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Šarec re-elected president of LMŠ on pledge to push for normalisation

MARIBOR - Marjan Šarec was re-elected president of his LMŠ party as the only candidate to vie for the post. He said the party would aim to enter the new government to push for normalisation and a return to democracy. "We never want to see Ljubljana suffocating in tear gas any more. We're sick of fences every week, we're sick of [the government] taking it out on the media and peaceful readers of the Constitution," he said.

Freedom Movement platform focuses on green transition, open society

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement confirmed its list of candidates an election platform on Saturday centred on the green transition, modern welfare state, and a free and open society governed by the rule of law. "The party is offering a new social compact ... that will not leave anyone behind and will stand the test of time," party president Robert Golob said. Golob juxtaposed the party's platform with the conduct of the current government, which he said had pursued "policies that hides fear of your own people with the words of contempt."

Mohorič winner of the Milan-Sanremo road race

SAN REMO, Italy - Slovenian cyclist Matej Mohorič is the surprise winner of the 113th Milan-Sanremo. Mohorič escaped a strong group that included race favourites Tadej Pogačar and Wout van Aert four kilometres before the finish line of the 293-kilometre race to beat Anthony Turgis of France and the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.

Andreja Slokar wins final World Cup slalom of the season

MÉRIBEL, France - Slovenian skier Andreja Slokar won the last World Cup slalom event of the season, leaping from sixth place after the first run to achieve the second World Cup win of her career. Slokar finished almost half a second ahead of the German Lena Dürr, who was in the lead after the first run, and 0.8 seconds ahead of Olympic champion Petra Vlhova of Slovakia.

Two Slovenian podium finishes in Oberstdorf

OBERSTDORF, Germany - Two Slovenian ski jumpers made it to the podium at the Ski Jumping World Cup event on the giant hill in Oberstdorf as Žiga Jelar finished second and Timi Zajc was third. Anže Lanišek was just outside the top three.

Adria Mobil launches new van plant

BIČ - Adria Mobil, a maker of caravans and motorhomes, launched a new plant for the production of camper vans, an investment worth over four million euros. The plan is to produce 7,000 camper vans per year under the Adria and Sun Living brands, but production can be bumped up to over 10,000 units annually, CEO Sonja Gole said.

Coronavirus caseload continues to increase

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 3,162 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, an increase of more than a third on the week before as the trajectory of infections steadily bends up. The 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 population was at 1,529 and the seven-day average of new cases at 2,618, respectively up by 63 and 126 over the day before.

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

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:

Janša says EU should send diplomatic representative back to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša told RTV Slovenija that his visit to Kyiv with the Czech and Polish counterparts was not coordinated with Russia. The EU did inform the UN about the visit though, which then informed Russia. Janša told the Odmevi current affairs show on Thursday evening that he hoped the visit to Kyiv was a step towards an ceasefire, "and above all it is a message that we have not written Ukraine off". He noted that they had the mandate of the respective governments and that the EU should return a diplomatic representative to Ukraine, despite the high risk.

Slovenia to help Poland treat sick Ukrainian refugees

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced after meeting Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Olendzki that Slovenia would welcome Ukrainian patients to mitigate the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Polish healthcare system. He said the plan was to mostly take in Ukrainian patients in need of rehabilitation and treatment for tuberculosis, and patients who need haemodialysis, who have had organ transplants, cancer patients, pregnant women and some intensive care cases. Talks are also under way about sending Slovenian healthcare workers to Poland.

New centre for Ukrainian refugees opens on the coast

ANKARAN - The government established a new centre for Ukrainian refugees at Interior Ministry premises on the Debeli Rtič peninsula, which have been transferred to the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. Almost 50 Ukrainian refugees, half of them children, are already accommodated there, more than half the planned number, according to the head of the government office, Katarina Štrukelj. The centre will accept only refugees from Ukraine, most of whom are mothers with children.

Porić officially inaugurated as mufti

LJUBLJANA - Nevzet Porić, who was elected mufti of the Islamic community in Slovenia in June 2021, was officially inaugurated in Ljubljana's Muslim Cultural Centre. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Islamic communities from Austria, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia, and representatives of other religious communities in Slovenia. Porić told POP TV that the Muslim community's position in Slovenia was good, but there were some outstanding issues.

Petrol group's net profit up 72% to EUR 124.5m last year

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol generated sales revenues of EUR 4.96 billion in 2021, which is up 61% year-on-year. Net profit was up by 72% to EUR 124.5 million. The group posted EUR 543.4 million in adjusted gross profit, up 27% over 2020, while EBITDA increased by 43% to EUR 238.1 million. The management will propose a dividend of EUR 30 gross per share for 2021, in line with the relevant policy. At the 21 April AGM, the shareholders will also vote on a 20:1 share split, proposed to improve liquidity and attract new investors.

Magna Steyr resumes production in Hoče

HOČE - The Austrian-Canadian multinational Magna Steyr this week resumed production at the Hoče paint shop after a suspension of almost two years due to the pandemic. The company has also been granted a two-year extension to meet its commitments in exchange for the government incentive approved in 2017. With the production resumed, some 150 workers are back in Hoče after being temporarily transferred to the multinational's operation in Austria's Graz. The development was welcomed by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek as he visited the Slovenian subsidiary to learn about plans and the situation in general.

Govt offering EUR 2m in fresh subsidies to airlines

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Ministry is offering EUR 2 million in fresh subsidies to support airlines that will fly to Slovenia in 2022 in what is the second such call for applications. The funding is designed to encourage existing and new regular international connections with Slovenian airports after many airlines suspended their flights during the Covid-19 pandemic. Airlines have until 6 June to apply.

Boscarols donate EUR 25m to local community after selling company

AJDOVŠČINA - After selling ultralight aircraft Pipistrel to the US company Textron, CEO Ivo Boscarol decided to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Ajdovščina municipality where Pipistrel is based. The EUR 25 million donation to the municipality will be used to build a new community health centre and aviation museum, and to create new green spaces. Each employee will receive EUR 3 for every day they have worked for the company, Boscarol said.

Mercator welcomes Fortenova ownership consolidation

LJUBLJANA - Retailer Mercator welcomed the news that the Russian bank Sberbank would sell its 40% stake in Fortenova, Mercator's parent company. "We're convinced that this will strengthen the stability and development of Mercator," the company said. Mercator CEO Tomislav Čizmić said the ownership consolidation was expected and that Mercator wanted a strategic owner.

EUR 88.5m available for productivity, EUR 44m for digitalisation

LJUBLJANA - The SPIRIT Slovenija investment promotion agency is making EUR 88.5 million available in incentives for large companies to invest in boosting their productivity and competitive edge in its second call under the recovery and resilience plan. It plans to support up to 59 investment projects. EUR 44 million is meanwhile available for digitalisation under an Economy Ministry call for at least twenty consortiums.

Almost 3,000 new Covid cases as hospitalisations up

LJUBLJANA - Another 2,979 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Thursday, about a third more than the same day a week ago, yet slightly fewer than the day before. With the daily tally up for the 14th consecutive day week-on-week, the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population is now at 1,466, an increase of 58 from the previous day. The 7-day average is up by 131 to to 2,492. The number of patients treated in hospitals for Covid-19 rose to 202 this morning, including 51 in intensive care. Two more patients with Covid-19 died.

Anti-government protesters stage 100th rally

LJUBLJANA - Protesters against the government of Janez Janša gathered in front of Parliament House in Ljubljana for their 100th weekly protest to repeat their concerns about the undermining of the rule of law and government policies they perceive as damaging. The gathering featured an address by Milan Kučan, the former president of the republic, who urged the protesters to head to the polls for the 24 April general election and highlighted the government crackdown on protests.

Police charge alleged sender of death threats to politicians

LJUBLJANA - The police identified the man who allegedly sent death threats to a number of senior politicians. Several criminal charges have been filed against the suspect, who is believed to have sent threat letters both last October and in January this year. In mid-October last year, nine letters were sent, including to the prime minister, three ministers, three MPs and one deputy group. The media reported in early February that a member of the National Party (SNS) from Celje was among the suspects.

Ljubljana opera house bans Ukraine flags at Faust premiere

LJUBLJANA - Belgian director Frank Van Laecke has revealed that the director of the Ljubljana opera house, Staš Ravter, forbade him to display little Ukrainian flags in his Faust production, which premiered on Thursday. Van Laecke said an artist had a duty to speak up and the theatre or opera should hear the pulse of present time. The management said that the political situation should not affect the original appearance of the production.

State-owned company planned to manage public transportation

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill that would create a state-owned limited liability company tasked with managing the tactical aspects of road and rail public passenger transportation as a public service. The company would 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.

STA, 18 March 2022 - The Belgian director Frank Van Laecke has revealed that the leadership of the Ljubljana opera house forbade him to display little Ukrainian flags in his Faust production, which premiered on Thursday.

After the premiere, Van Laecke took to stage to thank the team involved in the production and everyone he had worked with for the past six years in his five opera productions at the Ljubljana opera house. But he said Faust could well be his last production here.

"In the fourth act I wanted little yellow and blue flags behind the window in the set instead of the blue, white and red flags from my previous Faust production [...] However, the opera director, Mr Staš Ravter forbade me to use those colours," he said.

What is more, he said Ravter told him he would "never set foot in his opera house" again if he was to talk to reporters about the ban.

Van Laecke said an artist had a duty to speak up and the theatre or opera should hear the pulse of present time. "For me, that pulse is in blue and yellow colours."

In a statement, the director wrote that he would never agree to censorship or extortion when it came to freedom of speech.

In a written response, the leadership of the Ljubljana opera house said the director had used the applause after Thursday's premiere "in light of topical political situation [to express] his view of arts".

"The management is unanimous in its position that the political situation should not affect the original appearance of the production - the director used blue-white-red flags in the original form of the performance - and that the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana will continue to remain an apolitical institution, as political themes should not exploit art today or in the future," reads the statement.

It added that the opera company supported Ukrainian artists and Ukrainian people.

Meanwhile, the trade union Glosa expressed its support for the Belgian director. Even though they are "used to all things bad", this time they are "appalled in particular" that the internationally acclaimed director should come to face "such a low moral level and spiritual narrow-mindedness".

STA, 18 March 2022 - The government has established a new centre for Ukrainian refugees at Interior Ministry premises on the Debeli Rtič peninsula, which have been transferred to the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. On Thursday, 46 Ukrainian refugees, half of them children, arrived at the centre.

According to the head of the government office, Katarina Štrukelj, 80-90 refugees could be accommodated at the centre.

In line with Thursday's government decision, the centre will accept only refugees from Ukraine, most of whom are mothers with children.

Food has already been provided to the refugees, while other necessities will be provided in agreement with the Ankaran municipality, which Štrukelj said had shown great willingness to help.

The municipality will also organise the transport of children to school. Services of the community health centre will be available to refugees.

The children will attend classes together with Slovenian children, but it is not clear yet when they will start going to school.

Refugees that request international protection in Slovenia are registered and processed at the Logatec refugee centre and then transferred to other facilities, Štrukelj said.

The number of refugees from Ukraine is expected to continue to increase. Currently, most of the 3,000 refugees that are in Slovenia are in private accommodation, but depending on the needs the government plans to open centres in Jelšane, Velenje and Celje.

The government's decree, adopted last night, also allows for other state-owned facilities such as student dorms and school centres to be turned into refugee centres if necessary.

Barbara Švagelj, Ankaran deputy mayor, said the municipality was providing different types of aid and was in contact with charities. Citizens will also be urged to help, she said.

Police data shows that between 24 February and 16 March, 1,648 requests for temporary protection were filed by Ukrainian citizens.

STA, 18 March 2022 - A Cuban woman living and working in Slovenia has been discriminated against by a bank, which without warning closed her account because of her nationality, the equality ombudsman has found. It appears that more than one Cuban citizen has been subjected to such treatment.

The Cuban national has been living and working in Slovenia for at least a decade. She has a permanent residence in Slovenia and has no contact with Cuba. As for her Cuban citizenship, she explained that under Cuban law it cannot be easily renounced, Advocate of the Principle of Equality Miha Lobnik said.

She submitted a discrimination complaint with the ombudsman's office after her personal bank account was closed by the bank without explanation or notice, saying this happened on the grounds of her ethnic origin and citizenship.

When she asked the bank for an explanation, it replied that it had unilaterally terminated the bank account agreement in order to adapt its operations to US standards to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.

The ombudsman assessed that the bank had pursued a legitimate objective in seeking to manage money laundering and terrorism financing risks. However, he also found that the closure of the client's bank account was only partly appropriate and not the only possible or even proportionate measure.

Lobnik confirmed that the bank had indeed discriminated against the Cuban citizen in access to services on the basis of her personal circumstances of nationality.

"The anti-discrimination authority also learned that US regulations do indeed restrict financial institutions from doing business with Cuban citizens, but only if they live in Cuba or have business ties with Cuba," the press release by the ombudsman's office says, adding that notwithstanding the US and potential other restrictions, banks in Slovenia must comply with the Slovenian constitution and other regulations banning discrimination.

The newspaper Delo reported on Friday this was a wider problem since at least seven Cuban citizens living in Slovenia have been reportedly subjected to such treatment by the banks.

Musician and teacher Lazaro Hierrezuelo, who has been living and working in Slovenia since 2010, told the paper that both his personal and business accounts had been closed due to what his bank phrased as a new policy demanded by the new owner and under which they were not allowed to do business with Cuban citizens. At least three other banks subsequently refused his and his compatriots' requests to open accounts, he added.

The ombudsman recently found that a Syrian man living in Slovenia had been discriminated against by a financial company, which did not enable him to use its services.

STA, 16 March 2022 - The Slovenian chapter of Amnesty International has launched an international campaign in a bid to get the Slovenian authorities to withdraw their claims for Jaša Jenull, one of the figureheads of Friday's bicycle protests, to pay for the costs of policing of anti-government rallies.

The urgent campaign will see members of the human rights organisation from all over the world call on Prime Minister Janez Janša for the compensation claims amounting to tens of thousands of euros to be withdrawn, something the organisation has already done.

Jenull has received three claims to compensate the Interior Ministry for the cost of policing, one late last year amounting to EUR 2,255 for the policing of an October 2020 rally, one in February amounting to EUR 3,778 over a September 2020 protest and the last one this month amounting to EUR 34,000 over a June 2020 rally.

The authorities claim the costs result from the protests not being registered with the police. They allege the protests were organised by Jenull, which Amnesty International says is only because he is one of the most prominent protesters even though he has denied on several occasions his being one of the organisers.

The human rights organisation sees the claims and the threat of further claims for payments as intimidation and suppression of the right to peaceful protest. Moreover, they say the authorities want to increase the chilling effect on other protesters, underscoring that peaceful protests are a fundamental element of a free and democratic society.

Amnesty International expressed concern about the actions of Slovenian authorities in its position issued at the international level. By signing a petition on the organisation's website citizens can demand of PM Janez Janša that the state withdraw lawsuits and claims for damages and stop punishing peaceful protesters.

STA, 18 March 2022 - The energy group Petrol generated sales revenues of EUR 4.96 billion in 2021, which is up 61% year-on-year. Net profit was up by 72% to EUR 124.5 million, the parent company said in a press release on Friday. The management will propose a dividend of EUR 30 gross per share for 2021, in line with the adopted dividend policy.

The group last year posted EUR 543.4 million in adjusted gross profit, up 27% over 2020, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 43% to EUR 238.1 million.

The majority of this was driven by sales of petroleum products, a fifth was generated by sales of merchandise and related services, and the rest by sales of other energy products, energy and environmental solutions and the generation of electricity from renewable sources.

In 2021 the Petrol group earmarked EUR 233.2 million net for investments in property, plant and equipment, intangible assets and for long-term investments, reads the press release.

"Regional indicators show the strengthening of the Petrol group in Southeast Europe where it generated 28% of its operating profit and 31% of the EBITDA in 2021."

At the end of last year, the group's retail network comprised nearly 600 points of sale, of which almost a half were abroad.

The year was again marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions. Another external factor affecting the company's operations last year was the energy crisis, which saw energy price hikes, especially in terms of electricity and natural gas, whose prices reached historic levels.

The group said it had managed to adapt to both factors and mitigate their negative effects, "and what is more, it has even exceeded the ambitious goals".

Under its 2021-2025 strategy, the group aims to diversify its operations towards the energy transition. "This segment's EBITDA accounted for 26% in 2021. As many as 62% of investments were earmarked for the energy transition."

On Thursday, the Petrol supervisory board proposed to the general assembly of Petrol shareholders a dividend for 2021 of EUR 30 gross per share, chief supervisor Janez Žlak and CEO Nada Drobne Popović announced in a separate statement.

Touching on the situation in Ukraine, the group said it had no subsidiaries or representative offices in Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

It also explained that the share of sales revenue generated by the group in these markets was insignificant and that the procurement of energy products in these markets, with the exception of natural gas, represented a small share of Petrol's portfolio.

For Petrol, Russia as a source of supply in 2021 and the first two months of 2022 for diesel and extra light heating oil accounts for less than 7%. However, no petrol is imported from Russia, the group added.

STA, 17 March 2022 - Drug company Krka, which has significant exposure to the Russian and Ukrainian markets, said on Thursday it could not yet assess the impact of the current situation in these two countries on its operations in 2022. But it stressed it had a strong capital structure, robust money flow and no financial debt, so long-term operations were not at risk.

According to unaudited consolidated business results, Krka generated EUR 1.57 billion in revenue in 2021, up 2% from 2020. Net profit was up 7% to EUR 308.2 million, which is slightly more than what was reported in a preliminary report at the end of January.

The results in 2021 were not affected by the war in Ukraine and the impact on the 2022 results could not yet be assessed. Any changes to the projections for 2022 will be presented when reliable short- and long-term assessments of the consequences of the war will be possible, Krka said.

Krka is active in Ukraine and Russia through its three subsidiaries and the parent company Krka Novo Mesto.

TOV Krka Ukraine, which deals only with marketing and has no production facilities, is based in Kyiv, and Krka-Rus OOO, a drug manufacturer, is based in the town of Istra near Moscow, while its marketing and sales offices are in Moscow.

Russia is Krka's largest single market, where the group generated EUR 333 million in sales last year, which is 21.3% of its total sales.

In Ukraine, which was the third largest market for Krka in 2021, sales reached EUR 96 million, which is 6.2% of the group's total sales.

In Ukraine, all measures have been taken to preserve the health and security of the staff, and pharmaceutical products are being shipped in line with expectations given the circumstances, Krka said.

Sales in Ukraine for the first quarter of 2022 has been estimated at EUR 25.9 million, up from EUR 22 million in the same period last year.

In Russia, all activities are running without any major disruptions, although some delays are being recorded in transport.

Krka is selling its products in the Russian market in the local currency so it is exposed to some risks given the current depreciation of the ruble. The estimated sale in the first quarter was slightly up to EUR 79.9 million.

The key short-term risks for Krka are the current situation in Ukraine, economic sanctions, volatility and depreciation of the rouble and credit risks.

Medicines are not subject to sanctions - neither in exports nor imports. Krka estimates that other markets and sales regions will not be directly affected by the situation, while indirect impact on the other markets of the eastern Europe region will depend on the duration of the war.

Krka has been present in the markets of eastern Europe for more than 50 years and has been exposed to many challenges, which have in the long term further enhanced its market share, Krka said in a press release.

It added that its robust business operations were based on a system of vertical integration, which ensured resilience against external shocks and responsiveness to the rapidly changing market situation.

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: