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This summary is provided by the STA:

Blanket ban on fracking put into law

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly imposed a blanket ban on hydraulic fracturing or fracking as MPs voted 54 in favour and none against to pass the relevant amendments to the mining act. This was the sixth attempt by the National Assembly to pass such a ban after it failed to endorse similar proposal by the opposition looking to thwart plans by UK investor Ascent Resources to extract gas by means of hydraulic fracturing in Petišovci in the north-east.

Vote on electronic communications bill postponed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to take a vote on a bill on electronic communications that was to transpose the relevant EU directive as the centre-left opposition filed a motion for a referendum on the bill, which now needs to be discussed first. This is despite the country facing legal action at the EU court for failing to transpose the directive. The opposition objects a provision that would make it possible to ban certain equipment makers such as Huawei from the market.

Most parties agree Slovenia should help countries deal with Ukrainian refugees

LJUBLJANA - Most parties standing in the 24 April general election expressed support in principle for Slovenia's assistance to other countries in dealing with the refugee wave from Ukraine, but in accordance with the country's abilities, as they responded to questions from the STA about the topic. The main contenders in the election also called for a coordinated approach within the EU.

Slovenia and US mark Friendship Day

POLZELA - A ceremony was held in Andraž near Polzela to mark Slovenian-American Friendship Day and pay tribute to the crew of the American B-17 bomber downed there in March 1944. President Borut Pahor and US Ambassador Jamie L. Harpootlian also marked the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian-US diplomatic relations on the occasion. They both made references to the war in Ukraine with Harpootlian saying the atrocities committed by Russia were a stark reminder of what the B-17 bomber crew was fighting for.

Bill passed on youth housing guarantee scheme

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a coalition-sponsored bill on a housing state guarantee scheme for young people. Although deputy groups agreed that the youth must be helped out, the centre-left opposition argued the bill was vague and served the election campaign. The state will issue a guarantee for a loan of up to EUR 200,000 with a maturity of up to 30 years to first time home buyers. The Institute for Housing and Spatial Studies said the scheme would only drive up housing prices further.

Higher scholarships, meal subsidies for students confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed an opposition bill on the status of university students that will raise state scholarships by 20% by 2024, increase funding set aside for the construction of student dorms, and raise meal subsidies. A large share of income earned through student work and scholarships, up to the level of minimum wage, will be exempted from means testing. MPs also endorsed a bill to equalise the minimum gross hourly pay for pensioners with the minimum rate for student work.

MPs approve state guarantee for Third Development Axis secured

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed nearly unanimously a bill to provide loan guarantees for the national motorway company DARS for projects on the Third Development Axis expressway and some other motorway sections whose total cost is estimated at EUR 785 million. It is provided for up to 50% of the investment value of the projects, with the rest to be provided by DARS. As DARS will receive up to EUR 392.44 million in state guarantees, it may get loans from banks under more favourable terms.

New state-owned company to manage public transportation

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly fast-tracked a bill to create a state-owned limited liability company tasked with managing the tactical aspects of passenger transportation on road and rail as a public service. The company, headquartered in Postojna, will plan public transportation and its financing, participate in infrastructure planning and strategies, and manage the integrated mass transit tickets that Slovenia has had for several years now.

MPs approve EUR 150m investment in sport infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill providing funding for investment in sport infrastructure in Slovenia in the 2023-2027 period. It envisages EUR 150 million in investments or EUR 30 million a year. The annual amount of investment may be higher if the envisaged amounts for the previous years are not invested, while it cannot exceed EUR 60 million. The government will determine the priority areas for financing and co-financing.

Freedom Movement wins action over status in TV election debates

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement, a non-parliamentary party that some polls favour to win the 24 April election, announced the Administrative Court issued a temporary decision in which it upheld its argument that it should be granted the status of a parliamentary party in election debates aired by the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija just like Our Land, the party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, whom RTV Slovenija granted the status. The Freedom Movement will appear in its first debate on Thursday.

Referendum motions delay social security bills, higher education decree

LJUBLJANA - The opposition centre-left parties filed motions to call a referendum on changes to the law on social security benefits and the law on parental care and family benefits, as well as on a decree transforming a private faculty in Novo Mesto into a public education establishment. The parties argue the planned changes are "harmful" while being made haphazardly. The motions mean the legislative proposals cannot be passed before the election.

Scientists protest against politicisation of higher education

LJUBLJANA - Several hundred scientists gathered in the centre of Ljubljana to protest against the transformation of private educational and research institutions into public entities eligible for public funds, a policy they say is driven by political interests rather than expert judgement. The protest, organised by the Chancellors' Conference and Coordinating Body of Slovenian Research Institutions, comes after two public institutions with ties to current or former state secretaries were recently formed.

NKBM banking group halved profit in 2021

MARIBOR - NKBM, Slovenia's second largest banking group, nearly halved its net profit last year to EUR 112.6 million, which it attributed to the challenging business environment and Covid-19 pandemic. In May last year, the bank's owners, US fund Apollo (80%) and the EBRD, signed a deal to sell the bank to the Hungarian OTP Bank group, which already holds SKB Banka in Slovenia. Pending regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to be finalised in second or third quarter of the year.

Slovenia urges sustainable food safety solutions at W Balkans-EU meeting

BERLIN, Germany - Slovenia's Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Anton Harej highlighted the need for sustainable food safety solutions as he attended on Tuesday a meeting of Western Balkan and EU agriculture ministers discussing the region's preparations to introduce the common agricultural policy (CAP) as part of pre-accession programmes until 2027. He stressed that it was crucial for the countries to start treating agriculture as a critical and strategic activity.

Logistics sector promised government support

PORTOROŽ - The government plans to support the Slovenian logistics industry, including by incentivising the construction of logistics centres and cutting red tape, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec told the International Logistics Congress, which got under way today. He said a debate had already been launched on the need to develop logistics centres across the country, in particular in brownfield sites.

Fmr Commodity Reserves boss found to have favoured PPE suppliers

LJUBLJANA - Anton Zakrajšek, the boss of the Commodity Reserves Agency when it was tasked with carrying out massive purchases of personal protective equipment and devices in the early months of the pandemic, was found to have violated integrity provisions by favouring individual providers, shows a report by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. The watchdog's findings are final.

Epidemic continues to ebb away

LJUBLJANA - Coronavirus cases in Slovenia continued to fall as 2,281 infections were confirmed on Tuesday, down by 24% week-on-week. Another five people with Covid died yesterday, Health Ministry data shows. Hospitalisations broadly remained level. The National Institute of Public Health estimates the number of actively infected people in the country has dropped to 33,878.

Conductor of Slovenian descent wins Grammy Award

NEW YORK, US - Karen Kamenšek, a Conductor of Slovenian descent who served as artistic director of the Maribor opera house and the chief conductor of its orchestra years ago, won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for her version of Philip Glass's opera Akhnaten on Sunday. Kamenšek was born in Chicago but her parents come from Kamnica near Maribor. She debuted with the opera on the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenatenby by Glass with whom she often collaborates, at the English National Opera in March 2016.

Carinthian Culture Days get under way in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Carinthian Culture Days, the annual festival celebrating the arts, culture and heritage of the Slovenian minority in Austria, got under way in Ljubljana with the launch of an exhibition of paintings by Gustav Januš. Running until 28 April, the festival will feature a number of events, from book launches to readings, concerts, theatre shows and exhibitions.

Technical Museum exhibition on show in Ohio

COLUMBUS, US - A travelling exhibition by the Slovenian Technical Museum that focuses on Slovenian scientists and engineers who made their name in the US is opening at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the US's recognition of Slovenian independence. Entitled Us and Them Without Frontiers, the showcase focuses on, among others, astronaut Sunita Williams, planet hunter Marija Strojnik, space engineer Anton Mavretič.

Expanded Supernova shopping centre opens in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - An expanded Supernova shopping centre in the Ljubljana's shopping district of Rudnik welcomed first visitors. The EUR 70 million investment created 800 jobs and will significantly expand the already large retail district to include new bars and restaurants, seven cinema theatres, two entertainment parks and a gym. The Supernova group, based in Graz, Austria, owns 24 shopping centres in Slovenia.

STA, 5 April 2022 - A dozen Slovenian companies have developed an innovative net zero-energy house that can serve as a home and a workplace. With the smart appliances and fittings linked into a cloud it can be monitored and managed remotely.

The model Dom24 (Home24) was put on display on Tuesday at the headquarters of Marles, Slovenia's oldest and largest maker of prefabricated homes, in Limbuš near Maribor.

"Home24 is the optimal combination of energy self-sufficiency, environmentally sustainable construction and modern technological solutions," said Marles CEO Matej Vukmanič at the inauguration ceremony, which featured President Borut Pahor.

Apart from Marles, the project also includes Gorenje, Petrol, Helios, Alples, Danfoss, Robotina, Eti, Jub, Intectiv, Smartis and Špica.

The companies, each of which developed innovative solutions in its own field, have invested EUR 12 million in the project with the Economy Ministry and European Regional Development Fund chipping in a grant of EUR 5 million.

Marles official Bogdan Božac said the idea back in 2018 was to make a home in which people could spend 24 hours a day, meaning they could also work in it. "Then came the Covid-19 pandemic and showed how visionary our idea had been."

Home24 gets its power from the sun through an integrated photovoltaic plant and any excess electricity is stored in the integrated storage battery or fed into the grid. It provides a two-way connection to community energy systems and can operate efficiently on its own or as a smart community unit.

It combines environmentally-friendly building materials, superinsulation, an innovative ventilation system, highly efficient heat recovery, and special paints and coatings to control humidity. The home also includes ceiling heating and cooling and a charging station for electric vehicles.

See more about this project

STA, 5 April 2022 - The Employment Service has registered first Ukrainian refugees seeking jobs in Slovenia as demand from employers, in particular in the hospitality industry, remains high. Language is one of the main challenges.

To get on the register of the unemployed, refugees from Ukraine need temporary protection status. Once awarded the status they also get the right to enter the labour market.

The Employment Service started intensive preparations for the inflow of Ukrainian refugees into its register in March. So far fewer than five have registered, the service's director general Mitja Bobnar told reporters on Tuesday.

To ease the refugees' entry into the labour market, the service has published guidance and instructions in Ukrainian online as well as a glossary to help them learn Slovenian which they distributed to the service's regional offices.

Its officials have visited the refugee centres in Logatec south-west of Ljubljana and Debeli Rtič at the seaside to dispense basic information. They also plan to open an info point shortly.

Damjana Košir, the head of the employment system, said Ukrainian refugees would get the same treatment as other unemployed, complete with an employment plan defining employment goals and a job referral.

Two key challenges detected during visits to the refugee centres are that the refugees as a rule do not have proof of their qualification or education and mostly do not speak English or Slovenian.

Employer representatives have let them know they find work experience more important than qualification. The available qualification proof is verified by the ENIC-NARIC centre.

As a priority the Employment Service will refer Ukrainian refugees to take Slovenian language courses as third-country citizens are required to pass at least Slovenian A1 level exam within a year after getting registered as unemployed.

They will also benefit from various other language courses, workshops and programmes.

There has been considerable demand for Ukrainian labour force, in particular in tourism and bar, restaurants and hotels sector. The Employment Service has promised to check the companies they will refer the refugees to.

Dewesoft, the high-tech company which operates a subsidiary in Russia, said today they would employ suitably qualified staff from the conflict region.

STA, 5 April 2022 - The French car manufacturer Renault has concluded an agreement with the Israeli Taavura Group to sell it the dealership of the Renault Group in Slovenia, which imports and distributes the Renault, Dacia and Alpine marques. Taavura Group is also to become the new distributor of Nissan vehicles in Slovenia.

The agreement with Renault has been concluded as part of restructuring of distribution in the group, the Renault Group said on Tuesday.

It added that the Taavura Group had been picked due to its good knowledge of car distribution, which would be further improved by the local team and a strong partnership with the sales and service network.

The Israeli group will take over all current employees for imports and distribution in the Slovenian branch and all activities of the sales and service network in Slovenia.

The management of Renault Nissan Slovenija meanwhile announced that the Taavura Group would be a new distributor of Nissan vehicles, spare parts and other services for Slovenia.

It will also take over Nissan's sales and service activities in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia.

It added that the Taavura Group would be a strong partner of Nissan in Slovenia with its expertise in the automotive business, focus on customers and progressive sale approach. "The Nissan brand will be strengthened and will contribute to sustainable growth."

Ken Lalo, the CEO of the Taavura Group's automotive division, said he was honoured to expand the partnership with the Nissan brand to other European countries.

He said that the partnership with Nissan and dealers in Slovenia and other countries would enable the group to focus on customer satisfaction and achieving the priorities of the Nissan Next plan in these markets.

As the deal needs to be approved by the Competition Protection Agency, the company is expected to start operating under the new owner at the beginning of the summer.

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 reducing staff at Russian embassy from 41 to eight

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Timur Eyvazov to express Slovenia's strongest protest against and shock at the killings of civilians in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine, and the ambassador was also notified that Slovenia is reducing the number of staff at the Russian embassy in Ljubljana from 41 to eight, or by 80%. The ministry said it expressed to Eyvazov its "strongest protest and dismay at the massacres of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha and other towns, which satellite and other images have revealed after the towns were liberated from the occupation of the Russian aggressor forces".

100 Slovenian troops to be deployed in Slovakia in first phase

LJUBLJANA - In the first phase of Slovenia's participation in NATO's enhanced forward presence on its eastern flank 100 Slovenian troops will be deployed in Slovakia, the Slovenian Armed Forces said in a press release. The soldiers will be ready for departure from 11 April, but the date of deployment will depend on the host country. In line with a government decision of 23 March, Slovenia plans to deploy up to 200 Slovenian troops in Slovakia.

Pahor speaks with Erdogan on the phone on war in Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the importance of Ukraine-Russia negotiations hosted by Turkey in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The presidents also reaffirmed the good and friendly bilateral relations, the president's office said. This comes after the two presidents agreed at an official meeting in Antalya in March to hold regular consultations on the progress in the Turkey-hosted negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

Parties agree on humanitarian aid to Ukraine, disagree on weapons and gas imports

LJUBLJANA - Most parties standing in the 24 April general election think Slovenia should not provide weapons to Ukraine, but foremost humanitarian aid, show their answers to the STA's questions about the Ukraine situation. They mostly oppose any solo action as regards sanctions against Russia or an immediate suspension of Russian gas imports. Most parties think Slovenia's energy sources should be diversified.

Slovenia's jobless total down almost 27% y/y in March

LJUBLJANA - The country's jobless total dropped to 60,534 at the end of March, down at both monthly and annual levels. The figure fell by 6.6% over February and by 26.7% over March last year, according to the latest data from the Employment Service. Unemployment is thus at the level it hit at the peak of economic growth in 2008.

Radwaste repository not to be built on schedule, says minister

KRŠKO - The Krško City Council discussed the construction of a local radioactive waste repository, with Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak assuring them that everything was being done to make sure that the repository would be built as soon as possible and at an acceptable price. But it is already clear that it will not be built on schedule - by 2025, he added, pinning the blame for this on the Radioactive Waste Management Agency's previous director.

Parliamentary inquiry pressing charges against ex police chiefs

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into suspicions of political interference in the work of the police decided to file charges against former police commissioners Andrej Jurič and Anton Travner with the Specialised State Prosecutor's Office. They are suspected of committing the offence of perjury. The charge against Jurič was forwarded to the prosecution office on Tuesday, and the charge against Travner will be forwarded in the coming days, the head of the inquiry Rudi Medved said.

Don Don bakery group revenue up to EUR 130m last year

GROSUPLJE - Don Don, a Grosuplje-based group which makes various types of bread and flour-based pastry, generated EUR 130 million in revenue in 2021, up 14% over 2020. The epidemic is still affecting its business but to a lesser extent, while the group feels the consequences of the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, says CEO Aleš Mozetič.

EUR 5m for digital transformation of tourism until 2026

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) has drafted a 2022-2026 digital transformation strategy for Slovenian tourism, the country's first strategic document of its kind. The STO plans to allocate at least EUR 5 million until 2026 for the industry's digital transformation.

Slovenian companies develop smart zero-energy home

MARIBOR - A dozen Slovenian companies have developed an innovative net zero-energy house that can serve as a home and a workplace. With the smart appliances and fittings linked into a cloud it can be monitored and managed remotely. The model Dom24 (Home24) was put on display today at the headquarters of Marles, Slovenia's oldest and largest maker of prefabricated homes, in Limbuš near Maribor.

Covid cases and hospitalisations keep falling

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 epidemic keeps subsiding in Slovenia with both new infections and patients in need of hospital treatment decreasing on Monday. Cases were down by nearly a fourth week-on-week to 3,400 but six more people died, Health Ministry data shows. The National Institute of Public Health estimates there are still almost 35,000 actively infected people in the country.

Eurobarometer: One in three Slovenians happy with state of democracy

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians are quite happy with their life in general but only one out of three is happy with the way democracy works in their country, a Eurobarometer survey conducted across the EU has shown. As many as 89% of the Slovenians included in the survey are happy with their life, which is above the EU average of 83%.

C-bank says war in Ukraine, sanctions worsen economic outlook

LJUBLJANA - The central bank Banka Slovenije has assessed that, after favourable economic activity continued in the eurozone and in Slovenia in the first quarter of the year, Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions have worsened the economic outlook. Risks of prolonged periods of high inflation have increased markedly, it said.

Govt secures EUR 7m for damage caused by last year's frost

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to earmark EUR 7 million for the Agriculture Ministry to implement the programme for mitigating the consequences of damage caused by last year's frost in fruit growing and viticulture. Under the decision taken at the government's economy committee, the funds to eliminate the consequences of the 5-9 April 2021 frost will be provided from the budget reserve. The government also adopted a decision on the provision of aid to beekeepers due to the same damage.

Israel's Taavura Group acquires Renault dealership in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The French car manufacturer Renault announced it had concluded an agreement with the Israeli Taavura Group to sell it the dealership of the Renault Group in Slovenia, which imports and distributes the Renault, Dacia and Alpine marques. The management of Renault Nissan Slovenija meanwhile announced that the Taavura Group would be a new distributor of Nissan vehicles, spare parts and other services for Slovenia. The deal needs to be approved by the Competition Protection Agency.

Language main challenge in employment of Ukrainian refugees

LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service has registered first Ukrainian refugees seeking jobs in Slovenia as demand from employers, in particular in the hospitality industry, remains high, while language is one of the main challenges. The Employment Service started intensive preparations for the inflow of Ukrainian refugees into its register in March. So far fewer than five have registered, the service's director general Mitja Bobnar told reporters.

Slovenia tops UCI ranking as Pogačar first to top 6,000 pts

MONTREUX, Switzerland - Tadej Pogačar has become the first rider in history to pass the 6,000 point mark in the UCI world road race ranking as Slovenia took the lead in the nations ranking in the combined score of eight best riders from each country. Pogačar, an UAE Team Emirates rider, is currently on 6,051 points, ahead of his compatriot Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) in second with 4,152 points. Another Slovenian, Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) ranks 5th with 2,683.

Giant Carniolan bee now on show at Cankarjev Dom

LJUBLJANA - A giant honey bee that was one of the main attractions of Slovenia's Expo pavilion in Dubai has now been displayed at Ljubljana's Cankarjev Dom to mark World Bee Day, celebrated on Slovenia's initiative on 20 May. The model of Apis mellifera carnica, the worker Carniolan bee, has been made with a 3D printer in a scale hundred times the real-life size of the bee. It measures 170 centimetres in length.

The Father opening festival dedicated to Florian Zeller

Ljubljana - A festival dedicated to Florian Zeller, an award-winning French novelist, playwright, film director and screenwriter whom British critics have labelled as one of the greatest writers of our time, opened at the Cankarjev Dom arts centre in the evening with the screening of his Oscar-winning film The Father (2020).

STA, 5 April 2022 - The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Timur Eyvazov to express Slovenia's strongest protest against and shock at the killings of civilians in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine. The ambassador was also notified that Slovenia is reducing the number of staff at the Russian embassy in Ljubljana from 41 to eight, or by 80%.

The ministry said in a press release on Tuesday that it expressed to Eyvazov its "strongest protest and dismay at the massacres of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha and other towns, which satellite and other images have revealed after the towns were liberated from the occupation of the Russian aggressor forces".

Together with its partners and allies in collaboration with the International Criminal Court, Slovenia will do everything in its power for the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes to be brought to justice.

The Russian ambassador was told that in line with Article 11 of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, Slovenia is reducing the number of diplomats and administrative and technical staff at Russia's embassy in Slovenia.

The provision says that the receiving state, in this case Slovenia, may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, given the circumstances and conditions in the receiving state and the needs of the particular mission.

Slovenia decided to adjust the number of staff at the Russian embassy to the number of staff it has at its embassy in Moscow.

The ministry did not provide an exact number at first, but PM Janez Janša tweeted that the number would be reduced "drastically".

It later confirmed for the STA the information that the cut would involve 33 staff - from the current 41 diplomats and other staff to just eight.

With 41 staff, the Russian embassy is by far the largest diplomatic mission in Slovenia, with the ministry saying that the figure was much higher than for instance at the US or Chinese embassy.

The ministry explained the measure had been harmonised at EU level, noting that several EU countries had recently decided to cut the number of Russian diplomats, including Germany, France and Italy.

These countries have said they have opted for the move to secure national security as the expelled Russian diplomats have been said to work as spies, while the Slovenian ministry did not list any such reasons.

It stressed, however, that the decision had been made under Article 11 of the Vienna convention, not under Article 9, which says that the receiving state can declare one or more more staff of the sending state persona non grata.

The ministry said that it had also called in Slovenian Ambassador to Russia Branko Rakovec for consultations.

STA, 4 April 2022 - Slovenia's best professional golfer, 18-year-old Pia Babnik, has set a new milestone by taking third place in the first major tournament of the season, the Chevron Championship in California, US. This is by far the best result any Slovenian golfer has ever achieved. She now ranks among the world's top 50 female golfers.

Babnik finished the four-day tournament with a prize money of five million dollars at 11 under par to finish behind two Americans, Jennifer Kupcho (-14) and Jessica Korda (-12).

Having entered the event ranked 109th in the world, she has now climbed to 43rd place in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings in what is a career milestone for her.

The third place brought her 334,972 dollars (about EUR 303,100) and 40 points for the rankings, more than she has won in any of the tournaments in her two-year professional career.

Given the eligibility requirements for the remaining two majors in the US, 43rd place means she will be eligible to play in all five majors this season. This feat also gives her the lead in the European rankings for the 2023 Solheim Cup, the biennial competition between Europe and the US.

"I'm exceptionally pleased. This is truly a great achievement since this is my first major in the US. I enjoyed the game, found good ways out of difficult situations and finished the tournament in style," Babnik told the STA.

"This success opens the door wide for me to the largest tournaments in the world."

This was Babnik's third appearance at a major tournament. She will now take a short break from golfing to focus on school. Her next tournament will be a European Series event in Madrid in May.

STA, 5 April 2022 - Most parties standing in the 24 April general election think Slovenia should not provide weapons to Ukraine, but foremost humanitarian aid. They mostly oppose any solo action as regards sanctions against Russia or an immediate suspension of Russian gas imports. Most parties think Slovenia's energy sources should be diversified.

Responding to STA questions about the war in Ukraine, the parties unanimously condemned the Russian aggression there. Most also think Slovenia should not provide weapons to Ukraine but humanitarian aid.

They stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts for peace. "Slovenia must act in a responsible way and encourage negotiations rather than incite conflict," the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said.

Several parties stressed the importance of coordinated action with the EU and NATO. They oppose the idea that Slovenia should introduce stricter sanctions than the EU.

According to the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Slovenia should help "in line with the EU and NATO common foreign and security policy". "There is no need for Slovenia to introduce any stricter sanctions or policy against Russia on its own."

The Social Democrats (SD) echoed this, warning that "solo actions, no mater how well-intentioned, can damage Ukraine and only increase the pressure of the aggressor".

Only New Slovenia (NSi) and the Democrats (SDS) specifically support military aid, while the National Party (SNS) specifically opposes it.

Slovenia should help Ukraine with weapons too, so that it will be able to defend itself, the SDS said, while the SNS maintained Slovenia should by no means send Ukraine weapons but stay neutral.

The SNS also believes Slovenia should abolish all sanctions adopted against Russia, as "we must provide for our people not America's profits".

Most parties also said Slovenia should not suspend Russian gas imports either, saying the country should first find alternative sources of energy as soon as possible, not only because of the war in Ukraine but also because of the climate crisis.

In contrast, the SDS and NSi think the imports of Russian gas "should be stopped as soon as possible". This should happen "within the next few months", because by paying for gas countries are financing the Russian army, the SDS said.

It thinks one of priority solutions is the construction of a liquefied gas terminal.

The party also thinks Slovenia should help Ukraine financially to "restore its economy and democracy". Since the start of the war, Slovenia has donated EUR 1.64 million in aid to Ukraine and another EUR 1.1 million through international organisations to help Ukrainian refugees, the ruling party said.

The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) thinks it is bad that "countries are being forced to pick between Russia and America". Being neutral is the best option for countries such as Ukraine and Slovenia, the party believes, so it proposes establishing a "third bloc of countries".

DeSUS also opposes sanctions, saying they affected the people rather than those responsible.

Meanwhile, the Left called for sanctions aimed at "Putin's regime and the oligarchs who support them, not against the people". The SD too called for EU sanctions targeting the Russian elite.

Slovenia should offer all the necessary political, economic, financial, humanitarian and other aid to Ukraine as an EU and NATO member, the Freedom Movement believes. It also calls for aid to Slovenian citizens who used to live in Ukraine and Slovenian companies that have been affected by the war.

The Freedom Movement believes EU countries should negotiate on the supply of gas and prices together, and set up joint storage facilities, as this "would be the best way to lower the gas prices".

Our Land said Slovenia should strengthen its commitment to NATO and raise defence spending to close to 2% of GDP in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Connecting Slovenia said Slovenia should put its interests first and make sure its energy supply is reliable. "If this is possible without Russian energy, we support suspending the supply of Russian gas."

The SAB warned that Slovenia was strongly dependent on Russia gas and that the current government had done nothing in the last couple of years to diversify energy sources.

STA, 4 April 2022 - Croatian group Fortenova has become the sole shareholder of Slovenia's largest retailer Mercator after squeezing out all remaining small shareholders, leading to a suspension of trading on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange pending a decision on delisting.

The company, which owned roughly 90% of Mercator prior to the squeeze-out, said that it had paid EUR 22.4 million for the outstanding shares.

The transaction completes a process that began in 2014 with the purchase of Mercator by Croatian retailer Agrokor, said Fabris Peruško, the chief executive of Fortenova, a company that took over Agrokor's healthy assets when it went bankrupt.

"This was a long and demanding process with many legal and financial steps, all of which led to the final goal - the creation of a leading regional grocery retail chain," he was quoted as saying.

STA, 4 April 2022 - Emerik Bernard, one of the most important Slovenian painters and representatives of late Slovenian modernism and postmodernism, has died aged 84, the MMC news portal reported on Monday.

Art historian Tomaž Brejc described Bernard's contribution to Slovenian art as the most visible and successful synthesis of the principles of modernism with the artistic inventions of postmodernism.

Bernard received a number of awards, including the most prestigious national award in culture, the Prešeren Prize for outstanding achievements in fine arts in 1997.

His early work was made in various collage and assemblage techniques; these paintings objects were close to New Realism in their composition and the materials used.

In the early 1980s, he combined the collage technique with a poetic iconisation of landscape images from the coastal Istria region.

One of the highlights of this period is the monumental painting Materada, a kind of a synthesis of this period of Istrian palimpsests.

His works from the 1990s are marked by a highly urbanised construction reminiscent of Cezannesque rethinking of the design of space and the layering of colour in landscape imagery.

Bernard was also a philosopher of art, an expert in the history and theory of painting, philosophy and literature, publishing his writings in this field in two books, in 2000 and 2008.

Born in Celje in 1937, he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (ALUO) in Ljubljana in 1965 and finished his post-graduate studies three years later.

He worked as a freelance artist for years before becoming an assistant professor for fine arts at the ALUO in 1985, where he worked as full professor from 1995 until retirement.

In 2001, he was elected an associate member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) and became its full member in 2007.