Ljubljana related

30 Jul 2022, 08:00 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Annual inflation rate hits 11%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate accelerated to 11% in July, up 0.6 percentage points from the month before, driven mostly by high prices of petroleum products, data from the Statistics Office shows. It is the highest annual inflation rate since August 1995. Higher prices of petroleum products contributed as much as 2.1 percentage points to the annual inflation rate as well as half a point to the monthly inflation rate of 1%. Another 2 percentage points were added to inflation by a 13.5% hike in food prices, and a 30.4% increase in electricity prices contributed 1.1 points. Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, an EU gauge, the annual growth of consumer prices was 11.7% and the monthly growth was 0.9%.

Govt measures to affect inflation in September, PM says

LJUBLJANA - Government measures designed to mitigate the effects of rising cost of living should start showing their effect on inflation in September, Prime Minister Robert Golob commented on Friday, after the Statistics Office said the country's annual inflation rate accelerated to 11% in July. Golob said that inflation would likely be even higher in August, adding that the government hoped to keep inflation at 10% or lower.

Court blocks Mokrice hydropower plant project

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court decreed that the planned Mokrice hydropower station on the river Sava cannot get a building permit until it has ruled on legal action brought against the project by the Slovenian Native Fish Society. Announcing the decision, the society said it was important because it blocked the investors' plan to obtain a partial building permit from the Ministry and Spatial Planning and start with the plant's construction despite their legal challenge. Mokrice, located near the border with Croatia, is the last hydro plant to be built on the lower Sava, four having already been completed as part of a project started 16 years ago. Under initial plans the Mokrice plant was slated for completion as early as 2018.

Govt to strengthen cooperation with NGOs

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob and Public Administration Minister Sanja Ajanović Hovnik met with representatives of some dozen NGOs for the second time to discuss current issues. The government is keen to include NGOs into the decision-making process, Golob said after the meeting. Representatives of some NGOs expressed their discontent with the government's decision not to include them in discussions on measures aimed at reducing the cost of living amidst price hikes.

Golob calls serial referendum initiatives abuse of law

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob has responded to the third referendum initiative brought by the biggest opposition party by arguing referendum legislation is being abused to block the executive and legislative branches of power. "Such tactics can have a counterproductive effect, especially in the run-up to elections," Golob said on Friday, a day after the Democrats (SDS) filed their third referendum initiative. He said the referenda would be held on the same day, regardless of how many more were to be called, because they would not let one party cause excessive costs to the state through its ill-judged policies.

Minister: High time politics no longer played a role in judge appointments

Ljubljana, 29 July - Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan said in an interview for the STA she will not approach changes in the judiciary haphazardly, but wants to see well-thought-out solutions under a broad consensus, while noting it was high time politics no longer played a role in judicial appointment procedures. The minister would like to see a broad consensus among experts and politicians, as well as politics retreating from the appointment of judges, but she does not support hasty or reckless solutions in reforming the judicial network. Lengthy court proceedings are another bane of Slovenia's judiciary, whose reputation is being damaged. The minister believes that the reasons for this are many and cannot be attributed to judges alone.

Minority seeks permanent seat in Italian parliament

LJUBNO OB SAVINJI - Slovenian minority officials pledged to work to secure a permanent seat for the minority in the Italian parliament as the Office for Slovenians Abroad hosted a debate on the issue today. This comes amid concerns that the Slovenian minority in Italy could end up without its representative in the Italian parliament following the 25 September snap election. The election will be held after the electoral law has been amended to reduce the number of seats in both houses of parliament, including from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, where most ethnic Slovenians live.

Threats reason for ombudsman getting security protection

LJUBLJANA - The government has included the country's human rights ombudsman among officials who are provided with security protection by the police. The ombudsman had so far not been listed in the police security protection regulation, but his office suggested a while ago the Interior Ministry consider including the ombudsman as one of the officials eligible for level 4 of security protection. The office "is an independent body, ranked seventh in the diplomatic hierarchy, whose position is quite similar to that of the president of the Constitutional Court," the office told the STA. The ombudsman's office sought the security also because Ombudsman Peter Svetina has often been target of threats over the past two years.

Survey unemployment rate slightly down to 3.8% in June

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's ILO-compatible survey unemployment rate was at 3.8% in June, down by 0.1 of a percentage point on May and 0.6 of a percentage point year-on-year, the Statistics Office reported on Friday. Its estimates show there were some 39,000 unemployed people in Slovenia last month. The share of men among the unemployed aged 15-74 in June equalled that of women. The survey unemployment rate stood at 3.5% for men and 4.2% for women, dropping by 0.2 of a percentage point for the former.

Daily coronavirus count down 8% week-on-week, two patients die

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,484 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Thursday in what is an decrease of almost 8% compared to the same day a week ago. Two patients with Covid-19 died yesterday, shows data from the Health Ministry. The number of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 as their primary condition is exactly 100, of whom 14 are in intensive care, which is 22 and six more on a weekly basis, respectively. Data from the National Institute of Public Health puts the 7-day average of new daily cases to 1,645, down by 18 over the day before, while the 14-incidence rate per 100,000 people dropped by five to 1,076.

Mediana poll shows people not very concerned about coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - A July opinion poll by Mediana has found that concern among residents of Slovenia is not growing despite an increase in the number of newly-detected coronavirus infections. Around 39% of the respondents are worried about the Covid-19 epidemic in July, which is actually 0.7 of a percentage point less than in June. Some 28% of the people polled think that other countries are coping with Covid better than Slovenia. While the difference compared to June is not significant, the proportion of respondents with such an opinion has been declining since March (39%). The proportion of respondents who say that the Covid-19 epidemic has helped them appreciate more what they have has been declining since May, when it stood at 52%, compared to 47% in the July poll.

Slovenia confirms 35 monkeypox cases so far

LJUBLJANA - A total of 35 cases of monkeypox have so far been confirmed in Slovenia since the first case was reported in late May, according to the National Institute of Public Health. The institute's data shows just over one third of the cases were individuals who got infected abroad - in Spain, Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina - and a good third got infected in Slovenia. The source of infection for the other cases could not have been determined. The first case in Slovenia was confirmed on 24 May in a man who returned from the Canary Islands, with the second case confirmed a day later in a person who had been to Spain as well.

Some fish species endangered due to low water levels, heat

LJUBLJANA - Fish in Slovenian rivers are generally doing well, but certain species are highly affected by low water levels and overheating and some areas have seen fish kills in recent weeks. Water levels are extremely low in the Primorska and Notranjska regions, including Lake Cerknica, as well as in the Savinja and most small tributaries of large rivers. Particularly threatened are species of the Salmonidae family, such as brown trout, grayling and Danube salmon, as well as certain warm-blooded species in areas where there is a lack of water or oxygen, the Slovenian Fishermen's Association has told the STA.

Industrial fire in Kranj causes EUR 100,000 in damage

KRANJ - A fire that broke out at the Blisk foundry on the outskirts of Kranj on Thursday evening has caused damage worth EUR 100,000 according to a police estimate, while nobody was injured. Kranj police said today that no impact on the environment could be identified, while an environmental NGO urged a thorough investigation. The Kranj Police Department said in a press release the cause of the fire appeared to be a glitch in the electrical wiring.

All three Slovenian clubs out of UEFA Europa Conference League

LJUBLJANA - It was a devastating Thursday evening for Slovenian clubs in the UEFA Europa Conference League, the third-tier European club football competition, as Olimpija, Koper and Mura were all eliminated in the second qualifying round by their respective opponents. The national champions Maribor thus remain the only Slovenian representative in the European competitions even though they were eliminated from the Champions League qualifying this week by FC Sheriff of Moldova. Maribor were relegated to the third qualifying round of the second-tier UEFA Europa League, where they will play HJK Helsinki on 4 and 11 August.

Double exhibition opening at Maribor Art Gallery

MARIBOR - A double exhibition will open today at the Maribor Art Gallery (UGM) Studio. A cross-generational selection of artists mainly from Central Europe will be showcased on the ground floor, while on the lower ground floor Roma artist Mara Oláh from Hungary will be presented. The international group exhibition dubbed An Eclectic Attempt to Complete the Torso in My Head showcases representations of the body through different media, somewhere in-between folklore punk and new materialism. The lower ground floor is meanwhile dedicated to a single artist - the first solo exhibition of Omara (Mara Oláh) in Slovenia.

29 Jul 2022, 04:23 AM

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Fajon announces additional aid to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon briefed the government on the situation in Ukraine following her trip to Kyiv yesterday. She said that after five months of war the Ukrainians were exhausted and frightened, and announced a debate in the coming days at the government level about an additional package of aid for the country. Including aid from NGOs, Slovenia has so far donated almost EUR 9 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

UN adopts environmental resolution co-sponsored by Slovenia

NEW YORK, UN - The UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution declaring access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment a universal human right. The resolution was proposed by a group of countries, with Slovenia playing a significant role. "The resolution is a key milestone for the entire international community in connecting environment and human rights, thus strengthening hope for new generations," Slovenia's Ambassador to the UN Boštjan Malovrh said.

VAT on energy products reduced from 1 September

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill to reduce VAT on energy products for all consumers from 22% to 9.5%. The lower rate will apply for the heating season, from 1 September to 31 May next year. VAT is to be reduced on supplies of electricity, natural gas, firewood and district heating. The lower VAT will result in a roughly EUR 130 million shortfall in the state budget, some EUR 40 million less this year and EUR 90 million less next year, Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič said.

Solkan hydro plant shuts down due to drought

NOVA GORICA - The Solkan Hydropower Plant has been temporarily shut down due to extremely low flow of the Soča river caused by prolonged drought. The last time this happened was in 2003. The plant's operator, SENG, said the river's average flow was so low that it did not allow for the turbines to operate safely. The parent company HSE said the SENG had realised only 54% of the planned output in the first half of the year. The situation is similar at power plants on the Drava and Sava.

Slovenia to ask for EU solidarity aid over fire

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will seek aid from the EU Solidarity Fund in the wake of wildfires that have ravaged the western region of Kras. The government tasked the Ministry of Defence to draw up a damage assessment report, which State Secretary Damir Črnčec expects to be ready by mid-September. The country can ask for EU aid provided the damage amounts to at least EUR 279 million. The ministry will also draw up legislative amendments to secure payments to firefighters and measures to improve fire security.

Fires in Kras under control, firefighters on stand by

KOMEN - The fires in the western region of Kras were brought under control during the night. However, as the flames on the Italian side of the border still pose a threat and Slovenian firefighters are helping out there now. The risk is that the winds will turn in the afternoon and spread the fire to the Slovenian side, like they did last week. "We are kind of seeing the story from the first days repeating when the fire jumped to the Slovenian side and posed a threat," civil protection official Ervin Čurlič said.

Unexploded ordnance still significant risk after fire

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - The wildfire that raged across Kras in the past two weeks proved to be extraordinarily challenging because the area is littered with thousands of explosive devices from World War I, which may detonate when subjected to extreme heat. More than 500 devices went off during the fire which has since been extinguished, but the area remains dangerous. The UXO unit has only just started their work of removing the unexploded ordnance and found over 250 devices weighing a total of 1.4 tonnes.

Minority in Italy fears losing representative in parliament

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of the Slovenian minority in Italy will be meeting officials from the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad on Friday to discuss the risk that the minority may not have its representative in the Italian parliament for the first time in 60 years after the 25 September early election in Italy. The early election will be held under the new law which reduces the overall number of deputies and senators, including from Friuli Venezia Giulia region, which is home to the minority.

SDS proposes yet another referendum

LJUBLJANA - After filing for referenda challenging the new laws on the government and the public broadcaster, the opposition Democrats (SDS) initiated procedures for a referendum a law delaying the implementation of the long-term care act, which was passed under the previous government. The SDS argues the delay by a year would hurt the elderly, but the Labour Ministry said it was needed to sort out the financing. The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) is yet to decide whether support the referendum bid.

Changes made to security protection of officials

LJUBLJANA - The government amended the police security protection regulation, adopting a special regulation on security protection of the prime minister without changing the level of his protection. The level of security protection of deputy prime ministers was reduced by a notch to level 4 except when risk assessment should dictate otherwise. The human rights ombudsman too was added on the list of officials enjoying level 4 security. The PM and president enjoy level 2 security protection.

Three out of four motorway police units disbanded over staff shortages

LJUBLJANA - Staff from the newly-established motorway police units in Koper, Celje and Maribor will be temporarily assigned to the respective road traffic police stations on 1 August due to severe staff shortages, the General Police Administration announced. This means that one motorway police unit, in Ljubljana, remains operative. Road traffic police stations had staff shortages even before the motorway police was established in early 2021.

Almost 2,000 coronavirus cases logged on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,973 coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Wednesday, around 145 more than a week ago, and three infected patients died, data from the Health Ministry shows. The number of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 as their primary condition is just below 100. Data from the National Institute of Public Health puts the 7-day average of new daily cases to 1,663, up by 18 in a day, as the 14-incidence rate per 100,000 of the population rose by 11 to 1,081.

Slovenia does better in Digital Economy and Society Index

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia improved its ranking in the EU's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), placing eleventh in what is the best result so far. It is above EU average. "The DESI index's latest data - the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index - also reveals that the work of Slovenian experts in this field has borne fruit in recent years," said Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh. She said the country's biggest challenge was human capital or digital skills, which her department would work on.

Equinox triples net profit in H1 y/y

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian real estate fund Equinox posted EUR 933,000 in net profit in the first half of the year, an increase from the EUR 309,000 generated in the first six months of 2021. Net sales revenue more than doubled to EUR 3.2 million. During the period the fund signed long-term lease contracts for three of its hotels. The company, which was incorporated by spinning off the real estate arm from the Union Hoteli group, generates the vast majority of its revenue from rents.

Slovenia praised for its Hepatitis C strategy

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has been named an example of best practice in fighting Hepatitis C by the World Health Organisation, infectologist Mojca Matičič said on World Hepatitis Day. While only a fraction of cases get treated in many countries, the majority of patients in Slovenia are diagnosed and treated. "Doctors actively look for those infected and provide immediate treatment to prevent outcomes such as liver cancer and cirrhosis," she said. More than 80% of infections have been uncovered and two-thirds of the patients have been cured. There are currently over 1,000 undiagnosed Hep C patients in Slovenia.

Lab analysis fails to establish cause of Ljubljana fish die-off

LJUBLJANA - The Jožef Stefan Institute, which performed chemical analysis of water samples taken after the fish die-off in Mali Graben, a river canal of the Gradaščica river in Ljubljana, could not confirm the presence of toxic substances in the water although they believe this is what happened, TV Slovenija reported. The contaminated water may have drained away by the time the dead fish were spotted and samples were taken. As much as 1.5 tonnes of fish died in the Mali Graben canal on Saturday.

Some 50 kg of fish die off in Homška Mlinščica

DOMŽALE - The newspaper Dnevnik reported about yet another fish die-off, this time in Homška Mlinščica, a tributary of the Kamniška Bistrica river. Some 50 kg of fish died, mostly brown trout and greyling, many of them still fingerlings. The cause of the incident remains unknown, although fishermen suspect water contamination. Around a tonne and a half of fish died in Mali Graben last week.

28 Jul 2022, 06:40 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA:

FM Fajon meets Ukrainian FM and PM, Kyiv mayor

KYIV, Ukraine - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon travelled to Kyiv to meet with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitchko and investment office head Sergiy Tsivkach. She promised Slovenia's support in the future, both in facing the consequences of war and efforts to join the EU. She expressed support and solidarity with Ukraine and learnt about Ukraine's aid needs. "Slovenia remains a friend and supporter of Ukraine and its residents who have shown great courage," Fajon was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry on Twitter.

Businesses urge fast action on electricity, gas prices

LJUBLJANA - Business representatives urged the government to draft as soon as possible emergency legislation that will ensure continued resilience of the Slovenian economy and kick-start its entire healthy core. In an appeal signed by the Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business, Employers' Association and the Association of Employers in Trade Crafts and Small Business, they also propose several measures for this end, including measures related to energy costs.

Budgeting for next two years under way

LJUBLJANA - The government started drafting budgets for 2023 and 2024 as it discussed a budgeting framework for the next two years last Thursday. Substantive talks are expected to start after 20 August, while it is not yet entirely clear whether the government will also draft a supplementary budget for this year. The government has until 1 October to send to parliament amendments to the budget for 2023, which was passed last November. The general government expenditure is capped at EUR 13.365 billion.

Darko Muženič back at the helm of NBI

LJUBLJANA - Acting Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav has appointed Darko Muženič director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Muženič was reinstalled on Tuesday after leading the division that is in charge of investigating the toughest forms of crime between June 2019 and May 2020. Muženič was dismissed in early May 2020 by Police Commissioner Anton Travner, soon after the previous government took over. A court later ruled his dismissal unlawful.

Signatures for RTV Slovenija referendum to be collected in September

LJUBLJANA - Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Danijel Krivec set the time window to collect signatures in support of a referendum on the new RTV Slovenija act. The referendum petitioners, the opposition Democrats (SDS), can start collecting signatures on 1 September, and have until 5 October to hand in the required 40,000 signatures. The date of the referendum is not yet known, but Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič said it would not coincide with any of the elections held later this year.

Event in New York notes cooperation key against cyberattacks

NEW YORK, US - The Slovenian permanent mission to the UN hosted a hybrid event on protection of critical infrastructure against cyberattacks in New York on Tuesday. Slovenian Ambassador to the UN Boštjan Malovrh said that international cooperation was key in facing cyber threats. He offered a report on the protection of critical infrastructure against cyber threats that was drawn up by the University of Ljubljana, the Government Information Security Office, Microsoft and the Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia as a good example of how government and non-governmental organisations can work together.

New fire breaks out in Kras, flames fanned by wind

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - Firefighters kept putting out flames rekindled at the site of the huge wildfire in Kras for the third night running after the fire was contained on Sunday as a new fire broke out on the other side of Trstelj, the area's highest peak, and was now largely contained. The new fire broke out on the part of the ridge that has so far not been affected by the wildfire that was contained on Sunday after destroying more than 3,500 hectares of brush, meadows and other types of farmland. Preliminary data show the fire was caused by lightning.

Suspected rape of a minor in asylum centre raises broader concerns

LJUBLJANA - The N1 web portal has reported that the police had filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator at the end of June for suspected rape of a minor in the asylum centre in the Ljubljana borough of Vič. NGOs and civil initiatives noted on the occasion that the conditions at the centre were concerning and that the facility was overcrowded. The portal said on Tuesday that the police had confirmed receiving the report of rape at the beginning of May, while not giving any additional information in order to protect the victim.

Nearly 2,000 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,964 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Tuesday, an increase of 7% from the same day a week ago, according to the Health Ministry. The number of patients hospitalised for Covid-19 as their primary condition surpassed a hundred, of which 14 in intensive care and 88 in regular wards. Altogether 334 infected patients were in hospitals. One patient with Covid-19 died.

Campaign starts to supply coastal area with water

DEKANI - In the first such operation in Slovenia water started to be pumped from the Unica river near Postojna on Tuesday to be transported by trucks to the Slovenian coastal region, where restrictions have been introduced due to water shortages. The water is taken by army and fire brigade tank trucks to a water works facility near Dekani to be treated before being released into the area's water supply system. The government-approved project was launched just as the region got see some rainfall at last.

Company Smirna buys hotel in spa town Rogaška Slatina

ROGAŠKA SLATINA - Hotel Slovenija in the spa town Rogaška Slatina in the east of the country has been acquired by the local tourism company Smirna at the third public auction at the auction price of EUR 1.85 million. Smirna was the only company to participate in Wednesday's auction. Having acquired the hotel, Smirna has also become the owner of 26 artworks by different artists, and trademarks HS Hotel Slovenija and Kristal Spa. At the first auction, held in February, the auction price was set at EUR 2.8 million, and at the second auction in April at EUR 2.28 million.

Unicredit Slovenija's profit down in Q2, up in H1 y/y

MILAN, Italy/LJUBLJANA - Unicredit Banka Slovenija, the Italian banking group Unicredit's subsidiary in Slovenia, posted just under EUR 20 million in net revenue in the second quarter of this year, level with the same period last year. Net profit stood at EUR 4.5 million, down about EUR 1 million, but it rose in the first half of the year. In the second quarter of the year, net interest income fell from EUR 11.6 million to EUR 11.3 million, and fees and commissions rose slightly, from EUR 5.4 million to EUR 5.5 million.

Men's canoe team wins gold, women's team silver at World Championships in Augsburg

AUGSBURG, Germany - Slovenia opened the 2022 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Augsburg, Germany with a bang as the men's team of Benjamin Savšek, Luka Božič and Anže Berčič won the gold medal in the C1 team event and the women's kayak team of Eva Terčelj, Ajda Novak and Eva Alina Hočevar won silver, conceding defeat only to the German team.

No end to drought on the horizon

LJUBLJANA - Tuesday's long-awaited rain in Slovenia was not enough to significantly raise water levels and river flows, which have been the lowest in 30 years in some parts of the country. The rain that is forecast for the coming weekend will also not significantly improve the situation, so relief is expected as late as in the autumn.

27 Jul 2022, 06:20 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Minister says no gas rationing for households in the winter

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer said there would be no rationing in the supply of natural gas to households in Slovenia this winter, as he attended a meeting of EU ministers in charge of energy that agreed on rationing in gas consumption. Many things would have to go wrong, including supply interruptions, a really severe winter and disruptions in the supply from liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals for gas supply disruptions to occur, Kumer said, adding that "if the only thing that happens is Russia stopping the supply of gas, there would be no serious challenges for supply in Slovenia".

Tackling staff shortages and restoring autonomy to be priorities for new police commissioner

LJUBLJANA - Staff shortages in the police force, both among front-line police and crime investigators and for office jobs, will be one of the challenges that acting Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav plans to take on. Talking with the STA, he also promised to restore the autonomy of the uniformed and criminal police and the National Bureau of Investigation. "The modern police is not just the guardian of the ruler, that's a medieval notion about it," Lindav says, adding that the police force needs safeguards as to how far it can follow the desires of those in power at each time.

Low-profile memorial event to be held at Russian Chapel on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Due to the war in Ukraine, only a low-profile memorial event will be held at the Russian Chapel below the Vršič mountain pass on Sunday in memory of Russian POWs who perished while building the pass during the First World War. Only members and friends of the Slovenia-Russia Association are expected to attend. While traditionally, a high-profile ceremony was held at the chapel every summer, featuring state officials and church dignitaries from both countries, this year only a brief event will be held with no other accompanying programme, the association said.

Nearly 3,000 Covid cases confirmed on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 2,939 new coronavirus cases on Monday in what is a nearly-four-month high. The figure was up 6% week-on-week. One Covid patient died, shows fresh official data. Yesterday's case count is the highest since 4 April. There are currently 86 patients hospitalised with Covid as their primary condition, down by eight in daily comparison, including eight in intensive care, same as the day before. Janez Žibert from the Ljubljana Faculty of Health Sciences assessed that the summer epidemic wave has plateaued in Slovenia, since the 7-day average has been around 1,600 for a week now.

State approves funding for over 1,000 non-profit flats

LJUBLJANA - The government has approved co-financing of public rental housing from the recovery and resilience plan for a total of 34 projects as part of which a total of 1,036 housing units will be constructed. The total amount of grants is EUR 60 million. The largest number of apartments will be constructed with the EU funds intended for post-Covid recovery in the Podravje region (404). Investments that provide the most energy-efficient solutions had been preferred, and Projects in disadvantaged border areas were also prioritised from the aspect of balanced regional development, the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry said.

STA

News roundup - Tuesday, 26 July

Ljubljana, 26 July - Below is a roundup of major events on Tuesday, 26 July:

Minister says no gas rationing for households in the winter

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Infrastructure Minister Bojan Kumer said there would be no rationing in the supply of natural gas to households in Slovenia this winter, as he attended a meeting of EU ministers in charge of energy that agreed on rationing in gas consumption. Many things would have to go wrong, including supply interruptions, a really severe winter and disruptions in the supply from liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals for gas supply disruptions to occur, Kumer said, adding that "if the only thing that happens is Russia stopping the supply of gas, there would be no serious challenges for supply in Slovenia".

Tackling staff shortages and restoring autonomy to be priorities for new police commissioner

LJUBLJANA - Staff shortages in the police force, both among front-line police and crime investigators and for office jobs, will be one of the challenges that acting Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav plans to take on. Talking with the STA, he also promised to restore the autonomy of the uniformed and criminal police and the National Bureau of Investigation. "The modern police is not just the guardian of the ruler, that's a medieval notion about it," Lindav says, adding that the police force needs safeguards as to how far it can follow the desires of those in power at each time.

Low-profile memorial event to be held at Russian Chapel on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Due to the war in Ukraine, only a low-profile memorial event will be held at the Russian Chapel below the Vršič mountain pass on Sunday in memory of Russian POWs who perished while building the pass during the First World War. Only members and friends of the Slovenia-Russia Association are expected to attend. While traditionally, a high-profile ceremony was held at the chapel every summer, featuring state officials and church dignitaries from both countries, this year only a brief event will be held with no other accompanying programme, the association said.

Nearly 3,000 Covid cases confirmed on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 2,939 new coronavirus cases on Monday in what is a nearly-four-month high. The figure was up 6% week-on-week. One Covid patient died, shows fresh official data. Yesterday's case count is the highest since 4 April. There are currently 86 patients hospitalised with Covid as their primary condition, down by eight in daily comparison, including eight in intensive care, same as the day before. Janez Žibert from the Ljubljana Faculty of Health Sciences assessed that the summer epidemic wave has plateaued in Slovenia, since the 7-day average has been around 1,600 for a week now.

State approves funding for over 1,000 non-profit flats

LJUBLJANA - The government has approved co-financing of public rental housing from the recovery and resilience plan for a total of 34 projects as part of which a total of 1,036 housing units will be constructed. The total amount of grants is EUR 60 million. The largest number of apartments will be constructed with the EU funds intended for post-Covid recovery in the Podravje region (404). Investments that provide the most energy-efficient solutions had been preferred, and Projects in disadvantaged border areas were also prioritised from the aspect of balanced regional development, the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry said.

Basic food prices under scrutiny expectedly from September

LJUBLJANA - The monitoring and comparison of retail prices of 15 basic foodstuffs at different retailers, one of the government's measures to address the cost of living crisis that is aimed at preventing excessively steep price hikes, is expected to start in September, shows an open call for a price monitoring contractor. The contractor is expected to set up a dedicated website to publish the current prices of this basic foodstuffs basket every fortnight over a seven-month period, from 1 September 2022 to 31 March 2023. Three times during this period, the prices in Austria, Italy and Croatia will also be monitored.

Pirate Party endorses Pirc Musar for president

LJUBLJANA - The Pirate Party will endorse lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar in the 23 October presidential election under a decision taken by this non-parliamentary party in Saturday's congress. Announcing the decision, the party said the former information commissioner had been battling for the Pirate Party's core values and for individuals' information literacy through her work. Pirc Musar welcomed the support, saying she shared a similar beliefs and system of values with the Pirate Party and supported their platform points on "human rights, privacy and data protection, a free and neutral internet and transparency of state."

Hisense building new factory in Serbia

VELENJE - The Chinese-owned group Hisense Europe, which includes the Velenje-based maker of household appliances and TV sets Gorenje, has started building a new plant in the Serbian city of Valjevo for the production of Hisense, Gorenje, and Asko refrigerators. The EUR 40 million plant is expected to open in February 2023 and create 1000 jobs. The new plant Valjevo 3 is projected to produce 750,000 side-by-side refrigerators a year, while the total annual output of all three Gorenje plants in Valjevo should reach EUR 1.7 million by 2025.

Settlement reached over SSH's sale of Meta Ingenium

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) and investment firm Meta Ventures have reached an out-of-court settlement in a dispute over SSH's sale in 2020 of the state's 49% stake in Meta Ingenium, a company that at the time owned 10.8% of biotech firm Bia Separations. SSH will get an additional EUR 2.09 million for the stake and will contiue to receive variable part of the proceeds in the next three years based on Bia Separations' results. The irregularities established in the sale resulted in two SSH board members resigning alongside Igor Kržan, a supervisor who was interim SSH chairman at the time of the sale.

Cycling ace Pogačar to skip Vuelta a Espana

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar, two-time Tour de France winner, will not race the 2022 Vuelta a Espana as he intends to focus on the coming World Championships and one-day races. Pogačar was initially expected to compete in the Spanish Grand Tour, but his team, UAE Emirates, confirmed on Tuesday that he had opted out of the race. The 23-year-old finished second at this year's Tour de France, which wrapped up on Sunday, conceding defeat to Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).

Lufthansa flights from Ljubljana cancelled due to strike

LJUBLJANA - German flag carrier Lufthansa will cancel more than 1,000 flights from and to Munich and Frankfurt on Wednesday, including all of its flights to and from Ljubljana, due to a strike by ground staff. Fraport Slovenija, the company managing Ljubljana airport, said Lufthansa also cancelled Wednesday's scheduled flights to Frankfurt and Munich from Ljubljana. The cancellations will affect the departure for Frankfurt in the morning, the arrival from Munich and departure in the afternoon, the afternoon arrival from and departure to Frankfurt and the evening arrival from Frankfurt.

Slovenia condemns execution of democracy activists in Myanmar

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian authorities strongly condemned the executions of four democracy activists in Myanmar, with the Foreign Ministry tweeted that the actions of Myanmar's military junta represent an escalation of repression and contempt for human rights. The Myanmar authorities did not specify when or how the four, among them Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a former MP of the National League for Democracy party, were executed. A Myanmar state news outlet said they were executed because they "gave directives, made arrangements and committed conspiracies for brutal and inhumane terror acts", such as murder.

Case of sexual abuse by priest becomes statute barred

KOPER - After being defrocked by the Vatican church court over sexual abuse of a minor, former priest Anton Kmet will not be tried as the case has become statute barred, according to newspaper Primorske Novice. In September 2021, the prosecutor's office in Koper pressed charges against Kmet for alleged sexual abuse, but now the Koper District Court's judicial chamber found the case has become statute barred.

More than dozen injured in mining accident in Velenje

VELENJE - Fourteen miners were injured as a stope collapsed at the Velenje coal mine on Monday, but they managed to get out of the pit by themselves. They all sustained light injuries and are recovering at home, Janez Rošer, the CEO of the mining company Premogovnik Velenje, told reporters. According to Rošer, the miners mostly suffered injuries such as bumps, and some had twisted ankles, and there were also cases where they inhaled dust. They got medical attendance at the community health centre.

Maribor ousted from UEFA Champions League qualifying

CHISINAU, Moldova - The Slovenian football champions Maribor were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League qualifying as the lost to the Moldovan champions FC Sheriff by losing 0:1 in the second leg of the second round of qualifying. The only goal in the match was scored by Momo Yansane in the closing minutes of the match. Maribor were relegated to the UEFA Europa League, where they will play in the third qualifying round with HJK Helsinki of Finland. The first match will be played on 4 August in Maribor.

26 Jul 2022, 06:47 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Foreign air forces withdraw from Kras fire site

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - All foreign air force units that have been helping fighting a huge wildfire in the western region of Kras for over a week, have withdrawn after the blaze was brought under control on Sunday. 240 firefighters remain on the ground monitoring the site for potential rekindling of the fire and cleaning up and watering the edges of the site of burning. They are also keeping an eye on two hotspots on the northern side of Trstelj, the highest peak in the area. In total, more than 10,000 voluntary and professional firefighters have been involved in the effort so far. They were helped by some 1,200 members of various support units. The fire, the largest Slovenia has ever had to face, spread over some 3,000-3,500 hectares.

Rain not to alleviate drought

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will get some of the much needed rain on Tuesday as a weather system passes the country. However, even though rain is expected throughout the country it will do little to alleviate drought or improve the extremely dry conditions in the south-west of the country because the bora wind will quickly dry it up. Blaž Šter, a forecaster at the Environment Agency, says the rain will help firefighters in Kras, but it will not be sufficient to alleviate the drought or replenish water resources in the long run.

Pahor thanks countries that helped with firefighting in Kras

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor has thanked presidents of countries that have helped Slovenia in the effort to contain a devastating ten-day blaze in the Kras region, the president's office said. Over the past two days, Pahor had telephone conversations with the presidents of Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Romania to thank them for the various forms of assistance their countries provided to Slovenia.

Since Friday 15 deaths among Covid patients

LJUBLJANA - As many as 15 patients with Covid-19 died over the past three days, including eight on Sunday, fresh data released by the Health Ministry shows. A total of 1,236 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed at the weekend, up 15% from on the weekend before. Friday included, a total of 3,158 cases were confirmed. On Sunday, 348 patients with Covid-19 were treated in hospitals, including 19 in intensive care. Sunday's death toll was the highest since 13 April.

POP TV poll shows over half supporting Golob govt

LJUBLJANA - Three months after the election, the voter approval rating for the Robert Golob government stands at 51%, down two percentage points from a month ago, according to a poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV. Golob's Freedom Movement polled at 27.8%, slightly down from the month before, which suggests merging with the LMŠ and SAB brought it no additional support. The opposition Democrats (SDS) are level at 18.8%. Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan tops the popularity ranking.

Gas supply situation under control, says operator CEO

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Eberlinc, CEO of the gas transmission system operator Plinovodi, told Radio Slovenija that Slovenia was managing the gas supply situation very well given the developments in the wake of the war in Ukraine. So far, there have been no supply disruptions, and the situation is not as pessimistic as it might seem, he noted. Eberlinc, who is also the head of the Energy Chamber, said there would be quite a few options for Slovenia if Russia indeed cut off gas supply to Europe, hence cutting off Slovenia's predominant supply source.

Ex-minister proposes solutions for emergency medicine network

LJUBLJANA - As some community health centres face staff shortages in their emergency medical care units, former Health Minister Janez Poklukar proposed that all doctors of age up to 60 should join the system or else be stripped of their licences. Poklukar said in a statement for the STA that a solution to the issue would be involving doctors from all levels of healthcare, not only the primary level, in the system. This comes after the government announced that the issue will be tackled after the local elections in the autumn.

June tourism figures reach pre-epidemic levels

LJUBLJANA - The number of nights spent by visitors in Slovenia's tourism accommodation facilities reached almost two million in June, which is nearly double year-on-year and a third of the total figure for the first half of 2022, when 2.3 million visitors spent more than 6 million nights in the country. The figures thus virtually reached pre-epidemic levels. A total of 795,000 visitors were recorded in June. Just over 351,000 were Slovenians and almost 444,000 were foreigners.

Sava's revenue, profit up last year

LJUBLJANA - The tourism holding Sava generated EUR 70.1 million in sales revenue last year, which is 27% more than the year before. Net profit reached EUR 2.2 million after the holding posted a net loss of EUR 10.5 million in 2020, Sava says on its website. As tourist facilities reopened after the epidemic, sales of Sava's tourist arm Sava Turizem reached the 2019 level last year and even exceeded them in some destinations. The arm generated a net profit of EUR 6.1 million, also thanks to state subsidies.

Hrastnik glassworks ups profit by 62% last year to EUR 11m

HRASTNIK - The Steklarna Hrastnik glassworks generated EUR 77 million in sales revenue last year, or 37% more than in 2020, while net profit was up by 62% to EUR 11 million. This enabled the company to continue to invest, with total investments amounting to EUR 22 million in 2021. The management of the Hrastnik-based company told the STA that last year's results were a product of digitalisation, development and innovation, and the successful core activity of production of glass bottles of various sizes.

Bad bank suspends sale of two batches of claims

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Asset Management Company (BAMC) has suspended the sale of two packages of claims against 28 companies in the total value of some EUR 474 million. According to BAMC, the bids did not reach market value. The newspaper Finance reported that no major sales were expected by the time BAMC ends its operations at the end of the year. Around half a billion euros of unsold assets are to be transferred to Slovenian State Holding. However, BAMC published a call today for binding bids for the purchase of EUR 3.9 million debt owed by the textile company Beti.

Sheep milk cheese from Istria protected

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food has temporarily protected at the national level a type of sheep milk cheese from the Istria region, Istrski ovčji sir/Istarski ovčji sir, using a protected designation of origin. The move was initiated by Slovenian and Croatian sheep breeders. The Istrian cheese is made from raw or pasteurised sheep milk produced by sheep bred in Slovenian and Croatian Istria, including on some of the Croatian islands. The cheese must be not only produced but also packaged in Istria and must carry a special label.

Slovenia sees negative birth-to-death rate for 5th year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw a natural decrease in population for the fifth consecutive year in 2021 as the number of births dropped to just 18,984, and 23,261 people died, fresh data from the Statistics Office shows. This is due to a higher death rate throughout the year, with the exception of summer. Most people died in the last quarter of 2021 when the death rate was highest with 6,721 people dying, while the fewest deaths were recorded in the third quarter with 4,840 people passing away.

Survey: One in three girls considering plastic surgery

LJUBLJANA - Social media posts affect body perception among teenage girls, show findings from the safe-internet use portal Safe.si. Their survey showed that one out of three female secondary school students, and one out of four girls at primary schools aged 12-15 have considered getting plastic surgery. "Teenagers are exposed to unachievable beauty standards on the internet and sexualised images of people and their lives," the portal said, pointing to the impact on their mental health and well-being.

Another fish die-off in Gradaščica river canal

LJUBLJANA - Another fish die-off occurred on Saturday in Mali Graben, a river canal of the Gradaščica river in Ljubljana, according to a report by the public broadcaster TV Slovenija. The Barje Angling Club said that around a tonne and a half of fish were dead with the club's head Bojan Pregovnik describing the incident as a horrendous ecological disaster. This is the second major incident in the Gradaščica river recently after decomposing pork was found in the water a fortnight ago.

New Ljubljana city bus marks Plečnik's Year

LJUBLJANA - As part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of architecture mastermind Jože Plečnik, Ljubljana will see a new city bus cruising past his landmarks, as well as renovation of the laundry-washing terraces along the Gradaščica river in the Trnovo borough. The new all-black city bus, adorned with the architect's portrait and signature, will be operational for 150 days. It will run on the number 2 city line to take passengers past 28 of the best known Ljubljana landmarks designed by Plečnik.

Metalheads flocking to Tolmin for Metaldays

TOLMIN - Metaldays, a large festival dedicated to metal music, is taking place near Tolmin in the north-west of the country where the Tolminka and Soča rivers meet. More than 50 bands will perform until Friday, including Incantation, a veteran death metal band from the US, French band Celeste, which fuses black metal, sludge metal and post-hardcore, and English grindcore band Napalm Death. To protect the area and keep the original spirit of the festival alive, the number of visitors is capped at 12,000.

Swiss man drowns in Lake Bled

BLED - A Swiss citizen who had gone missing while swimming in Lake Bled was pulled out of the water dead around 6pm by divers of the local civil protection unit. The man went swimming with an acquaintance to the Bled Island, and he started drowning on the way back to the shore. The acquaintance tried to save him, but could not see him under the surface as the water was very muddy. According to the information obtained so far, no foul play was involved.

25 Jul 2022, 04:09 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Fire in Kras under control, prevention measures announced

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - PM Robert Golob, President Borut Pahor and Defence Minister Marjan Šarec visited the Kras region in western Slovenia where a large fire has been raging for ten days and is now under control, according to authorities. Golob announced measures aimed at tackling the consequences of the blaze, as well as measures to prevent additional fire outbreaks of this magnitude in the region. Simon Vendramin, the intervention's head, warned that the area will have to be observed for a few more days to make sure the blaze does not re-emerge. Today's extinguishing efforts centred around aerial firefighting, and there was a risk of the bora wind fanning the flames. Authorities thanked all who have helped put out the blaze with Pahor pointing to the remarkable solidarity that has been displayed during the fire.

President honours Nazi victims in Bistrica

NAKLO - President Borut Pahor attended a commemorative ceremony on Saturday evening marking 80 years since 59 people were killed by the Nazis in village Bistrica near Naklo in northern Slovenia. "Since the war in Ukraine started to rage, I have been seeing commemorations like this one differently in our homeland and abroad. The question of the inevitability of war, of war and peace, is being posed anew," Pahor said in his keynote speech as quoted in a press release by his office, as he again stressed the importance of a just peace in Ukraine.

Pogačar fails to defend Tour de France title, finishes second

PARIS, France - Slovenia's cycling star Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) has failed to defend his 2021 Tour de France title as he finished second in the 2022 edition of the most prestigious Grand Tour. He bagged the white jersey as the best young rider for the third time in a row though. The title went to Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma), and the British rider Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) was in third place overall. The gap between Pogačar and Vingegaard was two minutes and 43 seconds in the end.

Climbing star Garnbret continues her winning streak

LJUBLJANA/BRIANCON, France - Slovenia's best climber Janja Garnbret continued her winning streak as she won her fourth consecutive World Cup lead event in Briancon, France, on Saturday. Another Slovenian, Vita Lukan, the silver-medallist from the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, placed seventh. In the men's competition, Slovenia's Luka Potočar was eighth. Garnbret remains the favourite for the coming European Championships in Munich, Germany.

24 Jul 2022, 09:09 AM

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Over 1,000 firefighters, several aircraft continue to battle Kras fire

RENČE - More than 1,000 firefighters and more than 260 foresters are still on the ground as the fire in the Kras region in western Slovenia continues to rage. Several helicopters, a Pilatus military aircraft and a Croatian Canadair water bomber also take part in the effort that is now focused on the Trstelj hill and surrounding villages. While the firefighters are battling the fire that devastated a vast area in Kras, the foresters are clearing up corridors and cutting down the vegetation around endangered villages. The Slovenian army also participates in the effort with a helicopter and around 130 soldiers. Defence Minister Marjan Šarec, who visited the site, said that the effort had to be focused on "enclosing" the fire as much as possible.

Diplomat says Croatia's Schengen entry means recognition of arbitration

LJUBLJANA - Vojko Volk, a seasoned diplomat and advisor to PM Robert Golob, has told the newspaper Večer that by entering the Schengen Area, Croatia would, legally speaking, recognise the borders of the countries that are already members of the area, including Slovenia, and thus indirectly also the border arbitration decision. The state secretary for international affairs at the prime minister's office said if Slovenia was forced to temporarily suspend Schengen on the border with Croatia, "it will of course be clear that the border at sea is where it is determined by the arbitration decision." He bases the argument on the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement, the key document that Croatia has to respect as it enters the Schengen Area.

Janša looks forward to elections in address to SDS get-together

BOVEC - The 27th annual get-together of the Democratic Party (SDS) started at the Bovec airstrip, with SDS president Janez Janša addressing the event. He expressed the belief that the candidate supported by the SDS will win this year's presidential elections and noted the traditional success of the party in local elections. At the first major meeting of the SDS after the 24 general election, in which the party was relegated t the opposition, Janša said that there had indeed been much disappointment after the vote, adding however that "we must not forget that the Democrats had made progress in this election as well".

Spending for social protection up 9.2% in 2020 to EUR 11.7bn

LJUBLJANA - Some EUR 11.7 billion was earmarked for social protection programmes in Slovenia in 2020, which is 9.2% more than in 2019, with most of it being allocated for old age- and illness-related programmes and healthcare. Social protection accounted for a quarter of the country's GDP in 2020, or 2.8 percentage points more than the year before. Almost 10% of Slovenia's GDP or 0.9 of a percentage point more than in 2019 was allocated for old age-related programmes, and 8.1% of GDP or 0.7 of a percentage point more for illness-related and healthcare programmes, the Statistics Office said.

Boxmark Leather back to profit last year as workforce reduced

KIDRIČEVO - Boxmark Leather, the Kidričevo-based car upholstery maker which more than halved its workforce during the Covid epidemic, saw its sales drop accordingly last year. It generated EUR 52 million in revenue, almost 43% less than in 2020. The annual report nevertheless shows that the cost-cutting measures resulted in a net profit of EUR 1.5 million in 2021, which compares to a EUR 2.7 million loss in 2020. The company also operated in the red for a few years before that. The workforce was reduced from 1,450 at the beginning of 2020 to 570 at end-2021, but the company is now again employing qualified staff.

23 Jul 2022, 04:45 AM

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22 Jul 2022, 06:45 AM

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Govt caps gas prices, commissions plan for weaning off Russian gas

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to cap as of 1 September gas prices for households, small companies and basic social service providers. Excise duty remains halved, while VAT will be reduced from 22% to 9.5%. The government also tasked the country's main gas supplier to draft an action plan for complete suspension of Russian gas in three years. The prices of gas for households will be capped at EUR 0.07300 per kW7/h excluding VAT, while the cap for small commercial users and social services providers will be set at EUR 0.07900 per kW/h excluding VAT.

Govt approves EU-funded anti-poverty programme

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a 2021-2027 programme aiming to address material deprivation, making available EUR 32.6 million in funds, of which EUR 29.4 million will come from the European Social Fund (ESF+), the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities said in a press release. The key objective is to provide help to people most at risk of poverty with food and other measures so as to boost social inclusion and contribute to poverty eradication.

Govt extends low excise duties

LJUBLJANA - The government extended the reduction of energy excise duties, the government Communications Office said in a press release. The reduced duties will be in place until the government decides otherwise. The excise duty for petrol will remain at EUR 0.359 a litre, for diesel at EUR 0.330 a litre, for heating oil at EUR 0.07875 a litre and natural gas for heating at EUR 0.86 per MWh.

MPs move to delay implementation of long-term care act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly decided in a 51:24 vote to change the long-term care act to postpone its entry into force by over a year to April 2024. The opposition, which sponsored the act in the previous term, was critical of the fact that the motion was fast-tracked through parliament. In presenting the motion, Labour Ministry State Secretary Simon Maljevac said the changes would enable better pay for care home employees and new hiring. The additional money will also be used to prevent the care home residents and their relatives to be affected by price hikes.

Changes to the RTV Slovenija act passed in re-vote, SDS seeks referendum

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed in a re-vote changes to the RTV Slovenija act that overhaul the governing bodies of the public broadcaster so that their members will no longer be appointed by parliament, political parties or the government. The vote comes after the lower chamber of parliament vetoed the changes on Wednesday. 50 MPs voted for the changes and 24 against. To override the veto 46 votes were needed. The opposition Democrats (SDS) filed some 6,200 voter signatures to initiate proceedings for a referendum.

MPs overturn omnibus bill veto

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly has overridden the National Assembly's veto of an omnibus bill amending 11 acts to reverse what have been deemed harmful legislative changes passed by the previous government. The move came with a 49 to 24 vote, a day after the upper chamber's veto. The bill was passed by the lower chamber last week with 52 votes in favour.

Kras blaze intensifies again

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - After subsiding during the night, the wildfire in the Kras region intensified again in the morning in three separate locations. Three villages were evacuated due to the smoke. In the evening, the people from the villages of Temnica, Vojščica and Novela were told they can return to their homes, while firefighters continue to fight the blaze in three separate locations near the villages of Nova Vas, Vojščica and between Cerje and Trstelje. This is largest fire in history of independent Slovenia with more than 2,000 hectares of land affected.

President Pahor to visit Turkey in August

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will make a state visit to Turkey on 9 and 10 August at the invitation of his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president's office announced. Apart from holding talks with Erdogan, Pahor will also address the annual meeting of Turkish diplomats to discuss security challenges in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The presidents will exchange views on the war in Ukraine and the future development of EU-Turkey relations, among other things.

Coronavirus curve to reach peak next week

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 1,829 new cases of coronavirus for Wednesday, an increase of almost 5% from the same day week ago, and five deaths among patients with Covid-19, which is the highest daily death toll since 4 May. Janez Žibert, a modelling expert of the Ljubljana Faculty of Health Sciences who is a member of the Covid-19 task force affiliated with the NIJZ, projected that the summer wave of infections to peak next week before it will either plateau or start falling.

Consumer confidence lowest since outset of Covid epidemic

LJUBLJANA - Consumer confidence in Slovenia in July was at its lowest point since April 2020, the first month after the outset of the Covid-19 epidemic, with the value of the relevant indicator dropping by six percentage points compared to June to -39 points. Statistics Office data shows the drop was caused mainly by the considerably more pessimistic expectations about the economic situation in the country, which was down by 12 percentage points on a monthly basis.

S&P places Petrol on credit watch over fuel prices regulation

LJUBLJANA - The ratings firm Standard & Poor's (S&P) has placed Petrol, Slovenia's motor fuel market leader, on credit watch with a negative outlook after the government intervened on the motor fuel market. This could lead to a downgrade in the company's credit rating by one notch from BBB- to BB+ in the coming months. The ratings agency assessed that, given the current situation, the company's financial risk has not deteriorated.

Eight get a total of 28 years in prison for drug trafficking

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Court found eight people guilty of drug trafficking and related criminal acts and sentenced them to a total of 28 years in prison on Wednesday. The ruling is not yet final, and the sentencing of the alleged leader of the ring has been postponed to autumn after both him and his defence counsel fell ill. The ring planned to transport 30 kilos of cocaine from Ecuador to the Slovenian port of Koper and the Croatian port of Rijeka, but the plan had not been fully implemented.

More than 50 events at Arsana music festival in Ptuj

PTUJ - The 14th annual Arsana festival is getting under way on Thursday in Ptuj, Slovenia's oldest city, to feature more than 50 events and more than 250 musicians and other artists until 3 September. The festival will open with an admission-free concert in Slovenski Trg, the town's central square, performed by participants in the summer music workshop, followed by an electro opera by Raiven in Muzikafe.

Maribor with goalless draw against Sheriff

MARIBOR - The Slovenian football champions Maribor opened the second round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with the Moldovan champions FC Sheriff with a goalless draw at home on Wednesday evening. Who will travel to the next round will be decided next week in Tiraspol. The second leg will be played next Tuesday in Tiraspol, the capital of the Transnistria region. The winner will advance to the third round.

21 Jul 2022, 06:51 AM

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This summary is provided by the STA:

First round of presidential election to be held on 23 October

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will hold the first round of election to pick its fifth president on 23 October under a decision taken on Wednesday by Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič. Under law, a potential second run-off between the two candidates wining the most votes needs to be held within 21 days after the first round, with the most likely date being 13 November. President-elect is expected to be sworn in on 23 December, a day after the second five-year term of incumbent Borut Pahor ends. Candidates will be able to submit their bids starting from 22 August.

Speaker calls local elections for 20 November

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič called local elections for 20 November with the run-off mayoral elections in the municipalities that fail to elect their mayor in the first round to follow on 4 December. The mayoral run-offs will wrap up the super election year in Slovenia after the country already held a general election in April and the speaker called the first round of the presidential election for 23 October today. The date of regular local elections is fixed by law as the third Sunday of November in the election year.

Elections to National Council called as current term nears end

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič set 23-24 November as the dates for the elections to the National Council as the incumbent councillors will have their five-year terms expire in end-December. The vote for the upper chamber of parliament will be an indirect vote involving interest organisations and local communities. The National Council consists of 40 councillors, 22 of whom represent local interests. Members of the upper chamber are elected indirectly, by electors picked by municipalities and individual interest organisations.

Opposition not in disagreement with cost-of-living measures planned by govt

LJUBLJANA - Political leaders and energy professionals met for a cost-of-living meeting, after which Prime Minister Robert Golob listed several measures the government is to adopt before autumn, including VAT cuts and gas price regulation. He described the meeting as constructive, while opposition leaders indicated support. "We need to act swiftly and decisively to protect the most vulnerable groups with targetted measures, while at the next stage we must not forget the business sector and make sure the economy does not come to a standstill," said Golob.

Several villages in Kras evacuated due to fire

LJUBLJANA - Some 1,000 firefighters from all across the country and several aircraft have been battling a vast fire in the Kras area all day. Prime Minister Robert Golob told TV Slovenija in the evening that the fire, which had spread across 1,000 hectares, was under control and that no houses burnt down. Earlier in the day, about 300 people from the villages of Sela na Krasu, Hudi Log, Korita na Krasu, Nova Vas and Miren had to be evacuated, but most of them have been allowed to return to their homes, MMC said. Golob announced an emergency law to help the locals and increasing capacities for fighting fires from the air.

Nemec proposes EU firefighting plane to be stationed in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA/BRUSSELS, Belgium - As fires have been raging across Europe in recent weeks, MEP Matjaž Nemec (S&D/SD) sent an initiative to European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič, proposing that a firefighting plane from the civil protection mechanism rescEU be permanently stationed in Slovenia or the somewhere in the northern Adriatic region.

Upper chamber vetoes two laws, MPs to vote on them again tomorrow

LJUBLJANA - The National Council vetoed two laws today, an omnibus act passed by the lower chamber of parliament to reverse what have been deemed as harmful measures of the previous government and the government-sponsored changes to overhaul the governing bodies of the public broadcaster so that their members will no longer be appointed by parliament, political parties or the government. The National Assembly will vote on both laws tomorrow and the ruling coalition has a comfortable enough majority to override the vetos.

Minister calls for investment in education, research as way to innovation

PRAGUE, Czechia - Speaking at an informal meeting of EU ministers in charge of competition, Economy Minister Matjaž Han stressed the importance of public and private investment in education, research and skills for boosting innovation. According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, the ministers discussed ways to integrate industries from regions with less innovation into the new European and global movements, emerging in the context of economic transformation.

Slovenia upholds standards to fight human trafficking, report says

WASHINGTON, US - Slovenia has retained its position among a group of countries which meet the standards to combat human trafficking in the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the US State Department on Tuesday. Slovenia has shown some improvements, among them easier access for human trafficking victims to healthcare, housing and temporary residence permits.
Nevertheless, the report lists several recommendations, including that Slovenia launch more intensive investigations of worker exploitation, improve victim identification procedures, partner with NGOs, and allow better access for victims to aid.

Discus thrower Čeh wins gold at World Athletics Championships

EUGENE, US - Discus thrower Kristjan Čeh won the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, US on Tuesday, with a throw of 71.13 metres, which is the best throw at world championships ever. The 23-year-old from Ptuj is the second winner of the gold medal at world championships in athletics for Slovenia after Primož Kozmus in the men's hammer throw in Berlin in 2009. "I set the goal before the competition to throw over 70 m and the championships record. I threw over 71 m, and then I wanted more," Čeh, wrapped up in a Slovenian flag, told reporters. He is now aiming to break the world record (74.08 m), achieved in 1986.

Tuesday's Covid tally slightly down from last week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,821 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Tuesday, slightly fewer than the same day a week ago. Three patients with Covid-19 died, figures released by the Health Ministry show. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition dropped by two in a day to 91, of whom nine continue to be treated in intensive care.
According to the National Institute of Public Health, the 7-day average of new daily cases dropped by four in a day to 1,552 as the 14-incidence rate per 100,000 of the population rise by a further 17 to 974.

Pahor congratulates N Macedonia at the start of EU accession talks

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor talked over the phone with his Macedonian counterpart Stevo Pendarovski about the start of EU accession talks for North Macedonia. He congratulated Pendarovski for his country's progress on the path to the EU, noting this was an important signal for the entire region, as it strengthened trust in the European perspective of the Western Balkans. Pendarovski thanked Pahor for Slovenia's support, adding he was looking forward to the upcoming meeting of leaders from the Brdo-Brijuni regional cooperation initiative to be held on 12 September in Brdo pri Kranju, the president's office said.

Takeover of nearly 40% in Hidria by Spain's Gonvarri confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The family of Edvard Svetlik, former CEO of car parts maker Hidria, sold its 42% in H&R, the 89% owner of Hidria, to Spanish automotive supplier Gonvarri, H&R confirmed after the news was reported by the business newspaper Finance the day before.
While the value of the transaction has not been disclosed, last year the business magazine Manager estimated the stake held by spouses Edvard and Ivica Svetlik in Hidria at EUR 33.6 million. The deal is pending regulatory approval, after which Gonvarri Industries will become a strategic partner of H&R, the latter said in a press release.

Police chief says fence removal will not result in lower security

LJUBLJANA - New Police Commissioner Boštjan Lindav has told the STA in an interview that the police will be capable of providing security even after the fence on the border with Croatia is removed, noting that the influx of migrants in recent years has not undermined security. Since as many as 95% of all murders in Slovenia take place within the family or in a narrow social circle, addressing domestic violence will be the second strategic priority of the police, right after migration, he announced.

BSF to discuss war in Ukraine, crisis of multilateralism

LJUBLJANA - The theme of the 17th Bled Strategic Forum (BSF), which will take place on 29-30 August, will be the consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the crisis of multilateralism, announced Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon as the host of the largest foreign policy event of the kind in Slovenia. Under the title The Rule of Power or Power of Rules, the participants of this year's BSF will seek answers to questions about the future of multilateral order and its role within the EU, the website of the event says, noting the topics of global crises (climate, economic, food, energy) and the emergence of new hotspots.

Austrian postal operator enters Slovenian market

LJUBLJANA - The Austrian national postal company, Österreichische Post, has entered the Slovenian postal market, the newspaper Delo reported. Its newly-established Slovenian subsidiary Express One Slovenia has started with package deliveries, with the online clothing retailer Zalando being part of its clientele. While it is unclear whether the arrival of the rival is already affecting the business of the Slovenian national postal company Pošta Slovenije, Delo reports that Zalando is not the only major online retailer to change allegiance and join forces with Österreichische Post.

Defendants in high-profile prostitution case have assets unfrozen

KOPER - The Koper District Court was no longer allowed to extend the provisional securement of the asset recovery claim in the prostitution and sex trafficking case known as Marina. Four main suspects have had their assets unfrozen on Saturday and can now dispose freely of them again, the newspaper Večer reported on Tuesday. Three years after the indictment was filed, criminal proceedings against Sergej Racman, Dejan Šurbek, and Vesna Trnovec are still ongoing, so the court was forced to unfreeze their personal and business assets. They are believed to have made at least EUR 21 million in illegal gains.

Two Ljubljana hotels leased to Latvian group for 20 years

LJUBLJANA - The Latvian Mogotel Hotel Group will lease The Fuzzy Log and Hotel Central in Ljubljana for 20 years, with the rents for both hotels during this period to amount to a total of EUR 12 million, the Slovenian real estate fund Equinox has announced. Equinox noted that it had signed the long-term lease contract with the largest hotel chain in the Baltic countries for The Fuzzy Log on Tuesday.

Pogačar bags stage win, remains second overall

PAU, France - Cyclist Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) won the 17th stage of Tour de France, which took the cyclists up four mountain passes in the Pyrenees. This was the second of a total of three Pyrenees stages which many believe are Pogačar's last chance to reclaim the yellow jersey before the end of the grand tour on Sunday

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