04 Feb 2022, 14:01 PM

11,668 New COVID Cases on Thursday

STA, 4 February 2022 - A total of 11,668 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday, down in weekly comparison, as 3,808 PCR and 103,514 rapid antigen tests were examined, reported the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), which has estimated that there are now 194,969 active cases in the country.

While the seven-day average of new daily cases was down by 730 to 14,381, the 14-day case notification rate was up by 90 to 9,251, show the latest figures by the NIJZ.

The estimated number of active cases in the country was up by 1,883 compared to the day before.

A new rule was introduced on 1 February under which rapid tests are automatically added to the tally without being double-checked with the more precise PCR tests.

A total of 418 patients are hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition at regular wards and another 113 at intensive care units.

In all, 963 infected patients are in hospitals, and 22 more Covid-19 patients died on Thursday, government data show.

Mathematical models point to a decline in the Covid-19 epidemic, but the virus could still surprise us, Nuška Čakš Jager, deputy chief epidemiologist with the NIJZ, said at today's press conference.

In Slovenia, the highest rates of coronavirus infections are currently reported in the 5-14 and 35-40 age groups. The number of infections is also rising slightly in the over-75 age group, Čakš Jager added.

Despite a slight increase in the number of infections in nursing homes, most people recover without symptoms. More and more infections are also being reported in schools, especially in the 6-14 and 15-18 age groups, and among pre-school staff.

Čakš Jager also presented data showing that significantly fewer deaths have been recorded in nursing homes compared to the previous waves of the epidemic, which the NIJZ attributes to vaccination.

All the latest data on covid and Slovenia

04 Feb 2022, 12:27 PM

Slovenia Supports Proposal for Schengen Council

STA, 3 February 2022 - Slovenia strongly supports France's idea on the creation of a Schengen Council to manage the passport-free zone of the EU, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said today. He said the initiative enjoyed quite a lot of support but that it would probably take some time before decisions on the functioning of the new body would be made.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been striving for a more political management of the Schengenzone following the example of the Eurozone. France proposes the setting up of the Schengen Council, which would inspect the situation in the Schengen zone a few times a year and in case of a crisis.

Slovenia supports this, Hojs said, noting that it had become evident in the cases of Afghanistan and Belarus how quick coordination of political decisions could enable efficient action at the operative level.

Hojs told reporters in Brussels via video call that countries mostly supported the setting up of such a council but that it would probably take some time before decisions are made on how the council would make decisions.

The French presidency is to set up the council on the sidelines of a meeting of EU interior ministers in March.

Controlling the external borders is one of the priorities of France, which believes this is necessary before the Schengen zone could be expanded to Croatia.

An important step in this process will also be the adoption of the migration pact.

Hojs said Slovenia did not want such conditions to be made, because it was not clear what the fate of the migration pact would be, while it would like Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen zone.

EU interior ministers discussed in Lille today fresh ideas for speeding up the overhaul of the Schengen zone and ensure a breakthrough with the adopting of the migration package in the face of developments related to Afghanistan and Belarus.

04 Feb 2022, 06:47 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 4 February 2022

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:

Ukraine crisis at forefront as Logar hosts Latvian counterpart

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevičs called for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis and for the EU's unity on the issue as they met in Ljubljana. Asked at a news conference how Slovenia could help Ukraine in the event of an attack, Logar said the country was coordinating activities with the EU and NATO and was ready to assist to the best of its abilities. The ministers also discussed ways to boost trade where the opening of a Slovenian embassy in Riga would help. Rinkevičs also met President Borut Pahor, Speaker Igor Zorčič, PM Janez Janša and Defence Minister Matej Tonin.

Hojs opposes France's proposal on migrants

LILLE, France - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs expressed opposition to France's proposal under which EU countries which do not wish to accept migrants would need to contribute financially. "I will not support this proposal because I think we first need to comprehensively evaluate what solidarity is," he said in Lille where he attended a session of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council. Meanwhile, he expressed strong support for France's idea to create a Schengen Council to manage the passport-free zone.

Slovenian, Portuguese presidents mark diplomatic ties anniversary

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa issued a joint statement on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries noting the good bilateral relations and "continuous development and strengthening of the bonds of brotherly friendship". The anniversary will be marked as Pahor visits Portugal on 14-15 February.

Police reportedly identify sender of death threats to politicians

LJUBLJANA - Police appear to have identified the person believed to have sent death threats to several politicians in mid-January, as media reports say the suspects is a man from Celje who is a member of the National Party (SNS), whose leader was among those who received the threats. Police would not disclose any information, but several media reported the suspect was Teodor Goznikar, who confirmed for the Večer newspaper being interrogated but denied he was the sender. SNS leader Zmago Jelinčič said Goznikar's party membership had been revoked.

Left initiates referendum on APCs, govt to challenge it in court

LJUBLJANA - A day after parliament endorsed an agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation that will allow the purchase of 45 Boxer armoured personnel vehicles, the opposition Left started collecting signatures in support of a referendum on the ratification act. The party is bothered by the cost of the deal, at EUR 412 million, but Defence Minister Matej Tonin said the price was not agreed yet. He said the government would challenge the referendum petition at the Constitutional Court.

No final decision yet on voting for voters in isolation

LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission decided that voters quarantining on election day will be able to vote during regular hours when polling stations are open, but it deferred the final decision on those ordered to isolate because of infection, having previously considered after-hours voting for the infected. The final decision on voters in isolation will be made 25 days before polling day at the latest.

16,654 coronavirus cases, 19 deaths on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 16,654 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Wednesday from 8,702 PCR and 120,515 rapid antigen tests. The seven-day average of new daily cases increased by 374 to 15,111, while the 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 is up by 310 to 9,161. A total of 425 patients are hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition at regular wards, up by 18 on the day before, while the number of iCU patients dropped by five to 113. 19 Covid-19 patients died, government figures show.

Essential workers exempt from quarantine over Covid contacts

LJUBLJANA - Staff employed in critical infrastructure, police force and defence will not be required to quarantine after a high-risk contact with a person infected with coronavirus, but will have to test daily at work for seven days and wear a FFP2 face mask, under a decision taken by the government that comes into effect on Friday. The decision affects employees in energy, transport, food, water supply, healthcare, finance, environmental protection sector and ICT networks and systems.

Jobless total up 2.8% in January, down 26% over year before

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total rose by 2.6% in January when 67,834 persons were registered as unemployed, a seasonal increase that the Employment Service says is expected due to the expiry of fixed-term contracts. Compared to the year before, the figure declined by 25.9%. More than 8,600 persons were newly registered as unemployed in January, up by almost half compared to December but down nearly 18% on the year before. Almost 6,800 unregistered, of whom almost 4,600 got a job.

EUR 6.6 million subsidy for Lek expansion confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a EUR 6.6 million subsidy for the expansion of production that pharmaceutical company Lek is planning at its main site in Ljubljana. The entire project is valued at EUR 82.6 million. The Economy Ministry said the investment would create over 120 jobs and would include cutting-edge technology for aseptic processes of the kind that does not exist anywhere else in Slovenia. Government documents show a 14,000 m2 facility is planned to manufacture liquid vials and pre-filled syringes.

EIB ready to invest in green, digital projects in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - EIB vice president Liljana Pavlova and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj announced plans for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Slovenia to intensify cooperation. The EIB, which is involved in many projects in Slovenia, participating in the modernisation of roads and railways and is supporting small and medium-sized companies, would like to see more projects promoting the green and digital transitions, Pavlova said, noting that this was no longer a choice but a necessity.

Telekom seeks nullity of contract with POP TV, Kanal A, refund

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the state-owned telecoms operator, has filed a lawsuit against the country's largest commercial TV channels, POP TV and Kanal A, in a bid to nullify an agreement under which it pays the broadcasters to include the programmes in its TV package. It is also seeking to recover EUR 12.4 million in payments it made to them since 2017. The lawsuit, filed late last year and first revealed by the portal Požareport, claims that Telekom has been paying the two broadcasters an excess price for their programming, which it says is the result of their abuse of dominant position on the wholesale TV programming market.

Report shows green recovery marred by inadequate investments

LJUBLJANA - A report by multiple European and Slovenian environmental organisations shows that Slovenia's recovery plan is among those marred by underinvestment in renewable energy and sustainable mobility, and by projects that could potentially damage the environment. The environmental NGOs Focus said Slovenia's recovery plan was marred by under-investment in renewable energy and sustainable mobility and by potentially environmentally damaging projects.

Gender equality in management with slight improvement in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The state of gender diversity, equality and balance in the managements of 56 state-owned and listed companies in Slovenia, monitored by the Slovenian Directors' Association and the company Deloitte Slovenija, has seen a slight improvement in 2021. The joint initiative, called 40/33/2026, aims for each of 56 participating companies to achieve two goals until 2026 - 40% representation of the under-represented gender (usually women) on supervisory boards, and 33% representation in supervisory boards and management boards combined. 18 out of 56 companies (32%) achieved the goals by the end of 2021, six more than a year ago.

Govt secures funding for Hungarian and Italian minorities

LJUBLJANA - The government issued a regulation to subsidise bilinguality and the exercise of constitutional rights of the Hungarian and Italian minorities in Slovenia in 2022, under which areas populated by the two communities will get almost EUR 2 million this year. The regulation is in line with the municipalities financing act.

Ryanair rules out Ljubljana flights

DUBLIN, Ireland - Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, which opened a base at Zagreb airport last year and also flies to Trieste, has no plans to fly to and from Ljubljana in the near future, the EX-YU Aviation web portal reported. The company says that the two airports cover Slovenia well enough, and also sees high costs as a problem.

Plečnik's UNESCO landmarks on view at Ljubljana Castle

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition opened at the Ljubljana Castle gallery to display photographs of Jože Plečnik's landmarks in Ljubljana that are listed as UNESCO's World Heritage, the sites as they looked before they were developed by Plečnik, the construction of the buildings and their role in Ljubljana's urban space. Entitled Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) it features photographs from the collections of the Museum of Contemporary History, the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum and the Plečnik House.

03 Feb 2022, 16:01 PM

Ryanair: Trieste, Zagreb Cover Slovenia, No Plans for Ljubljana Flights

STA, 3 February 2022 - Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, which opened a base at Zagreb airport last year and also flies to Trieste, has no plans to fly to and from Ljubljana in the near future, the EX-YU Aviation web portal reported on Thursday. The company says that the two airports cover Slovenia well enough, and also sees high costs as a problem.

The EX-YU Aviation portal stated that Fraport Slovenia, the company that operates the Ljubljana Airport, expressed willingness to resume talks with Ryanair on flights to and from Ljubljana towards the end of 2021, confirming that talks had already taken place in the past.

Ryanair has considered introducing flights to Ljubljana on several occasions over the past decade, and the budget airline also briefly maintained flights between London Stansted and Maribor in 2007 and 2008.

However, Ryanair said in a statement to EX-YU Aviation on Thursday that Ljubljana is served well enough by their base in Zagreb and is also in close proximity to Trieste Airport, from which the company maintains flights to a number of destinations.

"There are currently few chances for Ljubljana to be included in our network", Ryanair concluded. The carrier also accused Fraport of "high and uncompetitive fees", which are expected to lead to the closure of Ryanair's base at Frankfurt Airport by the end of March.

After the Covid crisis hit Ljubljana Airport hard, its operator Fraport Slovenia is now working to find new partners and destinations, also with the support of state funds, to promote the restoration of Slovenia's air connectivity.

After a severe shock due to the epidemic, the airport slightly recovered last year and counted 430,943 passengers, almost 50% more than in 2020, but still remains a far cry from just over 1.7 million passengers recorded in 2019.

In the busiest months of July and August, 17 scheduled airlines linked Ljubljana Airport to the world, while currently 12 scheduled carriers fly from Ljubljana Airport to 13 destinations. Fraport expects the outlook for the summer season to be promising as well.

03 Feb 2022, 12:45 PM

Kurentovanje Starts, Albeit Without Mass Gatherings

STA, 2 February 2022 - Kurentovanje, Slovenia's largest carnival, starts on Wednesday with an event in which the traditional costumed figures Kurenti put on their bells for the first time. There will be no mass gathering of the Kurenti, and the entire festival will be held mostly in a virtual form for a second year in a row.

The festivities start with the traditional Kurent's Jump on Candlemas on 2 February, when people dressed in the Kurent carnival costume gather around a bonfire, jumping around it and ringing bells to symbolically chase away the winter and evil.

The traditional event that looks to replace the winter and evil for the spring, happiness and good harvest has been taking place for the last two decades at the homestead of Matevž Zoki, the 2nd Carnival Prince, in Budina, east of Ptuj.

Only after this ceremony the Kurenti are able to start their door-to-door rounds, which made the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2017.

However, it will not be held as an organised, mass event this year due to Covid restrictions, so the host has called on the Kurenti to carry on with the tradition and gather in small groups at their homes at midnight.

The main part of the 62nd Kurentovanje festival will be held in a restricted, and mostly virtual form between 19 February and 1 March. The competition for the best carnival doughnut starts today, with the winner to be announced on 17 February.

This year there will be no mass processions and concerts that usually attracted tens of thousands of visitors from Slovenia and abroad to Ptuj, the oldest Slovenian city.

This year's events will include carnival tours for tourists in Ptuj, an exhibition of ethnographic carnival characters and masks, carnival workshops hosted by the Ptuj Library and a competition for the most beautiful carnival decoration.

03 Feb 2022, 12:42 PM

2021 Revenues at Lipica Stud Farm Doubled Compared to 2020

STA, 2 February 2022 - The Lipica stud farm saw a total of 45,000 visitors last year, with the share of domestic guests significantly increasing compared to previous years owing to the Covid-19 epidemic. Revenue doubled compared to 2020, and plans for this year are even bolder, says the operator of one of the country's main tourist attractions.

Tatjana Vošinek Pucer, the director of Holding Kobilarna Lipica, which operates the stud farm in south-western Slovenia, has told the STA that the numbers for last year are satisfactory given the situation in the tourism market.

"We generated twice as much revenue as the year before," said Vošinek Pucer, noting that the stud farm finished 2020 with an accumulated loss of more than EUR 1.5 million.

The home of the world-famous Lipizzan white horses has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus epidemic. "The largest drop was recorded in foreign visitors, which resulted in a substantial drop in revenue," she added.

The amount of revenue and the number of visitors are expected to grow again this year, as the operator counts on revenue from the refurbished Hotel Maestoso and Gratia Restaurant.

Maestoso was one of the largest investments in recent years, and the plan is to renovate the swimming pool and wellness centre of the hotel this year, which will cost around EUR 5 million.

The plan is also to renovate the riding school building, an investment estimated at around EUR 1 million.

With the reopening of Hotel Maestoso, the total number of employees in the group increased to 143 last year, and the stud farm is gearing up for the new tourist season despite the prospects being lower than before the outbreak of Covid-19.

The company is currently looking for stable staff, horse rider, blacksmiths, waiters, cooks and maids.

The Lipica stud farm will admit visitors free of charge on Culture Day on 8 February, with the programme including guided and independent tours, presentations of the Lipizzan horses, workshops for children and other events.

03 Feb 2022, 07:32 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 3 February 2022

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:

Over 23,000 coronavirus cases as rapid test results included in count

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 23,433 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday. While this is by far the largest figure since the start of the pandemic, it is to a large extent the result of a new rule where rapid tests are automatically added to the tally without being double-checked with the more precise PCR tests. The National Institute of Public Health estimates there are now almost 187,000 active cases in the country, the equivalent of about 8% of the entire population. After 12 more Covid-19 patients died, 407 patients remain hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition at regular wards and another 113 at intensive care units.

Tonin and Wallace talk Ukraine, Western Balkans

LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin and his British counterpart Ben Wallace met in Ljubljana to discuss mainly the developments in Ukraine and the situation in the Western Balkans. "A bad peace is better than a good war," said Tonin, commenting on the former, as Wallace again called on Russia to maintain dialogue and seek a way to de-escalate the situation. Highlighting the tense situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they agreed on the need to support the efforts of the EU and the US to find a solution there.

Ambassador Harpootlian visits Slovenian Embassy in Washington

WASHINGTON, US - Jamie Harpootlian, the incoming US ambassador to Slovenia, visited the Slovenian Embassy in Washington on Tuesday before she is due to arrive in Ljubljana, expectedly next weekend. She will formally take over on presenting her credentials to President Borut Pahor. The embassy said Harpootlian said she looked forward to assuming office in Ljubljana and was learning Slovenian. Slovenian Ambassador Tone Kajzer said the sides would work to boost bilateral trade and cooperation in areas of shared interest.

National Assembly passes controversial Swiss franc loan bill

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed an act that distributes the cost of the surge in the value of the Swiss franc in 2015 between banks and some 32,000 borrowers who saw the cost of their debt in euros increase as a result. The act has been opposed by the government and by banks, which have already announced a constitutional appeal.

Parliament ratifies agreement on Boxer APCs

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly ratified an agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) enabling the purchase of 45 Boxer armoured personnel vehicles (APCs) for the Slovenian Armed Forces. Despite criticism from the opposition, 44 of the 84 MPs present supported the ratification and 35 voted against.

MPs pass long-term resolution on development of armed forces

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the resolution on the general long-term programme for the development and equipping of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) until 2035. The document was confirmed by the relevant committee last October, with the procedure being stalled by a request from the opposition Left for a consultative referendum.

Gaming act changes pass second reading in parliament

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly approved at second reading the amendments to the gaming act, which aim to liberalise the gaming market in Slovenia by scrapping most curbs on casino ownership and employee licensing and allow five instead of just two lottery organisers. The final vote on the changes will be held in March.

MPs reject bill on prevention of money laundering

LJUBLJANA - Parliament rejected the government's bill on the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing. The government argued the law was to improve the current system, while a major part of the opposition said it infringed the protection of personal data and included overly broad powers in relevant investigating.

Parliament rejects report on Kangler

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly rejected a report compiled by a parliamentary inquiry into alleged abuse in the prosecution of former Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler, who now serves as a state secretary at the Interior Ministry. Dejan Kaloh from the ruling Democrats (SDS), who chaired the inquiry, said the prosecution of Kangler in 24 criminal cases had been found to be very likely politically motivated. The opposition said it had been clear since the very beginning that investigating concrete decisions and action by state prosecutors to determine their responsibility was not in line with the constitution.

Connecting Slovenia alliance formally established

LJUBLJANA - Five parties signed an agreement to jointly contest the 24 April election on the Connecting Slovenia ticket. The main points of their shared programme revolve around principles that promote the benefits for the economy, people and environment. The alliance comprises Concretely, the party of Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, and the non-parliamentary People's Party, Greens, New People's Party and New Social Democrats. Except for Concretely, the parties will form a joint list of candidates for the election.

New chairman of Elektro Ljubljana appointed

LJUBLJANA - Aleksander Zupančič, the chief-of-staff to Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak, has been appointed chairman of power grid operator Elektro Ljubljana. He will start his four-year term on 6 January. Zupančič is already a supervisor at the partially state-owned energy group Petrol. He replaces Andrej Ribič, who was dismissed in November, reportedly due to foot-dragging on the sale of Elektro Ljubljana's stake in Gen EL, owner of 50% of the electricity trader Gen-I.

State fund takes possession of EUR 15m in orphan assets

LJUBLJANA - The state-run Pension Fund Management has taken full possession of EUR 14.91 million worth of shares and accrued returns that their rightful owners have failed to move to payable trading accounts after free accounts were discontinued six years ago. The assets concerned are left behind after the Central Securities Clearing Corporation (KDD) discontinued free accounts on which citizens had kept shares they received in exchange for privatisation vouchers during denationalisation in the 1990s.

Počivalšek to strive to exercise pre-emptive right to Sava

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said he would strive for the state to exercise the pre-emptive right to a 43% stake in the tourism company Sava, which the private equity fund York has agreed to sell to Prestige, a company backed by a Hungarian fund. The final decision will be made after talks with the buyer and the relevant state institutions.

Slovenia and Carinthia commit to closer cooperation in science

LJUBLJANA/KLAGENFURT, Austria - Education Minister Simona Kustec and Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser have signed a letter of intent on cooperation between the Slovenian government and the regional government of Carinthia in higher education, science and research, the Education Ministry said. Kustec said the letter signified additional commitment and would open up opportunities for enhanced cooperation.

Triglav glacier ice reaches final destination in Beijing

BEIJING, China - A sample of the Triglav glacier that was shipped to Beijing in an awareness-raising campaign has reached its final destination in the Olympic Village, where it will now gradually turn to glacier water to highlight the perilous state of glaciers worldwide. The melting of the glacier ice will be at the core of a special event at the Olympic Village in Zhangjiakou that the Slovenian Olympic Committee will organise on 4 February, the opening day of the Olympic Games.

Metka Krašovec's work showcased with Šalamun's poetry

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition featuring drawings and paintings by acclaimed Slovenian painter Metka Krašovec in combination with the poetry of Tomaž Šalamun, her lifelong companion, interpreted by actor Radko Polič - Rac, is being launched at the National Gallery. The exhibition will showcase the artist's less-known work and comes after Krašovec (1941-2018) donated 251 works from her extensive and diverse oeuvre to the museum in 2016. The exhibition is on display until 8 May.

Bust of Spanish poet Jose de Espronceda unveiled in Kranj

KRANJ - A bust of Spanish poet Jose de Espronceda was unveiled by Kranj Mayor Matjaž Rakovec in La Ciotat Park, as the city continues its international project of putting up busts of Slovenian poet France Prešeren's literary contemporaries at the park, named after the first town with which Kranj twinned in 1958. Rakovec said that Kranj thus continued the story of honouring Prešeren and the greatest wordsmiths who lived and created during his time. De Espronceda thus joins the busts of Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov and Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko.

Carnival festivities start, mostly confined to virtual realm

PTUJ - Kurenti, the traditional costumed figures, are putting on their bells for the first time this year on Candlemas to launch Kurentovanje, Slovenia's largest carnival. However, there will be no mass gathering of the Kurenti, and the entire festival will be held mostly in a virtual form for the second year in a row. The opening event, called Kurent's Jump, will see the Kurenti gather in small groups at their homes at midnight instead of gathering all together around a bonfire.

02 Feb 2022, 16:52 PM

5-Party Connecting Slovenia Alliance Forms to Contest April Election

STA, 2 February 2022 - Five parties signed an agreement in Ljubljana on Wednesday to jointly contest the 24 April election with the Connecting Slovenia (Povežimo Slovenijo) list, with the main points of the joint programme revolving around principles that promote the benefits for the economy, people and the environment.

The alliance comprises the coalition party Concretely, which was recently created with the merger of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and Economically Active Party (GAS), and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS), Slovenian Greens, New People's Party (NLS) and New Social Democrats.

The agreement says that the presidents of the five parties will define the key steps of the election campaign in consensus and assist each other in all campaign activities.

Also to be taken in consensus are decisions regarding the formation of a joint parliamentary group and cooperation with potential allies after the elections. The agreement is valid until the end of the next term of the National Assembly.

SLS president Marjan Podobnik said the goal was to create a Slovenia that people voted for in the independence referendum, adding that the alliance would reach out to everybody and "no one will be left on their own."

The president of Concretely and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said that the alliance was connected with the shared vision of what Slovenia's future should be like. "There are differences between us," but these can be overcome, he said.

"If we want to place Slovenia on top of the rankings of the most successful countries, we must show that we are serious about the new political formation," Počivalšek said, adding that the alliance promoted responsible social and economic development.

Slovenian Greens president Andrej Čuš said that in the last 30 years, environmental policy had not had the right people who could talk to each other about finding joint solutions, unlike in some EU member states that had progressive democracies.

Čuš said that the groundwater, water, air and living environment was being poisoned every day, and that the situation was the same in the National Assembly, adding that Connecting Slovenia would advocate for environmental issues.

NLS president and Interior Ministry State Secretary Franc Kangler said that the alliance created an atmosphere of dialogue, integration and unification, and that it would fight for a just and fair Slovenia.

"It is the responsibility of us all ... to create dialogue, to unite and not exclude anyone in the future," Kangler said, adding that Connecting Slovenia would be an important player in the political arena in the next four years.

Andrej Magajna of the New Social Democrats likened today's agreement with the formation of the DEMOS coalition 30 years ago, adding that Connecting Slovenia would focus on creating conditions for a Slovenia as had been imagined by DEMOS.

Alojz Kovšca, the president of the National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, and vice-president of Concretely, complained that politics had turned into a competitive sport where teams win by disqualifying other teams from the race.

The signing was also attended by former Constitutional Court judge and presidential advisor Ernest Petrič, Education Minister Simona Kustec and physician Tina Bregant, a former state secretary at the Health Ministry.

Bregant said that the healthcare system needed to be reformed, and that the alliance advocated "sustainable, modern, efficient and emphatic public health."

Connecting Slovenia will run in the election with a joint list of candidates, on which the slots for individual parties will not be precisely determined, and not all parties will have the same number of candidates. Non-party candidates will also run.

According to the official spokesman Marko Balažic, candidacies by electoral district will be determined based on opinion poll results. "All five parties have decided to jointly endorse those who will be recognised as the best."

Čuš said the five parties were properly distributed geographically, which was "a great relief", and Kangler added that, while there were major discrepancies in the number of candidates from individual parties, "this is not bothersome for anyone."

Today's agreement signature is the first formal conformation of a joint list by parties for the April general election.

02 Feb 2022, 13:29 PM

Government Communication Office Signs Contract with Slovenian Press Agency

STA, 1 February 2022 - Igor Kadunc, the director of the Slovenian Press Agency, and Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), signed on Tuesday a contract on financing the STA's public service in 2022. The deal maintains a system for the calculation of the relevant fee that is based on the actual amount of content the STA produces.

The two sides have thus "laid the foundation for the undisrupted continuation of the STA's work in this important year, when the agency is expected to work responsibly during the super election year", Kadunc told the STA.

The agreement "essentially follows the basics we have already established in the 2021 contract", he said, adding: "But we have committed in the [latest] contract to work intensively to ensure that the distinction between public service and commercial activities is in line with the state aid regime as defined by Slovenia's standards and by the EU."

Commenting on this, UKOM said in a press release that the total annual amount planned when it comes to state aid in the form of compensation for the financing of public service for 2022 remained the same as in the previous two years, at EUR 2,028,000.

UKOM pointed out that this amount "represents an advance payment which will be subject to adjustment by means of an annex to the contract once the STA has fully reconciled the accounting distinction between public service and commercial activities".

"The contract sets down the necessary such activities of the STA and sets a deadline of 30 June 2022 for the fulfilment of these commitments," UKOM said.

Under the current director, the agency has also started activities to establish cost accounting information "leading to the knowledge of the correct full cost price of services, that is the price for news (in full text) by editorial or content area and for an average news item, photo, etc.", UKOM added.

All this will be "the necessary basis for the new director to correctly implement the rules governing state aid for services of general economic interest on the one hand, and to manage the STA economically and efficiently on the other, and last but not least, for STA employees to be able to evaluate their performance at work".

UKOM said that in this way it would be clear where funds for the STA's public service go to. Moreover, it was again critical of former STA director Bojan Veselinovič and the STA's supervisory board.

Kadunc noted earlier that "unfortunately, no solution could be found for the picture service, but as soon as possible we will propose an amendment to the law that would more clearly classify photographs as a commercial activity, as is the case everywhere in Europe."

Currently, the STA is required to disseminate a portion of its photographs free of charge, a rule that has been criticised by professional photographers, as they noted this led to uneven footing in the industry.

Meanwhile, UKOM said that the contract complied with the requirements of the act on the STA, including free access to photographs.

The contract is based on the government decree on the STA's public service, adopted last year, which changed the way public service is financed by introducing payment by volume of production. The STA is challenging the decree in court, while complying with its provisions pending a final decision from the court.

Representatives of the STA staff welcomed the signing of the contract, as this provides at least basic financial security for the agency in 2022, they said. However, they maintain that the per-piece funding model based on the number of news items and photographs is unacceptable.

The STA's editorial board, workers' council, in-house trade union and representatives of STA desks wrote in a joint release that the model "pushes the need to provide as much content as possible, which is a misguided approach as it limits the possibilities of directing resources to more complex content with a higher added value".

The most problematic feature of this model or the contract in general, they reiterated, "is that it allows UKOM to arbitrarily decide which content it will or will not fund as part of public service". "This may lead to an impermissible indirect influence on editorial autonomy, which we will not accept," they said.

At the same time, this could also result in renewed financial instability of the STA, they warned, saying that the STA would not be paid more if it produced more than planned, but might be sanctioned if it under-produced or produced content that according to UKOM was not part of public service.

"The current complications surrounding the public service payment for the last two months of last year show that this could happen," they added.

Also responding to the developments, the agency's previous director Veselinovič welcomed the announcement of the basis for the STA's financing in 2022, but also pointed out that the signing of the contract had been delayed considerably, taking into account the STA law.

He denied UKOM's claim that only now it will be clear what the funds from the state budget intended for the STA are spent on, noting that the STA's operations had always been transparent and supervised.

He also dismissed UKOM's accusations against the agency's accounting, noting audits of the STA had found no irregularities.

After performing its public service without pay since the start of 2021, the STA signed the 2021 contract with UKOM in November 2021. The contract envisaged public funding worth EUR 2 million.

02 Feb 2022, 13:26 PM

Constitutional Court Annuls Rulings Unfavourable to Swiss Franc Loan Borrowers

STA, 1 February - The Constitutional Court has annulled rulings by two courts that rejected borrowers' request for annulment of contracts on loans in Swiss francs and for a refund of overpayments, in what is the first decision of Slovenia's top court related to issue of Swiss franc loans.

The Constitutional Court has found that the rulings did not adequately address the concerns regarding the assessment of the standard of banks' duty of disclosure and that of fairness, and has returned the cases for reconsideration.

The decision relates to the rulings of the Ljubljana District Court from July 2019 and of the Ljubljana Higher Court from May 2020, which were appealed by spouses Igor and Simona Ajdnik.

As the highest court in the country said in its decision, the appellants had noted the sensitivity of the issue as they had taken a Swiss franc loan to purchase a family home, and the hazardous nature of the deal.

They also drew attention to the detrimental consequences of the deal and the increase in the price of the loan for their social standing and family life, and noted the bank's knowledge of the risks of the foreign exchange rate market.

The court said that the challenged rulings had been based on the premise that the fairness of the main subject of the contract, i.e the Swiss franc currency clause, is not assessed in the case when the duty of disclosure is fulfilled, and the assessment that the duty of disclosure had been fulfilled in the case in question.

The two courts had assessed that the currency clause had not been unfair, supporting the notion that the bank had acted in good faith by stating that when the loan contract was being concluded, it could not have anticipated major changes in the exchange rate to the detriment of the clients, and that it did not give specific or misleading guarantees.

The Constitutional Court also noted that the two courts had argued that there was no significant imbalance in the contractual rights and obligations as the bank had also borne the currency risk and was obliged to provide adequate collateral, with change in the currency ratio not bringing any benefit.

The case law of the EU Court of Justice stipulates that in the case of a Swiss franc loan, the client must be informed in clear and understandable language about all mechanisms that affect the repayment of the loan and their consequences in order to take a prudent and informed decision.

If this is not the case, the court must make an assessment of fairness, i.e. whether the bank acted in good faith or not, and whether it acted in line with the principle of conscientiousness, and whether there is a significant imbalance in rights and obligations between the parties.

Due to the precedent importance of the constitutional issues raised by the positions taken by the two courts, the Constitutional Court decided to test these positions in their entirety, meaning with regard to the duty of disclosure and with regard to fairness.

It said that it was not clear from the explanatory notes of the challenged rulings which explanation by the bank could make the borrower be aware of the actual consequences of a major depreciation of the domestic currency or a growth of the Swiss franc currency rate on the amount of the loan obligation.

As this is one of the key elements of the standard of duty of disclosure, the courts violated the right to a reasoned court decision referred to Article 22 of the constitution.

With regard to the assessment of fairness, the appellants had been drawing attention throughout the proceedings to the professionally qualified knowledge of the bank of the risks of the foreign exchange market, the Constitutional Court said.

On the basis of the 1993 EU directive on unfair terms in consumer contracts and the criteria developed by the Court of Justice for its interpretation, the arguments by the appellants constitute an element of assessment of fairness of a contractual condition that should be taken into account.

As the courts did not take a position on these arguments, they violated the appellants' right to a ruling under Article 22 of the constitution, the Constitutional Court added.

The decision, published on Tuesday, was taken in a five-to-three vote, with constitutional justice Rok Svetlič issuing a dissenting opinion, and Constitutional Court president Matej Accetto issuing a concurring opinion.

The Bank Association of Slovenia said in a response that the Constitutional Court had not come to the conclusion that contracts on loans in Swiss francs were null and void, but that it had mainly examined certain positions taken by courts.

"The Constitutional Court noted that the lower instance courts did not take a position on all essential arguments by the appellants and the evidence. These procedural reasons thus refer to courts and not to banks," the association added.

It also noted a dissenting opinion that says that if banks were to be obliged to take into account (all) personal circumstances of clients in the future, the effect would be unfavourable precisely for borrowers.

The association added that the decision of the Constitutional Court further confirmed that the cases of Swiss franc borrowers should be assessed on an individual basis and that regulating these issues by means of legislation was not appropriate.

This comes as the National Assembly is debating a bill that would distribute the cost of the surge in the value of the Swiss franc in 2015 between banks and some 32,000 borrowers who saw the cost of their debt in euros soar as a result.

Slovenian banks came out strongly against the bill, saying that it retroactively encroached on the lawfully concluded contracts, which was not harmful only for banks but for the entire economy.

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