STA, 21 June 2019 - Italian Diego Ulissi (UAE Emirates) won the third stage of Tour of Slovenia on Friday, also taking the overall lead two stages before the end of the race. Ullissi crossed the finish line 12 seconds before Russian Aleksandr Vlasov (Gazprom).

Italian rider Giovanni Visconti (Neri Sottoli - Selle Italia) was the third to cross the finish line of the 170-kilometre stage from Žalec to Idrija, while Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) was the best Slovenian, taking fifth place today and sixth overall.

Ulissi escaped Vlasov two kilometres before the finish after the pair had broken away from the main group in the last climb of the stage. On the descend, they gained a 20-second advantage over the main group.

Stage 3 results
 1 Diego Ulissi (Ita/UAE Emirates)                         3:58:01
 2 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Gazprom-Rusvelo)                   + 0:12
 3 Giovanni Visconti (Ita/Neri Sottoli)                       0:17
 4 Andrea Vendrame (Ita/Androni)
 5 Tadej Pogačar (Slo/UAE Emirates)
 6 Jan Polanc (Slo/UAE Emirates)
 7 Esteban Chaves (Col/Michelton-Scott)
 8 Ben Hermans (Bel/Israel Cycling Academy)          all same time
 9 Fausto Masnada (Ita/Androni)                               0:19
10 Luka Mezgec (Slo/Michelton-Scott)                          2:08
11 Grega Bole (Slo/Bahrain Merida)
...
17 Žiga Ručigaj (Slo/Ljubljana Gusto Santic)
33 Kristjan Hočevar (Slo/Team Slovenia)    all same time

Overall
 1 Diego Ulissi (Ita/UAE Emirates)                        11:38:41
 2 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Gazprom-Rusvelo)                   + 0:19
 3 Andrea Vendrame (Ita/Androni)                              0:26
 4 Giovanni Visconti (Ita/Neri Sottoli)                       0:26
 5 Ben Hermans (Bel/Israel Cycling Academy)                   0:30
 6 Tadej Pogačar (Slo/UAE Emirates)
 7 Jan Polanc (Slo/UAE Emirates)
 8 Esteban Chaves (Col/Michelton-Scott)              all same time
 9 Fausto Masnada (Ita/Androni)                               0:36
10 Luka Mezgec (Slo/Michelton-Scott)                          2:11
11 Grega Bole (Slo/Bahrain-Merida)                            2:15

June 21, 2019

After attending last week's London release of Exploring Extraordinary, a book that explores the history of Rolls Royce and Bentley and also features the work of Mateja Benedetti, the designer's latest venture, Benedetti Life, has now launched both an online store and showroom in Ljubljana.

Online preorders can be made for Benedetti Life's Parrots' Poetry collection, which the firm sees as a way to reduce overstocking and therefore avoid potentially unsold items that then become textile waste.

Starting this Monday, June 26, 2019, customers will also be able to place made-to-measure orders from the collection with a Morro Sartoriale tailor.

The Benedetti Life showroom opening, at Kristalna palača in BTC City, was hosted by the always positive and friendly Manca Košir, the Slovenian author, journalist and environmental activist, and Moda Mi&Lan and Morro Sartoriale label CEO Milan Mörec.

Benedetti Life is a sustainable and animal-free luxury fashion label, founded by the award-winning designer Mateja Benedetti. The Benedetti Life fashion line was created in response to mounting reports on the devastating impact fast fashion has on the environment, animal and human wellbeing.

Mateja Benedetti

Mateja Benedetti, a Slovenia-based fashion designer, started her career as a costume designer for opera houses and theatres, her works being featured all over the world, including Milan, Paris, Los Angeles, Kuwait, and Singapore, among other locations. In 2014, she launched her first sustainable fashion brand and Vogue Italia selected it as one of the TOP 20 most promising eco-friendly clothing brands in the world that same year. In 2017, Mateja made it among the five finalists at the Green Carpet Award, conferred at Teatro alla Scala during Milano Fashion Week. The renowned Suzy Menkes interviewed her for International Vogue in 2017, and Livia Firth selected her apple-skin gown for a Grazia photoshoot, published the same year. In 2018 she received the Positive Luxury and the Big See Awards. Mateja’s work has recently been featured in book Exploring Extraordinary, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the carmakers Rolls Royce and Bentley.

Benedetti Life uses only non-toxic and organically grown textile materials, makes its clothes locally, in line with fair trade and decent workers’ conditions, and guarantees no animals were abused in the process of garment creation, be directly or indirectly through the environmental destruction. By its high ethical standards and constant search for new material and productive solutions Benedetti Life sets the bar as high as it gets. Responsibility driven innovation combined with luxury fashion design results in skin-friendly, timeless creations inspired by life and nature.

Parrots’ Poetry Collection

Each Benedetti Life collection explores an animal species under threat due to the destruction of their natural habitat, hunting and climate change. It aims to celebrate the creatures’ beauty in garments, and raise awareness of the threats and related solutions that would improve their conservation status. Parrots have served as human inspiration and companions since at least Roman times. Today, many of the existing 387 parrot species are endangered, with some on the verge of extinction, due to destruction of their natural habitats and the persistence of illegal trade in wild-caught stock. These include some of the most beautiful and intelligent species, such as the big colourful Arinae from the New World, talking African parrots, cockatoos and the flightless Kakapo of the New Zealand.

Benedetti Life captures the beauty of these birds in its clothes not in cages. In the process maximum concern is placed on protection of the environment and people involved in the manufacturing process.

Wood Stock by Benedetti Life

In collaboration with the Slovenian Wood Stock Eyewear brand, Benedetti Life also presents the Wood Stock by Benedetti Life sunglasses line.

Wood Stock is a name that stands for environmental responsibility and excellence in craftsmanship. Wood Stock’s wooden sunglasses are not only locally produced but handmade by the skilful master Jaka Jančič himself, while high quality lenses are provided by a Slovenian lens producer Alcom.  The frames of Wood Stock sunglasses are made of certified fair-trade wood. Once carved, the frames are then protected with skin friendly citrus oils and beeswax.

Wood Stock by Benedetti Life offers several designs that span from a straight wooden look to rich embellishments of birds, flowers and Swarovski crystals.

Morro Sartoriale

The Morro Sartoriale showroom, which is located in Kristalna palača at BTC City, Ljubljana is an exclusive host of the Benedetti Life showroom, where customers can order made-to-measure Parrots’ Poetry Collection designs with the Mi&Lan tailor every Monday between 8:00 and 11:00 and every Wednesday from 11:00 to 18:00. Bookings can be made by calling 070 669 669 or writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

STA, 21 June 2019 - Slovenian home prices grew at an average rate of 0.8% in the first quarter of the year and were up 8.9% on the year before, a sign that rapid price growth is slowing but at a very sluggish pace, show Statistics Office data released on Friday.

The rates are lower than in previous quarters, when annual prices grew at double-digit rates, as the shortage of housing that has lasted for years after the crisis slowly eases with the arrival of new developments on the market.

The prices of second-hand homes, which account for the vast majority of all transactions, rose by 0.9% over the previous quarter and by 9.9% annually.

Used flats were up 8.9% annually and 1.3% at the quarterly level, while houses were almost a percent cheaper than in the previous quarter, even as their prices surged by 12.4% annually.

The prices of new homes, meanwhile, rose by 6.9% at the annual level and declined by 1% over the previous quarter.

Apartments were 9% more expensive than in the previous quarter, but the prices declined by half a percent year-on-year. House prices were up 3.3% over the previous quarter and a percent more expensive than in the same period last year.

All our stories on real estate in Slovenia are here, while our propert of the week stories are here

STA, 20 June 2019 - Strict restrictions on the use of personal names have been relaxed after the National Assembly passed on Thursday changes to the personal name act that allow citizens to officially have more than two first and two second names. Use of initials and abbreviations in official documents will also be permitted.

According to the government, the restricted number of names proved problematic in practice above all in cases of dual citizens who had to give up some of their names for their entry in the Slovenian civil registry.

Also affected by the changes are divorcees, who will have a year as opposed to six months to change their last name following divorce.

Minors with legal capacity will be allowed to change their name as well, while this will not be possible for those found guilty of a crime and serving their suspended prison sentence on probation.

Related: How Many Franc and Marija Novaks Do You Know?

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also ollow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Abanka sold for EUR 444 million

LJUBLJANA - The state's 100% stake in Abanka, Slovenia's third largest bank, has been sold to NKBM bank for EUR 444 million, Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) said after signing the sale and purchase agreement with the buyer. The transaction is to be completed by the end of the year pending regulatory approval, SSH said, adding that the deal satisfies all of the commitments given by Slovenia to the European Commission with regard to state aid. The SSH added that NKBM had been picked as the best bidder in a competitive process that attracted a wide range of potential financial and strategic investors.

Šarec unfazed as Left threatens to abandon govt

LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prompted by the government's failure to step in to prevent the sale of Abanka, the opposition Left announced it would reassess its partnership with the Marjan Šarec minority government and decide in July whether to carry on with it. In response, Šarec rejected claims that the government was passive in preventing the privatisation of Abanka and dared the Left to bring down his government by withholding its support. The Left cited several reasons for dissatisfaction apart Abanka.

Šarec proposes distributing EU posts before talking names

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Arriving for the EU summit discussing appointments of senior EU officials, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said it would be best to first distribute the posts among the political groups and only then discuss names. "Given that there are a lot of us, each with their own agenda, the task at hand is a complicated one," said Šarec, whose party is part of the ALDE group, would not say outright whether he would vote against the EPP Spitzenkandidat Manfred Weber for European Commission president.

Slovenia countering all allegations in ECB files suit

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a position on the European Commission's lawsuit against Slovenia over the seizure of 2013 bank bailout documents, deciding to refute all the allegations made by the Commission in response to the suit. The main sticking point is the interpretation of the concept of EU or ECB archives, with the Commission alleging that Slovenia breached inviolability of ECB archives when police seized documents from the Slovenian central bank in 2016 as part of an an investigation into the causes of the late-2013 bailout of the Slovenian banking system.

C-bank asks corruption watchdog to investigate vice governor

LJUBLJANA - Banka Slovenije asked the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption to investigate Marko Bošnjak, a vice governor at Slovenia's central bank, after he was recently accused of tax evasion. Private news portal Požareport reported in May that Bošnjak had not paid tax from the rent he gets for his flat in Ljubljana, which the central bank official denied. Since it lacks powers to obtain documents from the Tax Administration, the central bank now asked the commission to investigate the case.

Army in spotlight as interpretations clash on political podium

LJUBLJANA - The situation in the Slovenian Armed Forces remained in the spotlight as the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission continued investigating the recent dismissal of the force commander amidst accusations it was abusing its powers to undermine the defence minister. The commission talked to the director of the army's intelligence service, Dejan Matijevič, as well as the chief of the general staff, Maj-Gen Alenka Ermenc. Both were tight-lipped after the session, but the commission's deputy chair, Democrat (SDS) deputy Žan Mahnič, said the hearing confirmed the intel service had been abused.

Migrants support and integration office gets new director

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Katarina Štrukelj new acting director of the government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. Štrukelj, appointed as the call procedure for a new director is still ongoing, is the third head of the office since its inception in 2017. Štrukelj is replacing Dušan Lužar, who was appointed acting director six months ago after the dismissal of Mojca Špec Potočar. Štrukelj has been working at the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants since 2007.

Social integration events marking World Refugee Day

LJUBLJANA - A number of cultural and sports events is taking place around the country to mark World Refugee Day as part of a project which strives to raise awareness about refugees, migrants and persons with international protection as well as increase the level of tolerance towards them in society. The three-year project is aimed at creating sustainable communities and tackling the issues of refugees. Some 7,450 persons have applied for asylum in Slovenia since 2015, over 1,500 of them this year.

Govt opposes latest attempt to bail out Swiss franc borrowers

LJUBLJANA - The government rejected the latest attempt to help several thousand people who took out mortgages in Swiss francs and ran into trouble when the Swiss central bank stopped protecting the value of the currency in 2015. It said the bill, drafted by the upper chamber of parliament, was not suitable. The government said existing avenues should be used to tackle the issue first, while any systemic interference in civil-law contracts should be minimal.

Airport operator ready should Adria Airways go bankrupt

LJUBLJANA - In the face of mounting problems at Adria Airways, Fraport Slovenija, the operator of Ljubljana airport, said it was ready for a potential worst-case scenario. "Although we cannot provide specific answers, Fraport Slovenija has a plan ready for replacement transport, should it lose its largest business partner," the company said. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority said it had already received 134 complaints against the carrier this year over violations of EU rules on passenger rights.

Fresh contracts awarded for works on Divača-Koper rail

LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the company managing the construction of the new rail track between Divača and Koper has awarded several smaller contracts for design and engineering works as it gears up for the biggest contracts on the EUR 1 billion-plus project. Slovenian engineering companies ELEA iC, SŽ-Projektivno podjetje Ljubljana and IRGO Consulting won a EUR 17.5 million contract for 3D renders for the project, while Markomark Nival, Nival Invest and Ekorel will build a bridge traversing the Glinščica Valley for EUR 8 million.

A non-executive director of bad bank replaced

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Spaniard Juan Barba Silvela as one of the four non-executive directors of Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) at his wish, replacing him with the Slovenian Aleksander Lozej. Lozej has been holding senior positions in several companies in the western region of Primorska, including serving nine years on the management board of the subsidiary of Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo. He will assume the post of BAMC non-executive director on 21 June.

Slovenia's consumer confidence given a boost

LJUBLJANA - After growing pessimism among Slovenian consumers in the first few months of the year, the consumer confidence index rose in June, mainly because of upbeat expectations for savings and household finances. The sentiment index increased by two percentage points from the month before to 15 points above the long-term average. However, it was down 6 points year-on-year, the Statistics Office reported.

Changes to primary school funding pass first reading

LJUBLJANA - MPs sent the government-sponsored changes to primary schools funding into second reading in a 44:29 vote, with the debate showing that only coalition parties supported the changes, some of them under certain conditions. The controversial changes to the law on the financing of education mandate full rather than just 85% state funding, as is the case now, which the Constitutional Court found discriminatory in 2014. The MPs also voted down opposition-sponsored changes tightening asylum legislation.

Govt tweaks equal opportunities act

LJUBLJANA - The government proposed legislative changes meant to increase the number of state and local government bodies and other public entities that actually meet the desired minimum 40% representation of women. The government highlighted data showing women remain highly underrepresented in high-powered positions. The amendments to the act on equal opportunities for women and men would allow greater equality in the representation of women and men also at the local level.

Survey shows more acceptance toward LGBT persons

LJUBLJANA - Social distance toward LGBT persons in Slovenia has decreased significantly, according to a survey looking into the general attitude of the Slovenian society toward LGBT people and violence. Most people recognise that crimes against LGBT persons are unacceptable, as is exclusion from society. The survey showed that more than 40% of respondents would be comfortable living next door to LGBT persons. About 50% would probably intervene if an LGBT person was pushed and slapped on the street by a stranger.

Ex-NLB execs get suspended sentences for dubious loan

LJUBLJANA - In a retrial following an initial aquittal in 2016, the Ljubljana District Court found three former senior officials of the NLB bank guilty of abuse of office in relation to a contentious home loan to a former prime minister aide. The former chairman of Slovenia's largest bank Draško Veselinovič and former board members Matej Narat and Miran Vičič each received suspended prison sentences of six months for approving a EUR 770,000 loan to Simona Dimic, an aide to then PM Borut Pahor, in 2009.

Doctor gets suspended sentence for corruption

LJUBLJANA - Radiologist Zoran Milošević, the chief defendant in the biggest health corruption case in Slovenia's history, was found guilty in a separate bribery trial. The head of the emergency neuroradiology unit at the UKC Ljubljana hospital was sentenced to a ten month suspended sentence for accepting a EUR 7,200 bribe from medical supplier Animus in 2008. The verdict is not final yet. The case becomes statute-barred in September. The trial in the EUR 1.18m corruption case is to begin in autumn.

Slovenian Red Cross gets new president

DEBELI RTIČ - The Slovenian Red Cross, which is in significant debt and has faced a long crisis of leadership, got a new president as Vesna Mikuž, a former head of the Nova Gorica city administration, beat Mitja Bervar, former upper chamber president, in a 34:21 vote. Secretary general Cvetka Tomin expressed optimism, saying "we need to learn to say things as they are, stand by our words and respect our basic principles". Mikuž is succeeding Alojz Kovačič, who took over as an interim head after Dušan Keber resigned halfway through his term in July 2018.

Mezgec wins 2nd stage of Tour of Slovenia

CELJE - Slovenian Mitchelton-Scott rider Luka Mezgec won the second stage of Tour of Slovenia ahead of fellow countryman Grega Bole from Bahrain Merida to the delight of fans gathered at the finish line in Celje. Italian Andreo Vendrame of Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec came in third. Mezgec took the overall lead from German Pascal Ackermann. Bole is second overall, 4 seconds behind Mezgec. Tomorrow, the rides will take a 170 kilometre stage between Žalec and Idrija.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

STA, 20 June 2019 - Slovenian Luka Mezgec of Mitchelton-Scott won the second stage of Tour of Slovenia on Thursday. Fans at the finish line in Celje were delighted to see that the second place also went to a Slovenian, Grega Bole of Bahrain Merida. Italian Andreo Vendrame of Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec came in third.

Mezgec emerged as the best rider in a long sprint today, taking the overall lead from German Pascal Ackermann, who won the first stage yesterday. Bole is second overall, 4 seconds behind Mezgec.

"It really was an interesting stage with a very demanding finish. The climb to Celjska Koča is hard. I knew I needed to perform the best I can," Mezgec said after the race.

It seemed that the 146-kilometre stage will be decided by a group of leaders but the pursuing group, including Mezgec, Bole and Slovenia's Tadej Pogačer and Jan Polanc (both UAE Emirates), caught up with them only a couple hundred metres before the finish line.

Pogačar crossed the finish line as ninth and Polanc was twelfth.

Tomorrow, the cyclists are in for a 170 kilometre stage between Žalec and Idrija, which will expectedly produce the likely names battling for the overall win. The last stage will take place on Sunday.

Mezgec's victory today was the 52nd time that a Slovenian has won a stage of Tour of Slovenia, which was first staged in 1993.

Meanwhile, last year's Tour of Slovenia winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who was third in Giro d'Italia this year, announced on Twitter last night that his partner Lora Klinc had given birth, posting a picture of him holding the newborn.

This Saturday, 22 June (2019) is the 8^th annual Day of Japan (Japonske Dan) in Ljubljana, organized by Genki Center and the Embassy of Japan in Slovenia. We got in touch with Maja Rome, of the Genki Center, and learned more about her work, the Center, and the day itself.

What's your association with Japan?

I am a Japanologist and a sociologist of culture, graduate of the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana and also studied at Joshi daigaku in Tokyo, Japan. I am a founder and a CEO of Genki Center, and also a president for the organisation behind the Day of Japan event. As a professional in the fields of Japanese culture and language, and a passionate learner of the culture and its language, I carry with me strong passion to promote Japanese culture to Slovenian people. Since it’s very rich in its history, folklore and heritage, many new areas of interest can be found in this island nation.

What is Genki Center?

It’s the first private Japanese educational and cultural centre in Slovenia. We specialize in this area and provide Slovenian people with different kinds of support regarding this culture and language. Our primary activity is teaching Japanese, we have a team of Japanologists and also a native speaker who is a professor of Japanese. We strive for a modern techniques of teaching and provide a very high quality way of learning the language and culture. Together with our clients we create a strong community of people who have the same interests. That is why we are not a language school, but a community of people, organizations and interest groups brought and kept together with the same aim of exploring different aspects of Japanese culture and language.

As part of this work we provide support for companies, advising them on business ethics and language norms, as well as Japanese business relations. We also offer various events, workshops and lectures to teach Slovenian people about Japanese culture, with some children. For example, we have been organizing Japanese summer camps and different Japanese themed events.

This Saturday, June 22 (2019) is the Day of Japan. How did that start?

This year will be the 8th Day of Japan festival, which has two organizers. The first is Genki Center as initial idea provider and organizer, and the second is the Embassy of Japan in Slovenia, which has co-organized the event for the last seven years.

The idea for the event came after my first small event in Kranj, with the opening of Kranj's new library in 2011. After the success of the “Japanese Evening” my college and I planned to organize our first event at lake Zbilje with the help of local tourist organization. That was in 2012, with the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Slovenia were taking place, and so we invited the staff at the Embassy of Japan in Slovenia, and a sakura tree as planted to mark the event. After that the Embassy invited me to continue organizing the event with them, and we have been working together successfully ever since.

It may only be one day, but it’s a lot of work. The organization takes about half a year to plan, and every year with the help of volunteers we build an event site from scratch and also tear it down once it is finished.

The idea is to bring together the many people in Slovenia who are somehow connected with Japanese culture in a daily life, and also companies and individuals. And it’s not just about showing Japan to Slovenians, but also a way for Japanese people living in Slovenia to feel a part of the community and share their culture with others.

The Day of Japan is a single day event where we strive to bring together as many different aspects of Japanese culture in the same place, at the same time, and a way for people to basically visit the country without leaving Ljubljana. In a single location [the Metelkova museum quarter] we have more than 80 activities, 50 stands, two stages and one lecture hall where we cover many different cultural aspects of Japan – the language, arts, sports, food, crafts and stores. We want to offer as many quality services, products and activities as we can find in Slovenia that are related to Japanese culture. We’ve also invited some guests from Japan, who are willing to enrich the event. This year there are more than 250 participants who are making it all possible, along with more than 30 volunteers.

As well as the Embassy of Japan, the event gets a lot of support from companies, and this year there’ll be something from Toyota, Sony, Turkish Airlines (who will be giving away two plane tickets to Japan), BTC City will be there its Society 5.0 project, along with people from the Olympic Games committee and the Paralympic Games committee, who will have a special Olympics corner.

What can people expect to find there?

Among activities we are offering are many martial arts, such as karate, aikido, kyudo, ninjutsu, iaido and kendo, and judo. We also have many artists, young ones who are specializing in Japanese anime and manga, and they will provide us with unique artwork. There will be traditional crafts, too, like ceramics, wooden lacquer, kanzashi and tamari balls. Also in the spiritual area we have zen gong meditation, reiki, and we used to have shiatsu. There will be bonsai, ikebana and Japanese calligraphy, and for younger people there’s a manga corner and cosplay.

For food, we have a sweets corner and food corner, with quite nice variety of Japanese different dishes. The people preparing the Japanese food are trying to stick to the original taste, which is quite difficult to do in Slovenia with regard to finding high quality ingredients. We’ll have a school for Japanese language, Japanese literature, books and travelling to Japan. Every year we also have a children’s corner with many Japanese arts to them to enjoy.

Beyond that, in the lecture room of the Ethnographical Museum of Slovenia we have a photo exhibition, a lecture on traveling to Japan, and workshops for ikebana and calligraphy. On the main stage we have a concert of Trio Tenorjev [Three Tenors], traditional buyo dance, and Japanese pop songs, as well as much using a koto, a traditional instrument.

One very special thing will be a portable shrine brought from Kasuga jinja, close to Yokohama, carrying many Japanese deities in order to bless the area with good fortune and luck. It should be a great event. Last year we had more than 3,500 visitors, and hopefully this year the number will be even greater.

You can find the schedule for the Day of Japan (Dan Japonske) here, and follow Genki Center at its website or on Facebook. The event takes place in the museuem quarter of Metelkova, shown on the map below.

STA, 20 June 2019 - As problems surrounding airline Adria Airways seem to be mounting, Fraport Slovenija, the operator of Ljubljana international airport, says it is ready for a potential worst-case scenario at its main client.

"Although we cannot provide specific answers, we can say Fraport Slovenija has a plan ready for replacement transport, should it lose its largest business partner," the company said on Thursday, describing its business relationship with Adria as fair.

Fraport noted there was demand for certain air routes, which bodes well for keeping the routes which are potentially profitable.

Slovenia's profile in foreign markets is growing and there is more interest in visiting Slovenia, so the need for launching new or additional air links also grows.

The Brnik-based company also stressed it believed in the potential of Slovenia's air transport market, which can be seen from its many infrastructure investments.

Fraport told news portal Siol.si that attracting (new) airlines is "a very demanding and time-consuming process which usually takes up to two years".

This is even more so if a small market such as the two-million Slovenian one is in question.

Slovenia's main airport offers scheduled flights to 27 cities in 20 countries on board 12 regular airlines, which translates into more than 260 scheduled flights a week.

In summer, Adria, which has recently cancelled several flights and had some liquidity problems in the past, connects Ljubljana with 16 cities on direct routes.

Adria, which the Slovenian government sold to German fund K4 in 2016, carries 52% of all passengers travelling via Ljubljana airport, according to Fraport.

A rise in customer complaints at Adria

STA, 20 June 2019 - With mounting flight cancellations and delays, Adria Airways has been in the spotlight in recent weeks as passengers left stranded aired their grievances on social media. The Civil Aviation Authority said it had already received 134 complaints against the carrier so far this year over violations of EU rules on passenger rights.

The complaints related to Adria account for the bulk of the 208 complaints received so far this year, the agency told the STA.

Adria was also the main target of complaints last year and accounted for nearly 90% of all fines issued, its fines totalling roughly EUR 35,500.

Overall, the number of complaints the agency has received has been rising, from 149 in 2017 to 337 last year and 208 so far this year.

Given the trend, the number is set to rise further this year, but the agency says Adria is not the only airline to blame.

The number of flights and passengers has surged in recent years, with the number of violations of passenger rights rising accordingly.

STA, 20 June 2019 - Dissatisfied with the cooperation with the Marjan Šarec minority government, the opposition Left (Levica) has started questioning the partnership. Coordinator Luka Mesec said on Thursday that the things had gotten stuck and that the party's council would decide in July whether to carry on with the cooperation.

"When it comes to cooperating with the government, we are dissatisfied," Mesec, who is also an MP, told the press, noting that the party had wanted to carry out before the summer at least four of the projects agreed on with the government.

"These are changes to the health services act with which we want to prevent privatisation of healthcare from the inside, indexation of the minimum hourly rate for students with the minimum wage, regulation of real estate agencies, and transfer of apartments from the Bank Assets Management Company (DUTB) to the national Housing Fund."

Mesec said that the Left had held a meeting with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec two weeks ago to express the wish that at least these projects were implemented before the summer, but "nothing has been happening in these fields."

He said that he will thus "put forward to bodies of the Left to debate the question of whether it makes sense to continue cooperating with the government of Marjan Šarec."

According to Mesec, the debate will be concluded at the party's council, which will take a decision on what to do next after the end of the July session.

The last straw for the Left was obviously the decision of Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) to sell the country's last major state-owned bank, Abanka to US fund Apollo, on Wednesday.

The party said in its first response that the sale should have been prevented and that it exposed Slovenia to a development risk.

Mesec was critical today of the government's non-action regarding the sale. "The two remaining systemic banks in state ownership, Abanka and NLB, have been sold in recent months. The biggest problem is that in both cases, the government did not even try to stop the forced procedures."

Not even once did Marjan Šarec as the prime minister call on the government as the sole shareholder of the SSH to intervene in the sale procedures, which were forced by the European Commission."

According to Mesec, the Left sees the government leaning towards the right lately, which could be concluded from a draft income tax reform prepared by Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj.

"Despite agreeing ... that we will go for a just tax reform, we are actually again getting a tax reform which will relieve the best paid persons the most and create a huge hole in the budget," he said.

STA, 17 June 2019 - The auditing firm which checked the financials of Slovenian carrier Adria Airways for last year is in the spotlight on suspicion that Adria's financial statements do not accurately reflect its financial state, news portal Siol reported on Monday.

The Slovenian Agency for Public Oversight of Auditing is looking into the work of the Slovenian branch of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which audited Adria, to determine whether it has done its job, according to Siol.

The credibility of Adria's balance sheet is one of the preconditions for its air operator certificate. If Adria were to lose it, it would have to ground its aircraft, Siol says.

"We've been informed about the audit and we do not see any problems. We're convinced our auditors have conducted a fair and professional audit of our financial statements," Adria said.

Siol speculates the check will look into several transactions involving the Adria brand, which was first sold to a mailbox company and later bought back as a capital injection to shore up the firm's capital base.

The company the brand was sold to is believed to be tightly connected with 4K Invest, the private equity fund which owns Adria.

The Agency for Public Oversight of Auditing has initiated proceedings at the request of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The news is the latest sign of problems at the beleaguered carrier, which has been in the media spotlight for months due to numerous cancellations and mergers of flights that have extended short-haul flights by hours.

Adria has claimed the ongoing disruptions are a result of technical and operational reasons and pledged to stabilise operations by the beginning of July.

Siol claims the cancellations are a result of technical issues with aircraft and lack of flight crews exacerbated by the airline's financial problems.

The airline had similar problems last summer and pledged to sort things out by this summer.

Adria's woes and the possibility of it going bust have raised concerns about Slovenia's air traffic connections and even given rise to calls that a renationalisation should be undertaken.

Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek said today state aid was out of the question since the carrier had received aid less than ten years ago, but she indicated the government was working on a contingency plan.

In the event Adria can no longer connect Ljubljana with European capitals, the government is exploring incentives for certain routes that are key for the state. "This is all the state can currently do," according to Bratušek.