What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 20 May
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill to regulate the situation of displaced Ukrainians and to help Slovenian business cope with the consequences of the war in Ukraine with favourable loans. It is designed to intensify the existing mechanisms of temporary protection and disburden state institutions overwhelmed by displaced Ukrainians.
TURIN, Italy - FM Anže Logar attended a session of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, expressing solidarity with Ukraine in a debate on the CoE's response to the Russian aggression. He stressed that Slovenia condemned the aggression in the strongest terms.
LJUBLJANA - It was reported that Slovenian gas distributor Geoplin has been left empty handed in an open call to apply for an increased capacity of liquefied natural gas terminal on the Croatian island Krk. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec downplayed the gravity of the development, saying one Slovenian distributor was now in talks with the company that won the deal.
LJUBLJANA - The government decided the public interest of producing renewable energy overrides the public interest of nature conservation in the planned Mokrice hydro power station on the river Sava, after its first motion from December 2020 was defeated in court in late 2021. The government said its decision is in line with the court's guidance.
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission approved an additional EUR 277 million in React-EU funds for Slovenia, money that will be used for a number of investments in aged care, healthcare, tourism and education.
CELJE - Srebrna Nit, an association campaigning for dignified old age, presented a bill on voluntary assisted dying, saying it would ensure that no one would have to fear suffering before death. They plan to submit it to parliament with the requisite 5,000 voter signatures to initiate legislative proceedings.
LJUBLJANA - Energy group Petrol reported that its sales revenue in the first quarter of the year more than doubled year-on-year to EUR 1.94 billion, while net profit was up by 17% to EUR 32.4 million. The rise is largely attributed to the incorporation of the Croatian fuel retailer Crodux into the group.
LJUBLJANA - Matej Kavčič, a reporter for the Slovenian independent Radio Student station who was arrested and imprisoned in Iraq a month ago, was released. Kavčič went to Iraq as a freelancer in January to report on the minority group Yezidis.
NOVA GORICA - The foundation stone for a new outdoor, 500-seat amphitheatre was laid in Nova Gorica, aiming to be ready for the city's stint as the European Culture Capital in 2025. The first stage of the project, backed by EUR 2.5 million in state funds, is expected to be finished by next year.
LJUBLJANA - Beekeeper Boštjan Noč, head of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, was honoured with the Golden Bee, an international prize for efforts to protect bees that Slovenia gave out for the second time on this year's World Bee Day.
LJUBLJANA - Comic book artist Izar Lunaček was conferred the French Order of Arts and Letters, receiving the honour for his contribution to the promotion of comic books, popularisation of French culture in Slovenia and strengthening of ties between France and Slovenia this field.
SATURDAY, 21 May
LJUBLJANA - Rating agency Fitch affirmed Slovenia's credit rating at A with a stable outlook, the move being based on a number of Slovenia's advantages, including EU and euro area membership, robust economic growth and strong fiscal support during the Covid pandemic.
OSWIECIM, Poland - On the last day of his visit to Poland, President Borut Pahor visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum to get acquainted with the state of play regarding the renovation of Block 17, where a permanent exhibition on Slovenian internees will be set up.
SUNDAY, 22 May
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted a ceremony to confer state decorations on five deserving individuals to mark 30 years since Slovenia became a member of the UN. Pahor said it was astonishing how quickly Slovenia had managed to carry out democratisation, declare independence, defend its territory and become internationally recognised.
MURSKA SOBOTA - Maribor beat the defending champions Mura 3:1 to claim their 16th national football championship title. They turned things around in the last round and leapfrogged Koper, who played a goalless draw with Bravo. Maribor will now play in the first round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
RAČICE, Czechia - Slovenian kayaker Anja Osterman won a flatwater 200-metre sprint World Cup event after finishing second in the 500-metre event yesterday. Another Slovenian, Špela Ponomarenko Janić, finished third. Slovenia's success was rounded off with kayaker Jošt Zakrajšek's bronze at a 5-kilometre event.
MONDAY, 23 May
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced he would nominate Robert Golob, the head of the election-winning Freedom Movement party, for prime minister-elect after holding consultations with deputy groups.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission recommended Slovenia and all the other EU countries to diversify their imports of fossil fuels and reduce their dependency by increasing the use of renewable sources of energy and strengthening distribution networks.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian corporate sector recorded a strong rebound in 2021, with overall revenue increasing by 24% to EUR 120.3 billion and net profit totalling EUR 5.7 billion, almost double the figure over the year before. The overall net profit reached 4.7%, its highest level since these records began in 2008 measured as a share of overall revenue, data by AJPES showed.
LJUBLJANA - RTV Slovenija staff went on an hour-long strike to reiterate their demands for journalistic and editorial autonomy and an end to politicisation of the public broadcaster. They also demanded decent working conditions, a clear staffing policy and democratic social dialogue.
LJUBLJANA - The Programme Council of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija did not back the proposal to appoint Natalija Gorščak director of TV Slovenija, the broadcaster's TV arm, after she was nominated by director general Andrej Grah Whatmough, who had dismissed Gorščak her from the job in August last year.
LJUBLJANA - Historian Peter Vodopivec received Austria's Grand Decoration for Services for his contribution to the strengthening of the Slovenian-Austrian relations and cooperation between Slovenian and Austrian historians. In 2010, he received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class.
CANNES, France - Love In Plane Sight, a short film by Slovenian arts student Matej Rimanić, won one of the two main prizes of the Tik Tok competition organised at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time this year.
VALENCIA, Spain - Cukrarna, a new gallery in Ljubljana transformed from a dilapidated 19th century sugar factory, won the Baumit company's Life Challenge international architectural competition. The project was selected as the best architectural solution and facade for 2022.
TUESDAY, 24 May
LJUBLJANA - The leaders of the Freedom Movement, Social Democrats and Left signed the coalition agreement, exactly a month since the general election.
LJUBLJANA - The first case of monkeypox was confirmed in Slovenia in a man who arrived from the Canary Islands. A second case was confirmed on the following day. LJUBLJANA - The Celje Higher Court upheld a three-month suspended prison sentence with one year probation against outgoing PM Janez Janša for calling two journalists "washed up prostitutes" in a 2016 tweet.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor signed off on the recalls of five ambassadors and the appointment of three new ambassadors under a proposal made by the government right before the end of its term.
MARIBOR - Police charged Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič with inflicting slight bodily injury on a 13-year-old boy over alleged vandalism, an incident over which the mayor does not plan to resign. Before deciding whether to take up the case, the prosecution will most likely wait for an expert opinion.
MARIBOR - Zdravko Kačič was re-elected rector of the University of Maribor for a second four-year term, having been the only candidate for the post.
WEDNESDAY, 25 May
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly elected Robert Golob prime minister in a 54:30 vote, just over a month after his Freedom Movement won the general election in a landslide on a pledge to thoroughly reform the way politics is done. After being sworn in, Golob submitted his cabinet line-up to parliament, the goal being to have the government in office by early June.
MOSCOW, Russia - The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment about "unjustified unfriendly steps taken in recent months by the Slovenian government" as it issued a statement on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. These steps are aimed at "destroying bilateral ties contrary to the historical logic of their development," it said.
STRASBOURG, France - Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged ending all proceedings against civil society activists who had engaged in peaceful protests in Slovenia, and called for cancelling the penalties involved.
LJUBLJANA - The government decided to include several projects into the existing 2022-2025 plan of development programmes of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in order to make units more operative. Several new training aircraft and a simulator to train pilots in drone technology will be purchased to replace outdated equipment.
LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government adopted a decree determining a methodology for calculating prices of medical devices and equipment which stipulates that the relevant government office captures data on purchase prices from healthcare providers from at least three EU member states.
THURSDAY, 26 May
LJUBLJANA - Ivo Barišič, a member of the SNG Nova Gorica theatre who retired in 2014, is the recipient of this year's Borštnik Ring, the highest accolade for theatre actors in Slovenia. "Utter dedication to acting" is how the Maribor Theatre Festival described Barišič's career.
LJUBLJANA - Author Mateja Gomboc was awarded the Desetnica Prize for best children's or young adult novel by the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) for her novel Balada o Drevesu (The Ballad about a Tree), "a moving story about love and loss".
LJUBLJANA - In its report for 2021, Slovenia's anti-graft watchdog identified issues of integrity, conflict of interest and incompatibility of dual offices as the most problematic, and finds that officials often act against the law or deliberately ignore it.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police briefly detained a Turkmenistan activist travelling with the Russian feminist protest punk rock band Pussy Riot ahead of the group's concert in Ljubljana, before releasing her. Lead singer Maria Alyokhina said her friend had been apprehended based on a 20-year-old Interpol arrest warrant based on false accusations.
