21 Dec 2021, 13:36 PM

Locals Set to Veto Wind Farm on Griško Polje, Kras

STA, 21 December 2021 - Plans to build up to 30 wind turbines next to a sole one already standing on a plateau that is part of the iconic Kras region in south-western Slovenia have met with opposition from the locals with both municipalities involved set to veto the project.

"The municipality has not given its opinion yet, but it will certainly follow the will of the people living in the area," Sežana Mayor David Škabar told the STA on Monday as the plans for a wind farm on Griško Polje were presented to the locals.

The investors, AAE Gamit and AAE Ventur, are planning to build 14 wind turbines in four wind fields measuring a total of 698 hectares, each with a rated capacity of 4.2 MW or a combined 58.8 MW. Each unit is to comprise a tower measuring between 150 and 200 metres in height, and a rotor with a diameter of between 115 and 1805 metres.

However, this is only part of the project that extends into the Sežana municipality, with further turbines planned in the section of the area that is part of the neighbouring Divača municipality.

The regional newspaper Primorske Novice reported just days ago that the two investors, none of which has any employees, planned to build 25 wind turbines on Griško Polje in a project valued at more than EUR 140 million.

According to the report, the Environment Ministry has already published a notice on a public initiative to draw up a national zoning plan for the two wind fields on Griško Polje one near Veliko Polje and one near Dolenja Vas. Construction was to start in the summer of 2025, and by the end of the year the farm was to be connected to the grid.

However, the presentation of the plan yesterday showed the local community opposes the project with Sežana Mayor saying wind turbines were not planned in the local zoning act as major new projects such as wind or solar plants could "devalue" the Kras region.

A woman living close to the solitary wind turbine on Griško Polje, which can be seen from the A1 motorway to the coast, said the noise was so bad her family could not sleep and had health issues. "If the noise of a single turbine is so disturbing what would 30 such mean that they plan to erect," she wondered.

Members of farming communities where the wind farm would be located do not oppose the project, thus the local community fears the project could divide the population.

Environment and infrastructure ministry officials told the meeting the main reason to build new wind power plants was to increase the share of renewables in Slovenia's energy mix in line with the commitment made to the EU.

As part of the procedure to adopt the national zoning plan for the project, guidelines will also be provided by the Divača municipality. These are set to be negative as the community already decided back in 2004 it was against wind farms on its territory. The residents of Senožeče have also voted no in a local referendum.

21 Dec 2021, 11:14 AM

UPDATED: National Bureau of Investigation Searches Homes of Ljubljana Mayor's Family in Relation to Corporate Crime

STA, 21 December 2021 - UPDATED at 14:30
Almost 35 investigators searched private homes and offices looking for information and evidence of suspected criminal acts involving over EUR 1 million in unlawful gains. The investigation is part of a pre-trial procedure launched two years ago by the Specialised State Prosecution, the General Police Department said.

Five persons are suspected of money laundering, of whom two are also suspected of abuse or office or trust in business activity. No-one was detained for the duration of the house searches, the police said in a written statement.

Janković confirmed to the press the police investigators had searched his home and his wife's shop, the home of his son Damijan Janković and his partner Ursula Gavish, while also investigating the Electa company. According to Siol news portal, the investigation also targets the businessmen Gregor Marolt and Jan Bec.

Police was interested in his wife Mija Janković's paid bills, seized 32 bills and a phone, which Janković said could have been obtained from the bank or at the company. "To my surprise, this time they did not need me, they checked individual bills with my wife," he said at a news conference.

While saying the house searches had been carried out "correctly", Janković criticised the accusations, saying "what is written in the indictment is empty and will bring no results". He quoted his lawyer's words that "the election campaign has already started", adding he was sorry for his wife and kids, blaming it all on Prime Minister Janez Janša.

Janković did not reveal any other details, and admitted he had not had the time to read the 120 pages of accusations.

He noted the trial against him, both of his sons and Electa is continuing today over alleged dodgy deals involving retail Mercator shares and tax evasion.

He said the Financial Administration had completed a procedure which is a basis for the trial without finding any wrongdoing, so he believes that since nothing could be found against him, the authorities have now decided to target his family.

The General Police Department said the suspicion of abuse of office was related to damaging a company controlled by two persons through ownership and managerial posts, as EUR 1.24 million was transferred from it to two companies, both of which are controlled by one of these two persons.

Then, EUR 1.04 million was transferred from these two companies to several other legal and physical persons that withdrew the money in cash to conceal its origin, hence the suspicion of money laundering.

Abuse of office in business carries a prison sentence of one to eight years, whereas money laundering carries up to eight years in prison and a fine, the police said.

21 Dec 2021, 04:08 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 21 December 2021

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:

Debate on Hojs ouster motion split along partisan lines

LJUBLJANA - Debate on the motion to oust Interior Minister Aleš Hojs split along party lines with the centre-left opposition accusing the minister of politicising the police force and being responsible for growing repression and unacceptable rhetoric, as the coalition and its tacit supporters in the opposition joined Hojs in accusing the opposition of hampering the government's effort to fight Covid-19 for their own ends. Hojs denied the charges against him, saying he secured police officers with better work conditions. MPs have 17 hours scheduled for debate, with the vote expected to be in Hojs's favour.

Logar and Blinken discuss Slovenia's Security Council bid

WASHINGTON, US - US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he and Foreign Minister Anže Logar would discuss various topics at today's meeting, including Slovenia's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2024-2025. Logar added that he was happy the bilateral strategic dialogue was continuing, as he started the visit. Logar said he was happy he was visiting Washington, noting that Slovenia and the US started a strategic dialogue during his visit last year to the US.

Vizjak chairs last Council session under Slovenian presidency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's EU presidency outlined progress in the Fit for 55 package at a session of the Environment Council, the last Council session before Slovenia hands the baton over to France. Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said the meeting highlighted balanced climate ambitions, and cost-effectiveness and fairness of the green transition as key challenges in meeting climate goals. He said Slovenia sought to make as much progress on Fit for 55 as possible and to have a coherent approach to all interwoven and connected dossiers.

Some 7,600 jabbed on first day of nation-wide campaign

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Roughly 7,600 people got their coronavirus jabs on Sunday as the nation-wide campaign kicked off in a bid to ramp up Slovenia's vaccination rate. By far the largest share got booster shots. Visiting a vaccination centre in Maribor, Health Minister Janez Poklukar was happy with the turnout. "Yesterday, 33 times as many Slovenian residents as the Sunday before were vaccinated," he said. Of those, 486 got their first jab, 561 had their second and the rest got boosters.

New daily coronavirus case count down to 585 on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus cases in Slovenia continued to drop with 585 new infections confirmed on Sunday. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital declined by five to 696 this morning, with the number of ICU patients down by one to 215. Ten patients with Covid-19 died, government data show. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population declined by 9 to 865 and the 7-day rolling average of new daily cases decreased by 13 to 1,209.

Privacy watchdog launches probe into PM's vaccination letter

LJUBLJANA - The Information Commissioner has launched an investigation against the prime minister's office in regard to the vaccination promotion letters citizens received from Prime Minister Janez Janša. The office will have to explain the way personal data was obtained in order to address the letters and the legal basis used for this. The procedure comes after the data protection watchdog received numerous reports by citizens. The letters were addressed to specific individuals.

Education, attracting new staff main goals of SAF

LJUBLJANA - Maj-Gen Robert Glavaš, the chief of the general staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), discussed the main future goals with reporters, which include recruiting new, young staff, further developing the system of military education and investing in modernisation of transport vehicles and infrastructure. The main objective is to attract new staff. The long-term plan is to increase SAF numbers from 6,365 to 7,000 permanent members and from 723 to 3,000 contractual reserve troops.

Car chase ends in migrant's death

LJUBLJANA - A car chase ended in a car crash and a death in Ljubljana on Sunday evening as a van transporting six Turkish migrants crashed in the centre of the city, killing one of the passengers. Ljubljana police identified the victim as a 22-year-old Turkish national. Police tried to pull over the van on the A1 motorway near Kozina, but the driver refused to stop and the chase continued on the Ljubljana bypass and Tržaška Street before he crashed into a traffic light. The 18-year-old driver, a Kosovo citizen, was detained along with three fellow Postojna residents who allegedly served as a reconnaissance party.

Cardinal Rode, Bishop Filo and Mufti Grabus to get state decorations

LJUBLJANA - Catholic Cardinal Franc Rode, Evangelical Bishop Geza Filo and Mufti Nedžad Grabus will be honoured with state decorations at a ceremony at the Presidential Ceremony next Tuesday under an order signed by President Borut Pahor. Cardinal Rode, who served as the archbishop of Ljubljana between 1997 and 2004, will be awarded the Golden Order of Merit, while the former leaders of the Evangelical and Lutheran Church and Islamic Community will get the Silver Orders of Merit.

Ecumenical tradition revived in Prekmurje

MURSKA SOBOTA - Catholic Bishop Peter Štumpf, Bishop Leon Novak of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, and Pastor Daniel Grabar of the Evangelical Pentecostal Church revived an ecumenical tradition dating back to the 1920s where leaders of different churches from the north-eastern region Prekmurje take a stroll together. "The fruit of this is still here, Prekmurje is known to be ecumenical and we would like to preserve this tradition, so we revived it in this pre-Christmas time," Novak said.

Pahor and Prince of Monaco support Triglav Glacier project

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and Prince Albert II of Monaco endorsed in a joint letter the Slovenian Olympic Committee's project termed Mission: Triglav Glacier to Beijing on Saturday. The campaign will see a fraction of ice from the Slovenian Triglav glacier travel to the Beijing Olympics to raise awareness about the consequences of global warming, not only the melting of glaciers but also the disappearance of winter sports and winter Olympics.

SDS remains in lead in Vox Populi poll

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) continue to top the party rankings in the latest Vox Populi poll conducted by Ninamedia for the newspapers Večer and Dnevnik. Less than a third of the respondents support the work of the SDS-led government. The rating of the SDS was up by 0.7 percentage points to 17.7%, while the opposition Social Democrats (SD) lost just as much to poll at 13.2% in second. The poll projects 27 MP seats for the SDS and 50 for the KUL coalition of centre-left parties.

Slovenia has problems with transposing EU directives in time

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission published the latest Single Market Scoreboard, which shows the number of violations related to the singe market increased last year. Slovenia has difficulties in transposing directives in a timely manner and, in terms of violations, it fares the worst in the environmental policy and transport. By the cut-off date, Slovenia transposed nine of the 17 single market-related directives. The average delay increased by 1.5 months to 8.9 months.

Debate: Know-how, stability key for industrial development

LJUBLJANA - Trained staff, know-how and stability of the business environment are essential for further development of Slovenia's industry and hence a breakthrough in the country's economy globally speaking, heard the closing event of this year's Industry 4.0 and Robotics Month. Cooperation between the economy and the science sector should be strengthened and investment in research and science stepped up, agreed the participants of the conference.

Luka Koper with ambitious plan for 2022

KOPER - Luka Koper, the company operating the port of Koper, released an optimistic business plan for 2022, with both group net sales revenue and transshipment expected to grow. Given the current global situation and economic forecasts for 2022, the company plans a 9% rise in group net sales revenue to EUR 241.51 million and a rise in all segments of cargo transshipment. Net profit is to increase by 23% EUR 32.09 million, mostly as a result of higher than planned net sales revenue and higher financial revenue.

20 Dec 2021, 14:56 PM

Privacy Watchdog Investigates PM's Vaccination Promotion Letters

STA, 20 December 2021 - The Information Commissioner has launched an investigation against the prime minister's office in regard to the vaccination promotion letters citizens received from Prime Minister Janez Janša. The office will have to explain the way personal data was obtained in order to address the letters and the legal basis used for this.

The inquiry is based on the cornerstones of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation under which any processing of personal data must be lawful, fair and transparent, said Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik on Monday.

The procedure, launched on Friday, comes after the data protection watchdog received numerous reports by citizens inquiring about the legal framework used by the prime minister's office to access their personal data to send the letters, which were addressed to specific individuals.

The large number of reports reflects a high level of awareness of the importance of personal data protection among individuals, said Prelesnik.

Citizens have recently received letters in which Janša thanked those who have been vaccinated for getting jabbed as well as urged the unvaccinated ones to reconsider this.

"Let this be your free but responsible choice," he wrote ahead of the nationwide campaign Vaccination Days that is currently underway and aims to boost vaccination rates amid Omicron concerns.

Responding to the inquiry, the prime minister's office told the STA the letters had been sent to all adults in Slovenia without any kind of selection or access to any records. To well-meaning people, Janša's reasons for such a gesture are clear in the letter itself, it added.

The office said that "there is no doubt about what the coming weeks will hold for us if we continue to be the sixth least vaccinated country in the European Union".

It attached forecasts for the spread of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Europe which show that the strain could become dominant in January, with rising numbers of the infected followed by higher hospital admission rates.

20 Dec 2021, 11:21 AM

UPDATED: Ljubljana Car Chase Ends in Crash, Death of Turkish Man

STA, 20 December 2021 - UPDATED at 17:15 with more details - A car chase ended in disaster in Ljubljana on Sunday evening as a van believed to be transporting six migrants crashed into a traffic light in the centre of the city, killing one of the passengers.

Ljubljana police said the passenger killed was a 22-year-old citizen of Turkey, who was transported along with five of his compatriots in the cargo section of the van.

The driver, an 18-year-old Kosovo citizen residing in the Postojna area, was lightly injured, while the other five passengers sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries, a police release said.

Koper police officers tried to pull the van over on the motorway to the capital in the Kozina area, south-west of the country, on Sunday evening.

The driver refused to stop and the chase continued on the Ljubljana bypass and Tržaška Street, one of the main thoroughfares, before ending in a crash in the centre.

The police release said the man had been driving recklessly at even more than 180 km an hour. He hit two police vehicles near Brezovica, just outside Ljubljana, but failed to stop.

He was swerving left and right to prevent police vehicles from taking him over until he crashed the van into a car waiting at a red light. On the impact the van veered off to the left, crashing into the traffic light pole. The driver of the car the Kosovo man hit was not injured.

The driver has been remanded in custody. Information collected so far indicates all six foreigners entered Slovenia illegally.

The police managed to pull over a car that was driving immediately ahead of the van and allegedly served as a reconnaissance party at the Senožeče exit, south-west.

The three men in the car, aged 18 and 19, all of the Postojna area, have also been detained.

Addressing reporters, head of the Koper crime investigators Primož Ogrinc said inquiries were ongoing as several suspected criminal acts were being looked into, including reckless driving, obstruction of police work and illegal crossing of the border.

Once all the circumstances are cleared up the four suspects will be brought before an investigating judge.

20 Dec 2021, 04:38 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 20 December 2021

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:

Nation-wide vaccination promotion campaign kicks off

LJUBLJANA/BLED - A campaign aimed at boosting the Covid-19 vaccination rate kicked off. Taking place until Thursday, 62 vaccination centres across the country will work overtime, some open around the clock. Health Minister Janez Poklukar kicked off the campaign in Bled, where he got his booster shot. In view of the highly transmissible omicron variant that is now on the rise across the world, he urged all residents to get vaccinated. "Omicron is a part our lives and it is right to prepare," he said.

New coronavirus cases, at 767, broadly flat on week before

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 767 new cases of coronavirus for Saturday, down two percent on the week before. The inflow of new cases having flattened in recent weeks, hospital numbers continue to decline. There were 701 patients with Covid-19 in hospital, down two from yesterday. The number of ICU cases declined by seven to 216. Thirteen patients died. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped by 15 to 874.

US Senate confirms new ambassador to Slovenia

WASHINGTON, US - The United States Senate confirmed Jamie Linder Harpootlian as the new ambassador to Slovenia. "I am deeply honoured and grateful for the confidence that President Biden has placed in me. I also want to thank Sen. Lindsey Graham for his support in the confirmation process. I look forward to representing the United States of America in Slovenia," Harpootlian said in a emailed statement to The State, a South Carolina newspaper.

Korean, Finnish dramas win top accolades at LGBT Film Festival

LJUBLJANA - South Korean drama House of Hummingbird by Bora Kim, a coming-of age story about 14-year-old Eunhee, a lonely and awkward teenager struggling to figure out who they are, was declared best film at the LGBT Film Festival. The jury said coming-of-age movies were an important part of LGBTQ+ in that they help youths who are questioning their identity better understand themselves. The Finnish drama Tove, a biography of the children's book author Tove Jansson by Zaida Bergroth won the audience award.

Yaskawa increasing robot production despite supply issues

KOČEVJE - The Kočevje-based factory of Japanese industrial robot producer Yaskawa saw a big drop in revenue last year due to the Covid-19 epidemic, but this year it is seeing production and sales growth. They expect sales to reach EUR 32 million 2021, a 140% increase compared to last year. The company estimates that it will produce and sell 3,400 robots and 2,100 controllers this year, a significant increase on last year, when they only made half as many robots and only 200 controllers.

19 Dec 2021, 12:40 PM

Slovenia Starts 5-Day, Pre-Christmas Vaccination Campaign – No Registration Needed

STA, 19 December 2021 - A campaign aimed at boosting the Covid-19 vaccination rate in Slovenia will take place from Sunday to Thursday, with 62 vaccination centres across the country working overtime and Civil Protection and Red Cross staff providing free transportation.

As part of the Vaccination Days, vaccination centres will be open from 8am to 8pm, with vaccine being available at one location in each statistical region also at night, from 8pm to 8am.

Night vaccination centres will be open in the Nova Gorica, Izola, Brežice and Celje general hospitals, in the Sežana, Postojna, Novo Mesto, Slovenj Gradec, Murska Sobota and Maribor community health centres, in the Ljubljana and Maribor university medical centres and in the Golnik Hospital.

With the exception of children aged 5-11, who need a paediatrician to be present during vaccination, there will be no need to register in advance. People will be able to choose what type of Covid-19 vaccine they get, said Health Minister Janez Poklukar.

Mobile units will also be present in the field, the minister said, adding that in Tolmin, a special telephone number will be available for residents to arrange free transportation to the vaccination site.

Poklukar will officially open the nation-wide campaign today by taking a booster shot at the Bled Community Health Centre.

19 Dec 2021, 04:57 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 19 December 2021

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:

Vizjak remains environment minister

LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak stays on after a motion to oust him failed in parliament in the early morning hours on Saturday. A total of 43 MPs voted for his ousting, three short of the required majority, while 29 were against. The no-confidence vote was backed by its initiators the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left, Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and the deputy group of unaffiliated MPs. MPs from the coalition New Slovenia (NSi), who said before the vote they did not support Vizjak, and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) abstained, while 29 MPs from the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) and junior coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) backed the minister.

1,286 new coronavirus cases recorded in Slovenia on Friday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,286 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Friday, eight more than the day before but 190 fewer than on the same day a week ago. The PCR test positivity rate was at 28.7%, fresh data by the National Institute of Public Health show. Hospitalisations continue to decrease with 703 people still in hospitals today, down 43 from the day before, including 223 in intensive care, down 14 from Friday, the government said on Twitter. Another 19 Covid patients died on Friday.

Jurist thinks access to Constitutional Court should be slightly restricted

LJUBLJANA - Jurist Tone Jerovšek, one of the authors of the Slovenian constitution, believes the constitution is still good and modern even after 30 years. But some amendments would be required, especially regarding access to the Constitutional Court, which he thinks is too wide. During the epidemic in particular it became evident that the current system enables individuals to appeal to the Constitutional Court frequently, while the court is drowning in cases, Jerovšek said.

SSH chairman says state assets managed well this year

LJUBLJANA - State assets were managed well in 2021, chairman of Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) said in an interview with Delo's Saturday supplement. "The return on equity of the portfolio under management will be 1.3 percentage points higher than planned. Based on the current assessment of the companies' performance, it will reach 5.5%," he said.

SPIRIT agency to launch start-up accelerator in Israel

LJUBLJANA - In cooperation with the Slovenian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Slovenian Entrepreneurship Fund (SPS), the SPIRIT Slovenija agency for the promotion of entrepreneurship and investment will launch in February the first start-up accelerator in Israel, dedicated to Slovenian start-ups. The SPIRIT Slovenija agency announced that six to twelve of the best Slovenian start-ups that submit their applications by 16 January will get the chance to go to Israel.

Association of Journalists and Commentators critical of SAB

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) expressed criticism of advertisements published by the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) on social media. The ZNP thinks the ads "directly and brutally announce a confrontation with numerous media". According to the ZNP, the SAB "counts the days until the election" in the ads "when time will come to persecute 'fake news'" with images suggesting Demokracija, Nova24, Požareport, Moje Podravje, Moj Maribor and other media will be the targets.

Ski jumper Zajc third in Engelberg

ENGELBERG, Switzerland - Slovenian ski jumper Timi Zajc (282.6 points) finished third in a World Cup event in Engelberg, Switzerland. The winner was Germany's Karl Geiger (287.4 points), followed by Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi (286.6 points). Slovenia's Anže Lanišek (265.9 points) was eighth. This is the first podium finish in an individual event for Zajc this winner. The Slovenian ski jumping team featuring Zajc, Cene Prevc, Peter Prevc, and Anže Lanišek finished third in the first World Cup team event this season in Wisla, Poland, on 4 December.

Cross-country skier Lampič third in World Cup in Dresden

DRESDEN, Germany - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič finished third in the women's World Cup sprint event is Davos, Germany. Slovenia's Eva Urevc was sixth. Sweden's Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling won the first and second place, respectively. Team events will be held in Dresden on Sunday, with Lampič and Urevc defending the third place from the previous season.

18 Dec 2021, 09:54 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 10 - 16 December, 2021

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.

FRIDAY, 10 December
        LJUBLJANA - After European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson announced that 15 EU member states pledged to provide for the resettlement and protection of nearly 40,000 Afghans, the Interior Ministry told the STA Slovenia did not made a commitment in the scheme.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU justice ministers discussed the work of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, with Slovenia's Marjan Dikaučič, who chaired the session as representative of the EU presiding country, noting the body "has already opened hundreds of lawsuits for damages estimated at billions of euros".
        LYON, France - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the Interpol headquarters to stress the international police organisation's importance in the fight against international crime and to call with Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock for coordinated action between Interpol, EU member states and various EU agencies.
        LJUBLJANA - On Human Rights Day, Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina pointed to the inequalities and distrust reinforced by the Covid pandemic, appealing to everyone to do their bit for society to find a way out of what is a health as well as social crisis. He urged top politicians to lead by example.
        KRANJ - The government visited the northern Gorenjska region with talks focusing on plans for a new regional hospital, flood defences, environment issues and protection of architectural heritage.
        LJUBLJANA - Urša Zgojznik and Uroš Macerl, two prominent environmental activists, announced plans for a yet another green party to be launched in Slovenia in January to contest the April general election under the name Vesna.
        LJUBLJANA - Statistician Anuška Ferligoj of the Faculty of Social Sciences and nanotechnology researcher Julijana Kristi of the Faculty of Pharmacy were honoured with the Zois Prizes for lifetime achievement in science and research.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding confirmed having received a complaint against Miha Rebolj, the secretary of the coalition Modern Centre Party, now named Concretely, for pressuring a member of the supervisory board of postal operator Pošta Slovenije to agree for Tomaž Kokot to be appointed for full term as CEO even though he lacks the required experience for the job.
        LJUBLJANA - Statistics Office data put Slovenia's foreign trade in goods in October at a ten-year high for that month. Exports were up by 14.2% year-on-year to EUR 3.6 billion and imports soared by almost 35.7% to EUR 4 billion. The country thus recorded a trade gap for the 7th month running. Both exports and imports were also up on October 2019, by 16.9% and 26%, respectively.
        SLOVENJ GRADEC - A Slovenian folk music ensemble called Štirje Kovači (Four Blacksmiths) from the northern Koroška region made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the longest active polka music band in the world. The band was formed in 1954.
        KLIGENTHAL, Germany - Ski jumper Urša Bogataj finished third at a World Cup event in Klingenthal for her third podium finish this season.

SATURDAY, 11 December
        KOPER - A 10-year-old Kurdish girl from Turkey who went missing after she fell into the river Dragonja two days earlier as her mother carried her on her shoulders across the swollen border river from Croatia to Slovenia was found dead on the Croatian side in what was a second fatality among migrants in the border area in less than a week.
        ROME, Italy - The council of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) decided that by merging with the Economically Active Party into Concretely, the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) ceased to be ALDE member. Under internal rules, the new party can apply for membership.
        LJUBLJANA - A poll by Ninamedia showed the ruling Democrats (SDS) leading the field at 15.2% ahead of the opposition Social Democrats (SD) at 13.3%, while a potential party of former GEN-I CEO Robert Golob polled at 9%. If the PM was elected directly,20.6% of those questioned would back Golob and 19.5% incumbent Janez Janša.
        LJUBLJANA - The credit rating agencies S&P Global and DBRS Morningstar confirmed Slovenia's credit rating at AA- and A, respectively, both with a stable outlook.
        DAVOS, Switzerland - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič finished third in the women's World Cup freestyle sprint event to earn her first podium finish in the current season.

MONDAY, 13 December
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Attending a meeting with his EU counterparts, Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed concern about the Republic of Srpska's parliament triggering a process to withdraw the entity from Bosnia-Herzegovina's institutions. He called for concerted action by the entire EU in cooperation with the US to prevent an escalation in the country. He declined to comment on the possibility sanctions against Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of the country's presidency.
        GENEVA, Switzerland - Slovenia, in its capacity as the presiding EU country, requested a special session of the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Ethiopia, with more than 50 countries supporting the call.
        DUBAI, UAE - Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik started a visit to Dubai along with a business delegation focussing on digital transformation and AI as part of a business forum and a conference on blockchain technology and AI at the Slovenian Expo pavilion. The events underscored the contribution of advanced technologies to progress and sustainability.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo run a poll showing the ruling Democrats (SDS) gaining three points to 18.9% from November to widen their lead on the opposition Social Democrats (SD), which lost a point to 11.8%.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office released a report showing that immigration to Slovenia is accelerating with the number of residents born abroad rising to 13.9% at the start of 2021 from 8.5% ten years ago. In 2020 a record 23,383 immigrants were recorded. Former Yugoslav republics are by far the biggest source of immigration.
        LJUBLJANA - After examining drug procurement practices in three public pharmacy chains, the Court of Audit found the medicine procurement in the country was still in disarray as public pharmacies kept flouting public procurement rules.

TUESDAY, 14 December
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and the health authorities announced that the highly infectious Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2 had been confirmed in Slovenia in a total of four people in two clusters who were tested in Ljubljana between 29 November and 6 December. One of them had already had Covid last year. The confirmed cases jumped to 10 by 13 December and involved both infections imported from Sweden and the UAE and secondary infections within those two clusters. On the whole, coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths kept falling.
        LJUBLJANA - Vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 got formally under way as the vaccine for them became available and after the national advisory committee on immunization gave the go-ahead based on a recommendation by paediatricians.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told MPs the government would decide on whether to introduce energy vouchers for the poorest households in January, when it had more data about energy price increases. Before that, the main measure to combat rising prices would be the special allowance for pensioners included in the latest Covid relief package.
        LJUBLJANA - Centre-left opposition MPs clashed with PM Janez Janša during the questions time in parliament over what they claim is mafia-style governance of the country by Janša, his SDS party and the government. Janša dismissed the allegations, while saying mafia-style governance indeed existed, had very deep roots, yet came from the transition left.
        LJUBLJANA - MP Mateja Udovč left the deputy group of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) to join the Our Land party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, which reduces the SMC group to four from the original ten. Udovč plans to act as independent MP, while the SMC said the departure would change nothing for the party or the ruling coalition.
        VIENNA, Austria - The interior ministers of the Salzburg Forum, a Central European security partnership, discussed illegal migration at an online conference, with Slovenia's Interior Ministry State Secretary Božo Predalič stressing the importance of cooperation on the Balkan migration route.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Meeting under the chairmanship of Slovenia's Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, EU ministers in charge of fisheries reached agreement on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for 2022 based on a proposal drawn up by the European Commission.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received the credentials of three new ambassadors to Slovenia, Kosovo's Valdet Sadiku, the Dominican Republic's Laura V. Faxas and New Zealand's Brian Joseph Hewson. Only the Kosovo ambassador is based in Ljubljana.
        LJUBLJANA - Crime investigators conducted a series of house searches at 12 locations around the country on suspicion of abuse of office or rights, including at the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, unofficially over the December 2020 procurement of EUR 1.2 million worth of rapid antigen tests from Majbert Pharm. The tests were verified by the national lab.
        LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry reported that 9,158 illegal migrants were intercepted in the first eleven months of the year, a 35% decrease on the same period in 2020. During the period a record 4,568 asylum requests were filed but only 15 were granted asylum status as 98% left Slovenia before the procedure was completed.
        LJUBLJANA - The French Institute in Slovenia presented its Charles Nodier Award to Ana Barič Moder for her translation of the novel Handbook For Exiles (Priročnik za izgnance, 2020), written in French by Velibor Čolić, a writer from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
        LJUBLJANA - Janja Garnbret, the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist in sport climbing, Tadej Pogačar, the double Tour de France winner and Olympic bronze medallist, and the national men's basketball team, which ranked 4th at the Olympics, took the main accolades at the 2021 Athlete of the Year ceremony.

WEDNESDAY, 15 December
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Attending the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Janez Janša said as the EU presiding country Slovenia had been striving for EU accession of Eastern partners and for the enlargement timeline to be set down. "In the next ten years both sides should take concrete steps towards enlargement," he told foreign media. Janša met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan and Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor described Slovenia's EU presidency as a success in an interview with Radio Slovenija, including with respect to the Western Balkans where he regretted Bulgaria's blocking North Macedonia's accession talks. Pahor also proposed a group of friends of Bosnia-Herzegovina should help the three nations create a more functional country.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to take a vote on a government-sponsored bill designed to reduce taxation of salaries across the board and cut capital gains tax as a majority endorsed a proposal by an MP for the ruling Democrats (SDS) to move the vote to a next session, unofficially because the coalition could not secure a majority. Meanwhile, the opposition Left submitted a bid for a consultative referendum on the bill.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act on deployment in civilian missions and international organisations, legislation designed to make it easier to nominate and deploy Slovenian experts.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the audiovisual services act which were drafted by unaffiliated MPs to transpose a relevant EU directive after the government bill failed to be passed in a re-vote in September to override the upper chamber's veto. The act no longer contains a controversial 6% levy providers would pay from their gross annual revenue to finance a special fund for European audiovisual production.
        LJUBLJANA - The government's macroeconomic forecaster IMAD projected that Slovenia's end-year GDP growth will have exceeded its latest projection, driven by buoyant private spending and a robust labour market. It estimates the growth rate will be between half a percentage point and a full percentage point above its September forecast of 6.1%.
        LJUBLJANA - A high-profile conference on the future industry and the Slovenian economy's internationalisation, which was also addressed by PM Janez Janša and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, heard the pandemic should be an opportunity to change patterns of thinking and focus on strengths and abilities while the country's future was in the green transition and digitalisation.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor presented the Order of Merit on the Slovenian Emigrant Association for its invaluable contribution to efforts to preserve the Slovenian identity and culture among Slovenian expatriates. He awarded the Medal of Merit on the SDGZ business association of the Slovenian minority in Italy, and on Saša Verbič, the head of the Slovenian community's umbrella organisation in Serbia.
        NOVI SAD, Serbia - Slovenian writer Drago Jančar won the Milovan Vidaković International Literary Prize, awarded at the 15th iteration of the Prosefest international prose festival in Serbia's Novi Sad.

THURSDAY, 16 December
        STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament adopted a resolution on fundamental rights and rule of law in Slovenia which expresses concern over deep polarisation in the country and calls on prominent public figures to engage in a respectful and civilised public debate. The resolution was carried by 356 votes in favour ans 284 against with 40 abstentions. 33 of the latter were MEPs of the European People's Party, the political family of PM Janez Janša. Earlier in the week Foreign Minister Anže Logar said the resolution did not merit special attention, while President Borut Pahor regretted Slovenia squandered its reputation by not tackling delegated prosecutor appointments and STA financing earlier.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša hinted at possible new talks with Russia within the Normandy Format, which also brings together Ukraine, Germany and France, as he arrived at the EU summit but would not speak about specific sanctions that might be discussed against Russia.
        PARIS, France - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss key EU dossiers as Frances takes over as EU Council president from Slovenia on 1 January. The pair also discussed bilateral relations.
        WASHINGTON, US - The combat against terrorism, migrant smuggling, instrumentalisation of migrations and cyber crime ranked prominently on the agenda of the EU-US ministerial meeting on justice and home affairs which was also attended by Interior Aleš Hojs and Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič on behalf of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly adopted amendments to the investment promotion act where the focus for incentives shifts from creation of jobs to capital- and productivity-intensive and green investments. The law will allow to tap on EUR 88.5 million in grants from the EU recovery and resilience fund.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the first line-up of the Fiscal Council for another five-year term. Davorin Kračun serves as president and Alenka Jerkič and Tomaž Perše as members. The trio's current terms expire on 21 March 2021.
        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption launched an investigation against Prime Minister Janez Janša on suspicion of a conflict of interest in management reshuffle at the Bank Assets Management Company, unofficially due to appointment of Franci Matoz, who has served as Janša's lawyer, to the board by the government. Janša in turn accused the watchdog of double standards.
        LJUBLJANA - The NeP deputy group comprising four unaffiliated MPs and the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) announced MP Branislav Rajić was moving from the NeP to the SAB. The SAB faction is thus expanding to six MPs.
        LJUBLJANA - The council of the ZPIZ public pension and disability fund endorsed the fund's financial plan for 2022, which puts revenue and expenditure at EUR 6.4 billion each. EUR 5.1 billion will be collected from social security contributions, with the rest covered from the national budget and the KAD fund. The document still needs government approval.
        LJUBLJANA - NLB shareholders approved the management's proposal that the bank pay a further dividend of almost EUR 67.4 million. This will give shareholders an additional EUR 3.37 gross per share on 24 December, while NLB has thus earmarked EUR 92.2 million for dividends this year.
        LJUBLJANA - A feature-length documentary Beli Bojevnik v Črni Obleki (White Warrior in Black Suit), in which auteur Maja Weiss tells the story of Ivan Kramberger (1936-1992), an eccentric populist who ran for president in 1990 in the first multi-party election in Slovenia before he was killed in 1992, premiered in Ljubljana.

18 Dec 2021, 08:42 AM

Kobla Ski Resort Relaunched

STA, 17 December 2021 - Ten years after ski lifts came to a halt on Kobla in the Julian Alps, skiing was re-launched last weekend on Kozji Hrbet ski slopes with one ski lift, in what is the first step in the planned revival and expansion of the Kobla ski centre.

With this year's abundant snow, skiers can now ski on a 440-metre trail above the Alpine resort of Bohinjska Bistrica, unfar from Lake Bohinj.

Last weekend's turnout, when ski passes were free of charge, was exceptional, Boštjan Mencinger, head of the Bohinj Tourism Association, told the press on Friday.

There were many locals from Bohinj as well as others who remembered how they used to learn to ski on Kobla decades ago, he said at the official opening.

Once a very popular ski centre, Kobla was last open in the season 2010/2011, as its operator at the time, Kobla ŽTG, ended in receivership.

Efforts to revive and expand it under the name 2864 - the altitude of the country's tallest peak, Mt Triglav - started ten years ago.

Franc Alain Furlani, director and owner of Furlani, one of the partners behind the project, said they plan to have two new cable cars and three ski lifts to 2864.

He is confident the EUR 30 million project will be fully implemented, saying it enjoyed local support, while he complained it was taking rather long to obtain all the permits.

Planed are activities for winter and summer months, including hospitality, skiing school, rental services for skis and bicycles.

Mencinger said that the ski centre was an important addition to Bohinj's winter season, which largely depends on skiing options in the area.

Bohinj's reputation as a skiing destination has suffered in recent years, which reflects in a downward trend in tourist nights in winter.

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