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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Parliament debates Vizjak no-confidence motion

LJUBLJANA - The coalition and opposition remained on opposite banks as the National Assembly debated a motion of no confidence in Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak. The centre-left opposition maintained Vizjak lacked understanding of the concept of public interest. Vizjak reiterated that the accusations against him were unjustified and lashed out at businessman Bojan Petan, with whom he talked in leaked tapes that prompted the opposition to initiate the motion. Voting is scheduled early on Saturday, after 16 hours of scheduled debate.

Constitutional Court annuls "forced" retirement provisions

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court annulled the provisions in two laws that allow the employer to retire an employee in an unilateral decision without having to justify the reasons for termination of the contract if the employee meets the conditions for old-age retirement. The country's top court had reviewed the changes to the employment relationships act and the public employees act on proposal of seven representative trade unions and the Advocate of the Principle of Equality.

Janša presents achievements of EU presidency in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša presented the results of Slovenia's six-month EU presidency after the summit in Brussels on Thursday. He noted it was the fourth presidency during the Covid-19 pandemic, pointing to the efforts to hold meetings in person, which contributed to successful closure of some difficult dossiers. He said that 21 trialogues with the European Parliament had been successfully completed, including on some difficult issues.

Norway and Slovenia seek deepening of cooperation

OSLO, Norway - Foreign Minister Anže Logar visited Norway to meet his counterpart Anniken Scharning Huitfeldt. The pair discussed opportunities to further strengthen cooperation. Slovenia's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council was also discussed during what was the first visit by a Slovenian foreign minister in Norway in 18 years. Logar and Huitfeldt expressed satisfaction that the two countries had established excellent relations, particularly in multilateral and security areas.

Vrtovec discusses cooperation in nuclear energy with French counterpart

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec met French Minister of the Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili on Thursday. The pair reviewed the accomplishments of the Slovenian EU presidency in energy, nuclear energy and the strategic partnership between Slovenia and France in the energy sector.

Central bank upgrades Slovenia's growth forecast to 6.7%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank upgraded its economic growth forecast for the country, projecting the economy to expand by 6.7% this year, up 1.5 percentage points compared to the June forecast. Meanwhile, it downgraded the growth forecast for 2022 from 4.8% to 4.0%, and upgraded it from 3.1% to 3.3% for 2023.

Vasle says ECB's pandemic exit decisions result of favourable conditions

LJUBLJANA - Banka Slovenije Governor Boštjan Vasle commented on Thursday's decision of the European Central Bank (ECB) for a gradual withdrawal from the pandemic measures, while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to a possible change by saying that the key message was that the economic consequences of the pandemic in the eurozone were calming down.

Booster shot needed for indefinite validity of Covid pass

LJUBLJANA - Those who have been fully vaccinated will see the validity of their Covid pass reduced from a year to nine months from February under a regulation adopted by the government. A booster shot extends the validity of the pass indefinitely. The decision is based on a recommendation by the advisory group on immunisation and is in line with guidance issued by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).

Janša urges vaccination in a letter to citizens

LJUBLJANA - Many Slovenian households received in their mail boxes a letter in which PM Janez Janša thanks them for getting vaccinated against Covid-19 while urging the unvaccinated residents to kindly consider getting a jab. "Let this be your free yet responsible decision," he says in the letter ahead of the Sunday-to-Thursday Vaccination Days. He urges unity in efforts to successfully resist it because it divides us to those it misses or just slightly affects and those it infects and puts their health or even lives at serious risk.

New daily coronavirus infections down further

LJUBLJANA - The downward trend in new coronavirus cases continued in both weekly and daily comparisons in Slovenia on Thursday, with a total of 1,278 new cases detected. There are now an estimated 19,395 active cases in the country, according to the National Institute of Public Health. Twelve Covid patients died on Thursday. A total of 746 Covid patients are in hospital today, 30 fewer than the day before, including 237 in intensive care, which is the same number as yesterday.

MPs call government to review, report on appointments in Gen-I

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Public Finances debated the opposition's allegations of political staffing in the energy sector, deciding to propose to the government to review the procedure of appointment of the management of the energy trader Gen-I and report back to the commission. It also unanimously endorsed the proposal to urge the government to order Slovenian Sovereign Holding to respect the principle of professionalism and efficient management of state-owned companies.

Ombudsman calls for changes to migration management system

LJUBLJANA - Ahead of International Migrants Day, Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina said that EU countries should take a more determined approach to building a new common migration management system, which would offer reliable protection and in which the human rights of all migrants are respected.

Two-thirds of 2014-2020 EU cohesion funding paid out so far

LJUBLJANA - Under the 2014-2020 European Cohesion Policy, nearly EUR 2 billion, or 65% of the funds available, had been paid out to beneficiaries in Slovenia by the end of November. The government estimates that the figure will rise to 70% by the end of the year. The funds can be drawn until the end of 2023.

Opposition files bill to distinguish between hemp and cannabis

LJUBLJANA - Five centre-left opposition deputy groups tabled a bill to relax conditions to grow hemp for industrial purposes in Slovenia. They propose eliminating what they see a flawed classification of the plant hemp as a drug and clearly stating that hemp is an agricultural plant whereas cannabis is an illicit drug. The changes set conditions under which hemp can be grown for industrial, food and horticultural purposes, and specify which parts of the plant are a drug.

Ethnography Institute president gets top minority award

KLAGENFURT, Austria - The Slovenian minority in Austria will honour Nužej Tolmaier, president of the Urban Jarnik Slovenian Institute of Ethnography and former secretary of the Christian Cultural Association, with the Tischler Award. The award is given to Slovenians or Slovenian institutions promoting the cause of the Slovenian minority in the Austrian state of Carinthia.

STA, 17 December - Ahead of the Vaccination Days campaign, health authorities have released an overview of adult vaccination rates or shares of over 18s who have recovered from Covid-19 by municipality. The ski resort of Kranjska Gora has the highest rate of fully-jabbed or reconvalescent adults, while the lowest share was recorded in the tiny municipality of Zavrč.

!! During Vaccination Days your local health centre will be offering vaccinations for longer periods of the day, from 19 – 23 December, and some places will also be doing it overnight !!

From the start of the vaccination rollout in Slovenia through 8 December this year, the Kranjska Gora municipality in the north-west managed to push its vaccination or reconvalescence rate among adults to nearly 80%.

In second place is the Vipava municipality in the west (some 79%), followed by Idrija (77%), an area some 40 kilometres west of Ljubljana.

The lowest rate was recorded in Zavrč (53%), a tiny municipality in the north-east, situated not far away from Slovenia's oldest town Ptuj. The nearby municipality Sveti Andraž v Slovenskih Goricah has only a slightly higher rate - 55%.

All five areas with the lowest shares are relatively small municipalities located in eastern Slovenia, whereas most of the five municipalities with the highest rates are situated in the west.

Data on the rates in question has been released by the National Institute of Public Health ahead of Vaccination Days, a nationwide campaign to be held between 19 and 23 December and aimed at boosting vaccination rates. The figures according to municipalities are available at sta.si/qLvsVQ.

STA, 17 December 2021 - The police apprehended a 34-year-old Bosnian man on Wednesday, who is suspected of smuggling 13 Pakistani nationals into Slovenia in August, for a fee and in conditions unworthy of human life, before leaving them stranded on a motorway shoulder near Celje in a broken-down car.

The Celje police had been notified on 30 August about a broken-down car stranded on a motorway shoulder near Celje. They found 13 Pakistani nationals crammed in the back of the vehicle, while the driver had escaped before the police arrived.

The migrants were in poor health due to transportation in inhumane conditions, and one of them was assisted by paramedics on the spot, before being taken to a hospital in Celje for treatment.

The Pakistani nationals were destined for Italy, and were brought to Slovenia from Croatia illegally. They were taken to an asylum centre in Ljubljana, while the police collected information on the runaway driver, who was subsequently found and detained on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old Bosnian man will be brought before an investigating judge today. He faces between three and 15 years in prison and a fine.

STA, 17 December 2021 - The Constitutional Court has annulled the provisions of two legal acts that allow employers to dismiss an employee in an unilateral decision without having to justify the reasons for termination of the contract if the employee meets the conditions for old-age retirement.

The country's top court has reviewed the changes to the employment relationships act and the public employees act on proposal of seven representative trade unions and the Advocate of the Principle of Equality.

The unions argued that the provisions were in contravention with international conventions and treaties, noting that the constitution says that all acts and regulations must comply with the principles of international law and international treaties binding on Slovenia.

The Advocate of the Principle of Equality meanwhile challenged the constitutionality of the regulation by arguing that it constituted age-based discriminatory treatment.

The changes looked to allow termination of employment contract without a justified reason for workers who meet the condition for old-age retirement (usually at the age of 60 and with 40 years of pensionable service).

The government argued that the purpose was to make it easier for employers to terminate an employment contract if they decide that they no longer need an employee who is already eligible for a pension.

The Constitutional Court had stayed the implementation of the provisions, which were made part of the government's seventh economic stimulus law, in mid-February.

It said at the time that in the case of older workers, who have more difficulties finding new jobs than their younger peers, the consequence of terminating the employment contract would not only mean losing a job but could also end their careers.

The effects of an ongoing implementation of the potentially unconstitutional provisions would outweigh the effects produced by the staying of the provisions until the court rules on the matter, the court added then.

In the unanimous annulment decision published on Friday, the Constitutional Court said that the relevant convention required that for every dismissal by the employer there must be a serious, substantiated reason justifying the dismissal.

"There must be valid grounds for dismissal related to the ability or conduct of the worker or to the operational needs of the particular employer," the court added.

It noted that the employer not being obliged to explain the cause of dismissal deprived employees of appropriate legal protection in case of termination of employment, as the regulation does not enable the dismissal reason to be tried.

The termination of employment contracts that have been served to employees on this basis, and whose effect was suspended by the court staying the provisions on 18 February, have ceased to be legally valid and effective.

STA, 16 December 2021 - The European Parliament has 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, as 284 voted against and 40 abstained.

The resolution sets out 18 points, one of which expresses "deep concern about the level of public debate, climate of hostility, distrust and deep polarisation in Slovenia, which has eroded trust in public bodies and between them".

It underlines that prominent public figures and politicians, including members of the government, have to lead by example and need to ensure a respectful and civilised public debate, free from intimidation, attacks, slurs and harassment.

It expresses concern over amendments proposed by the Justice Ministry to the state prosecution act that would allow retroactive changes to the appointment criteria for prosecutors, and lead to the risk of the two newly appointed prosecutors from Slovenia delegated to the European Public Prosecutor's Office being dismissed.

The resolution also calls on the Slovenian government to guarantee the editorial independence of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and cease all political interference and pressure on the editorial policy of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenia.

The document had been tabled by four political groups in the European Parliament, the socialists (S&D), liberals (Renew), Greens and the Left. The largest group, the European People's Party (EPP), which is also the political family of Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, did not sign on.

Unofficial information indicates the EPP tried to have the resolution withdrawn from the agenda as two key issues that prompted it, the delays in the appointment of Slovenia's delegated prosecutors and the financing of the STA, have been resolved.

Sources have also provided unofficial information that the EPP had decided at a meeting on Wednesday to vote against. The majority of EPP deputies did in fact cast nay votes, but 33 abstained and one voted in favour.

Other nay votes came from the moderately eurosceptical European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the far-right Identity and Democrats (ID) and several independent MEPs.

Votes by Slovenian parliamentarians reflect their party affiliation as four S&D and Renew MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, three from the ranks of the EPP voted against and one EPP deputy abstained.

The Renew members, Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj, said in a joint statement that the resolution unfortunately placed Slovenia among countries such as Hungary and Poland "where the authorities have transformed democracy into authoritarianism."

"Nobody wants another member state whose authorities are undermining the EU's legal order," they said as they noted the parliament was well aware of the violations of rule of law and democratic norms in the country.

S&D MEP Tanja Fajon said the document was "not political but a statement of facts," whereas her fellow MEP Milan Brglez said it highlighted "open problems that we have in Slovenia." He expects the authorities to do everything to resolve all the issues pointed out in the resolution.

EPP members meanwhile argued the resolution was an attempt by the opposition to denigrate Slovenia on the European stage, an attempt that Romana Tomc said "utterly failed" since both principal claims against the government, concerning delegated prosecutors and the STA, had been resolved.

Milan Zver said the content of the resolution "does not interest anyone. Everyone understands that this is a domestic issue transposed onto the European floor."

According to Franc Bogovčič, the document is "substantively inconsistent and vacuous" since both main issues have been resolved, while the recommendations were "so general they might as well apply to multiple other member states."

The resolution is the latest in a series of European Parliament actions on Slovenia, following a debate on the state of democracy at a recent plenary and a debate on the Civil Liberties Committee.

In spring there was a debate on media freedom at a plenary, and in June the delays in the appointment of delegated prosecutors were on the agenda.

STA, 17 December 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša presented the results of Slovenia's six-month presidency of the EU Council after the summit in Brussels on Thursday. He noted it was the fourth presidency during the Covid-19 pandemic, pointing to the efforts to hold meetings in person, which contributed to successful closure of some difficult dossiers.

Janša, as is tradition, took part in a press conference together with the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, while also attending was French President Emanuel Macron, representing the next EU presiding country.

Council President Charles Michel thanked the Slovenian prime minister for the presidency and cooperation, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked Janša for the excellent cooperation and highlighted the "great successes of the presidency".

Macron, too, thanked Janša for cooperation and for important achievements in the field of health, digital dossiers and social affairs, and for his constant availability.

???? @JJansaSDS: Slovensko predsedstvo je bilo četrto predsedstvo Svetu EU v času Covid-19. Kljub temu smo se trudili, da je bila večina srečanj izvedenih fizično, kar je pripomoglo k temu, da smo uspešno zaključili dosjeje, ki so prej nekaj časa čakali na to priložnost. pic.twitter.com/2TNEE1lw3E

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) December 17, 2021

Janša noted the overall cooperation and thanked all participants in the outgoing EU Council presiding trio of Portugal, Germany and Slovenia.

The Slovenian prime minister said that a total of 21 trialogues with the European Parliament had been successfully completed, including on some difficult issues, expressing the hope that another one could be concluded by the end of the presidency.

There have been some unforeseen events, with Janša noting the migration crisis on the border with Belarus, withdrawal of the allied forces from Afghanistan, growing energy prices and tensions over the build-up of Russian forces along the Ukrainian border.

As strengthening resilience was an important priority of the presidency, Janša noted that the member states had adopted resolutions in November that had established strong foundations for further strengthening the resilience of the EU.

He also highlighted the December resolutions on food security, and major steps made in healthcare and digitalisation.

Janša noted the agreement on digital markets and services and the trialogue on the enhanced role of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the amendments to the regulation of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Recovery was also an important priority, with 22 national recovery plans being approved during the Slovenian presidency, he said, expressing the expectation that the remaining five, including those of Poland and Hungary, would be approved as soon as possible.

Janša also noted the agreement on mobile roaming, the joint position for the Glasgow climate conference, the Conference on the Future of Europe, agreement on the key features of the European Sports Mode and decisions on Croatia's Schengen accession.

There has been no breakthroughs in negotiations on the new migration pact during the Slovenian presidency, though, but Janša said that this had not been expected.

The presidency has hoped that progress would be made regarding the EU fingerprint database (EURODAC), with Janša noting that there were many dilemmas related to this, so this would probably be a tough issue for the French presidency to resolve.

There will apparently be no progress in the EU accession negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania during the Slovenian presidency, either.

Nevertheless, Janša noted the "important signal of the EU-Western Balkans summit" in Brdo pri Kranju in October regarding the membership prospects of the countries in the region and the importance of the enlargement resolutions adopted on Tuesday.

Janša gives Macron Elan skis as Slovenia hands presidency over to France

STA, 17 December 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša gifted on Thursday folding touring skis produced by Slovenia's Elan to French President Emanuel Macron as Slovenia symbolically handed over the EU Council presidency to France.

The Ibex Tactix Carbon Ion 12 skis is a "top technological innovation from Elan, a global manufacturer and supplier of sports equipment that is committed to advanced design through advanced technologies", the government said.

Macron was also presented with folding ski poles along with the skis, the government said on Twitter, attaching a photo of Janša and Macron chatting.

The two leaders met as the regular December EU summit was held in Brussels yesterday, the last during Slovenia's six-month presidency of the EU Council, with France taking over for its half-year stint in January.

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: 

European Parliament adopts rule of law resolution on Slovenia

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 and 284 against with 40 abstentions. 33 of the latter were MEPs of the European People's Party the political family of PM Janez Janša. The document had been tabled by the socialists (S&D), liberals (Renew), Greens and the Left.

Janša sees potential for Normandy Format talks with Russia

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 was asked which sanctions against Russia would be discussed at today's EU summit. The leaders are expected to urge diplomatic efforts, particularly within the Normandy Format, to ensure the Minsk agreements are fully implemented. Janša would not speak about specific sanctions but said it was good The EU was prepared in order to avoid surprises such as the Crimea.

Pahor sees Slovenian EU presidency as success

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed a series of issues in an interview with Radio Slovenija on Wednesday, describing Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU as a success, including with respect to the Western Balkans where he regretted Bulgaria's blocking North Macedonia's accession talks. He also regretted Slovenia "squandered" its reputation through delays in the appointment of delegated prosecutors and the STA financing issue, which led to the European Parliament resolution.

Logar meets French counterpart to discuss EU presidency

PARIS, France - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris to present the achievements of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU and to continue work on key European dossiers. France will take over the presidency from Slovenia on 1 January. The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and expressed their commitment to further deepening the excellent Slovenian-French relations in the future.

Hojs and Dikaučič take part in EU-US ministerial

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 in Washington 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. Hojs said the goal was "to strengthen the cooperation and the resilience of our societies and so contribute to a higher level of security in the EU and the world".

No vote on RTV Slovenija appointments

LJUBLJANA - The coalition walked out of the parliamentary session in protest after Speaker Igor Zorčič refused to put to a vote appointments to the programming council and supervisory board of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija with the argument that the line-up was not in conformity with the law governing RTV Slovenija, which stipulates that the selection must reflect to the maximum extent possible the composition of the parliament as a whole.

Left delays OCCAR deal with referendum request

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly was scheduled to vote on a bill ratifying an agreement between Slovenia and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for the purchase of 45 eight-wheeled Boxer armoured personnel carries (APCs). The vote was delayed by a motion filed by the Left demanding a referendum on the bill. Meanwhile, the party's latest referendum motion, targeting a resolution on the long-term development of the Slovenian Armed Forces, was voted down by.

MPs pass changes to the investment promotion act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the investment promotion act under which the state will no longer provide incentives based on the creation of jobs but will encourage high-capital-intensive, high-productivity and green investments to support Slovenia and the EU's green transition. The amendments, which were passed by 48 votes to eight, create the basis for drawing EUR 88.5 million in grants from the EU mechanism for recovery and resilience.

Fiscal Council line-up endorsed for another term

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the current 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. They were proposed for reappointment by the government. The Fiscal Council's job is to assess the sustainability and compliance of fiscal policies with the fiscal rule. Its members can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Anti-graft watchdog opens investigation against Janša

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption opened an investigation against Prime Minister Janez Janša on suspicion of a conflict of interest in management reshuffle at the bad bank. The procedure was launched based on the watchdog's initial findings in regard to appointments at the Bank Assets Management Company, unofficially Franci Matoz, known as Janša's lawyer. The investigation does not mean yet there has been indeed a conflict of interest. Janša in turn accused the watchdog of applying double standards.

Unaffiliated MP Rajić joins opposition SAB

LJUBLJANA - Branislav Rajić, a member of the NeP deputy group comprising four unaffiliated MPs, will join the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and its deputy faction, the NeP and the SAB announced. Rajić notified the NeP deputy group of his decision today. "We hope he will find his way in the political party he has chosen," the NeP said. The SAB held a press conference to confirm that Rajić will indeed join the party. The number of SAB deputies will increase to six.

New Constitutional Court head says constitution is means, not an end

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court held a ceremony to mark Constitution Day, 23 December, with its new president Matej Accetto stressing that even 30 years ago the constitution had not been only an end but also a means, which "we have to properly understand and use". Acceto, who started his term today, said in his address that the "Constitutional Court is not the first but rather the last guardian of constitutionality and the fundamental elements of the principle of the rule of law".

Daily Covid case tally on Wednesday drops 20% week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,345 new coronavirus infections were reported in Slovenia for Wednesday, down by 20% week-on-week. The number of currently active cases has fallen below 20,000. Additional eight Covid-19 patients died. Hospitalisations continued to decrease as there were 776 patients in hospital this morning, down by 28 on the day before, as ICU cases rose by six to 237, show government data.

Slovenia sees record number of persons in employment

LJUBLJANA - The number of persons in paid employment stood at an all-time high of 911,820 at the end of October, having increased by 2.4% on the year before and 0.6% on September, the Statistics Office said. The number of those working for legal and natural persons, and the number of the self-employed rose by a similar share year-on-year, by 2.4% and 2.2%, respectively. This is the fourth consecutive month the number of persons in employment hit an all-time high.

Record number of asylum requests this year

LJUBLJANA - A record 4,568 asylum requests were filed from January through November this year. A total of 15 persons were granted asylum status. The reason for such a low share of approved requests is that a vast majority of asylum seekers during the period in question left Slovenia before the procedure was completed. The Interior Ministry said that as many as 98% of the asylum seekers left Slovenia before the entire procedure of processing their requests was concluded.

Public pension fund balanced at EUR 6.4bn in 2022

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. Under the financial plan, EUR 5.1 billion will be collected from social security contributions, up 2.4% than was estimated for this year, said deputy director general David Klarič. The gap to EUR 6.4 billion will be covered from the national budget and the KAD fund. The document still needs government approval.

NLB bank to pay out additional EUR 67 million in dividends

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. NLB shareholders agreed to a further distribution of last year's balance sheet profit of EUR 317.2 million, of which EUR 249.8 million will remain undistributed after dividends are paid out.

Slovenia European leader in AI researchers per capita

LJUBLJANA - Minister for Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič said Slovenia was already a European powerhouse in the field of artificial intelligence as the country already has the highest number of AI researchers per capita in Europe. Slovenia hosts the UNESCO Centre for Artificial Intelligence and has an extremely vibrant AI community, Andrijanič pointed out as he addressed the European AI Forum in Ljubljana.

Telecom operator Telemach plans major mobile network investments

LJUBLJANA - Telemach will invest more than EUR 100 million in its mobile network in the coming years, said Adrian Ježina, the president of the telecommunication company's management board, adding that one of their main goals was to cover the entire country with its own mobile network as soon as possible. While 11 towns had access to Telemach's 5G network in September, this number has now risen to 50. "The coverage is not ideal, but we have covered the main urban centres," Ježina said.

Story about independence-era presidential candidate Kramberger put on film

LJUBLJANA - A feature-length documentary premiered in Ljubljana in which auteur Maja Weiss recounts the story of Ivan Kramberger, an eccentric populist who ran for president in 1990 in the first multi-party elections in Slovenia. Although a man was found guilty of his killing, Kramberger's 1992 death is for many still a mystery. Beli Bojevnik v Črni Obleki (White Warrior in Black Suit) tells about the role Kramberger (1936-1992) played in Slovenia's independence efforts.

Slovenia to play Sweden, Norway and Serbia in Nations League

NYON, Switzerland - A draw for the third iteration of the UEFA Nations League pitted Slovenia against Sweden, Norway and Serbia in Group 4 of League B. The matches will be played in June and September next year. "It's great group, I couldn't wish for a more optimal one," Matjaž Kek, Slovenia's head coach, commented. "These are proper teams and proper fixtures for Slovenia." Slovenia advanced to League B after wining in its group in League C in 2020.

STA, 16 December 2021 - Slovenia is already a European power in the field of artificial intelligence, said the Minister for Digital Transformation, Mark Boris Andrijanič. As he pointed out on Thursday at the European AI Forum in Ljubljana, Slovenia has the highest number of AI researchers per capita in Europe.

Slovenia hosts the UNESCO Centre for Artificial Intelligence and has an extremely vibrant AI community, minister Andrijanič pointed out in his address.

"We draw our strength from more than four decades of artificial intelligence research at the world-renowned Jožef Stefan Institute," he added.

Andrijanič also touched upon the importance of linking cutting-edge research with industry and the public sector, and highlighted Slovenia's decision to make digital transformation and AI one of its top priorities during its EU presidency.

"During Slovenia's presidency, EU ministers endorsed the general approach on the digital services act, the digital markets act, the data governance act and the network and information systems security directive, which together form the backbone of new digital legislation in the EU," he said.

According to Andrijanič, the first compromise text for the artificial intelligence act was already prepared during the Slovenian presidency. This will be the first comprehensive legislative framework for AI in the world, he pointed out.

"Artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies know no national borders or other limits of this kind. It is therefore crucial that we all work together to harness their unlimited potential," Andrijanič added.

Andrijanič spoke at the European AI Forum, a pan-European non-profit initiative addressing the field of artificial intelligence.

This year's conference addressed the key challenges of AI deployment and the legislation dealing with issues of data in AI. It was organised by the AI4SI initiative and the Association for Informatics and Telecommunications at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

STA, 16 December - A school in the lakeside town of Bled has been closed mid school year, hence leaving 33 pupils without classes. They are now home-schooled. The school was operating without approval and did not meet the required conditions, the web portal 24ur.com has reported. It also promoted itself as a Waldorf school despite not getting Waldorf certified.

The plan for the school, named Radost Življenja (Joy of Life), had been long time in the making and in early 2020 it started to materialise. After facilities and staff were already secured and pupils enrolled, it transpired that the school had problems in obtaining approval to actually operate.

Its application to be accredited was denied by the Education Ministry, as the school was not in compliance with state standards, the ministry said.

The school was also beset with financial problems as unpaid bills had been piling up. It was shut down on 19 November, 24ur.com said on Wednesday.

Parents who enrolled their children in the school knew that the educational institution was not yet approved at the time, the ministry added. The parents had been granted a home-schooling status, under which parents may either educate their child at home themselves or are helped at this activity by someone else.

The latter is not required to meet any conditions, however the home-schooled children must pass an assessment carried out by the primary school in which they are enrolled. If they fail to do that, they are no longer allowed to be home schooled.

Seeking assistance after being denied state approval, the Bled school's head teacher Valentina Erznožnik contacted the Livada primary school in Ljubljana, which was willing to enrol the former's pupils.

Goran Popović, the head teacher of the Ljubljana school, explained that Joy of Life had not been the only school under which children were enrolled in Livada and home schooled at the same time. Such pupils have their exams at the end of the school year, he added.

The Bled school promoted itself as a Waldorf school, however it seems that it did not obtain a relevant certificate to do so.

Iztok Kordiš, the director of the Ljubljana Waldorf School, does not consider the Bled school to be worthy of Waldorf status. The Joy of Life school had called itself a Waldorf institution before it was actually opened without even familiarising itself with the procedures needed to be implemented to become such a school, he said.

"We have to look after quality and the Waldorf name. Not everyone can just think of it and become a Waldorf school," he told 24ur.com, adding that the Bled school had been doing everything its own way and acting as if it had it all sorted out.

STA, 16 December 2021 - The number of persons in paid employment stood at an all-time high of 911,820 at the end of October, having increased by 2.4% on the year before and 0.6% on September, the Statistics Office said.

The number of those working for legal and natural persons, and the number of the self-employed rose by a similar share year-on-year, by 2.4% and 2.2%, respectively.

The monthly rise was driven by strong hiring in the manufacturing sector, where payrolls swelled by 0.8% to 207,900 persons. Overall, 15 of the twenty monitored industries recorded employment gains.

This is the fourth consecutive month the number of persons in employment hit an all-time high.

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