16 Dec 2021, 11:13 AM

Week-on-Week COVID Numbers Keep Falling

STA, 16 December - 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, show fresh official figures.

Hospitalisations continued to decrease as there were 776 patients in hospital this morning, down by 28 on the day before. The number of those in need of intensive care was up though - by six to 237, show government data.

According to an estimate by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), there are now 19,860 active cases in the country, down by 771 in a day.

Both the 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population keep steadily declining - the first has decreased by 49 to 1,258 and the latter by 37 to 942.

The test positivity rate stood at some 27% yesterday, a weekly drop of about one percentage point.

All the latest data on Slovenia and COVID

16 Dec 2021, 04:51 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 16 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:

Janša calls for enlargement plan for Eastern partners

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.

Ten Omicron cases confirmed in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Omicron count increased to ten by Monday from the first four cases of the new variant reported the day earlier. The National Institute of Public Health said the cases were in two separate clusters including persons who arrived from Sweden and the UAE and secondary transmissions. The Covid-19 advisory group is debating potential new measures in response to the development. This was as all coronavirus cases kept falling with 1,526 reported for Tuesday to push the 14-day incidence per 100,000 below 1,000. Eight Covid-19 patients died with 804 now in hospitals, including 231 in intensive care.

Vote on income tax cuts moved to next session

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. Meanwhile, the opposition Left submitted a bid for a consultative referendum on the bill, which its leader Luka Mesec said would drill a "800 million-euro hole in the budget" while rewarding the 1% of top earners.

Forecaster expects end-year growth to exceed projections

LJUBLJANA - The government's macroeconomic forecaster IMAD predicts 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%, even as it predicts growth will slow in the final quarter.

Conference hears future of Slovenia lies in green, digital transitions

LJUBLJANA - A conference on the future industry and the Slovenian economy's internationalisation heard the pandemic should be an opportunity to change patterns of thinking and focus on strengths and abilities. Slovenia's future lies in the green transition, digitalisation, sustainability, resilience and open-mindedness, the participants, which included PM Janez Janša and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, agreed. Janša said the ambition to always be better was particularly important in times of crisis.

Slovenia hosts Europol management board meeting

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia hosted a two-day online session of the Europol management board with Interior Minister Aleš Hojs calling for enhancing the EU law enforcement agency's mandate to make it even more efficient in the fight against international organised crime as a major threat to European security. The board discussed allocation of the 2022 budget of EUR 192.4 million, which is up EUR 23.4 million from the final budget for 2021. It also approved hiring of 71 new staff in 2022.

Law on deployment to civilian missions amended

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. The amendments were necessary because portions of the existing law from 2006 proved to be unfeasible and sometimes even made it difficult to effectively deploy Slovenian experts to international organisations or civilian missions.

MPs pass changes to audiovisual services law

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the audiovisual services act which were drafted by unaffiliated MPs to transpose a relevant EU directive and which enjoy government support. The bill is very similar to the government's proposal that failed to be passed in a re-vote in September following a veto by the upper chamber. However, it no longer contains a controversial 6% levy providers would pay from their gross annual revenue to finance a special fund for European audiovisual production.

President decorates diaspora organisation

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor bestowed 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. The association marks its 70th anniversary this year. Pahor also bestowed 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.

Speaker stresses importance of constitution for democracy

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič addressed a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the declaration of the Slovenian constitution saying the constitution remained a guarantee for the democratic and free country that Slovenians were longing for today just as they did 30 years ago. Former PM Miro Cerar, who was involved as the constitution was drafted in the early 1990s, said it was still a "good and reliable foundation of our legal and political system" although it could be amended to reflect development.

SMC adamant it will not be affected by latest defection

LJUBLJANA - Gregor Perič, the head of the deputy group of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), told reporters the group's or the coalition's majority in parliament would not be affected by MP Mateja Udovč leaving the SMC to join the Our Land party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec. The SMC faction is now reduced to four MPs from original ten. Udovč plans to act as independent MP. Pivec said her party would run in the election on its own but did not rule out pre- or post-election alliances.

Watchdog finds integrity breaches in SSH boss sacking

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has established breaches of integrity in six former or current members of the management and supervisory boards of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding in relation to an agreement to terminate the term of chairman Lidija Glavina in 2019. The findings are not final yet because the six officials have challenged them in court, the anti-graft watchdog said.

Watchdog finds no conflict of interest in biogas plant sale

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption found no breach of integrity in the bad bank's sale of a biogas plant in eastern Slovenia to a Hungarian group, a case into which it looked because of a potential conflict of interest of Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) chairman Franci Matoz. The watchdog established the sale of the biogas plant in Dobrovnik was discussed by BAMC's six credit and investments boards before Matoz joined BAMC.

Closure of Trbovlje-Hrastnik mine pushed back by a year

LJUBLJANA - The deadline to completely shut down the Trbovlje-Hrastnik coal mine was extended yet again, this time until the end of 2023, as the National Assembly endorsed changes to the 2000 law on coal phase-out and restructuring of the Zasavje region. The brown coal mine has not been operational since 2014. The cost of the additional works is now estimated at EUR 11.7 million, of which EUR 8.9 million will come from the national budget. The closure has so far cost an estimated EUR 250 million.

Writer Drago Jančar honoured at Serbian festival

NOVI SAD, Serbia - Slovenian writer Drago Jančar won the Milovan Vidaković International Literary Prize, awarded at the Prosefest international prose festival in Serbia's Novi Sad. This year's 15th edition of the festival, organised by the Novi Sad Cultural Centre, is taking place online between 13 and 16 December. Jančar's novels and essays have been translated into 21 languages and published in Europe, Asia and the US. He has also won several awards and honours for his work in Slovenia and abroad.

First fifty Slovenian books available for bibliophiles

LJUBLJANA - The first fifty Slovenian books from the 16th and early 17th centuries, accompanied by detailed analyses and pictures, have been published by Cankarjeva Založba in a special collection entitled Stati inu Obstati (To Stand and Withstand). Out of the 300 copies issued, only 16 are still available. Author Kozma Ahačič said a major problem ha had grappled with had been how to write a scientific monograph that would not be boring and would be appealing also to the general public.

New additions to the register of intangible cultural heritage

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian register of intangible cultural heritage has been expanded with three new entries: the traditional building of nativity scenes, the traditional Slovenian festive pastry - potica, and the health profession and practice of midwifery.

15 Dec 2021, 15:41 PM

Three Additions to Slovenia’s Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage

STA, 15 December 2021 - The Slovenian register of intangible cultural heritage has been expanded with three new entries: the traditional building of nativity scenes, the traditional Slovenian festive pastry - potica, and the health profession and practice of midwifery.

The nativity scene is a popular Christian tradition, a display of art objects that represent the birth of Jesus, usually exhibited around Christmas time in different forms, with figures representing characters from the nativity story.

Nativity scenes have a long tradition in Slovenia, but they were revived particularly in the 1990s, says the website of the Culture Ministry.

In 1990, the first live nativity scene was staged in the Postojna Cave, while a life-size nativity scene was built on Šmarna Gora near Ljubljana in 1991. The first documented nativity scene in Slovenia was displayed in 1641 in a church in Gornji Grad.

The second addition, Slovenian potica, is a traditional Slovenian festive pastry made of rolled leavened paper-thin dough and filled with any of a great variety of fillings.

The characteristic potica is round with a hole in the middle, and made with a filling of walnut or tarragon. There are also variants with quark, hazelnut, pumpkin seed, poppy seed, and even salted ones with cracklings or bacon.

Potica is commonly regarded as the most recognised pastry in Slovenia. It is thought to have originated as a ceremonial type of bread that was made in the country as early as the Middle Ages. The first to mention potica was Slovenian priest Primož Trubar in 1575.

See the recipe for potica from Cook Eat Slovenia

The third addition to the register, midwifery, covers the specific knowledge and skills of childbirth support. Traditionally, midwifery was an exclusively female activity, and midwives have held a special status within the community.

As it became more professionalised, a midwifery school was founded in Ljubljana in 1753, and the first maternity hospital in Slovenia was established in 1789. Today, there is also a special midwifery course available at the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana.

15 Dec 2021, 11:51 AM

Garnbret, Pogačar, & Men's Basketball Team Named Athletes of the Year

STA, 14 December 2021 - Sport climber Janja Garnbret, cyclist Tadej Pogačar and the national men's basketball team have fetched the main accolades at the 2021 Athlete of the Year ceremony on Monday evening.

In the women's category, Garnbret convincingly won the poll conducted by the Association of Sport Journalists among 115 reporters for her third accolade as the woman's athlete of the year, after 2018 and 2019.

The Tokyo Olympic gold medal winner collected 333 points to be followed by judoka Tina Trstenjak (129), the silver medallist in the women's 63kg category in Tokyo, and ski jumper Nika Križnar (77), the overall World Cup winner last season.

"Janja Garnbret is barely 22 years old and she is already the most successful sport climber in history. She also moves milestones in climbing in natural climbing sites. She is the best sport climber in the world," the association said.

Garnbret said that it was "really not the first time, but I always feel great when I receive the title of the athlete of the year. It's nice that people recognise and see this, get you recognised. This is why this title means a lot to me."

Pogačar, who won his second consecutive Tour de France this year and grabbed bronze in the road race at the Summer Olympics, topped the vote in the men's category with 262 points for his first Athlete of the Year title.

He was followed by the fellow cyclist Primož Roglič (218), who won the gold medal in Tokyo in time trial, and defended his 2020 victory in the race around Spain this year, and NBA superstar Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks (97).

It was Dončić who led the Slovenian team to the fourth place in Tokyo, a result that earned it the accolade of the team of the year in this year's Athlete of the Year campaign. They got 66 votes ahead of the men's volleyball team (37).

"Tadej Pogačar is so important a figure in the cycling world that he has earned contract with the UAE team until 2027. We can understand his bosses. Without a sliver of doubt, he is currently the best cyclist in the world," the association said.

Pogačar told the press conference ahead of the ceremony that it was "really a prestigious award, in particular in such a year as this year. When you receive such an award in your own country, then it's icing on the cake."

As for the basketball team, the association said that the "semi-finals of the Olympic tournament is an achievement that could be compared to the European champions title. We are convinced that this team will brings us many a joy in the future."

15 Dec 2021, 11:37 AM

Police Raid National Heath Lab Over Alleged Improper COVID Test Verification

STA, 14 December 2021 - Crime investigators visited the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH) on Tuesday to interview director Tjaša Žohar Čretnik over verification of rapid antigen tests bought by the state late last year, according to the news portal Necenzurirano.

The portal obtained confirmation about the police visiting the premises from the NLZOH promotion and marketing department, which could not provide further information as the investigation is ongoing.

The portal says it is not clear whether any other NLZOH official except for Žohar Čretnik has been interviewed by the police.

The newspaper Finance quotes unofficial sources in reporting online that crime investigators have also visited Majbert Pharm, the company picked in December last year to supply test kits used for voluntary mass testing.

The tests were verified by the NLZOH but amid allegations of their not being up to standard the procurement has also been scrutinised by the opposition-led parliamentary inquiry looking into the government's handling of coronavirus outbreak.

In her testimony before the inquiry, Žohar Čretnik said the verification of the tests was based on WHO standards and she denied the allegation the lab sacked a senior microbiologist for speaking out about the tests and the verification being inadequate.

The microbiologist, Metka Paragi, told the inquiry the tests did not meet technical requirements but still did the NLZOH confirm their suitability and recommend for the government to use them.

Similarly, Viktorija Tomič, the head of the Health Ministry's task force for rapid tests, told the parliamentary inquiry the tests did not meet technical criteria to be used for screening.

The NLZOH told the STA it was actively cooperating in the investigation launched by the National Bureau of Investigation today.

All the requested documentation will be handed over to the investigators voluntarily, in line with a court's order, the national laboratory said, adding that it would keep cooperating with all competent authorities if need be. The NLZOH cannot comment on the content of the investigation at the moment, it noted.

The chair of the parliamentary inquiry, Robert Pavšič from the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), welcomed the investigation, saying that the system was working.

He is pleased "that things have moved on, that it will finally be established what is true, what is not true, what is criminal and what is permissible", noting that the inquiry can investigate only political responsibility in the matter, so other institutions should do the rest.

15 Dec 2021, 04:44 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 15 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:

Omicron variant confirmed in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The highly infectious Omicron variant of Sars-CoV-2 has been confirmed in Slovenia with PM Janez Janša announcing the news in parliament before Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, told reporters the new variant was confirmed in four samples, all of them from Ljubljana. One of the persons had already had Covid last year. The samples are from the period between 29 November and 6 December.

Covid-19 vaccination of children aged 5-11 starting

LJUBLJANA - Vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 is starting in Slovenia as the vaccine for them is already available. Vaccination will take place at vaccination centres, and from Thursday on, also at UKC Ljubljana hospital's Paediatric Clinic, where 70 children have been already registered for a jab. This comes as the advisory group on immunization at the National Institute of Public Health yesterday backed a proposal by paediatricians to recommend Covid-19 vaccination for children in this age group.

Decline in coronavirus infection numbers slows down

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,712 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, down by about a tenth on the week before, as the decline in daily caseload appears to be slowing down. A further 14 Covid-19 patients died, while Covid-19 hospitalisations dropped by 57 from yesterday to 817, as ICU cases declined by one to 235, government data shows. Over the last month daily cases were declining by 20%-30% on a weekly basis, but Monday marked the second day in a row that the case count dropped by only a tenth.

Decision on energy vouchers expected end of January

LJUBLJANA - The government will decide on whether to introduce energy vouchers for the poorest households in January, when it has more data about energy price increases. Before that, the main measure to combat rising prices will be the special allowance for pensioners, included in the latest Covid relief package, PM Janez Janša told MPs. The energy vouchers under consideration would be distributed to "slightly over 60,000" people but "only if the situation lasts longer than predicted".

SMC deputy Udovč defects to Our Land party

LJUBLJANA - Mateja Udovč, a member of the deputy group of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), is joining the Our Land party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, the latter party confirmed for the STA. The SMC said that it had not been informed about the move. It is not yet clear whether Udovč will stay in the deputy group or exit it, and whether she will support the coalition in future votes in the National Assembly or whether the coalition will lose another vote in parliament.

Opposition, coalition and Janša clash over "mafia state"

LJUBLJANA - Centre-left opposition MPs clashed with PM Janez Janša during the questions and answers 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.

Expo: Koritnik says AI basis for efficient digital transformation

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Artificial intelligence with an emphasis on sustainable development is a foundation for an efficient digital transformation, said Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik as he took part in a conference on blockchain technology and artificial intelligence at Expo 2020. The event revolved around the impact of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence on sustainability as expressed through the 2030 sustainable development goals, the ministry said.

Interior ministry rep discusses migration at Salzburg Forum meet

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. "We welcomed the Joint Coordination Platform initiative, which aims to improve the effectiveness of mutual cooperation in dealing with migration issues along the Balkan migration route," Predalič said.

Slovenian presidency welcomes revival of Serbia's accession process

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan chaired a ministerial session of the intergovernmental conference with Serbia on EU accession that saw the Western Balkan country getting the green light to open talks on four policy areas. Dovžan said this was the first time such progress had happened under the new enlargement methodology. He also chaired a session of EU ministers in charge of foreign affairs that adopted EU enlargement resolutions, but no progress regarding the most pressing enlargement issue - the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania - has been made.

Three new ambassadors present credentials

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received the credentials of three new ambassadors accredited to Slovenia, Kosovo's Valdet Sadiku, the Dominican Republic's Laura V. Faxas and New Zealand's Brian Joseph Hewson, at the Presidential Palace. The Kosovo ambassador is based in Ljubljana. The ambassador of the Dominican Republic and the ambassador of New Zealand are meanwhile headquartered in Austria's Vienna.

EU ministers reach agreement on fishing quotas for 2022

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU ministers in charge of fisheries reached agreement on fishing rights in the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea for 2022 based on a proposal drawn up by the Slovenian presidency. Announcing the deal, Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek said the talks were tough. Catch limits are set by the Council each December based on a proposal drawn up by the European Commission.

New bill on communicable diseases tabled

LJUBLJANA - The deputy group of unaffiliated MPs filed into parliamentary procedure amendments to the communicable diseases act drawn up by NGO Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy in cooperation with experts to make measures aimed at preventing the spread of contagious diseases in line with the constitution. Speaker Igor Zorčič said unaffiliated MPs had assessed the proposal was good and would bring an end to governing by means of executive decisions that are not in line with the constitution.

Police reportedly search national lab over Covid test verification

LJUBLJANA - Crime investigators visited the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH) to interview director Tjaša Žohar Čretnik, reportedly over verification of rapid antigen tests bought by the state late last year. While the police said house searches were under way at several locations around the country, media reports say police also visited Majbert Pharm, the company picked in December last year to supply test kits used for voluntary mass testing.

Illegal migration down 35% in January-November year-on-year

LJUBLJANA - The police caught 9,158 illegal migrants in the first eleven months of the year, a 35% decrease on the same period in 2020. Most persons attempting to cross Slovenia's borders illegally from January through November this year were citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh. On the other hand, the police recorded a significant decrease in illegal migrants from Morocco and Algeria.

Garnbret, Pogačar, men's basketball team declared best in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Sport climber Janja Garnbret, cyclist Tadej Pogačar and the national men's basketball team have fetched the main accolades at the 2021 Athlete of the Year ceremony. Garnbret, the Tokyo Olympic gold medal winner, collected 333 points to be followed by judoka Tina Trstenjak, while Pogačar, who won his second consecutive Tour de France this year and grabbed bronze in the road race at the Olympics, topped the vote in the men's category with 262 points for his first Athlete of the Year title. He was followed by the fellow cyclist Primož Roglič (218), who won the gold medal in Tokyo in time trial.

Ana Barič Moder wins French Institute translation prize

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. The judging panel said that Barič Moder "transposed several important works of modern francophone prose into Slovenian and acquainted the public with trends in French literature, while her texts also demonstrate a pleasure in translating". They praised her knowledge of the French language, literature and culture, also acknowledging skills in Slovenian.

Immigration to Slovenia accelerating

LJUBLJANA - Immigration to Slovenia is accelerating and as of 1 January this year one in seven residents, or 13.9% of the entire population, were born abroad. This compares to 8.5% ten years ago, show Statistics Office data. Almost two-thirds of foreign-born residents immigrated after Slovenia's independence and one in five arrived between 2018 and 2020. In 2020 a record 23,383 immigrants were recorded. Former Yugoslav republics are by far the biggest source of immigration.

14 Dec 2021, 21:10 PM

Enjoy a Sustainable Christmas Pop-Up in Ljubljana, 16-17 December

There’s not much time left to sort out your Christmas gifts, so as your mind races as to what will delight yourself or a loved one this year consider making a visit to a seasonal pop-up store in central Ljubljana, offering items produced by local designers with sustainability in mind.

The store will be open this Thursday and Friday, 16-17 December, at Igriška 3, Ljubljana, right by the charming Mali Nebotičnik, or Little Skyscraper, a nice area to explore in terms of architecture, food, drink, and interesting shopping, and one that’s just set back from Slovenska cesta – easy to fit into whatever other plans you might have. Scroll past the related images below and learn more...

Here, from noon to 8pm, you’ll be able choose from a wide array of items, including: recycled silver jewellery (Tina Košak - www.floiosjewelry.com), decorated water bottles (Darja Malešič - www.darjamalresic.net), clothing (Vita Ivičič - www.makosh.si, and Petra Turk - www.ringana.com), bags (Gojka Rak - www.naramobags.com), pet accessories (Molly and Cooper - www.mollyandcooper.com), knitwear (Ksenja Baraga - www.baragaga.si) and even time spent with a Marie Kondo Home Improvement Consultant (Tina Markun – www.tinamarkun.si), if you feel a little overwhelmed.
All on 16-17 December, noon to 8pm, at Igriška 3, Ljubljana

14 Dec 2021, 20:01 PM

Opposition Accuse Janša of Running "Mafia State” in Heated Debate

STA, 14 December 2021 - Centre-left opposition MPs clashed with PM Janez Janša during Tuesday's question 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 exists, has very deep roots, yet comes from the transition left.

According to the Left's Matej T. Vatovec, when Janša is in opposition he bills himself as the one who will eliminate corruption, but once in power, "the story flips upside down and in a few years or months, we have enough corruption scandals for a decade".

He pointed to scandals that broke out since Janša's government assumed office in March 2020, such as face masks, rapid antigen tests, purchases of ventilators from Janša's brother, the scandal involving the environment minister, etc.

The MP claimed that most of the cases become statute barred because the Democrats (SDS) know how to exert pressure on judges and take over the police force to "make sure everything is swept under the rug".

Dismissing all the allegations as "lies and insinuations", Janša said "you have actually more or less made up or twisted all this to avoid discussing the actual behind-the-scene criminal doings in this country".

As deputy groups presented their views, Robert Pavšič from the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) criticised the government for violating the constitutions and encroaching on laws, while he also took issue with "brutal staffing and interference in a number of the country's vital subsystems".

The Social Democrats' (SD) Marko Koprivc said anything is possible "under Janšism, including the dissolution of the rule of law", as he pointed to pressure on the media and attempts to undermine NGOs.

Unaffiliated MP Janja Sluga highlighted the complications with the appointment of European delegated prosecutors, Janša meeting medical suppliers and their lobbyists, the role of his lawyer Franci Matoz in state-owned companies, Hungarian millions spent on advertising in the SDS-owned media and the construction of the Koper-Divača rail track.

Marko Bandelli from Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said this government "is drenched in corruption and applies mafia approaches, which is revealed in every scandal."

On the other hand, coalition MPs said Slovenia has seen mafia doings since its very beginning. "Even before the country became independent, the leftist political forces tried to prevent its independence," said Danijel Krivec from the ruling SDS.

Listing what he sees as mafia doings, Krivec highlighted former President Milan Kučan allowing in the spring of 1991 the Yugoslav People's Army to disarm Slovenia's Territorial Defence, the launch of the Patria defence scandal against Janša, a billion dollars in Iranian money laundered at the NLB bank to finance terrorism, etc.

Similarly, the SMC's Monika Gregorčič blamed it all on the non-transparent privatisation after Slovenian became independent, saying it resulted in a privileged elite, the so-called transition left, gaining political power.

This elite enabled systemic solutions to its liking to be adopted, while the economic power acquired in this way opened the door to all social subsystems, including the media. "The circle was thus completed, producing a system that could be termed a para-state or a deep state," said Gregorčič.

New Slovenia's (NSi) Andrej Černigoj also pointed to the TEŠ power station being overpaid by half a billion euro and to the bank shortfall of EUR 5 billion under centre-left governments.

Janša commented on many of the scandals mentioned by the coalition, criticising the opposition for not criticising violations when perpetrated by people from their own ranks. He dismissed the criticism about the judiciary saying candidates without experience or a graduation diploma could be appointed judges. "This is the state being run mafia-style."

A heated debate followed also after Janša left the session, with the LMŠ's Pavšič suggesting the session be closed to the public to present some confidential documents, which the MPs did not endorse in a secret vote. Finding it unimaginable the MPs would not want to discuss specific criminal dealings, he said the vote "proves we live in a mafia state".

14 Dec 2021, 16:00 PM

Ljubljana Mayor: New Year's Eve Celebrations Uncertain

STA, 14 December 2021 - The city of Ljubljana has its New Year's Eve celebration programme in Congress Square ready, but is still waiting for the health authorities to say in what format, or if at all, it can go ahead with it, Mayor Zoran Janković told the press on Tuesday.

As Ljubljana's 31 December outdoor celebrations always draw thousands of people, the mayor has asked National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) director Milan Krek two weeks ago whether the celebrations could go ahead.

According to Janković, Krek said yes, telling the mayor the format could be similar to the Ljubljana Festival last summer when there had to be space between chairs.

But since one cannot sit still in winter at -7 degrees Celsius, Janković suggested NIJZ approved a free concert and told the city how many vaccinated and reconvalescent people could attend it, but received no reply.

Janković was also critical of the recent government decision to close stalls serving food and drink at Christmas markets, saying it was a senseless measure.

He also believes there is no legal basis for it, and said that one of the Ljubljana public utilities had already filed a lawsuit against the government.

He moreover criticised Prime Minister Janez Janša for posting an "offensive" tweet in which he accused Janković of working hard for as many people as possible to fall ill and for schools, kindergartens and shops to close, as he posted a video of people walking around the stalls by the river Ljubljanica.

Janković said that Ljubljana had many visitors, who were now crowding in a smaller area than before, when the stalls had been still open. He believes it would be "more normal" to send out a positive message along the lines "light is coming, let's get vaccinated".

He thus urged all unvaccinated Ljubljana residents to get a jab, arguing some 10% of the city's population is preventing the rest to live normally.

Quoting NIJZ data, he said Ljubljana has the highest vaccination rate (59%) in central Slovenia, the region with the highest vaccination rate in the country (57.5%), while another 18% of Ljubljana residents are reconvalescents.

"If we add the number of vaccinated to the number of reconvalescents, we get 77%, and if we add another 40,000 school and kindergarten kids, who account for 13% of our residents, we are at 90%," the mayor said.

14 Dec 2021, 12:43 PM

1 in 7 Residents of Slovenia Was Born Abroad

STA, 14 December 2021 - Immigration to Slovenia is accelerating and as of 1 January this year one in seven residents, or 13.9% of the entire population, were born abroad. This compares to 8.5% ten years ago, show Statistics Office data.

Almost two-thirds of foreign-born residents immigrated after Slovenia's independence and one in five arrived between 2018 and 2020. In 2020 a record 23,383 immigrants were recorded.

Former Yugoslav republics are by far the biggest source of immigration. Of the more than 292,000 foreign-born residents, 133,000 came from Bosnia-Herzegovina, 43,000 from Croatia and 30,000 from Serbia.

But a significant share also come from non-Balkan countries, most notably from Germany (7,600), Italy (4,600) and Russia (4,000), but also China (1,200) and the United States (900).

Some 46% of foreign-born residents have Slovenian citizenship, some of whom have had Slovenian citizenship since birth because they were born to Slovenian parents.

The Statistics Office released the data set to mark International Migrants Day.

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