STA, 8 July 2022 - The Constitutional Court legalised same-sex marriage and adoptions with immediate effect after finding a law under which only heterosexual partners can marry and same-sex couples cannot adopt children to be in contravention of the constitutional ban on discrimination.

Announcing the news on Friday, the court gave the National Assembly six months to amend the law accordingly, but until the law is amended its ruling stands as the law and means that marriage is a union between two persons regardless of gender, and same-sex partners living in a civil partnership may adopt a child together under the same conditions as married spouses.

The court deliberated on the matter based on a constitutional complaint by two same-sex couples who, respectively, failed in front of regular courts to marry or to make the list of candidates for adoption.

Referring to marriage, it said discrimination against same-sex couples "cannot be justified with the traditional meaning of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, nor with special protection of family."

The decision "does not diminish the importance of traditional marriage as a union of a man and a woman, nor does it change conditions under which persons of the opposite sex marry. All it means is that same-sex partners can now marry just like heterosexual partners can."

Same-sex partners have so far been confined to civil unions, which gave the partners some but not all the rights of heterosexual partners.

The court used a similar argument for same-sex adoptions as it noted that same-sex couples have already been allowed to adopt each other's children.

The ban on same-sex adoptions cannot be justified with the objective of maximum benefit for children since "an absolute ban ... is not a suitable means to achieve this end."

It said the goal of maximum benefit for children must be pursued on a case-by-case basis, whereby eliminating same-sex partners from consideration "cannot be construed as a measure that would improve the possibility of a decision that is to the maximum benefit of the child."

The court was however quick to point out that its decision "does not introduce a right to adoption," all it means is that the legislature must bear in mind the prohibition of discrimination and make it possible for same-sex partners to be placed on the list of candidates for adoption.

The court only issued a press release and the full ruling is not available yet. It thus remains unclear how many judges voted in favour.

STA, 8 July 2022 - Addressing the Slovenian National Assembly by video call on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked European countries, including Slovenia, for their support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom. He called on Slovenian companies to join recovery plans for postwar future in Ukraine.

The special event held in parliament in support of Ukraine was first addressed by Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič, who said it was a great honour to be able to welcome Zelensky and wished the circumstances of this were different.

"Ever since the start of the war, Slovenia has been on the side of countries that have condemned in the strongest terms the aggression against Ukraine, an independent and sovereign European country," she said.

The previous prime minister visited Kyiv in March in a display of strong support for the war-stricken country, and Slovenia's support remains the same under the new government, she noted, pointing to financial, humanitarian and other aid.

The speaker also congratulated Ukraine for being granted EU candidate status. This is "a recognition that Ukraine is on the right track, that it is part of the family of European nations, that its future lies in Europe," she said, adding this was also a recognition of Zelensky's and his team's work.

Kot je že potrdil premier, bo ?? Ukrajini nudila pomoč pri razminiranju in jo trdno podpirala pri njenih prizadevanjih za suverenost in mir.

Vlada odločno obsoja rusko agresijo, ki je v nasprotju z določili Ustanovne listine ZN in ob tem poudarja pomen enotnega delovanja EU. pic.twitter.com/NgpAr99ZQ1

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) July 8, 2022

Zelensky, dressed in his usual army green apparel, said the honour was mutual and thanked all European countries that are supporting Ukraine's liberation efforts, noting that cooperation was key. "I thank the Slovenian nation, thank you for your big and brave heart."

He added he was currently close to the front line. "Russia continues to work to prevent Ukraine's progress", including in the international arena, he said, but highlighted that Moscow was running out of fuel to keep on this path.

Ukraine demands an investigation by the International Criminal Court, so that all war crimes in Ukraine are investigated and those responsible are held accountable, he reiterated.

The Ukrainian president also thanked Slovenia and other EU countries for endorsing Ukraine's bid to join the EU at the recent EU summit. No one can say how long this path of EU integration will take, but Ukraine's dream is to become a full-fledged member of the bloc, he said, adding that it was important that the country preserve its territorial integrity.

Moscow is well aware that Ukraine is a very important country within the European framework, he said, highlighting that his country "is a European territory". Ukraine shares EU values and wants to cooperate with the bloc across the board, Zelensky told the Slovenian MPs.

The Russian government uses various tools to destroy Ukraine, and the energy crisis and inflation are one such attempt, he said, noting that Ukraine will try to mitigate gas shortages in Europe through electricity supplies. The country has already joined the European electricity system ENTSO-E.

He also mentioned Ukraine's gas storage system, which is one of the world's biggest by capacity, as another potential option to mitigate the developments, and added that Ukraine could help the EU with its strong IT infrastructure.

Russia is preparing another blow - by blocking cereal exports it hopes this will eventually led to major famine-induced migration flows from Africa and the Middle East that would hit Europe, so Ukraine is doing its best to prevent this and help people who are affected by this.

Russia's major target is the EU as Moscow would like to break European stability, but the bloc can defend itself, he said.

Zelensky urged Slovenians and Slovenian companies to join recovery plans for postwar future in Ukraine. He is confident that Ukraine will be free again and will preserve its territorial integrity, noting that this is also in the interest of the EU, which is now acting as one.

There will be no victory without soldiers, he said, highlighting Ukraine's military strength. "Together we will win, glory to Ukraine," he concluded his speech that was followed by a thunderous applause.

The event was attended by Slovenia's top three officials, President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Robert Golob and Speaker Klakočar Zupančič, as well as National Council President Alojz Kovšca and cabinet members.

When Zelensky's address was officially announced yesterday, the parliament noted that the event was an expression of support for the Ukrainian people in their fight for their homeland and an expression of friendship to Ukraine.

The opposition Democratic Party's (SDS) initiative to invite the Ukrainian president to address the MPs had been green-lit by the foreign policy and the EU affairs committees.

Radio Slovenija reports that Slovenia is one of the last EU member states to have been addressed by Zelensky. Only two weeks after Russia attacked Ukraine, the Ukrainian president addressed the British parliament, which was followed by videolink appearances in his country's key allies.

EU-wise, Zelensky has so far not addressed only the parliaments of countries that have shown more lukewarm support for Ukraine - Austria, Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary.

STA, 7 July 2022 - Petrol, Slovenia's second largest electricity provider and fourth largest gas provider, will increase prices in September, following suit of the competition. Prices are expected to rise further next year.

The price of electricity at Petrol will be EUR 0.14145 per kWh in peak periods, EUR 0.08778 in off-peak periods with a flat rate of EUR 0.12804. The prices will be uniform for existing and new customers with loyalty club members eligible for a discount.

The average household will see their electricity bill go up by 13% or about eight euros per month.

Gas will set households back EUR 0.08779 per kWh, which is a 43% or EUR 24 per month increase for the average household.

Petrol is not the first provider to increase prices. Gen-I has already increased gas prices, raising the average household bill by a third and will raise electricity prices in August by 18% per average household.

ECE and Energija Plus have already increased prices, while E3 and Elektro Energija are doing so in July, increasing the average household's bill by a fifth or a quarter, respectively, according to calculations by the newspaper Večer.

According to the 2021 report from the Energy Agency, Gen-I held the largest market share among electricity providers at just under 21%, followed by Petrol at 15%, then ECE, Energija Plus and E3. Last year Petrol and E3 saw the largest market share growth, while ECE and Energija Plus saw the largest drop. At the start of this year Gen-I has purportedly gained the most after some smaller providers withdrew.

Even after the price increases Gen-I and Petrol remain the cheapest, followed by Elektro Energija, while ECE, E3 and Energija Plus are significantly more pricey.

Geoplin was the largest gas provider with a 43% market share, followed by Gen-I and Energetika Ljubljana with 12 and 11%, respectively. The fourth was Petrol, which along with Gen-I saw their market share grow the most after owners in apartment buildings are no longer considered commercial customers.

Petrol, Adriaplin and Gen-I were the most affordable providers, while Energetika Ljubljana, Plinarna Maribor and Energija Plus were the most expensive amongst the large providers. After the price increase Petrol will be somewhere in the middle.

Energy providers emphasise electricity prices on the stock market are almost six times higher than a year ago and the increase is even higher for gas.

Facing a difficult situation with no good prospects and a large demand, the providers expect prices to rise in the coming year to rates of the most expensive providers.

The government has announced measures to mitigate the energy crisis, but it remains unclear when the measures will be ready and who will take on the financial burden.

STA, 6 July 2022 - State Prosecutor General Drago Šketa highlighted a severe shortage of prosecutors in Slovenia as the parliamentary Justice Committee discussed the reports of the state prosecutors' work in 2021, including of the Specialised State Prosecutor's Office.

"In accordance with the decree on the number of public prosecutors, there should be 268 public prosecutors in Slovenia, while there are 200, or 25% fewer, at the moment," he said.

Šketa cited the 2020 report of the Council of Europe's Commission for the Efficiency of Justice, which shows Slovenia had 10.2 public prosecutors per 100,000 residents, compared to the European average of 12.3.

The shortage will become even more severe in the coming years, with Šketa saying "the situation will be extremely critical as the number of cases will be increasing."

Prosecutors are retiring, some are leaving the prosecution service because they are exposed to immense pressure, discredititation and even political attacks, he said.

Even though the state prosecution offices around the country were understaffed, they managed to handle the new caseload in 2021, Šketa noted.

They received a total of 24,658 criminal complaints against offenders and resolved 25,077, 419 more than they received, which is a 101.7% rate, Šketa added.

He highlighted prosecution of banking crime and crime in healthcare as two areas where prosecutors were successful last year.

They were involved in 43 banking crime cases, most of them in courts, and by the end of last year, two convictions were handed down.

The total value of the damage caused or the proceeds obtained in the banking crime cases amounts to EUR 367 million.

A total of 54 individuals, including 46 bankers, and two legal entities were charged.

Two convictions were handed down in healthcare crime cases, but Šketa expects many more this year.

He expects that authorities will also try to tackle systemic corruption in the healthcare sector through other oversight levers and mechanisms.

According to Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan, the report shows that the prosecution performed very well last year despite the epidemic and being understaffed.

She noted that 2021 was the seventh year running that prosecutors managed to handle new cases, that is process more cases than they received.

As for understaffing, she said that as soon as she had taken office, she had lifted the previous government's appointment blockade and named 13 new prosecutors.

The Justice Ministry will now focus on appointing the remaining prosecutors from the ongoing calls for applications, she announced.

During the debate, MP Žan Mahnič of the opposition Democrats (SDS), said that the previous, SDS-led government did not operate "automatically" and approve just any appointment proposal made by the prosecution.

The government checked "who is who and what they had done in the past", said Mahnič, also listing moves by the prosecutors he deems problematic. "Once you look closer, you see that most of the 13 prosecutors do not meet the requirements."

Švarc Pipan responded that interference of politics in prosecutor appointments was contentious and that by listing names of prosecutors who threw out certain cases, he showed that the previous government's assessment of professional decisions was clearly political.

This "is not admissible under the Constitution, and I find it interesting that you would admit in retrospect that the appointment blockade was a political decision based on likeability of substantive assessments of independent state prosecutors," said Švarc Pipan.

The difficult staffing situation was also highlighted by Darja Šlibar, head of the Specialised State Prosecutor's Office.

The office lodged requests for investigations against 103 individuals and legal entities and brought charges against 89 individuals and legal entities last year.

Guilty rulings were passed down on 94 persons, 55 of whom were sentenced to prison and 44 fined.

"The conviction rate was 75%, up from 68% the year before," she said. The total prison sentence time handed down was also higher than in 2020, at 130 years.

STA, 6 July 2022 - Slovenian FM Tanja Fajon and her Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman confirmed their countries' readiness to address open issues through mutual dialogue as they met in Zagreb on Wednesday. Fajon said that in this spirit, the border issue will also be addressed, starting at an informal level and with easier matters. 

Fajon reiterated Slovenia's position that the government will respect the 2017 decision of the Hague-based border arbitration tribunal and insist on its implementation.

However, in the spirit of good cooperation, the government will try to resolve some issues as quickly as possible at informal level to tackle larger issues later on.

Fajon said that she had a sincere and open discussion on the open issues with Grlić Radman. "We agreed to continue the dialogue at an informal, working level and to start working on some concrete, lighter solutions, such as rebuilding bridges that have been neglected for a long time and finding solutions to ease fishing."

Ministrica @tfajon je po pogovoru s hrvaškim ministrom @grlicradman poudarila podporo Slovenije ?? polni integraciji ?? v #EU - vstop v Schengen & evroobmočje. Dogovorila sta se, da se vprašanja, kot je ribolov, rešujejo na delovni ravni. Želimo olajšati življenje ljudi ob meji. pic.twitter.com/oNJ5ZuqsFP

— MFA Slovenia (@MZZRS) July 6, 2022

Grlić Radman said that Croatia had decided to address all of its open issues in bilateral dialogue.

"This is in a way also a challenge for Croatia and Slovenia to show to the world that they are mature countries able to find solutions to a relatively minor issue that has remained from the time of the breakup of former Yugoslavia," he said.

Grlić Radman thanked for Slovenia's support for Croatia's membership of the Schengen and euro areas, as well as of the OECD, saying this will benefit both Croatia and Slovenia.

Fajon added that all the contacts between Slovenia and Croatia and the excellent economic cooperation call for close and good neighbourly cooperation, not only during the tourist season.

"I sincerely wish that Croatia joins the euro zone next year, as this will make life easier for people. I want to help Croatia join the Schengen Area as soon as possible and that we lift internal controls at our borders."

The two ministers agreed that there is a lot of room to further strengthen cooperation, as well as for new initiatives and proposals.

"I'm confident we'll successfully cooperate and take advantage of the opportunities we have as good neighbours and partners within the EU and NATO," said Grlić Radman.

Fajon also informed her counterpart that the government planned to remove the fence along the border with Croatia, which was set up after the 2015/2016 migration crisis, which she believes will increase trust between the two countries.

However, she also said that as Croatia joins the Schengen Area, she would like the southern Schengen border to be as secured as possible.

The ministers also exchanged views on EU topics and security challenges, and looked for opportunities for cooperation in energy.

Fajon reiterated Slovenia's interest in receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the terminal on Croatia's Krk island and in building gas pipelines between the two countries.

Grlić Radman said that due to the war in Ukraine, Croatia decided to expand the Krk LNG terminal's capacity, which would also enable it to supply gas to its neighbours.

The ministers agreed that the two countries' positions on the most important foreign policy issues are very similar, including their interest to encourage the Western Balkans' integration into the EU, their stability and economic development.

The pair also discussed trilateral cooperation with Italy in the northern Adriatic Sea, which will be expanded to internal affairs from the current focus on connectivity, blue economy and environmental protection.

Fajon also met today Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović. In addition to bilateral relations, the talks with Milanović touched on the situation in South-east Europe, in particular Bosnia-Herzegovina.

As the Croatian president's office said, Milanović reiterated his position on the upcoming elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina to Fajon, noting that it was necessary to ensure legitimate representation of all three constitutive nations in the country.

Milanović expressed his satisfaction with Slovenia's support for Bosnia-Herzegovina to receive the status of an EU candidate country, which the Croatian president also advocates himself.

Fajon and Milanović also talked about the security crisis caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and discussed Croatia's accession to the eurozone and the Schengen Area, where the Croatian president expects Slovenia's support.

STA, 6 July 2022 - Slovenian musician and charity co-founder Gregor Bezenšek has officially announced his bid for the autumn presidential election. He will run as an independent, vowing to go "sky-high" for people's benefit.

Bezenšek, who has been campaigning for treatment of children with rare diseases, hopes to modernise the presidential office, overcome divisions and strengthen the Slovenian national identity through music if elected.

He pledged to especially protect the rights of the most vulnerable, and to perform his duties with empathy and sincere determination.

Bezenšek promises to speak up when a firm position of the president is needed. "I have no intention of looking away, too often it seemed like the children were fighting and the father was watching TV," he said.

He believes Slovenia needs a strong leader with a backbone who has shown resilience in the face of adversity.

Bezenšek, whose stage name is SoulGreg Artist, has founded the charity Viljem Julijan Association for Children with Rare Diseases together with his wife after they lost their son to a rare incurable disease.

Other candidates to announce their bids for the autumn presidential election so far are vice-president of the Freedom Movement party Marta Kos, former Foreign Minister Anže Logar, lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar and psychoanalyst Nina Krajnik. Kočevje Mayor Vladimir Prebilič will present his bid on Thursday.

Like Bezenšek, most plan to collect 5,000 voter signatures in support of their bids.

More on the other candidates and the presidential election in general

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, 24 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - While Slovenia did not succeed with its proposal that Bosnia-Herzegovina be granted EU candidate status along with Ukraine and Moldova at the EU summit, PM Robert Golob said an "important step" had nevertheless been taken since the country has been put back on the EU's agenda.
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob has told Delo that his first official bilateral visit will be to Germany in the first half of July. He also indicated Slovenia was in no hurry when it comes to the border arbitration agreement with Croatia. He said many European countries had open issues with their neighbours.
        LJUBLJANA - In an interview with the public broadcaster TV Slovenija, President Borut Pahor talked about the international circumstances, noting that the government is in for deliberation about how to remain an ally in helping Ukraine, while wisely "regulating sanctions so that we can help ourselves".
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy, a Slovenian network of NGOs that has played a major role in challenging controversial government restrictions during the Covid pandemic was among the recipients of this year's European Citizens' Prize conferred by the European Parliament.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry's strategic council held its maiden session to discuss the Ukraine war. After an almost three-hour debate, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said that despite some differences in views, all members agreed the war should end as soon as possible.
        LJUBLJANA - Political activist Vili Kovačič launched a petition for a referendum on a bill that would allow the prime minister to shape the cabinet as he sees fit. The changes, expanding the number of ministries by three, are a disgrace for democracy, he said.

SATURDAY, 25 June
        LJUBLJANA - In an interview with the STA, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon expressed the hope that the war in Ukraine would end as soon as possible and announced a visit to Berlin as a sign of return to the core EU countries. She will also work on having good relations with Croatia, which is however unlikely to join the Schengen Area any time soon.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia received congratulations from world leaders on Statehood Day, with President Borut Pahor getting messages from Queen Elizabeth II, US President Joe Biden, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor conferred the Golden Order of Merit on Ludvik Toplak, a former rector of the University of Maribor, and Roberto Battelli, a former MP for the Italian minority, at a ceremony that also marked Statehood Day.

SUNDAY, 26 June
        KLAGENFURT, Austria - Ana Marwan, a Slovenian author who lives and works in Austria, received the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, a prestigious prize for works in German conferred by the city of Klagenfurt. She was honoured for Wechselkröte, a piece about a woman who lives alone in a rural area and finds out she is pregnant.

MONDAY, 27 June
        LJUBLJANA - The senior coalition Freedom Movement approved with more than 90% of votes mergers with the non-parliamentary parties the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) in an online congress. This comes after members of the LMŠ and SAB had already given the green light for the merger.
        LJUBLJANA - Nina Krajnik, a philosopher and psychoanalyst, announced she is entering the presidential race. She will run as an independent but will accept endorsement by like-minded political parties. Krajnik says her politics is different since she is creating space for "everybody's truth and desire."
        LJUBLJANA - The non-executive directors of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) dismissed Andrej Lazar and Kristina Šteblaj from their positions as BAMC executive directors and appointed Mitja Križaj and Žiga Pfeifer as acting executive directors.
        LJUBLJANA - Politics must never again overpower the police force or abuse it for its particular goals, Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar said as the country observed Slovenian Police Day. She intends to restore the public's trust in the force and has also apologised for what she sees as unacceptable actions under the previous government.
        RIJEKA, Croatia - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon visited Rijeka for his first official visit to the Slovenian community in Croatia. Arčon said the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad would like to be proactive in setting clear goals for the next four years together with members of the community.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson responded to a public letter from five Slovenian MEPs on Austria's decision to extend controls at the border with Slovenia. She agreed with the EU court that such checks can only be a measure of last resort and should be introduced for a limited period of time.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court added the mask mandate introduced by the previous government in closed public spaces in 2020 to the list of unconstitutional measures related to the epidemic, again stressing that legislative changes as opposed to only decrees were necessary for such interventions.
        
TUESDAY, 28 June
        LJUBLJANA - Marta Kos, vice-president of the Freedom Movement, officially announced her bid for the presidency of the republic. The first of the candidates so far to run with the support of a parliamentary party, Kos said she was "proud to be a representative of the progressive forces that restored people's dignity and hope for the future after two difficult years of backwardness."
        LJUBLJANA - A new advisory group for Covid-19 at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) was formed, a move that Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan said meant the management of the pandemic had been taken over by experts. The group will be headed by Mario Fafangel, the director of the NIJZ centre for communicable diseases.
        LJUBLJANA - The government approved motions for Slovenia to sign the NATO accession protocols of Sweden and Finland. The approval was given in a correspondence session just as a three-day NATO summit was starting.
        LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) and CEO Janez Žlak reached an agreement on early termination of service, the SSH said in a press release. Žlak's term will expire on 31 August, allowing undisturbed operations and decision-making.
        LJUBLJANA - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon held online meetings with representatives of Slovenian associations in Germany and the US. He invited all of them to actively participate in the European Capital of Culture 2025 project and announced regular meetings on a monthly basis.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court rejected an appeal by former PM Janez Janša against the statute barring of the Patria bribery case. While Janša felt denied a chance to prove his innocence, the court said he had no standing since statute barring is fully equivalent to an acquittal.

WEDNESDAY, 29 June
        MADRID, Spain - Prime Minister Robert Golob announced Slovenia would accelerate defence spending to reach the target 2% of GDP before the current deadline of 2030. He said this was required because of altered international circumstances.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Policy Committee endorsed motions for Slovenia to sign the NATO accession protocols of Sweden and Finland. Both countries decided to apply for NATO membership due to Russia's attack on Ukraine, and every country has the right to decide autonomously which alliance to join, committee members noted.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the communicable diseases that introduce parliamentary oversight of pandemic restrictions. While coalition parties backed the bill because it rectifies the segments of the law that were found to be unconstitutional, the opposition Democrats (SDS) voted against, and New Slovenia (NSi) abstained.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition SDS initiated a referendum on the act governing the composition of government in a bid to thwart the new government's plans to expand the number of ministries. Collection of the required 40,000 signatures is expected to start in September.
        LJUBLJANA - MPs rejected a series if bills tabled by the opposition, including a proposal to scrap the compulsory subscription fee for public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, and changes to the act governing the STA that would put the government rather than the National Assembly in charge of appointing supervisors.
        LJUBLJANA - It was announced that Boštjan Mlačnik, who has so far served as the head of investigations, would take over from Petra Grah Lazar as director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
        LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology decided to distribute almost EUR 1.83 million to ten airlines in a public tender for subsidies to improve Slovenia's air connectivity with the world. The selected airlines will perform more than 700 flights between Ljubljana and other countries as part of the deal.
        LJUBLJANA - After her predecessor launched proceedings for the eviction of several NGOs renting out the Culture Ministry's premises in Ljubljana's Metelkova Street, Asta Vrečko, the new culture minister, announced that the procedures would be terminated.
        
THURSDAY, 30 June
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will receive EUR 1.49 billion in grants from the EU post-Covid recovery mechanism, which is almost EUR 286 million less than the initial allocation, show recalculations by the European Commission. The lower amount is a result of more favourable economic trends in 2020 and 2021 than originally estimated.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate accelerated to 10.4% in June, up 2.3 percentage points from May, driven by rising prices of petroleum products, food and electricity, the Statistics Office said. The monthly rate stood at 2.7%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points on the back of higher prices of electricity, vacation packages and food.
        MADRID - Prime Minister Robert Golob warned NATO not to overlook the Western Balkans as it strengthens its presence on its eastern flank as part of a new deterrence and defence posture. In the framework of NATO's new deterrence and defence posture, Slovenia is willing to "act primarily where it can contribute the most" - in the Western Balkans, he said.
        MADRID, Spain - Slovenia wants Croatia to enter the Schengen zone as soon as possible, but numerous dilemmas must be resolved since the Schengen zone does not currently work, Prime Minister Robert Golob said.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly launched a parliamentary inquiry into suspicions of illegal financing of "party political propaganda in the media with funds of state-owned companies, state institutions or foreign institutions or entities" targeting media owned by or linked with the SDS.
        LJUBLJANA - Milan Krek, the director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) handed in his resignation citing "unbearable political pressure" by the new government. The council of the NIJZ appointed Branko Gabrovec, who has been with the NIJZ since 2014, acting director.