STA, 24 September 2021 - Budget carrier FlyDubai launched scheduled flights between Ljubljana and Dubai on Friday in what is a culmination of ten-year efforts by the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport. The connection will also be important for connectivity with Asia and Oceania.

FlyDubai will operate three flights a week with a Boeing 737 max to offer the first direct flight connection between Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates.

Flying under the Emirates brand, passengers will be able to easily continue their journey from the Dubai hub.

According to Zmago Skobir, the head of Fraport Slovenija, which manages the Ljubljana airport, negotiations with FlyDubai and its owner, the Emirates, started in 2012.

A key breakthrough in the talks was the closing of an agreement on air transport between Slovenia and Dubai.

FlyDubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said the Slovenian government, agencies and the airport had been very persistent, so the company decided to give the connection a try although some of Slovenia's neighbouring countries already have a direct link to Dubai.

Jeyhun Efendi, senior vice president of commercial operations & e-commerce, said FlyDubai started flying to this region ten years ago, first to Belgrade, Serbia. Other connections followed, and just yesterday the link with Zagreb, Croatia, was restored after being suspended during the epidemic.

Al Ghaith said that because of the Expo Dubai now was a good time to set up new connections. He is confident that the new route, currently envisaged in the winter schedule, would stick.

He sees great potential, since both Slovenia and Dubai are attractive tourist destinations and Dubai is also a hub with over 200 flights to different exotic destinations.

Bookings and reservations of the flights are promising. About 100 passengers arrived in Ljubljana with the first flight today and 80 flew to Dubai, which is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic with high vaccination rate and frequent testing.

The lowest price for a return ticket was EUR 280, but due to high demand prices have already climbed to around EUR 400.

The arrival of FlyDubai is very important for Slovenia's connectivity with Dubai and wider, Skobir said. "Asia and Oceania are at least as accessible through Dubai as they are through Istanbul," he said. Apart from Slovenians, he is also counting on passengers from Austria and Italy.

Efendi said the last couple of years had been very weird for the aviation industry. "Now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and this connection comes exactly at a time when travel is being resumed."

Infrastructure Ministry State secretary Aleš Mihelič also welcomed the new connection, saying that Slovenia managed to get some new connections recently despite the challenging times.

It took a lot of effort, money and energy to make sure Slovenia remains connected to the world, he said, adding that the government had lowered airport tax to Fraport Slovenija and granted it EUR 5 million in special aid.

Skobir said the money had been spent on current operations and the finishing of the new passenger terminal. So far the company has lived off its accumulated profit and fresh revenue, but next year a short-term loan will probably be needed, as air traffic is still picking up relatively slowly.

"If all goes well, we expect 400,000 passengers this year, which is only 20% of the 2019 figure," he said. Next year, the number should double.

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Pahor points to Covid-19, climate change and security in UN address

NEW YORK, US - President Borut Pahor addressed the general debate at the 76th UN General Assembly session, saying that "all challenges we face, are global" and that solutions to them could be found only in working together. He thus welcomed the intention of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to hold a wide debate about common future, saying people needed to "engage in meaningful discussion and dialogue ... even with those we do not agree with". Pahor focussed his address on the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and peace and security.

EU ministers in charge of consumer protection discuss package holidays

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU ministers in charge of consumer protection holding an informal session in Brdo pri Kranju agreed that the EU legislation on package holidays needs to be reviewed, as Covid-19 has shown that it is not suitable for extreme situations such as the pandemic, said the host, Slovenia's Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek. It is becoming clear the package travel directive could be improved, said European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, who is also in charge of consumer protection. He said the Commission would first thoroughly review the existing legislation and then decide whether a new legislative motion was needed.

Commissioner Jourova urges "swift solution" to STA funding

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova called for a "swift solution to fund the STA that would fully preserve its independence" in a letter addressed to Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti. She says independent media are crucial for democracies and the Commission supports the important role of independent news agencies to guarantee media freedom and media pluralism across the EU. It is therefore important for member states to "refrain from any attempts to put direct or indirect pressure on media", including by withholding the necessary financing.

Reynders awaiting court decision before taking action on EU delegated prosecutors

BRDO PRI KRANJU - European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said that before taking action regarding Slovenia's non-appointment of its two EU delegated prosecutors, the European Commission was awaiting a decision of a Slovenian administrative court on the suit filed by the two rejected prosecutors. Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir appealed at a Ljubljana administrative court after the government annulled in May the appointment procedure and started a new one. Reynders said he expected the court's decision in two weeks. "We'll see if the development is positive. The pressure is enormous," he said after a session of EU ministers in charge of consumer protection.

Janša critical of preparedness for Covid-19 before govt took over

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša appeared before the parliamentary inquiry commission dealing with the government's response to the Covid-19 epidemic. He was critical in his testimony of the preparedness of the public health authorities and noted the systemic problems in elderly care inherited by his government, reiterating criticism of the previous government repeatedly voiced by senior government officials. He also defended rule-by-decree, arguing that the majority of European countries had transferred the powers of taking measures related to Covid-19 from parliaments to government.

Security, migrations top talks between Slovenian, Czech interior ministers

LJUBLJANA - The current migration situation topped the agenda of a two-day visit by Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamaček, as part of which he and Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs toured the Slovenian Schengen border and met with Slovenian and Czech police officers who conduct joint patrols. The ministers agreed on the need to prevent sudden mass migrations into the EU and pressure on the EU's external borders. "This can only be done with the necessary preparedness, while we also need to be cautious about making statements that could encourage additional illegal migration," Hojs was quoted as saying.

Ministry purchases another 37 Oshkosh four-wheeled vehicles

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry signed on 14 September a EUR 33 million deal with the US government on the purchase of another 37 Oshkosh four-wheeled vehicles to be delivered in 2023 and 2024. The deal envisages the purchase of 37 Oshkosh four-wheeled vehicles, 36 weapon stations M153, documents, special tools, maintenance devices and spare parts, technical support and other equipment. It comes after 38 Oshkosh four-wheeled vehicles were delivered to Slovenia in the spring, while in line with changes to the tactical study of a medium infantry battalion group of the Slovenian Armed Forces, another 62 vehicles could be bought in the future.

Slovenia gets maritime spatial plan as first east Med country

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has become the first EU country in eastern Mediterranean to have adopted a maritime spatial plan, a document mandated under an EU directive that introduces comprehensive strategic planning for sustainable development of activities on and along the sea. The document, adopted by the government in mid-July, was presented at a virtual conference. It provides guidance on how to preserve a balance between protecting the sea and the need for economic growth, both at sea, which is owned by the state, and the inshore belt, giving guidelines to local communities on how to define the belt in their local spatial plans.

Covid pass mandate slightly relaxed

LJUBLJANA - The Covid pass mandate was relaxed with the requirement waived for those working from home and those filling up their cars as long as they do not enter the interior of petrol stations. This is under a government decree adopted late on Thursday that comes after sharp criticism of the Covid pass mandate for those working from home, in particular the self-employed. The mandate remains in place for the vast majority of services and all other workplace settings.

Coronavirus infection rate keeps receding

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's daily coronavirus count has declined week-on-week for the fourth straight day as 941 new infections were confirmed on Thursday, down almost 18% from the same day a week ago. The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents was down by three to 645. Data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org shows hospitalisations topped 400, including 104 in intensive care. Five patients died.

Minister says recovered-vaccinated rule could be expanded

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklular said the government would expand the recovered-vaccinated rule to all citizens if the epidemiological situation continues to deteriorate. In line with the proposal, the recovered-vaccinated (PC) rule, meaning omission of testing, would be introduced when two-thirds of ICU beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients. This is about 150 beds. Government data shows 104 Covid patients were in intensive care this morning. The announcement comes a week after the government decided to impose the PC rule for civil servants as of October.

Slovenia Business Bridge discusses investment opportunities

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenia Business Bridge conference discussed investment opportunities in Slovenia, where the need for partnership between the public and private was emphasised. Investments in human resources are also a must as they need to keep up with the constant development in technology and science. The investment and development conference, hosted by AmCham Slovenia, focused on day two on Slovenia's position in biomedicine and biotechnology and Slovenia's creativity to achieve primacy in technological trends.

FlyDubai launches flights between Ljubljana and Dubai

BRNIK - Budget carrier FlyDubai launched scheduled flights between Ljubljana and Dubai in what is a culmination of ten-year efforts by the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport to get a direct link with Dubai. FlyDubai will operate three flights a week to offer the first direct flight connection between Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates. FlyDubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said that because of the Expo Dubai now was a good time to set up new connections. The new route is also seen as important for connectivity with Asia and Oceania.

Youth protesters warning against burning coal, unsustainable traffic

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR ... - Rallies demanding action on climate change were held in at least five towns around Slovenia, with the organisers, the Youth for Climate Justice, this time highlighting the issues of burning coal and unsustainable traffic. They sent their top three demands to national and local decision-makers: the want the authorities to finally acknowledge the climate crisis and start actively solving it; demand that Slovenia stop burning coal by 2030; and they also called for efficient and accessible sustainable mobility.

Tourism reports solid figures for August

LJUBLJANA - Tourism accommodation facilities in Slovenia recorded more than a million arrivals in August as visitors spent almost three million nights there, which is 2% more than in the bumper year of 2019, the Statistics Office said. While the number of domestic guests declined by 15%, foreign tourists generated almost 584,700 arrivals, twice as many as in the same month a year ago.

Deficit for 2020 narrower than originally assessed

LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office corrected the assessment of Slovenia's general government deficit for last year, downgrading it by EUR 250 million compared to the previous assessment to EUR 3.618 billion or 7.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is a correction from the assessment from the end of March of EUR 3.87 billion or 8.4% of GDP for the deficit generated in 2020.

Business sentiment declines in September

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's business sentiment deteriorated in September after a period of improvement, with the indicator now at 4.7 percentage points, down 1.8 points from August. However, it is still up by 8.5 percentage points at the annual level, the Statistics Office said. At the monthly level, a decline was recorded in the consumer confidence sub-indicators in manufacturing and retail, while an improvement was seen in construction and services.

Primary school teacher sacked over Covid non-compliance

MARIBOR - - A teacher from a primary school in Maribor opposing the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule and campaigning against Covid measures has been fired, media reported. The France Rozman - Stane Primary School urged the teacher to get tested for Covid-19 twice and since she did not comply, she was banned from conducting her work and subsequently fired. Firing staff over non compliance with the PCT rule is possible under a government decision adopted at the end of summer.

STA, 24 September 2021 - In 2021, the EU marks the European Year of Rail with a project named Connecting Europe Express - a train that will travel across Europe. On the occasion of its arrival in Ljubljana on Friday, Slovenian officials reiterated the country's commitment to modernise its railway infrastructure.

Among the officials present were Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec, director general of the Slovenian railway company Dušan Mes and European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean, who welcomed the Divača-Koper second track project.

"As a symbolic celebration of the European Year of Rail, we want to emphasise the importance of sustainable mobility, especially railways, which must become the backbone of passenger transport," said Vrtovec in a press statement at the Ljubljana railway station on Friday.

"The state must ensure that railway transport is efficient, fast, economical and comfortable. We still have a lot to do, but we are moving in the right direction.

"We need additional investments in infrastructure, to make it easier for people to choose travelling by train instead of personal vehicles," added Vrtovec.

He highlighted establishing new connections and the renovation of railway lines and stations, and the introduction of cheaper weekend and family tickets.

#ConnectingEurope Express is an excellent opportunity to come together & create much-needed political & social momentum to put rail at the heart of our sustainable, smart & resilient mobility of the future – let’s continue to make the most of it. @AdinaValean in ?? #EUYearofRail pic.twitter.com/kxDaDmNGJJ

— EU Transport (@Transport_EU) September 24, 2021

At the ceremony marking the arrival of the Connecting Europe Express in Ljubljana, Slovenske Železnice CEO Dušan Mes pointed out that rail has always been an important link in the development of Europe and Slovenia.

He added that Slovenia wanted to catch up with Western and Northern Europe in terms of investment in rail infrastructure. In doing so, it will also rely on European funds.

Anne Elisabet Jensen, the European coordinator for the Baltic-Adriatic corridor, stressed that rail plays a key role in the transition to a sustainable transport network.

She also lauded the project that aims to build the second railway line between Divača and Koper.

That was also highlighted by Commissioner Valean, who stressed that the European Commission was looking forward to this Slovenian project.

Visiting the Divača-Koper track construction site with Minister Vrtovec, the commissioner said that being part of the European corridor, it was an important project for Europe.

"It is important to us that the project is built on time," said Valean, adding she was glad to see the work on the project proceeding as it should be.

These projects are important to move into a more sustainable future and strengthen freight and passenger rail transport, she said.

Minister Vrtovec was also happy with the progress of work on the site, and the EU's support for the project, which he said would tackle the bottleneck between Divača and the Koper port.

"All the goods will arrive faster into central Slovenia and on toward countries further inland that are of key importance to the development of the Koper port," he said.

Asked about the involvement of those countries in the project, he said he would always be inviting them to use the potential of the Koper port and the second track in one way or anther.

He said that cooperation with the countries was under way but would have to be stepped up. Most recently he discussed the potential for that in Poland, which he said recognised Luka Koper as a strategic port to supply south Poland.

"Cooperation with Poland and Luka Koper will be strengthened further. We would like them to increase transshipment with Luka Koper as much as possible," he said.

Pavle Hevka, the CEO of the state-run company managing the second track project 2TDK, noted that EUR 247 million in grants had been obtained for the projects, but they planned to bid for EUR 100 million more.

The EU is celebrating the European Year of Rail in 2021 with the Connecting Europe Express, a train that started its journey in Lisbon on 2 September and will conclude it in Paris on 7 October.

With its journey through 26 countries, the train aims to raise awareness about the benefits of rail transport and the challenges still to be overcome. On its path through Slovenia, it is scheduled to stop in Celje and Maribor as well.

Learn more about the project here

STA, 24 September 2021 - The Covid pass mandate has been relaxed starting on Friday, with the requirement waived for those working from home and those filling up their cars as long as they do not enter the interior of petrol stations.

This is under a government decree adopted late last night that comes after sharp criticism of the Covid pass mandate for those working from home, in particular the self-employed.

The mandate remains in place for the vast majority of services and all other workplace settings.

In a related easing of restrictions, the government decided that indoor and outdoor sports practice can be conducted without masks or distancing as long as the participants have a valid Covid pass.

STA, 23 September 2021 - Slovenia has enormous business potential, said participants of a panel held as part of the investment and development conference Slovenia Business Bridge on Thursday, who also called for a leaner state and lower taxes. Minister for Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič said that the digital transformation would be accelerated. 

Slovenia would like to be one of the top five digitally most advanced countries in Europe in less than a decade, which is why it has been implementing an action plan for digital transformation conceived by the strategic council for digitalisation, Andrijanič said.

"In the next couple of years, we will present cutting-edge digital services in healthcare, education and public administration. We will work to improve the business environment for technological and other companies, and invest more in technological research and development," he said.

Among new solutions he listed an e-ID card for citizens, a mobile app for key government services, telemedicine, e-construction permits and e-notary services.

Turning to taxes, he said the council proposed simpler taxation of cryptocurrencies and tax incentives for IT experts.

Slovenia plans to open a representation office in Silicon Valley and a centre for Slovenian experts who want to return home from abroad. An international research centre for artificial intelligence is located in Ljubljana.

"And we will also do everything we can to attract as many investments as possible to Slovenia," the minister added.

Business executives, including Atlantic Grupa director general Emil Tedeschi, Outfit 7 co-founder Iza Login and United Group founder Dragan Šolak, agreed that Slovenia was an excellent country to live in and to do business in, praising efforts for sustainability.

However, Šolak was critical of the political intervening in business such was the decision to stop the sale of the company TS Media to United Group as the highest bidder.

He said state services should be cheaper and more effective, and wages less burdened by taxes, which was echoed by Tedeschi.

Tedeshi also highlighted that Slovenia boasted a good location and had virtually no borders with Italy, Austria and Hungary, and that soon it would have no borders with Croatia, when it joins the Schengen zone. He also pointed to the quality of air, food, water, infrastructure and to security.

STA, 23 September 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša attended on Thursday the Demographic Summit in Budapest, which he labelled as one of the most important events in the debate on the future of Europe, as demographics is one of the most important issues in the EU.

He emphasised the importance of the family and said that the EU needed a bolder family policy, the prime minister's office said in a press release.

Janša participated in a panel on family as a key to sustainability alongside his Polish, Czech and Hungarian counterparts Mateusz Morawiecki, Andrej Babiš and Viktor Orban, ex-US Vice President Mike Pence and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

"Due to the negative trends, demography is one of the important issues faced by the entire Europe. There is currently no country in the world that does not depend on demographic issues," the Slovenian prime minister said at the panel.

.@JJansaSDS: Potrebujemo bolj pogumno družinsko politiko. #DemografskiVrh #Budimpešta #Demografija pic.twitter.com/6UzuzXnRFQ

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) September 23, 2021

The European renewal starts in Central Europe!

The Czech, Slovenian, Hungarian and Polish Prime Ministers alongside the Serbian President, signed a declaration, committing to use all available means and resources to help couples have children.

?????????? pic.twitter.com/5MuWPTEkLN

— Visegrad 24 ???????? (@visegrad24) September 23, 2021

Slovenia had a negative natural increase last year, and the same is true for other European countries.

"When trends in the economy are worsening, we immediately hold a lot of crisis meetings. And when we have a demographic crisis, the numbers are bad and this lasts for years or decades, almost no one notices."

Janša stressed that the EU needed a bold family policy, as financial issues, while having an impact on the creation of family, were only a part of the picture.

"We cannot talk only about the economic circumstances for starting a family, because family policies of individual states also affect this," he said, noting that the Covid-19 pandemic had also contributed to the declining birth rates.

Janša argued that young people should be assisted in creating a family, which should be supported as the fundamental cell of society, because "family needs to be in the forefront, as families are the core of a state and string society."

He welcomed the European Commission creating a demography and democracy portfolio and a European commissioner dealing solely with these issues in the current term. "We are still waiting for bold decisions that would put family first," he added.

The Demographic Summit was also attended by Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Janez Cigler Kralj, who participated in a panel on best practice in demography and family policy, the release adds.

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Janša calls for bold family policy at Demographic Summit

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the Demographic Summit in Budapest, which he labelled as one of the most important events in the debate on the future of Europe, as demographics is one of the most important issues in the EU. He emphasised the importance of the family and said that the EU needed a bolder family policy, the prime minister's office said. "Due to the negative trends, demography is one of the important issues faced by the entire Europe. There is currently no country in the world that does not depend on demographic issues," the Slovenian prime minister said at a panel.

Slovenia elected member of IAEA board of governors

VIENNA, Austria/NEW YORK, US - Slovenia was elected a member of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2021-2023. This is the fourth time it has become a member of the board of governors, which the Foreign Ministry considers an important leverage to promote its interests in the IAEA. Foreign Minister Anže Logar told reporters in New York that membership of the board of governors was proof that "we convinced enough member states that we will actively work in the IAEA, which is particularly important in the light of the return to the Iranian nuclear agreement."

Differences remain over alternative fuels infrastructure in EU

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU transport ministers discussed infrastructure for alternative fuels with Slovenia's Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec noting there were quite a few differences between the countries on the issue, but the "essential thing is not to lose the primary momentum and to keep the required level of ambition". "Differences related to national specifics will have to be taken into consideration as well as different starting points of member states," said Vrtovec, highlighting financing as the key issue.

Fiscal Council cautions against politically-motivated spending

LJUBLJANA - As the government prepares to send budget documents for the next two years to parliament, the Fiscal Council warned that the continued existence of exceptional circumstances "should not be used to adopt measures that reflect the final stage of the political cycle". "The existence of extraordinary circumstances in 2022 merely allows a flexibility of fiscal policy to directly address the challenges related to the epidemic, while additional stimulus measures ... are not justified," the council said. This comes as Slovenia is due to hold a regular election next year.

Residential property prices in biggest boom in decade

LJUBLJANA - Residential property prices rose by 4.5% in the second quarter of the year on the quarter before in the most substantial hike in ten years, the Statistics Office said. Data released by for second quarter shows prices of existing homes (apartments and family houses) in the country rising by an average 4.7% on the quarter before; apartment prices were up by 5% as family houses came 4.2% costlier. The value of transactions was the highest on record.

Number of new Covid cases slightly down

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,011 new coronavirus infections were confirmed on Wednesday, down 75 from the day before, as the test positivity rate dropped by two points to 18%, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents was down by one to 648. There were four Covid-19 deaths yesterday. The number of hospitalised Covid patients stands at 391, seven more than yesterday, of whom 102 are in intensive care, three more than yesterday. Infectologist Matjaž Jereb said that an estimated 350-400 Covid-19 patients would require standard hospital care and up to 140 intensive care by end September.

Slovenia only dark red country on latest ECDC map

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The whole of Slovenia is dark red on the latest Covid-19 colour-coded map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Slovenia is the only country or region on the map with such an epidemiological situation. On the map, areas change to dark red when the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents exceeds 500. According to the National Institute of Public Health, the 14-day incidence for the entire Slovenia on Wednesday stood at 648.

Logar meets several colleagues on margins of UN General Assembly

NEW YORK, US - Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar met on Wednesday his counterparts from Armenia, Moldova and Pakistan and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on the sidelines of the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Logar also attended a round table debate on the situation in Afghanistan hosted by the International Peace Institute in cooperation with Denmark. Logar said it had been decided to conduct talks with countries where EU's problems stem from and could "affect our political arena," mainly migrations.

Govt adopts legal basis to tap into EU recovery funds

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed on Wednesday a bill amending the budget implementation act for 2021 and 2022 to create a legal basis for effective use of EU funds for projects included in the recovery and resilience plan. The government adopted the national recovery and resilience plan as a basis to draw EU recovery funds in April. Under the plan, which was endorsed by the European Commission at the beginning of July and by EU member states at the end of July, Slovenia is to get EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 705 million in loans.

Purchase of "flawed" military vehicles to be debated in parliament

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left requested a session of the parliamentary Defence Committee to discuss the purchase of Oshkosh four-wheeled vehicles, which it says are "flawed goods and should be returned to the US". The army took over 38 Oshkosh light tactical vehicles purchased from the US under a government-to-government EUR 26.7 million deal in June, and news portal Necenzurirano reported some vehicles did not pass a road worthiness test and that all the vehicles were shipped without weapons. Defence Minister Matej Tonin said US defence contractor Oshkosh Defence will be asked to remedy all the shortcomings at its expense.

DeSUS executive committee decides against calling party MPs to resign

LJUBLJANA - The executive committee of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) has not endorsed a proposal to call DeSUS MPs to resign. The proposal had been made at a meeting three weeks that discussed the relationship with the party's MPs, who often support the minority government even though the party quit the coalition led in December last year.

Industry wants govt to act on energy prices

LJUBLJANA - Concerned about rising energy prices, Slovenian industry has called on the government to take action. "The state will have to get involved," the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said. Electricity prices have nearly doubled this year whereas gas prices have tripled, which has severely affected energy-intensive industries such as food and chemicals, the GZS said, warning that the price hikes will sooner or later result in higher bills for households.

Mercator returns to profit in H1

LJUBLJANA - Retail group Mercator posted a net profit of EUR 10.6 million in the first half of the year after reporting a loss of EUR 69 million in the same period a year ago due to property revaluation and writedowns. Sales revenue was down 0.4% to EUR 1.1 billion. Releasing the semi-annual results, Mercator said despite the slight decline in sales revenue, the figure is up 3.9% from the comparable pre-Covid period two years ago. Retail sales revenue was down 1.3% compared to the first half of 2020 to EUR 849.8 million, which is still 7.3% higher compared to the first half of 2019.

Textile company Beti up for sale

LJUBLJANA - Beti, a leading European manufacturer of dyed polyamide yarns, is being put up for sale by the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), Slovenia's band bank, along with its debts. In a public invitation for expression of interest published in the newspaper Finance, BAMC says it will sell at least 86.7% of the company and claims against it in a bundle. The owner of the 100% stake in the Metlika-based company is Viktor Kozjan, and the majority creditor is Prodajalec.

Slovenia keeps all Michelin stars as new restaurant joins the pick

LJUBLJANA - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko has kept her two stars in the new edition of the Michelin Guide Slovenia and all five one-starred restaurants kept theirs as Gostišče Grič in Horjul, led by chef Luka Košir, won its first, as the coveted stars, which denote the best dining establishments discovered by Michelin inspectors, were awarded to Slovenian restaurants for the second time. The other one-stared restaurants are Vila Podvin (Uroš Štefelin, Mošnje), Hiša Denk (Gregor Vračko, Zgornja Kungota), Atelje (Jorg Zupan, Ljubljana), Pri Lojzetu (Tomaž Kavčič, Vipava) and Dam (Uroš Fakuč, Nova Gorica).

Civil protection to get EUR 45m in EU funds

GORNJA RADGONA - The Slovenian system of civil protection and disaster relief will receive EUR 25 million for modernisation from the EU recovery and resilience mechanism and another EUR 20 million for the purchase of special equipments to deal with climate change. The funding is expected in the 2021-2027 period. The EUR 20 million will come from cohesion funds that were originally earmarked for other purposes in the 2014-2020 period but have not been spent. Now, they need to be spent by 2023, a panel at the SOBRA defence and security fair was told.

Slovenia donates over 100,000 vaccine doses to Bosnia

LJUBLJANA - The government approved on Wednesday a donation of 100,620 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 for Bosnia-Herzegovina. The donation was approved at a correspondence session with the Health Ministry announcing the donation is meant as Slovenia's humanitarian aid to Bosnia-Herzegovina in coping with the pandemic.

EU sports officials support European sport model

BLED - EU directors-general near-unanimously endorsed the European model of sport at a two-day session that wrapped up in Bled. Luxembourg was the only country to argue that the American model could be replicated in Europe in some respects, like closed competition systems which do not enable promotion from lower to higher leagues. Overall, the possibility of promotion was highlighted as one of the great strengths of competitions in Europe.

EU healthy lifestyle campaign launched

BLED - The European Commission launched the two-year campaign HealthyLifestyle4All coinciding with Slovenian Sports Day. The initiative, also marking the start of the European Week of Sport, is designed to link sport and active lifestyles with health, food and other policies. Marija Gabriel, European commissioner in charge of sport, and Slovenian Minister for Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec signed a committent on encouraging life-long physical activity, which is one of Slovenia's priorities during its EU presidency.

STA, 23 September 2021 - Concerned about rising energy prices, Slovenian industry has called on the government to take action. "The state will have to get involved," the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said on Thursday.

Electricity prices have nearly doubled this year whereas gas prices have tripled, which has severely affected energy-intensive industries such as food and chemicals, the GZS said.

"The fact is that the wave of high prices will sooner or later spill over into household energy prices - before the energy transition even starts."

High energy prices may even lead to production stoppages in some of the most energy-intensive industries and certain companies are already sounding the alarm, said the GZS.

Energy prices topped the agenda of a meeting of EU ministers in Slovenia yesterday. Energy Commissioner Kadri Simons indicated the European Commission was willing to clear certain short-term measures to curb price growth.

STA, 23 September 2021 - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko has kept her two stars in the new edition of the Michelin Guide Slovenia and all five one-starred restaurants kept theirs as Gostišče Grič in Horjul, led by chef Luka Košir, won its first.

The coveted stars, which denote the best dining establishments discovered by Michelin inspectors, were awarded to Slovenian restaurants for the first time last year.

Ana Roš Named Among World's Top 10 Chefs, Maša Salopek World’s Best Pastry Chef

All the winners have kept their ratings; apart from Roš, who kept two stars, five other restaurants kept one each: Vila Podvin (Uroš Štefelin, Mošnje), Hiša Denk (Gregor Vračko, Zgornja Kungota), Atelje (Jorg Zupan, Ljubljana), Pri Lojzetu (Tomaž Kavčič, Vipava) and Dam (Uroš Fakuč, Nova Gorica).

Gostišče Grič became the latest addition with one star, the Slovenian Tourist Board has announced.

In addition, Michelin inspectors have given seven restaurants Bib Gourmand nods for exceptionally good food at modest prices, and 39 establishments have won the Plate Michelin, a designation for fresh ingredients and carefully prepared meals.

In all 53 restaurants have made it to the second edition of the Michelin Guide Slovenia, one more than in last year's edition.

The Bib Gourmand designated restaurants are Gostilna na Gradu, Gostilna Repovž, Jožef, Mahorčič, Rajh and Ruj, which already won the accolade last year, plus TaBar.

The Plate Michelin emblem has been kept by 37 establishments (AS, B-Restaurant, Calypso, Cubo, Dvor Jezeršek, Etna, Galerija Okusov, Gostilna Danilo, Gostilna Francl, Gostilna za Gradom, Gostilna Krištof, Gostilna Vovko, Gredič, Harfa, Hiša Krasna, Hiša Torkla, JB, Kendov Dvorec, Julijana, MAK, Marina, Maxim, Monstera Bistro, Ošterija Debeluh, Otočec Castle, Pavus, Pikol, Rizibizi, Sedem, Separé, Shambala, Sophia, Stara Gostilna, Strelec, Sushimama, Valvas'or, Vander), plus Landerik and Vila Planinka as new additions.

On declaring the winners, Gwendal Poullennec, international director of Michelin Guides, noted the impact of the Covid pandemic on the industry, saying that despite repeated lockdowns Slovenian chefs proved their resilience, determination and inexhaustible talent.

"The selection of restaurants we present today reflects a local culinary scene that is particularly committed to sustainable gastronomy and keeps developing," he said.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said Michelin inspectors must have had a difficult job picking among Slovenia's top chefs.

STA, 23 September 2021 - Residential property prices rose by 4.5% in the second quarter of the year on the quarter before in the most substantial hike in ten years. The value of transactions was the highest on record, official statistics show.

Data released by the Statistics Office for second quarter shows prices of existing homes (apartments and family houses) in the country rising by an average 4.7% on the quarter before; apartment prices were up by 5% as family houses came 4.2% costlier.

Meanwhile, prices of new homes dropped by 0.7% as prices of newly built family houses fell by 8.5% after an 8.6% increase in the first quarter. Prices of newly built flats rose by 2.6%.

The most substantial hike in prices of second-hand flats was recorded in Ljubljana, at 5.4%, with a 4.1% hike recorded in the rest of Slovenia and a 3.9% rise in Maribor.

Year-on-year, prices of all types of residential properties rose by 9.9% on average where again the biggest increase affected second-hand flats, at 11.2%, and second-hand family houses, at 9.3%, with newly built flats going up by 8%.

Newly built family houses came 2.6% cheaper in a year.

The total value of transactions in all types of homes throughout the country was EUR 459 million, about EUR 162 million more than in the previous quarter and the highest value on record.

A total of 3,993 transactions were recorded, the highest number since the second quarter of 2017. The bulk, 3,927 were second-hand properties. The value of those transactions was a record high of EUR 446 million.

See more on this data at SURS