990 when Slovenians opted for independence in a referendum and 15 January 1992 when Slovenia was recognised as an independent country by the European Community, the forerunner of the EU. The book, entitled Triumphant Year - Independence Story of Our State Slovenia, brings pictures and articles by 21 authors.

Art from 1930s put on show in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition featuring 14 artists associated in the Independent Group of Slovenian Artists whose work makes an important part of the 20th-century Slovenian fine art, opened at the Cankarjev Dom arts centre tonight. Running until 2 October, Outside the Frame features 70 paintings and sculptures and documentary material.

Air passenger traffic in Slovenia up by 46% last year

LJUBLJANA - Air passenger traffic in Slovenia recovered last year from the shock caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the three international airports in the country serving a total of 419,300 passengers or 46% more than in 2020. The lion's share represented passengers served by the Ljubljana airport.

New coronavirus cases up after prolonged weekend

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,124 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday, a rise from the same day a week ago that could be attributed to the backlog following the extended Easter weekend. Three infected patients died, Health Ministry data shows.

20 Apr 2022, 17:26 PM

Maribor Mayor Apologises for Assaulting 13-Year Old Over Used Tennis Balls

STA, 20 April 2022 - Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič has regretted the incident in which he got physical with a 13-year-old boy on Easter Sunday after what he says was an act of vandalism, while deciding not to resign as mayor. He has apologised to everyone involved and to the public, noting that he had only grabbed the boy by the arms.

It was reported on Tuesday by the newspaper Večer that Arsenovič had been accused by a father of the 13-year-old of physically assaulting his son and causing him light injuries.

The father told Večer that on Easter Sunday Arsenovič attacked his son after he and a group of other children took some used tennis balls from a garbage can near a tennis court operated by the local tennis club.

In today's statement, Arsenovič said he regretted the incident and apologised first to the teenagers, and then to the parents, expressing the understanding that they wanted to protect their child, as he would probably do the same.

"I also apologise to all people of Maribor," he said, adding that "despite vandalism, wantonness and insults", he could and should have acted differently and less violently.

He reiterated that he only wanted to "stop the boy and teach him that common property should not be treated in such a way and that insults do not lead anywhere", adding that "he was very restless and upset, so communication was not possible."

The mayor asked the boy for a meeting. "Given that neither he nor I did the right thing, it might be time for us to meet, perhaps also with the parents, and to try to do something good together."

According to Večer, the boy's father does not accept the apology. "He has further hurt and humiliated me with his statement," he said, adding that "a person who cannot manage stress has no business holding such a position."

Local politicians have also responded to the incident, with some of them calling for the mayor's resignation. Arsenovič said he had considered resigning, but decided not to do so after careful deliberation and numerous calls to stay in office.

The father reported the attack to the police and filed a motion to prosecute the mayor for the alleged causing of light bodily harm. The boy allegedly has bruises on his neck, as evidenced by a photo, and his knee was also allegedly injured.

The mayor said he did not know where the boy had gotten these injuries from. "I certainly didn't grab him by the neck, but I did stop him," he said today.

Večer reported that an eyewitness has taken to social networks to say that Arsenovič was not chocking the boy, and that he had only grabbed him after the boy tried to get away.

Klemen Kokol of the tennis club denied that anyone was allowed to take used tennis balls around the court, adding that damage had been done to the property of the tennis club over the Easter holidays.

Arsenovič faced allegations of violent behaviour in the past, as he allegedly bit a part of a finger off a waiter some 20 years ago, and grabbed a young scooter driver by the hand and took away his keys last autumn after he caught him driving in the pedestrian zone.

"I protect the safety in pedestrian zones and I'm making an effort for scooters not to be there," Arsenovič said about the alleged incident at the time.

20 Apr 2022, 13:44 PM

Agriculture Minister Resigns Over Hotel Bill Payment

STA, 20 April 2022 - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek resigned on Wednesday after he became the target of media scrutiny over lack of clarity regarding the payment of his weekend stay at an upscale hotel in Bohinj in January. He said he was "resigning exclusively due to the late payment of the bill", and was accepting responsibility for this.

"This is a fact and I regret it," Podgoršek said in a press statement published on Facebook, which comes after a media report saying that he did not pay for the weekend stay at the hotel.

The anti-graft watchdog has already launched a preliminary inquiry into potential ethics breaches, while Podgoršek himself claims he was being blackmailed and has reported the matter to the criminal police.

It was the investigative portal Necenzurirano that reported last week that Podgoršek and his wife stayed at the hotel owned by crypto millionaire Damian Merlak but did not pay the EUR 800 bill, doing so only after being asked for comment this month.

After the report was published, Podgoršek said he had asked the hotel to mail the bill because he and his wife were in a hurry, but he said he did not receive the bill at that time and did not realise that until he was contacted by Necenzurirano.

The portal suggested the payment of the bill may have to do with KŽK, a company which owns vast tracts of farmland in Gorenjska and was until 2019 part-owned by the hotel owner Merlak, who has since severed all formal ties with it.

KŽK has been in a dispute with the Farmland Fund for two years over land that it leases from the fund and wanted to sublet to farmers. The fund refused to settle out of court and its director, Irena Majcen, was dismissed in November last year.

Majcen claimed at the time she was fired because she refused to heed to Podgoršek's pressure to settle in favour of KŽK and another company with a similar dispute, KG Lendava. The case is now in court.

The story took a turn yesterday with a statement by KŽK that the company paid Podgoršek's hotel bill, a copy of the paid bill, dated 30 January, having been obtained by several media.

KŽK said it was in a "totally subordinated relationship towards the minister and because the bill had to be paid, the hotel sent it to us and we paid it." But KŽK also said it "neither demanded nor received any favours or privileges."

Podgoršek yesterday "vehemently rejected" any connection with KŽK or allegations that the company had arranged for his private stay at the hotel, adding that he had paid the bill out of his own pocket.

According to Necenzurirano, Podgoršek demanded that the bill paid by KŽK be cancelled and a new one issued so he could pay it.

Podgoršek, who joined the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) party when he was already a minister and on whose ticket he now runs for the 24 April general election, claims he is being blackmailed by KŽK.

Commenting on the resignation today, NSi president Matej Tonin said he and the minister had had a long conversation yesterday, that Podgoršek had accepted the responsibility, and that the move was a "sign of political culture".

Podgoršek added that his "lack of attention to detail has been exploited by those who wanted to take advantage of it."

He is convinced that, by not succumbing to pressure and standing up for farmers from Gorenjska, he has "become very disruptive for some people".

"Some people apparently go to great lengths to issue and correct a multitude of bills to smear me. I have obtained various versions of invoices from the hotel these days, the purpose of which I can only guess," he added.

Podgoršek said that there were apparently two different bills issued to two different names and with different amounts for the same service.

He and his wife spent the weekend at the hotel based on a package that cost EUR 800, and the bill on Podgoršeks' names was sent to his private e-mail and paid.

The media have recently published another bill, issued on a different name and amounting to EUR 578. "I have nothing to do with that bill," said the outgoing minister.

He added that this was a "process against me and my family staged in advance, which is likely to continue these days with various fabricated pieces of information from those who want to harm me."

"My resignation does not mean that farmers from Gorenjska will be left to their own devices," he said, adding that he would do everything in his power to protect them by using all legal means available.

Tonin added that he was convinced that the issue had been raised because KŽK wanted to force Podgoršek to act in line with its interests.

Podgoršek, who was appointed agriculture minister in late 2020 following the resignation of Aleksandra Pivec for similar reasons, is the fourth minister in the Janez Janša government to resign before the end of the term.

In addition to Pivec, also to leave their posts in the cabinet early were Health Minister Tomaž Gantar in early 2021, after the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) left the coalition, and Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič in May 2021.

20 Apr 2022, 11:14 AM

New “Techno-Cultural Urban Quarter” to Further Link Nova Gorica & Gorizia

STA, 19 April 2022 - A techno-cultural urban quarter will be built between the neighbouring cities of Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy before their joint project of the 2025 European Capital of Culture (ECoC) title in what is an upgrade of the initial plan to strengthen ties between the two cities.

The investment that will bind the two cities together in the spirit of the shared project has expanded from the initial Europe Square idea to a bigger area between Nova Gorica and Gorizia along the Slovenian-Italian border.

The ECoC district is the start of a major upgrade of the border area from the cultural centre Mostovna in the north to the University of Nova Gorica in the south. This border zone, about three kilometres long, is the area that will begin to connect the two cities, the Nova Gorica Municipality said in a press release.

Nova Gorica and Gorizia will be named the European Capital of Culture 2025 #GO2025 #GoBorderless #EuropeanCapitalOfCulture #StrongherTogether #ECOC https://t.co/iw3a6zQnHa pic.twitter.com/UBTg6eMSwx
— Slovenian Government (@govSlovenia) December 23, 2020

The project is being carried out in cooperation with local communities, local businesses and a research team from the university. The district will provide what is currently missing in Nova Gorica and will be dedicated to the environment, education, science, technology, culture and new forms of mobility, the municipality added.

The district will host the Green Technology Centre, a hub of laboratories and activities that will support in particular SMEs in the development of products and services derived from green technologies. The project also envisages construction of new facilities for the university.

"We propose to make the best use or reuse of this space," said Boštjan Vuga with the architectural firm Sadar+Vuga as he presented the concept. Nova Gorica also aims to upgrade its train station by 2025 and build an overpass street over the tracks that will help link the city centres of Nova Gorica and Gorizia through Europe Square, which is also expected to be renovated by 2025.

That year, the two cities will jointly host the European Capital of Culture with slogan Go! Borderless after winning the designation in December 2020.

20 Apr 2022, 11:10 AM

Early Voting Starts Ahead of Sunday’s General Election

STA, 19 April 2022 - President Borut Pahor cast his vote on Tuesday in early voting for the 24 April general election, joining civil society organisations and prominent politicians in urging citizens to exercise their right to vote.

"Exercise the right to directly influence the future of our country," Pahor said after casting his ballot in Ljubljana, adding that each vote was an invaluable building block of democracy conveying people's expectations about the direction of Slovenia's development.

"The situation in Europe and the world, the post-pandemic era and the war in Ukraine, means that we will face more than the usual problems in the coming years. It is very likely that this period will also be marked by major strategic challenges for Slovenia and our shared Europe," he warned.

The president finds this is a cause for concern, but not for fear. "A sufficiently politically cohesive Slovenia is capable of turning all these challenges to our common advantage," he said. He also noted that without democracy Slovenia's independence would not have been and will not be.

A number of other senior officials also cast today their votes in early voting, which will last until Thursday, including Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj.

As early voting got under way, Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković called on voters to go exercise their right. Voting is a right and a duty, he said, adding that every vote counted.

He urged people to vote for politicians who will respect human rights and courts and strive towards a peaceful co-existence. "Let's put an end to terror, tear gas, fences," he added.

Civil society organisations have mounted their own bring-out-the-vote campaigns.

Voice of the People, a group of more than 100 organisations and several thousands individuals, has been informing people of ways to vote.

They have set a target of breaking the voter turnout record and, in cooperation with the taxi drivers' trade union, they will organise free rides to polling stations, an effort mainly dedicated to help the elderly.

The 8 March Institute, the NGO that has been active in recent weeks in promoting voter participation, is calling on citizens to vote by handing out flowers.

The Alliance for Democratic and Just Slovenia, a group uniting civil initiatives and liberal academics and researchers, also urged citizens to go cast their vote. "We are facing a historic decision: now it is more urgent than ever to go to the polls. This is an opportunity for all of us who want the best for our country, for ourselves and for future generations," they said.

They noted that every vote counts to help stop the undermining of independent institutions, media, judiciary and police, adding that the best solution was to vote for either of the five centre-left parties that are considered to have the best chance of being elected to parliament.

The Assembly for the Republic, a conservative association, meanwhile urged voters to vote for parties that "governed the country through the pandemic with minimal limitations to daily life".

The association's president France Cukjati, a former MP for the Democrats (SDS), said people should vote for those who have "freedom for all citizens" in mind rather than those who abuse political, media and financial power.

In what was a last-minute change, face masks are not mandatory at polling stations, but the National Electoral Commission decided to recommended their use in line with the recent government decision to make masks optional and no longer a rule indoors.

The exceptions are polling stations in community health centres or care homes where masks are still obligatory. Other preventive measures, such as physical distancing, use of hand sanitisers, disinfecting pens and ventilating the premises, remain in place.

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