Robert Golob elected prime minister
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 in Slovenia. Immediately after being sworn in, Golob submitted his cabinet line-up to parliament with hearings of ministerial candidates set to start on Saturday. The goal is to have the government in office by 3 June. Golob, a 55-year-old former energy executive, said their first priorities would be tackling problems in healthcare and containing rising energy and food prices. The new opposition greeted Golob with scepticism, raising concern about his government's "socialist" ideas. Golob received congratulations from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, who expect to work towards a stronger EU.
Russia disappointed about Slovenian govt's "unfriendly steps"
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, convinced that this policy will eventually give way to a "balanced line that is natural to Russian-Slovenian relations."
CoE commissioner urges cancelling fines for peaceful protesters
STRASBOURG, France - The 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. "The demand for peaceful protesters to reimburse the costs of security at unauthorised public gatherings is contrary to Slovenian and international law," she wrote. Prime Minister-elect, Robert Golob had announced earlier that his government would abolish all the fines related to the peaceful protests over the past two years.
Govt supplements army's 2022-2025 development programmes
LJUBLJANA - The government took a decision to include several projects into the existing 2022-2025 plan of development programmes of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in order to make SAF units more operative.
Funds will thus be provided to replace the old and worn-out equipment of SAF units with new equipment in order to improve the safety of the their working environment. Several new training aircraft and a simulator to train pilots in drone technology will be purchased to replace the outdated equipment.
Govt moves to ensure monkeypox contact tracing
LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government on Tuesday took a decision for monkeypox to be included in a group of infectious diseases under which all healthcare providers are required to report any new cases to competent authorities. Following the first confirmed monkeypox case in Slovenia, the move seeks to provide a legal basis to introduce a protocol for contact tracing and other epidemiological procedures. Slovenia confirmed its second monkeypox case today. Both the infected had been to Spain.
Methodology adopted for reference prices of medical devices
LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government adopted a decree determining methodology for calculating prices of medical devices and equipment, which stipulates that the relevant government office, established in March, captures data on purchase prices from healthcare providers from at least three EU member states. The obtained data must reflect as closely as possible the state of purchase prices for a particular medical device or equipment in the country where the data are captured.
EUR 2.3bn in state aid paid out in two Covid years
LJUBLJANA - A total of EUR 2.3 billion in Covid-related state aid was paid out in Slovenia in 2020 and 2021. The total direct Covid-related measures were worth EUR 4.5 billion, according to a report adopted by the government. Only selective measures intended for companies are considered state aid, while the measures that were available to all companies in Slovenia under the same terms, to individuals and public services are not.
Business sentiment down in May
LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia deteriorated by 1.4 percentage points in May over April and by 2.8 points compared to May 2021, in both cases on the back of worse confidence in manufacturing and among consumers, the Statistics Office said. At the annual level, the indicators of services, retail and construction were meanwhile positive.
Illegal migration in January-April period up 86% y/y
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police dealt with 3,107 cases of illegal migration in the first four months of this year, up nearly 86% on the same period last year. Afghan citizens accounted for more than a quarter of all the illegal migrants intercepted from January through April, fresh police data shows. For the first time Cuba ranks among the ten countries that most illegal migrants come from with 152 Cuban migrants handled in the period. The number of requests for international protection was five times higher than in the same period last year, totalling 2,740.
National volunteering award goes to mountain rescuer Smolej
LJUBLJANA - The national award for volunteers for 2021 went to Tonček Smolej, a mountain rescue volunteer who has been active for over 50 years. Smolej was presented the honour by President Borut Pahor at the Presidential Palace. Smolej already became a leading figure in mountain rescue circles in 1982 when he was put in charge of the Radovljica mountain rescue station. He has been involved in more than 1,000 rescue operations and has led the air rescue commission for the last 16 years.
Kranj hosting Slovenia's first reuse festival
KRANJ - The first Slovenian reuse festival is held in Kranj this afternoon, hosted by NGO Ecologists without Borders. Visitors can bring their small household appliances and bicycles for a free repair, borrow different items and buy used or recycled clothes or furniture. The annual zero waste meeting was also held in the morning, featuring representatives of municipalities, public utilities and NGOs.
Močnik wins composers' guild award
LJUBLJANA - Composer Damijan Močnik is the winner of the 2022 Kozina Award, the top honour for this art form, which the Slovenian Composers' Association will present on 2 June. Močnik is being honoured for his well rounded sacral oeuvre, says Wednesday's press release by the association. Močnik was one of six artists to win the prestigious Prešeren Fund Prize this year. He is currently one of the most frequently performed contemporary Slovenian composers abroad, according to the Megaron Chamber Choir website.
New multiplex cinema opening in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - A new multiplex cinema will open in Ljubljana. Located in the Supernova shopping mall in the southern borough of Rudnik, it will have seven theatres with a combined 1,357 seats. The multiplex is run by the Austrian company Cineplexx, which is already the largest movie chain in Slovenia with theatres in Kranj, Koper, Novo Mesto, Maribor, Celje and Murska Sobota. The investment totalled EUR 5.2 million.
Bedene and Zidanšek make it to third round of Roland-Garros
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian tennis players Aljaž Bedene and Tamara Zidanšek made it to the third round of the French Open tournament in Paris on Wednesday in the men's and ladies' singles, respectively. In the men's second round, the 32-year-old from Ljubljana lost the first set 4:6 to Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, only to win the next three sets 6:4, 7:6 and 6:4 and advance. Zidanšek scored a walkover after her opponent, Mayar Sherif of Egypt, pulled out of the Grand Slam tournament with a foot fracture.
Slovenia gets three Alpine Ski World Cup events next season
MILAN, Italy - The presidency of the International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed the calendars of the Alpine Ski World Cup for the 2022/23 season, with three events to be held in Slovenia. Kranjska Gora will host two giant slalom events as part of the women's Alpine Ski World Cup as well as the men's giant slalom. The decision comes after the Golden Fox, traditionally held in Maribor, did not make it to the first draft of the 2022/23 season calendar at the end of March.
