STA, 13 April 2019 - The downturn in Germany's economy has not yet had a significant effect on Slovenia's economy, although automotive suppliers exporting to Germany have started to see a slight drop in orders.

Gertrud Rantzen, the president of the Slovenian-German Chamber of Commerce, has told the STA in Bled this week that there are several reasons for the slowing of Germany's economy, among them uncertainty caused by Brexit and the intention of the US to raise tariffs on imports.

She said that the signs of slowing are most evident in manufacturing industry, as this sector sees a decline in investment funds in times of uncertainty.

Rantzen does not believe that Germany faces a crisis as severe as the one decade ago, but she does not exclude the possibility. She believes much will depend on Brexit and the relations between Europe and the US.

The automotive industry, which has started to feel the effects of the downturn, is well prepared for such fluctuations in economic trends, said Rantzen.

She believes that most countries are following economic indices closely and are well-prepared, so it is not likely that crisis as severe would repeat.

Marko Gorjup, the boss of the Novo Mesto-based TPV group, an automotive supplier, told the STA at the sidelines of an exporters' conference in Brdo pri Kranju this week that there had been a slight decrease in orders in autumn.

The decrease is "nothing drastic" and the company is optimistic that the situation will stabilise in the second half of the year, he said.

The economic slowdown has not yet been felt in construction, Igor Kastelic, the director of Rem Trebnje, a module building maker, told the STA at the conference.

"In the first quarter, our revenue was about 15% higher than last year, with Germany accounting for the majority of our sales," said Kastelic, implying that the company was barely keeping up with orders.

Moreover, Marko Lukić, the boss of Lumar, a maker of prefabricated houses, said in mid-March at an event hosted by PwC and KD Skladi that the company's production lines were booked for the next year and a half.

He noted however that the construction sector would be the last to feel a potential economic crisis due to its long investment cycles.

Bookmark this link and find the headlines faster each morning, or follow us on Facebook

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

This summary is provided by the STA

Šarec highlights Luka Koper as link between Europe and China

DUBROVNIK, Croatia - PM Marjan Šarec highlighted the port of Koper as the closest link between Central and East Europe, and China as he addressed the eighth summit of China and 16 Central and East European countries in Croatia's Dubrovnik. Šarec minister stressed that China was Slovenia's biggest trade partner in Asia and that thanks to the 16+1 initiative trade between Slovenia and China rose by 15% since 2013. An agreement was scheduled to be signed in Dubrovnik between the Slovenian Engineering Academy and the Nanjing Jiangning High-tech Industrial Park for the setting up of an international science and research, and transformation centre, as well as an interbank agreement meant to support SMEs. Also, automotive supplier TPV said it is to open a production plant in China in two years.

Shipping company Splošna Plovba in dire straits

PORTOROŽ - Splošna Plovba, the sole Slovenian-based shipping company, is selling off its assets, Dnevnik reported, inferring that its German owner Döehle ICL appears to be withdrawing from Slovenia. The paper wrote that the company's financial results are cause for concern, citing data showing that the company's sales revenue collapsed from EUR 214m in 2008 to EUR 30m in 2017 when the company posted a EUR 3.7m loss. In its annual report the company blamed the loss on lower fares and partly on the tax liabilities resulting from its subsidiary Genshipping failing to reinvest the proceeds from the ships sold in 2012.

NLB to pay EUR 143m in dividends or EUR 7.13 per share

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory and management boards of the recently privatised NLB bank, in which the state currently holds a 35% stake, have proposed that EUR 142.6m in distributable profit go for dividends at EUR 7.13 gross per share. The proposal will be put to vote at the annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled for 10 June. The EUR 142.6m out of the total distributable profit of EUR 194.5m for last year is almost half of last year's dividend payout of EUR 270.6m, when the bank was still fully owned by the state. The remaining EUR 51.9m will remain undistributed.

Slovenia acting to assist young people in Western Balkans

BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Simona Leskovar represented Slovenia at the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Berlin Process , presenting Slovenia's activities related to the future of the young people in the Western Balkan countries. The state secretary noted that the region was facing high unemployment rates for young people and insufficient opportunities in education, as well as low mobility, which needs to be addressed.

Army's force commander protests dismissal

LJUBLJANA - Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc has filed a protest against his dismissal as the army's force commander over late night shooting at the Poček training area. The soldiers' trade union, which represents Škerbinc, claims he acted lawfully and demands an apology from Defence Minister Karl Ejravec, who in turn said his instruction not to conduct training using heavy weapons after 11 PM had been ignored. Erjavec dismissed Škerbinc last Friday at the proposal of the chief of the general staff, Major-General Alenka Ermenc. Škerbinc rejected speculation he had been involved in the spreading of rumours about Ermenc's health problems.

Despite financial distress, parties open bank accounts for EU elections

LJUBLJANA - All parliamentary parties and seven non-parliamentary ones have opened their special bank account to finance the election campaign for May's EU elections. However, they are not expected to mount lavish campaigning since their finances are not exactly in good shape as many finished 2018 in the red following two elections and a referendum last year, public broadcaster Radio Slovenia reported on Friday. The only coalition party which did not end 2018 with a loss was Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's LMŠ, which posted a surplus of around 10,000 euro.

The EDP's manifesto adopted, Erjavec elected vice-president

LJUBLJANA - The council of the European Democratic Party (EDP) adopted its manifesto for EU elections during a session in Ljubljana. Karl Erjavec, the head of the Slovenian Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), which is a member of the EDP, was elected the EDP's vice-president. The manifesto, entitled The Social Challenges of the EU, will serve as the May elections programmes' basis for the party's candidates. Erjavec told the press that the manifesto called for an integrated Europe, new jobs, particularly for the young, economic growth, as well as security and foreign policies.

Slovenia selects Expo 2020 pavilion concept

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Ministry has chosen the thematic concept of Slovenia's pavilion at the global show Expo 2020 in Dubai. The 1,550 m2 pavilion, expected to cost some EUR 5m, will be showcasing Slovenian nature, economy and culture. The selected concept of a three-storied structure was created by the architecture firm Magnet Design and will present Slovenia as a green oasis in Europe as well as in the desert during the exhibition.

Artist and illustrator Milan Erič honoured with Jakopič Prize

LJUBLJANA - Artist, illustrator and animator Milan Erič received the Rihard Jakopič Prize, the top annual national award for lifetime achievement in fine arts and visual art, at a ceremony at the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana. According to the jury, Erič tackles serious every-day issues in a critical and often humorous manner in his work, which attests superb painting and drawing skills. He has been a central figure at the intersection of various types of visual arts in Slovenia for decades, a prominent representative of the Slovenian new image art, highlighting individual's experience and imagination.

Painter Aleksij Kobal to exhibit in Nova Gorica

NOVA GORICA - The Nova Gorica City Art Gallery put on display works by contemporary Slovenian painter Aleksij Kobal, with art historian Andrej Medved presenting the painter and his diverse oeuvre at the opening. The exhibition, entitled Podtaknjenci (Plant Cuttings), is Kobal's first solo exhibition at the gallery in more than ten years. It will run until 10 May. Kobal is considered one of the most prominent Slovenian contemporary painters, famous for his atmospheric landscapes and urban motifs inspired by the Renaissance.

Bookmark this link and find the headlines faster each morning, or follow us on Facebook

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

This summary is provided by the STA

Career diplomat Šuc slated for top diplomatic job in Croatia

LJUBLJANA - The government has appointed career diplomat Vojislav Šuc Slovenia's new ambassador to Croatia, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. Before leaving for Zagreb, Šuc will need to present himself to the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and get approval from Croatia, Dnevnik noted, adding that no complications are expected. Earlier this week, Dnevnik reported that Marko Makovec was considered the favourite for the job. He was reportedly eliminated from contention after threatening a journalist who reported about him receiving congratulations for the appointment on Facebook before the process had been concluded.

Social partners endorse guidelines for new social pact

LJUBLJANA - The Economic and Social Council endorsed starting points for debate on the social pact proposal put forward by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) without taking positions on details yet. The GZS's proposal, presented in early March, seeks a reform of the pay system in the corporate sector for 2019-2025 centred around tying wage growth to productivity gains.

Refugee registration centre case to be taken to Supreme Court

ILIRSKA BISTRICA - The Ilirska Bistrica city council decided on Thursday to appeal to the Supreme Court against the Administrative Court decision banning the municipality from carrying out a referendum on a planned registration centre for migrants. The councillors, belonging to various political parties, believe that by banning the referendum the Administrative Court has infringed on the constitutional rights of the municipality's citizens.

Constitutional Court to treat 2019 budget review as priority

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has announced it will treat as an absolute priority the request from the centre-right opposition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) to review the state budget documents passed in parliament last month. The review will apply to three documents: the law on the implementation of the budgets for 2018 and 2019, the supplementary budget for 2019 and the decree on the 2018-2020 framework for public finances. The SDS and NSi believe the 2019 budget is not in line with the Constitution because it does not take into account the fiscal rule.

Šoltes endorsed as DeSUS Euro vote frontrunner

LJUBLJANA - The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) endorsed MEP Igor Šoltes as its frontrunner for the 26 May EU election. Apart from Šoltes, DeSUS's ticket also includes assistant to the party's outgoing MEP Ivo Vajgl, Damjan Stanonik, and the head of the Slovenian Philanthropy, Tereza Novak. Other are less known names. Contrary to previous speculation, party leader Karl Erjavec will not stand. "I didn't see a challenge there," he said.

Debate calls for definition of precarious work, systemic measures

LJUBLJANA - A debate on precarious work hosted by the Labour Ministry and the National Council agreed that everybody deserves decent pay for their work and has the right to social security. Such forms of work should therefore be defined and measures found at the systemic level to tackle the issue, the debate heard. "Since precarious work brings numerous negative consequences both for the economic and social security of an individual, it is high time to introduce measures at the systemic level," said Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer.

General govt surplus in 2018 EUR 34m above initial calculations

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia generated a EUR 34m higher general government surplus in 2018 than the initial calculation released by the Statistics Office in March, which put it at EUR 303m. The new figure was calculated following the regular procedure of data explanation to Eurostat, the Statistics Office said. The surplus was equivalent to 0.7% of GDP, while the country's debt amounted to EUR 32.23bn, the equivalent of 70.1% of GDP.

Tourism accounted for 12% of Slovenia's GDP in 2018

LJUBLJANA - Tourism contributed EUR 5.7bn or 12.3% to the Slovenian gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The sector employed 110,700 people or 12.8% of total employment. The annual contribution of tourism to the Slovenian GDP increased by 6% compared to 2017, the Slovenian Tourist Board said.

Consumer confidence drops for third month in a row

LJUBLJANA - The consumer confidence indicator for Slovenia has deteriorated for the third month in a row in April, dropping by one percentage point at the monthly level and by nine points year-on-year, Statistics Office data show. The consumer confidence indicator in April was down four percentage points compared to January, but was still 12 points higher than the long-term average.

Slovenia gets honorary consulate in Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea- Slovenia has opened a consulate in the South Korean capital of Seoul, which is headed by Honorary Consul Chung Mong Won, chairman of Halla Corporation. The consulate was inaugurated on Thursday by Slovenian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Simona Leskovar, who noted that the initiative for the consulate had been made at the Slovenian House at the PyeongChang Olympics in February 2018.

Good State joins EU election race

LJUBLJANA - The non-parliamentary party the Good State, founded by former MP Bojan Dobovšek, will also vie for seats in the European Parliament in the 26 May election. The party, which is no more than a blip in opinion poll charts, is building its campaign on fight against corruption. The first name on the ticket of the Good State is Robert Golob, who is in charge of Slovenia's political relations with China at the Foreign Ministry.

Lonstroff defends Slovenia boss, says site purchase decision collective

LJUBLJANA/ZURICH, Switzerland - The management of Lonstroff, a Swiss maker of elastomers, has spoken up in defence of its Slovenia director in the aftermath of reports that he is suspected of defrauding his company of EUR 1.7m with the acquisition of land for a manufacturing facility near Logatec. The management board of Lonstroff AG contacted the Office of the State Prosecutor General to confirm that "as buyers they were familiar with the provisions of the Sales Agreement for the purchase of immovable property in Logatec," the company said in a written statement for the STA.

Slovenian airline traffic up by 8% last year

LJUBLJANA - Last year around 1.8 million passengers passed through the three Slovenian international airports in Ljubljana, Maribor and Portorož, 8% more than in 2017, according to the Statistics Office. 12,363 tonnes of cargo were transloaded in the three airports, a figure 6% larger than the previous year. Almost all of the cargo was transported with scheduled flights.

Portorož boat show to feature 150 exhibitors in mid-May

PORTOROŽ - Marina Portorož will host between 16 and 19 May a boat show featuring around 150 exhibitors and 100 vessels, which are expected to attract around 15,000 visitors. The organisers are also promising an attractive accompanying programme. The organisers expect around 150 exhibitors and around 100 vessels, including 60 in the water, and are announcing a number of premieres. In addition to large sail boats and motorboats and yachts, also to be presented will be various nautical equipment.

Schedule of events in the week from 15 to 21 April, 2019, as prepared by the STA:

MONDAY, 15 April
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will convene a two-day regular session with questions time featuring PM Marjan Šarec and members of his government.
        LJUBLJANA - US congressman Paul Gosar will meet Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and the speakers of both houses of parliament on the final day of his visit to Slovenia.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec will take part in a session of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council discussing reform of the common agricultural policy after 2020.
        MARIBOR - An international conference on the post-Brexit future of the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - Court of Audit President Tomaž Vesel will present the annual report for 2018 to President Borut Pahor.
        LJUBLJANA - The Jožef Stefan Institute will present a project designed to improve the population's safety in case of a nuclear or radiological disaster.
        LJUBLJANA - The STA will host a debate on youth housing.
        LJUBLJANA - The Plečnik Award, the top prize for architecture, will be given out.

TUESDAY, 16 April
        SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - President Borut Pahor will meet the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and take part in the Sarajevo Business Forum during a two-day visit.
        SKOPJE, Macedonia - Chief of the General Staff, Maj-Gen Alenka Ermenc, will make a two-day visit to North Macedonia.
        LJUBLJANA - A debate featuring Justice Minister Andreja Katič, Constitutional Court President Rajko Knez and Supreme Court President Damijan Florjančič will mark the 60th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate the opposition Democrats (SDS)-sponsored amendments to the income tax act on the final day of the April sitting.
        LJUBLJANA - The assembly of the Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS) will meet to discuss waiting times and the institute's financial operations in 2018.
        LJUBLJANA - The management board of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) will debate the annual report for 2018 and a proposal to reform the wage system.
        LJUBLJANA - The results of cooperation between postal company Pošta Slovenije, Jožef Stefan Institute and high-tech companies in open innovation will be presented.

WEDNESDAY, 17 April
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Committee on Labour, Family, Social Affairs and the Disabled will debate amendments to the pension insurance act.
        LJUBLJANA - AmCham Slovenija will host a business breakfast to debate Slovenian employment policy, how to detect talents, and workplaces of the future; Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer to attend.
        MARIBOR - The British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce will hold a debate on development of Slovenia's eastern region in light of new trade relationships.
        LUKOVICA - A conference marking the launch of the Slovenian Beekeeping Academy, featuring National Assembly Speaker Dejan Židan, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec.
        LJUBLJANA - The Association of Asset Managing Companies will speak about trends in investment in mutual funds.
        LJUBLJANA - The Association of Slovenian Natural Spas and the Croatian Tourism Association will speak about spa tourism in both countries.
        LJUBLJANA - The Big Architecture Festival will be held, featuring a forum on innovative application of wood in architecture.
        LJUBLJANA - A visiting exhibition on shamanism in Siberia, put on by the Russian Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography in Saint Petersburg, will open at the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum.

THURSDAY, 18 April
        LJUBLJANA - A weekly government session.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and Supreme Court President Rajko Knez will address the launch of a new Commentary of the Slovenian Constitution.
        BLED - An international two-day conference on privacy and the freedom of expression will open.
        LJUBLJANA - The shareholders' meeting of energy company Petrol will decide on distribution of 2018 profit.
        SEOUL, South Korea - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Simona Leskovar will attend the inauguration of new premises of the Slovenian Consulate, headed by Honorary Consul Chung Mong Won.
        TRIESTE, Italy - The pilot project of an integrated ticket combining a train ride between Ljubljana and Trieste and Trieste city transportation will be presented.
        LJUBLJANA - A press conference ahead of the launch of the Slovenian pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2019 featuring artist Marko Peljhan.
        LJUBLJANA - Maundy Thursday will mark the start of Easter festivities.
        IZOLA - The international sailing regatta Spring Cup will get under way, to run until 22 April.

FRIDAY, 19 April
        LJUBLJANA - The Labour Ministry and the National Council will hold a debate on precarious work, to be addressed by Minister Ksenija Klampfer and National Council President Alojz Kovšca.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee will discuss the regulatory framework for medicinal use of cannabis.
        LJUBLJANA - A public presentation of the resolution on food production, countryside and natural resources beyond 2021, to be attended by Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec.
        LJUBLJANA - A round-table debate will accompany the launch of a book on Slovenian infrastructure projects for the future.
        LJUBLJANA - The annual Marijuana March will be held.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the consumer confidence index for April.

SATURDAY, 20 April
        LJUBLJANA - Food blessings and Easter Vigils will be held in churches round the country.

SUNDAY, 21 April
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia celebrates Easter, the biggest holiday on the Christian calender.

Mladina: GP resignations aimed at privatising healthcare

STA, 12 April 2019 - The left-wing weekly Mladina accuses the trade union of GPs of abusing their power at the cost of patients. This week's editorial refers to a document it says proves that the trade union Praktikum's head Igor Muževič orchestrated the current crisis among GPs to force the government's hand and ultimately lead to privatising public healthcare.

"It is a sad day for Slovenian public healthcare. The aim of these actions is not to improve the system, but to dismantle it," Grega Repovž, the editor-in-chief writes under the headline Foul Play.

He says that Mladina has obtained a signed document from 2017 which proves that Muževič's plan had been to provoke a crisis that would force the state to privatise healthcare.

Privatising healthcare would essentially turn medical practitioners into businessmen. If the trade union's demands are met, GPs would remain part of the public sector that would provide them with the necessary infrastructure, however, they would get paid as private individuals, Repovž writes.

This is an abuse of what the trade union struggle stands for. It essentially turns patients into hostages, and it would not take long for other medical practitioners to demand the same working conditions, effectively leading to a collapse of the public healthcare system.

Repovž writes that doctors' wages are among the highest in the public sector. He says the attempt to increase their income by branching out into the private sector is unacceptable and unethical, especially since it is disguised as an industrial action.

Demokracija: Double standards on media freedom

STA, 11 April 2019 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija plays down the importance of Hungary's protest over the weekly Mladina's cover portraying PM Viktor Orban making a Nazi salute in its latest editorial. It is bothered that the freedom of speech was not defended so eagerly when PM Marjan Šarec gave instructions regarding media advertising.

Hungary's protest sent to Mladina and the Slovenian Foreign Ministry was labelled a reflection of the idea of a complete media control, but the truth is that the "incident" will have absolutely no impact on the Slovenian media, editor-in-chief Jože Biščak says.

Thus, the diplomatic note sent by Hungary cannot be a form of pressure on the media or their editorial policy but merely a reaction to a controversial image of a democratically elected prime minister of a neighbouring country.

According to Biščak, much more dangerous for media freedom and the freedom of expression was Šarec's call to state-owned companies to refrain from advertising in "disobedient media".

"Is this really normal and ordinary? Is this freedom? Is this media freedom? Is this democratic? Is this in line with European values, which this government praises so much only when attacking someone, while resorting to rhetoric and measures of dictators when someone holds up a mirror in front of its face."

There is no middle way when it comes to the freedom of speech and media freedom. Either we have them or we don't. Media freedom cannot be only when the left has something to say. It is supreme hypocrisy and has nothing to do with real freedom, Biščak concludes the commentary headlined Matthew 23:27-28.

All our posts in this series can be found here

The site Ex-Yu Aviation reports that Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport saw it’s third month in a row with rising passenger numbers, with the figures for March 2019 up 3% on a year before, and a total of 133,641 travellers served. In contrast, SHS Aviation, the Chinese-owned operator of Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport, will end its involvement with the troubled airport on July 15 2019.

SHS, which had planned to make the airport a hub for Chinese tourists, signed a 15-year agreeement for the concession in March 2017. However, it has been unhappy with delays by the Slovenian government in agreeing a new zoning plan that would have enabled it to invest €600 million in a redevelopment project, as well as the rejection of requests for state aid.

Maribor Airport has been without any scheduled commercial flights since September 2018.

All our stories on air travel are here

STA, 12 April 2019 - Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc has filed an objection to his dismissal as the army's force commander over late night shooting at the Poček training area, the newspaper Večer reported on Friday. The soldiers' trade union, which represents Škerbinc, claims he acted lawfully and demands an apology from the defence minister.

Defence Minister Karl Erjavec dismissed Škerbinc last Friday at the proposal of the chief of the general staff, Major-General Alenka Ermenc.

He said one of the reasons for the dismissal was the incident at the Poček training area, when shooting with heavy weapons late at night upset the local community at the end of March.

Erjavec said his instruction not to conduct training using heavy weapons after 11 PM had been ignored in this case.

Since Škerbinc is not allowed to give statements, he is represented in the public by his lawyer and the Trade Union of Slovenian Soldiers led by Gvido Novak.

"Brigadier Miha Škerbinc has no possibility to defend himself either from a public lynch or in any proceeding over alleged violations, which in my firm belief did not happen," Novak told Večer.

He is convinced that the dismissal of the army's force commander had been illegal, because "there were no professional grounds for his replacement."

Novak claims Škerbinc followed all the regulations and guidelines of the General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces during the late night training.

Novak believes Ermenc confirmed that there were no violations when she told the press that the shooting practice had been conducted in line with an agreement between the Defence Ministry and the Postojna municipality.

At the press conference she even quoted parts of the agreement, saying that except in the summer months, night shootings can be conducted up to ten days a month without any restrains to the duration of the shooting or the calibres used.

The trade union says on its web site that shooting at Poček is allowed at night time as well and that Škerbinc had received such instructions from the General Staff also in connection to the exercise conducted with US troops at the end of last month.

Škerbinc said in the objection to his dismissal that he had not received any instruction regarding shooting at Poček and the trade union thinks the minister cannot even give such instructions to the army's force commander.

According to Škerbinc both the government and ministry as well as the Postojna municipality had known that the shooting would take place at night as well.

The defence minister had also signed the plan for joint exercise with US troops, where all activities and the type of ammunition used had been specified, Škerbinc said.

The trade union published a part of this document on its web site.

Škerbinc also responded to media speculation that a reason for his dismissal could be his spreading of rumours about Ermenc's health problems. He said that a probe by the Defence Ministry's intelligence agency had shown he had not been involved.

He said his statements had been taken out of context and misinterpreted.

Rumours about Ermenc's health problems started last month after she was absent from work for about two weeks. President Borut Pahor as the supreme commander of the Slovenian Armed Forces, and Erjavec denied speculation that she might be replaced.

Ermenc denied media reports that she was treated at the Ljubljana psychiatric hospital and is now suing the news portal Požareport, which first reported this, for libel.

She said she had been in home care between 9 and 21 March due to an illness.

The trade union also sent a letter to Prime Minister Marjan Šarec today, demanding an apology from Erjavec over his statement for Večer in reference to the Poček incident.

"If the army disobeyed orders ... Will they shoot at Postojna next?" Erjavec was quoted as saying by the paper.

Novak finds it inadmissible for the defence minster to poke fun of lawful actions of the army's force commander and thus making fun of all members of the Slovenian Armed Forces.

The trade union also informed President Borut Pahor as the supreme commander of the statement, demanding that he took a stance. It also demands an emergency session of the parliamentary Defence Committee.

All our stories on the military are here

STA, 12 April 2019 - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec highlighted the port of Koper as the closest link between Central and East Europe, and China as he addressed the eighth summit of China and 16 Central and East European countries in Croatia's Dubrovnik on Friday.

In line with the bill, courts will have to weigh whether Banka Slovenije, the central bank, correctly applied the law in ordering the bailout, and correctly estimated bank losses.

Plaintiffs will be able to launch proceedings within ten months after the law enters into force. Banka Slovenije will be the defendant and if it loses, it will have to settle the damages from its reserves. If those do not suffice, it will be able to borrow from the state.

Banka Slovenije opposes the bill, in particular the solution under which it would have to pay damages if the courts establish to the plaintiffs were wronged, arguing that this would lead to unlawful monetary financing.

The central bank believes the law should state clearly that it is not responsible to pay compensation for the damage. A similar position is held by the European Central Bank.

The government rushed to endorse the bill at yesterday's correspondence session because the upper chamber of parliament, the National Council, was also preparing a similar bill, which however envisages the state launching procedures against Banka Slovenije.

"We rushed it, because we wanted the legislative procedure to start as soon as possible. It is possible that we will be merging the bill with the National Council's legislative proposal," Finance Ministry State Secretary Metod Dragonja said yesterday.

The National Council adopted its proposal today, arguing the government's bill fell short of what had been asked by the Constitutional Court.

The upper chamber's president Alojz Kovšca stressed that excessive procedural costs would discourage potential plaintiffs from suing Banka Slovenije, which means effective legal protection had not been provided.

The National Council would have Banka Slovenije sued by the state and the burden of proof transferred to the central bank.

Kovšca announced cooperation in the adoption of the final act, but added it would be vetoed if it failed to provide a realistic solution.

The bill will go through a regular procedure in parliament and the government is counting on it to be passed in June or July.

In the three months after the passage, special virtual data rooms envisaged by the bill would be set up by the Securities Market Agency (ATVP) where Banka Slovenije will give all interested parties access to information.

Potential damages are estimated between zero and EUR 963.2m, which is how much liabilities were wiped out by the banks which were nationalised in 2013 and 2014, plus extra costs.

The Finance Ministry said in presenting the bill that Banka Slovenije had decided for the measures independently and therefore carried the responsibility and liability for potential damages.

The legislation based on which the measures were taken has been found to be in line with the Constitution, so it is Banka Slovenije and not the state which is responsible for the way the legislation was implemented, the ministry said.

The ministry took into account the central bank's remarks regarding the setting up of data rooms, which it claimed would be too expensive, so the bill envisages the setting up of virtual rooms by the ATVP with the ministry only providing one room where computers and software will be available for accessing data.

But the ATVP warned in a letter today that it lacked the necessary know-how, money and staff to set up the virtual data rooms, so it would have to outsource them, which would require additional funding and a lot more time than the envisaged three months.

The agency also said it had no resources to decide on the potential thousands of applications for access to the data rooms, so it proposes that Banka Slovenije or the Public Administration Ministry take over the task.

In line with the bill, the court will decide whether there are grounds to award damages to plaintiffs and also set the amount of the potential damages, whereas in the original proposal Banka Slovenije was to determine the amount of damages, pending final approval by the court.

All procedures will be handled by the Maribor District Court, where Banka Slovenije will have to prove that it had reasons for the wipe-out and that it takes into account remarks regarding access to information and data protection.

Slovenia spent roughly EUR 5.5bn bailing out and nationalising the three largest banks in the country (two small banks were wound down) in a process seen as saving the economy from ruin.

However, subsequent revelations cast doubt on the methods used to value bank assets, which in turn determined how much capital banks needed and to what extent junior creditors were affected.

All our stories about Slovenia and China are here

STA, 11 April 2019 - The government proposed on Thursday changes to the personal name act that allow citizens to officially have more than two first and two second names. Also being made possible is the use of initials or name abbreviations as part of the name listed in official affairs.

The restricted number of names proved problematic in practice above all in cases of dual citizens who had to give up some of their names for their entry in the Slovenian civil registry, the government wrote on Tumblr.

Moreover, divorcees will have a year as opposed to six months to change their surname following divorce.

Also, minors with legal capacity will be allowed to change their name, while this will not be possible for those found guilty of a crime and serving their suspended prison sentence on probation.

Related: How Many Franc and Marija Novaks Do You Know?

STA, 11 April 2019 - Participants of panel on Brexit hosted by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce agreed on Thursday that the deadline extension means more time for the best possible solution, meaning one based on a deal.

British Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey believes the extension of Brexit until 31 October does not mean a prolongation of uncertainty but more time for the best possible approach.

UK Trade Commissioner for Europe Andrew Mitchell highlighted the close trade ties between the UK and the EU, pointing out trade with EU countries accounted for more than half of Britain's foreign trade last year.

He said a no-deal Brexit would have substantial consequences for the economy and agreed the extension provides an opportunity to reach a deal and enable the firm economic ties to be preserved in the future.

The UK wants a detailed free trade agreement with the EU that would cover customs and regulatory cooperation so as to allow companies to continue to trade in a similar fashion they are doing now, Mitchell said.

As for the Brexit-related developments in the British parliament, Honey spoke of the biggest challenge for the government in several generations, while Mitchell believes time will show that this was the "most profound democratic exercise".

Honey stressed on the sidelines of the event that the UK has been part of the EU for 45 years. EU membership touches on practically all facets of life, while the referendum result was 52% vs 48%, which is why she feels it is normal that an extensive discussion is under way now in the UK.

The uncertainty regarding future relations has so far not shown in the trade between the UK and Slovenia - Slovenian exports rose by 11% last year, while imports from the UK were up 15%.

However, similar growth should not be expected after Brexit, said the head of the Foreign Ministry sector for bilateral economy cooperation Iztok Grmek.

A number of companies who do business with the UK also attended the event, but they were left without concrete answers regarding what they can expect after Brexit.

One example is aircraft maintenance firm Adria Tehnika, whose key client is the British air carrier Easyjet.

"We participated in the transfer of a part of their fleet from the British to the Austrian registry last year, but part of the fleet remains registered in the British registry. The question is what this means in terms of customs duties and the license and whether we should seek a special license with the English registry," Adria Tehnika's commercial director Mirjana Tratnjek Čeh illustrated.

All out stories on Brexit are here