STA, 23 January 2019 - SocDem president Dejan Židan said on Wednesday that Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček's use of the ministry car for personal affairs had been a mistake that warranted a reprimand. Prešiček is also ready to resign should this be demanded by PM Marjan Šarec, added Židan, who meanwhile protested against "unverified" bullying claims against Prešiček.

Židan spoke to the press about the fate of the SD's minister after the surfacing of allegations that Prešiček had misused the ministry car and engaged in bullying at the Culture Ministry. Some reports even suggested the alleged behaviour had contributed to the recent suicide of a courier at the ministry.

Židan explained Prešiček had admitted that the ministry car had indeed been used on nine occasions to transport "the music instrument" to the Music and Ballet Conservatory, where served as director until his current job and continues to teach.

"The minister made a mistake and deserves a rap on the knuckles," Židan said, indicating that a reprimand would be sufficient.

Still, "should the prime minister assess that this mistake was of such gravity that Prešiček needs to leave, the minister will do accordingly, and the SocDems will respect the prime minister's decision".

Turning to the bullying accusations, Židan said that "the lies that appeared about the minister, about his work methods, the stories that constitute a direct attack on his integrity", should be examined, "their background revealed and appropriate action taken".

He said that the minister and the SocDems were the first who wanted to come to the bottom of this, since it is "unacceptable that a person - someone who is moving things forward in culture - is crucified on the basis of far-fetched claims".

Many previous complaints about bullying at the ministry, 74 in 2017 alone

While agreeing that the bullying accusations should also be explored, Židan argued that such complaints had already been rampant at the Culture Ministry in the past and that Prešiček had only taken over a few months ago.

He said he had heard Prešiček was known as a hard-working man, which is a commendable trait, and that he was subject to only one bullying complaint while the head of the Music and Ballet Conservatory, a complaint that was later dismissed.

Židan refused to comment on speculation that an orchestrated attack on Prešiček was under way at the ministry, only saying that those who have been working at the ministry for many years also deserved respect and dialogue should they be in distress.

Meanwhile, the Culture Ministry told the STA that no bullying complaints had been filed against Prešiček at the ministry. The data provided, showing that 74 such complaints were filed in 2017 alone, suggests that the ministry has been struggling when it comes to relations between the employees for years.

The accusations against Prešiček, which also prompted a call for explanations issued by Šarec, culminated on Tuesday, when the Ljubljana Police Administration confirmed it was examining potential reasons to suspect a criminal act.

Parliamentary parties had mixed reactions to the developments today, but most agreed Prešiček should go if the allegations proved true.

The allegations were reportedly voiced by a few Culture Ministry employees, with only one doing it openly, and pursued in a determined fashion above all by the Glosa trade union of culture.

STA, 23 January 2019 - Conventa 2019, the 11th exhibition for convention tourism in SE Europe, got under way at Ljubljana's Gospodarsko Razstavišče fairgrounds on Wednesday. The two-day meeting features 125 exhibitors from 15 countries and 178 invited guests from 44 countries.

Miha Kovačič, one of the chief organisers, told the press that Conventa's focus was on countries in Eastern and SE Europe. These are considered as developing and exotic destinations and are in high demand among the organisers of business trips.

He said that the meeting had become a must for many operators in the region, while the idea is also to attract as many new clients as possible each year so that new ties can be forged. As many as 90% of the foreign organisers of business meetings are new to Conventa this year.

The biggest increase was recorded among exhibitors from the Western Balkans, which is a result of a stabilisation of the region, Conventa co-founder Gorazd Čad also noted.

Meanwhile, Karmen Novarlič of the Slovenian Tourist Board highlighted the major potential that congress tourism holds for Slovenia.

An average convention guest spends at least three-times as much as a holiday guests, with a 2018 survey for Ljubljana for instance putting the average daily expenditure of convention guests at EUR 511.

The other key advantage of convention tourism is that it is not tied to the main tourism season. Two thirds of such guests come to Slovenia in periods other than the summer season.

Novarlič expects the industry to continue growing in Europe, with Slovenia having worked in recent years on being discovered as a convention destination.

Presenting a challenge in Ljubljana for example are conference as well as hospitality capabilities, as well as the capabilities of the Ljubljana airport.

The capital can presently host events with around 2,000 participants, provided that venues and hotels operate in a coordinated fashion, Jan Oršič of the Ljubljana Congress Office illustrated.

Below is a review of the headlines in Slovenian dailies for Thursday,  January 24, 2019, as summarised by the STA:

DELO

Bears
"A disservice to bears": Following a complaint from environmentalists, the order on the culling of bears has been suspended. Given the speed of court proceedings, a decision is not expected this year. (front page, 13)

Culture Ministry scandal
"Will Dejan Prešiček get slapped on the wrist?": The fate of Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček in the face of bullying accusations is uncertain. (front page, 2)

Davos forum
"Rearranging the political architecture of the world": The international business and political elite meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos concluded that the international community must respond to the climate change and prepare for the rapid technological development that will cause great inequalities. (front page, 3)

DNEVNIK

Culture Ministry scandal
"SocDems want Prešiček to get slap on the wrist": SocDems did not demand Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček to resign, but if PM Marjan Šarec decides he should, they will respect his decision. (front page, 3)

Ljubljana real estate
"Hungarian company buys land in Emonika area": Publicly available data show that the owner of the land where the construction of the commercial part of the Emonika bus and rail terminal project in Ljubljana is planned has sold the plot to the company Mendota Invest, owned by the Hungarian company HO-ME 2000. (front page, 9)

FINANCE

Taxes
"FURS loses in court: Subsequent investments in capital reserves decrease corporate profit tax": The Supreme Court has ruled that subsequent investments in capital reserves must be taken into account when calculating tax base, which decreases the corporate profit tax. (front page, 4-5)

US
"Trump's wall blocking government work. How will this affect business?": Since the US economy is driven by household spending, the long-term government shutdown has many consequences. The paper looks at how this affects business and Slovenia. (front page, 2-3)

Health insurance fund
"The health insurance fund will this year have 30% more funds than six years ago": The public healthcare fund, the ZZZS, expects this year's revenue to top EUR 3bn, which would be 5.7% more than last year, when revenue rose by 7.7% year-on-year. (front page, 5)

VEČER

Maribor prison
"Staff exhausted": The situation at the Maribor prison is as alarming as in most Slovenian prisons, with the head of the Maribor branch of the trade union of judiciary staff, Kamil Fras, saying that only minimum security is guaranteed. (front page, 20-21)

Culture Ministry scandal
"Decision on Prešiček in Šarec's hands": The Social Democrats (SD) see no reason why Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček should resign and call on PM Marjan Šarec to decide. (front page, 2-3)

Davos forum
"Globalisation 4.0 as a challenge and a threat": German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for cooperation and a reform of international organisations at the World Economic Forum in Davos. (front page, 7)

If you’re reading this you almost certainly know of Dr Noah Charney, perhaps the most famous American living in Slovenia, who turns up regularly on TV and in print sharing his love of the country and exploring various aspects of its culture, as exemplified in his book Slovenology (2017), a new podcast of the same name, and a list of projects that seems to grow by the week. We thus got in touch for an email interview, with the focus on how he’s been able to settle so well, and so quickly, in his new home.

What brought you to Slovenia?

Love, which I believe is the primary import. I had dated a Slovenian girl when I was living in London and had come to visit on some holidays and try to learn the language a bit. Later on when I was studying at Cambridge but had ants in my pants and wanted to try living in various European countries one of them I went to was Slovenia. I lived here for a few months and during that time wound up deciding to transfer to University of Ljubljana to finish my Ph.D and I met my current wife as well as sold my first book all at the same time. It seems like Kismet.

How long after you arrived in Slovenia did you start studying the language, and what was the nature of these early efforts?

I tried memorizing some phrases and some of the basics before I actually moved here but to be honest I didn't learn much of anything and I never actually took a course in it until I started speaking with my mother-in-law. That was the best education. I still have trouble with grammar, and just about every sentence has a grammatical error in it. I never bothered memorizing the declensions, for example. But I speak fluently and quickly even with my mistakes and at least so far people seem to think it's cute. I'll ride that wave as long as I can.

An ebook version of Slovenology can be found on Amazon, while print copies are available in Slovenia

Have you ever engaged in a formal study program for the language?

No, nothing at all. I really should but what I need to do most is just take time to sit down and memorize declension endings and that would serve me well. But I keep on feeling like I don't have time to do it. I've certainly plateaued and could live my whole life here at this level without improving. That would be a bit of a shame, I think.

How do you feel about your level of Slovene now, and what do you do to improve it?

I'm entirely comfortable with my level of Slovene. A few years ago I began to host events in the language and make jokes in it and feel like I was my own normal personality even in this language. I'm not bothered at all if I make frequent grammatical errors. I would rather throw myself in and hope for the best. At this point I've almost made a positive personality trait out of speaking with funny inadvertently idioms. I host events regularly even do TV work in Slovenian and I've been told by many people that it would be a shame if I speak too much more correctly because there is a charm to my current level. If that's what they think sounds good to me

How did you build your personal and professional networks here?

I have no particular interest in meeting expats, especially Americans. That doesn't mean that I'm avoiding them but I'm making no effort to meet them as I'm most interested in meeting locals. That said, I had a strategy when I first moved here. I am a writer and occasionally write for magazines and newspapers so I have the ability to present people to the media and give them exposure to anglophone readers which Slovenians consider a plus, a bit out of the ordinary and something desirable. I used this to my advantage early on, as I wrote to various people. Because I admired their work, from rock musicians to comedians to actors to writers, and I asked if I could meet with them for an interview. About a third of the people I met became friends and the rest of them were useful contacts to have in a country with probably just a few hundred people living and working in the literary and cultural and arts sphere, so you meet one and you can easily meet the others. This was an intentional tactic that worked out well for me, and it has led to lots of collaborations with big names here. It also makes for a weird situation where I met really famous celebrities long before I met normal people.

How was finding paid work in Slovenia?

I am lucky in that I work as a writer primarily, and so my work is portable. It is probably the best of all to be working for American and British Publishers and publications and living here. But in the last few years I have done much more work locally. The work that I am asked to do most is in terms of hosting events and giving talks mostly about my perspectives as an American in love with this country, and noticing quirks and differences in the cultures that Slovenian find funny, and they especially appreciate the fact that I really do think this is the world's best country to live in, which often surprises locals.

I also find a lot of work writing text in English for Slovenians and Slovenian companies and editing text that was written by non-native speakers or translated into English by the same. I could probably do this sort of thing full-time but I wind up doing it part-time so I have the opportunity to do my own writing.

For anglophone foreigners using our language abilities is probably the most immediately desired thing, as just about every Slovenian company with any outward facing exposure needs to have texts in English and someone to either write them or proof them. There is also a real interest in collaborating with anglophone expats who are invited for consulting on rules for local projects, because they provide insight and a different perspective. So actually think there are ample opportunities. However, one should be aware that work tends to pay less here than it would in other countries, but the quality of life comes at a lower price here so it all balances out.

Culture shock is a well-studied phenomenon, moving through the stages of honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and acceptance. What has been your experience of culture shock in Slovenia?

I didn't have culture shock because my goal was always to live in a European country. I was not particularly interested in living the American lifestyle. So I am seeking out new cultural experiences, not hiding from them. The cultures are not so different here from what I'm used to in the eight different countries I've lived in. They're usually little details like grace notes that stand out to me, but nothing that would constitute shock. Maybe drinking schnapps for breakfast is one.

Are there some aspects of Slovene culture that you took to immediately?

I like pretty much everything and I'm particularly delighted to adopt local traditions. I'm totally into copati [slippers]. The American habit of wearing shoes outside and in seems weird to me now. I prefer living in a second language as everything is a bit more interesting. I'm excited to go to the supermarket for instance every time I go. Just different enough to be intriguing and moderate exotic. 

Are there some aspects that remain challenging?

Really not at all. I feel completely at home here and did right from the start. I think the most important thing for me was achieving a comfort level with the language which allows me to interact with anybody. It is very easy to live in Ljubljana and speak only English, but once you get outside of the capital and if you want to talk to people of older generations or in more rural settings it helps a lot to speak Slovene.

What is something American you'd like to see adopted in Slovenia?

I'm not the biggest fan of America, so I'm not sure there's anything that Slovenia can learn from it. I guess I miss American breakfast traditions, but I can make those myself. If someone could work out the time zone differences so I can watch Boston Red Sox games live I would be quite pleased.

And what is something Slovene you'd like to see adopted in America?

America could learn a lot from Slovenia. I've written an article about it for the Washington Post and an extended version of the same article appears in my book. I feel like Slovenia has an ideal balance of the best bits of socialism with capitalism and freedom. It's hard to imagine a country that has a better balance, although nowhere is completely utopian. 

Dr Charney also teaches art crime and art history, as well as writing for publication

2018 was a very productive year for you – what can we expect in 2019?

It's very kind of you to say. Yes, I seem to function only on creative overdrive, and I love starting and finishing projects, so I'm happy to skip the middle bit.

I just launched what will be a weekly free podcast that was sponsored by the US Embassy called Slovenology the Podcast. A new episode will come out every Sunday. I will also shortly be releasing a sort of a sequel to that book but coming out only in Slovenian. It will be called Zvezdologija and feature my interviews with interesting and famous Slovenians. I have been interviewing people here in public events for several years now, and my interviews are very idiosyncratic as most of the people I interview are friends so we tend to be very goofy and loose. So this book will include interviews and also plumb the depths of Slovenian celebrity from an unusual angle.

Anyone interested in keeping track of my escapades is welcome to join me on social media. I also host free of charge public interview events and workshops and courses with some regularity. There are enough of them that it’s best to keep track of my activities on social media or a blog that I'm hoping to update regularly this year at slovenology.co.uk

Do you think you'll stay in Slovenia "the rest of your life"?

I certainly hope to. I have two daughters born here and have never felt more at home anywhere. This is the place to be!

You can try and keep up Dr Charney on various platforms, including Facebook, www.noahcharney.com, www.slovenology.co.uk and www.artcrimeresearch.org. You can also follow the Slovenoogy podcast wherever you get podcasts, with the iTunes link here.

STA, 23 January 2019 - Ljubljana Castle, the capital's main tourist attraction, welcomed 1.316 million visitors in 2018, 57,000 shy of the record posted in 2017. The number of visitors to use the castle funicular on the other hand continued to grow, by another 7.4% to reach 539,000, the castle operator said on Wednesday.

Almost 73% of the visitors were tourists from abroad. Standing out are visitors from Italy, Great Britain, the US, Germany, Korea, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Croatia and Taiwan.

The round and triangular openings had different purposes. Photo: JL Flanner

Related: 25 Things to Know about Ljubljana Castle

The city-owned operator is also proud of the programme organised at the castle, with 551 events taking place last year, including the first grape picking in the vineyard planted on Castle Hill in 2016.

An important trend noted is the dispersal of visits beyond the main season, with visitor figures exceeding 1,000 in eight of the 12 months.

Related: Celica – Former Prison, Hostel, & Full Artistic Experience in Ljubljana’s Metelkova

Moreover highlighted were the operator's first six months in the capacity of the manager of Ljubljana's famous Celica youth hostel. The room-occupancy rate stood at 81% and 54 art events took place at the hostel in the second half of the year.

Ljubljanski Grad expects to finish 2018 in the black, assessing revenue at EUR 5.9m. It pointed out that the share has been increasing of market-secured revenue, the estimate for this year being 82%.

Related: What’s on in Ljubljana

23 January 2019 - The BBC’s Good Food project has announced its list of “top 10 destinations for foodies 2019”, with Ljubljana making an appearance at #3. Illustrated with a picture of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation and Dragon Bridge, as taken from Fishmarket Footbridge (one of the best photo spots in town, as noted here), the attractions of the city are described as follows:

Small but perfectly formed, the so-called 'Europe in miniature' is so much more than that. Slovenia’s food culture is little bit Eastern European, a little bit Alpine, a little bit Med, but very much its own thing, too. The tiny capital, Ljubljana, has hipster coffee spots and killer burger joints but also cosy old country restaurants where rustic cuisine reigns supreme. Think: pršut (air-dried ham), zlikrofi (a ravioli-like pasta filled with herby pork), and indulgent gibanica cake (a blend of shortbread and fruity strudel) – dishes that are plentiful in beautiful lake and mountain towns like Bohinj and Bled. Chefs like Ana Roš are leading the charge for inventive Michelin-starred Slovenian cuisine, and there’s a little stretch of coast, too, where simple shellfish and fish carpaccio dishes are a fresh counterpoint to hearty inland eats.

While global travellers may be surprised to see the tiny capital of Slovenia ahead of such vast areas of culinary delights as the whole of Japan, placed at #8, the ranking is a welcome addition to the growing body of work drawing attention to the varied cuisine that’s available in this small but topographically, climatically and agriculturally diverse land. Indeed, Slovenia’s 24 gastronomic regions, for too long neglected by gourmets, gourmands, foodies and the culinary elite, seem to be preparing for some time in the spotlight. As part of the  2017–2021 Strategy for the Sustainable Growth of Slovenian Tourism (PDF), the tourist board has defined Slovenian gastronomy as one of the ten leading tourist products of the nation, one that can help in both leading visitors to some of the less trafficked parts of the country, as well as help promote tourism in all four seasons. The country is also preparing for its year as a European Region of Gastronomy in 2021, as reported last year.

The BBC’s top 10 destinations for foodies 2019 are as follows:

1. Matera in Italy
2. Amsterdam
3. Ljubljana
4. The South Aegean islands in Greece
5. Yorkshire in the UK
6. Corsica
7. Pittsburgh in the US
8. Japan
9. Peru
10. Ethiopia.

The full story, with all the details, can be read here, while our growing collection of road-tested Slovenian recipes can be found here

STA, 22 January 2019 - Having pleaded not guilty in the Gratel case last November, Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovič presented his view of events as the trial opened at the Ljubljana District Court on Tuesday. He labelled the indictment, which accuses him of taking a bribe from the company Gratel to the benefit of the city, a plot against him.

The indictment says that soon after becoming mayor in late 2006, Jankovič demanded in early 2007 that construction company Gratel pay a donation of half a million euro to the municipality to be allowed to continue digging roads to install optic cables for telecommunications company T2.

Prosecutor Blanka Žgajnar told the court Jankovič had unjustifiably revoked the permit for temporary road closures Gratel had received from his predecessor just before the 2006 local elections.

He had then concluded a new contract with the company, but added a damages clause, thereby assuming powers of the city's traffic department, which is in charge of issuing permits for road closures.

Presenting his side of the story, Jankovič denied all charges as unfounded, saying Žgajnar was prosecuting him because she did not like him.

"The documents which the police obtained as part of the investigation don't substantiate the claims in the indictment. This was not a donation, it was an agreement on damages," he said.

He said he had annulled the permit signed by his predecessor Danica Simčič because it was illegal, as it should have been issued by the city's traffic department.

The mayor said the municipality had commissioned a legal opinion from legal expert Rajko Pirnat which confirmed the permit should not have been signed by Simčič.

He explained that soon after becoming mayor he had received many complaints from locals and public companies about how Gratel was installing optic cables in Šiška borough.

Janković said the damages Gratel had paid were lower than what it had for instance paid the Kranj municipality for the same job of installing optic cables.

He stressed the amount had been set in talks with Gratel, which was in no way the weaker party, having strong lobbyists on its side.

What is more, the company decided on its own to pay the damages to the company running Ljubljana Castle, he stressed and called on Žgajnar to withdraw the indictment.

The next hearing is scheduled for 31 January, when Gratel owner Jurij Krč and former T2 boss Miran Kramberger take the stand.

All our stories on Mayor Janković can be found here

STA, 22 January 2019 - Police have confirmed a probe into media-reported allegations of mobbing at the Culture Ministry which some reports connected to the suicide of an employee. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has already asked the culture minister to take a stance on accusations made by unionists and the ministry's employees.

The Ljubljana Police Administration said on Tuesday that an investigation would be introduced and the state prosecution notified should reasons to suspect a criminal offence be confirmed.

Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček, who took over last September, has confirmed for TV Slovenija that he met with Šarec over the issue and announced a written statement.

Prešiček also met the Glosa trade union of culture, which wrote to Šarec to express their opposition "to any interventions in a safe, healthy, respectful working environment" and "utter contempt for torment/chicanery/mobbing".

The union added it was shaken by "the suicide at the ministry for (non)-culture", and called on Šarec to closely examine the case and "also react in the direction of dismissing Dejan Prešiček if inappropriate and despicable behaviour is involved".

Minister denies accusations, accuses staff of lying

While the statement by the minister requested by Šarec is still forthcoming, Prešiček said he had asked Glosa "sincerely what it was that I did wrong, why I could be to blame, feeling that this blame does not exist, that I did nothing of that sort".

He also announced a workers' assembly at the ministry to help build dialogue and establish "what was happening and why this tragic event occurred".

In his first response to the story, which was broken by the Požareport tabloid news portal, Prešiček wrote of manipulation and rejected any wrongdoing.

"Obviously some of the ministry's employees are abusing a family tragedy for base attacks against me personally and my co-workers at the ministry," Prešiček wrote.

STA, 22 January 2019 - Only 12% of Slovenians surveyed in a EU-wide opinion poll believe that antisemitism is a problem in their country, and only 4% consider it a major problem.

The results, presented in Brussels ahead of 27 January International Holocaust Remembrance Day, found a gap between how the problem is perceived by Jews and how by the general population in the EU.

In the survey, conducted by Eurobarometer among 27,600 respondents across the EU in December, one in three respondents (36%) said that antisemitism increased in their country in the past five years.

Only 12% of respondents in Slovenia believe the same, against 62% who feel the level of antisemitism has remained the same and 9% who believe the problem has decreased.

However, a survey conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights among almost 16,500 Jewish people in 12 EU countries, found nine out of ten feeling that antisemitism increased in their country.

Half of respondents in the Eurobarometer survey feel that antisemitism is a problem in their country, the largest proportion in Sweden (81%) and France (72%) and the lowest in Estonia (5%), Bulgaria (8%) and Portugal (9%).

Fifteen percent of Europeans believe that antisemitism is a very important problem in their country, the highest proportion in Sweden (37%).

In Slovenia, 12% respondents said that they felt antisemitism was a fairy important problem and 4% thought it was a very important problem, against 30% who thought it was not really a problem and 45% who said it was not a problem at all.

Thirty percent of Slovenian respondents also said that people in their country were not well informed about the history, customs and practices of Jewish people, which corresponds to 16% of all Europeans.

13% of respondents in Slovenia said they had friends or acquaintances who are Jews.

All our stories on Jewish Slovenia are here, while a more detailed summary of the Eurobarometer report can be found here, and a PDF of the full report here

STA, 22 January 2019 - The Civil Aviation Agency has found that the Slovenian carrier Adria Airways is able to secure long-term solvency, which means that it will keep its operating licence.

The agency has found that the planned and implemented measures presented by Adria show that the carrier is able to settle all of its liabilities in the long term and meet all the legal requirement, demands and criteria for keeping the operative licence, according to a press release from Adria.

The agency reportedly also confirmed in several different procedures that Adria met the required technical demands for ensuring adequate air safety.

Adria CEO Holger Kowarsch said he had expected no other decision given that Adria had been meeting all the demands for the operating licence all along.

"I regret that so many false and misleading reports were published about the state and operations of our company in recent months, and at the same time I look forward to being able to continue to implement our strategic plan undisturbed ..." he said.

Adria plans to additionally optimise its network of flights and add new flights while preserving all of its key connections to the main European hubs, Kowarsch announced.

After a thorough inspection last summer, the Civil Aviation Agency established that Adria Airways was no longer capable of settling its liabilities, so it ordered the German turnaround fund 4K Invest, which acquired the former flag carrier three years ago, to recapitalise the company in order to secure long-term financial sustainability.

The German fund injected EUR 4m in Adria Airways at the end of 2018, while announcing that an additional EUR 10m capital hike was in the pipeline for the first quarter of 2019.

Adria had until the end of last year to submit documentation assuring that it can secure long-term solvency.

The carrier posted a net loss of EUR 5.4m in 2017 after finishing in the black the year before due to the sale of its brand. The negative result was attributed to rising fuel prices as well as to the termination of cooperation with two European carriers.

The company announced in October it would not manage to get out of the red in 2018 either, mostly due to high fuel prices.