Mask mandate could be lifted this week

LJUBLJANA - Visiting the country's main Covid-19 treatment facility, Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced the mask mandate in indoor public spaces could be lifted as early as Thursday, except in healthcare institutions and at care homes. This is as infections continue to fizzle out with 528 new cases confirmed on Sunday, less than two-thirds of the figure reported a week ago. Three people died and Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 15 to 157, which includes 22 in intensive care.

Constitutional Court annuls pay ceiling rise for doctors

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court announced it had annulled a provision in the latest Covid relief law that raises the pay ceiling in the single public sector wage system only for doctors and dentists. The court said the measure, which would affect the very foundations of the uniform public sector pay system, was not an emergency measure that would deal with the consequences of the epidemic. The rise for only one group of public sector employees was challenged by the bosses of five public sector trade unions, who described the decision as expected. They noted that if social dialogue were set up, there would be no need for constitutional reviews.

Freedom Movement ahead in Delo, POP TV poll

LJUBLJANA - With a fortnight to go to the general election in Slovenia, a poll conducted by Mediana for the newspaper Delo and commercial broadcaster POP TV has the Freedom Movement in the lead at 19.8%, 1.2 percentage points ahead of the ruling Democrats (SDS). Considering only those who are likely to cast their ballots, the Freedom Movement is projected to win 22.5%, the SDS 20.2%, the SD 9.5% and the Left 7.9%. The only other parties projected to make it to parliament are the NSi (5.8%) and the LMŠ (5%).

Long-awaited Ljubljana passenger centre slated for completion in 2025

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Passenger Centre, a EUR 350 million public-private partnership, is expected to get all the permits by the end of 2022 and could be completed in 2025. Known as Emonika, the bus and train terminals will be funded and built by the state and the commercial part by Hungary's bank OTP. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said: "We cannot afford additional years of unnecessary delays." The project was conceived by rail company SŽ and Hungarian-Canadian Trigranit in 2007 but never took off. In May 2020, the government split it into a commercial segment and a public investment, with OTP as the new private investor.

Poll: Almost two-thirds unhappy with govt performance

LJUBLJANA - 61.4% of those polled labelled the government's performance as unsuccessful, whereas 31.5% said it was successful and 7% were unsure how to assess it, according to the Vox Populi survey that Ninamedia carried out for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer. President Borut Pahor emerged as the most popular politician, followed by Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob and Health Minister Janez Poklukar. PM and SDS leader Janez Janša placed 21st.

Prosecution rejects criticism of inactivity over threats to Janša

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office rejected criticism that it is not prosecuting threats targeting PM Janez Janša. It said 12 indictments have been filed against known perpetrators since 2020 and that in three cases, pretrial procedure is under way to identify the perpetrators. This is after Interior Minister Aleš Hojs shared on Twitter a threat to Janša that previously appeared on Facebook, commenting that such actions could not be prosecuted unless the targeted person makes a statement they feel threatened.

Freedom Movement condemns Mahnič's "radical Islamist" tweet

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement party condemned a tweet by Žan Mahnič, state secretary for national security at the prime minister's office, which labelled one of their candidates in the 24 April election, Faila Pašić, a "radical Islamist" and accused the party of opening doors to Islamisation and sharisation of Slovenia. Both Pašić and the party are considering pressing charges against him. Mahnič responded by saying he did not intend to insult anyone but added Pašić had been a subject of a discussion by the parliamentary Commission for the Supervision of Intelligence Services in 2014-2018 in relation to radical Islam and links with foreign countries, including Iran.

Govt to provide digital equipment to Ukrainian civilians

LJUBLJANA - The government set aside EUR 174,000 for the purchase of digital technology and equipment intended for Ukrainian civilians. Following an agreement between the Government Office for Digital Transformation and the Defence Ministry, it reallocated the money to the ministry to carry out a public tender to purchase digital technology and equipment for the Ukrainian civilian population. The government also confirmed Slovenia's participation in NATO's enhanced forward presence in Slovakia, making the final decision on the participation of 200 Slovenian troops in NATO's enhanced forward presence in Slovakia.

Construction of new infectious diseases hospital to start next summer

LJUBLJANA - Construction of a new building for the infectious diseases department at UKC Ljubljana, the country's largest hospital, is slated to start in 2023 and the project is scheduled for completion by early 2026. It is estimated to cost roughly EUR 100 million and will expand capacity by 100 beds, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said. The current building is old and in need of repair. Its capacity is limited and during the pandemic, most patients had to be treated in other UKC Ljubljana departments.

Our Future-Good State alliance gets parliamentary party status in TV debates

LJUBLJANA - Our Future and Good State, two parties contesting the upcoming general election together, have been granted the status of parliamentary party in election debates on the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, which means they will have more air time than non-parliamentary parties. This comes after another two new parties, Our Land and the Freedom Movement, have recently secured this status because they all have among their members currently serving MPs.

Party, NGO protest against no polling station at embassy in Moscow

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement party and 8 March Institute NGO protested against the National Electoral Commission's (DVK) decision to have no polling station at the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow for the 24 April general election in Slovenia. They see it as an instance of encroachment on the right to vote, while arguing that for instance France and Serbia had had no problem organising elections at their Moscow embassies. The DVK said its decision was based on the Foreign Ministry's assessment of the security situation and logistical conditions in Russia and the suspension of postal traffic with Russia.

Slovenian subsidiary of Sberbank gets new supervisors

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of Slovenian subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank formally renamed the subsidiary N Banka, which will be its temporary name until the two banks reach full integration, which is expected to happen within a year. The subsidiary was acquired by Slovenia's largest bank NLB in March in the wake of sanctions the West imposed on Russia. Its shareholders also appointed new supervisors - Andrej Lasič, Vesna Vodopivec, Uršula Kovačič Košak, Igor Zalar and Damir Kuder.

BKS Bank Slovenian subsidiary reports lower 2021 profit

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian subsidiary of Austria's BKS Bank reported EUR 5.3 million in pre-tax profit for 2021, which compares to EUR 8.1 million in 2020, as BKS Leasing generated EUR 3.2 million. BKS Bank has been present in Slovenia since 2004, and since 2010 as a universal bank. In a press release the bank described 2021 as a good year for its business.

Gorenje workers going on strike

VELENJE - Workers at Gorenje, the Hisense-owned home appliances maker, announced a limited strike starting on Thursday. They demand a higher holiday allowance, higher bonuses for extra work days, an agreement on end-year bonuses, and an end to violations of the collective bargaining agreement. On the first day, the strike will take place at certain Gorenje branches between 1pm and 3pm, after which the strike committee will decide whether to expand the action and include all employees unless their demands are met.

Industrial output down in February

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial production contracted by 1.2% year-on-year in February as it dropped by 8.3% on the month before, mostly due to a sharp decline in energy production, the Statistics Office said. The segment electricity, gas and steam production was down 38.2% compared to the year before and by more than half at the monthly level. This is attributed to government measures to curb energy prices. Industrial revenue rose by 14.4% at the annual level, with inventories up 17.7%.

Plan confirmed to restore overgrown farmland

LJUBLJANA - The government has recently confirmed an agreement under which state-owned forests that used to be classified as farmland but have been overgrown could be cleared to restore land for farming. Several environmental NGO protested against what they see as massive clear-cutting, but the Agriculture Ministry dismissed the concerns as exaggerated. Minister Jože Podgoršek said the plan merely put in place the same conditions for clear-cutting for state and private forests. He personally expects that no more than a few thousand hectares of forest will be restored to farmland in the next decade.

Film on Slovenian language wins audience award in Graz

GRAZ, Austria - Verschwinden (Vanishing), a documentary by Andrina Mračnikar, the Austrian director and screenwriter of Slovenian descent, about the Slovenian language disappearing from everyday life in the region of Carinthia, won the audience award at the Diagonale film festival in Graz at the weekend. The director also received a EUR 3,000 cheque awarded by the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung. Before 1910, about 90% of the population of Carinthia spoke Slovenian, compared to only a fraction now.

Renata Salecl, Jurij Souček declared Ljubljana honorary citizens

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana city council voted to declare philosopher and sociologist Renata Salecl, 60, and theatre actor Jurij Souček, 93, as honorary citizens of the Slovenian capital.

Ljubljana Fashion Week goes for green

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Fashion Week, Slovenia's premier fashion event, is kicking off five days of fashion shows, exhibitions and awards with a focus on green and sustainable practices. Events will be held in the Velana Living store, Fabiani Bridge, Ajdovščina Square in the centre of the city, and in the nearby Midas, a defunct department store, under the banner Rethink, Restart, Replay. 40 Slovenian and foreign designers will be showcased with the main fashion shows on Wednesday and Thursday in Velana.

Skier Ilka Štuhec parts ways with coach Stefan Abplanalp

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian skier Ilka Štuhec, known especially for her downhill achievements, has split from her coach Stefan Abplanalp after his contract was up in what was a unanimous decision. The split was amicable, Štuhec's team said. The Swiss became Štuhec's coach in 2019 after she parted ways with Slovenia's Grega Koštomaj in what was a surprising move due to their successful cooperation. The latest decision is considered less surprising as the skier has been having a couple of less successful seasons, also due to injuries.

Hojs, Nouris discuss Ukraine war, migration pact

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Nouris discussed on Friday the war in Ukraine and its consequences. They stressed the importance of managing migration at the EU level. They also spoke of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, where Slovenia advocates flexible solidarity. The ministers agreed that the Ukraine war and its consequences demand great attention and coordinated action among EU countries. Slovenia has been showing solidarity with concrete actions, including humanitarian aid, diplomatic support and activation of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine, Hojs said.

Košorok sees second nuclear reactor as guarantee of reliable energy supply

KRŠKO - Blaž Košorok, the new head of GEN Energija, a state-owned power company that manages Slovenia's half of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, believes a second reactor in Krško would guarantee reliable and cost effective energy supply. Energy prices will never go back to what they were, he said in an interview with the STA. Košorok is primarily concerned by the Russian attack on Ukraine, which he believes will affect the energy sector in the coming years. He believes cooperation is the answer. "If we are divided in a populist manner, nothing good will happen to us, not only in the energy sector but in the economy in general, which expects quick reactions."

Minister addresses business conference Texas Feels Slovenia

DALLAS, US - Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik on Friday addressed the opening of a business and investment conference Texas Feels Slovenia as part of his visit to the US. According to the ministry, a number of potential US business partners and investors attended the conference. He stressed the Slovenian government was focussing on digital transformation and striving for as much progress as possible as soon as possible. "Our goal is to have our country rank among the top five digitally most advanced European countries by the end of this decade," he said.

Poll shows Freedom Movement in the lead, Left gaining ground

LJUBLJANA - A poll conducted by pollster Ninamedia for several newspapers suggests the Freedom Movement is the most popular party, polling at 23%, with its support rising by 2.3 percentage points. The Democrats (SDS) in second place lost ground, with its support dropping by 1.4 points to 18.1%. The Left also gained ground, ranking third. The Left added 2.2 points to poll at 10.1%, shows the 2022 Election poll conducted for Večer, Dnevnik, Svet24 and Primorske Novice. The Social Democrats (SD) rank fourth, on 9.8%, down 0.3 points from the month before. The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and New Slovenia (NSi) follow with 4.8% and 3.9%, respectively.

CoE report shows prison overcrowding no longer issue in Slovenia

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenia is no longer facing issue of overcrowded prisons, shows a report from the Council of Europe on prison statistics in its 52 member states for 2021. This is also due to the number of prisoners declining significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the report, the key factors contributing to the decrease in the number of prisoners in 2020 and 2021 include early release of prisoners to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has also been practised by Slovenia.

Record number of job vacancies in March

LJUBLJANA - Unemployment total in Slovenia is low and employers have difficulties finding skilled workforce, shows an analysis by MojeDelo.si, Slovenia's largest online jobs market. March marked the second lowest recorded unemployment rate in Slovenia's history. This is also reflected in the data collected by MojeDelo.com, where they have noticed a record number of job posting. Currently, the portal has 900 active employers searching for nearly 5,000 new employees.

Number of registered cars in Slovenia up 1.6% in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The number of registered cars in 2021 was just shy of 1.2 million, an increase of 1.6% compared to 2019. Hybrid cars experienced the most prominent rise, well over 160%. The car fleet renewal rate was low due to a high number of new registrations of used cars. Last year, the number of newly registered cars reached 88.235, an increase of 8.9% compared to the year before. The number of new cars registered remained the same as in 2020, whereas new registrations of used cars grew by 26%.

Covid-19 keeps retreating

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,839 coronavirus infections were recorded in Slovenia on Friday, down over 1,600 from a week ago. Hospitalisations are dropping as well, with 152 patients treated for Covid-19 in Slovenian hospitals today, including 21 in intensive care. Four patients died. The number of hospital patients dropped by 16 and the number of those in intensive care remained level.

Ninth lynx from Romania arrives in Slovenia

ILIRSKA BISTRICA - An adult male lynx arrived from the Carpathian Mountains in Romania to the Snežnik plateau on Friday and is adjusting to the new environment in an enclosure. It is the ninth lynx to have arrived from Romania, said partners to the LIFE Lynx project, striving to preserve the Dinaric-Alpine lynx population. The location of the enclosure has not been made public and people have been urged not to approach it. The area is under video surveillance, and hunters and inspector also patrol the area.

Volunteers plant more than 10,000 trees

KOČEVJE - More than 10,000 trees were planted at six locations around Slovenia as part of an annual campaign to replenish forests hit by natural disasters. The campaign was organised by SiDG, the state forests company, and its partners after a two-year break. As part of Let's Rejuvenate Forests 2022, volunteers planted saplings of spruce, larch, beech, cherry, linden, oak, wild service tree, sycamore and maple. The trees were planted in the areas of Kočevska Reka, Škofja Loka, Trojane, Rakov Škocjan, Trnovo Forests and Kidričevo on almost five hectares.

Film on vanishing Slovenian language in Austria featured in Graz

GRAZ, Austria - A documentary by Andrina Mračnikar, the Austrian director and screenwriter of Slovenian descent, which deals with the vanishing of the Slovenian language from everyday life in Carinthia, was featured at the Diagonale film festival in Graz. The feature-length documentary entitled Verschwinden (Vanishing) is a "call against resignation and for courageous political action," says the presentation of the film in the festival's catalogue.