Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.
This summary is provided by the STA:
Healthcare preparing for potential cyber attacks, power outage
LJUBLJANA - The healthcare system has activated preparations for a possible crisis due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, including for emergencies that may occur due to cyber attacks or electricity shortages. Minister Janez Poklukar also announced that the system was ready to provide medical care to refugees from Ukraine. The government decided the refugees were eligible for emergency medical care and urgent healthcare services.
Logar urges determined response to aggression in Ukraine
GENEVA, Switzerland - Foreign Minister Anže Logar called on the international community to respond with resolve and unity to Russia's increasingly brutal aggression on Ukraine as he addressed an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council on the state of human rights in Ukraine. He announced Slovenia's support for the resolution to condemn Russian aggression on Ukraine and to put in place a mechanism to investigate human rights violations in Ukraine.
Hojs happy with compromise over protection of Ukrainian refugees
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU interior ministers, including Slovenia's Aleš Hojs, agreed in Brussels to trigger for the first time ever the legislation providing Ukrainian refugees with immediate temporary protection. Hojs noted that a compromise solution had been adopted that allowed each member state to take care of the refugees their own way. He was also happy that the compromise detailed more clearly than the Commission's proposal who would be eligible for the rights under temporary protection status.
Pahor and new US ambassador discuss Ukraine
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and US Ambassador to Slovenia Jamie L. Harpootlian met to exchange views on topical developments in Ukraine. They stressed the role of the international community's great unity on, and unambiguous response to, Russia's military attack on Ukraine. Pahor presented more in detail his view on the situation in the Western Balkans upon the ambassador's wish, Pahor's office said. Harpootlian discussed the Ukraine situation with Prime Minister Janez Janša in the previous days.
Electoral commission for expelling Russia and Belarus from ACEEEO
LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission decided to vote to expel the central electoral commissions of Russia and Belarus from the Association of European Election Officials (ACEEEO) because of their invasion of Ukraine, which it says runs against the association's principles. If the proposal for the expulsion is not carried, the Slovenian body will quit the association itself. It believes just freezing the two countries' status in the ACEEEO would be insufficient.
Ex-diplomat says Ukraine war marks end of Putin rule
LJUBLJANA - A debate on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict hosted by MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) heard participants such as Slovenia's former President Danilo Türk and former Defence Minister Ljubica Jelušič strongly condemn Russia's aggression as former diplomat Denis Mancevič said the invasion marked the end of Vladimir Putin's rule. "It's Putin's huge geostrategic mistake, because now he has lost his relatively stable support of the public," Mancevič said.
Janša denies SDS influencing NovaTV24 channel and portal
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša appeared before the parliamentary inquiry looking into allegations of unlawful financing of his SDS party ahead of the 2018 election. He told the MPs that the SDS had not influenced in any way in the past the operation of NTV24, as it was a limited liability company, or the operations of Nova Hiša, which runs the web portal. He dismissed the inquiry as having been established because the transition left feared that its media monopoly could be jeopardised.
Mask mandate in schools lifted
LJUBLJANA - Face masks will no longer be obligatory in schools and other educational institutions from Monday under the latest relaxation confirmed by the government. This applies to both teachers and students. Other restrictions remain in place for now, including the mask mandate for indoor public spaces. Slovenian health authorities will start issuing Covid certificates for those who had a positive rapid antigen test whose results were not confirmed with a PCR test.
Youths aged 12-18 can get booster shot
LJUBLJANA - Teenagers aged 12 to 18 can now get a coronavirus booster shot after it had been recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunisation. They will get the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine booster. The booster is recommended for the teenagers who suffer from conditions that could worsen their Covid-19 should they fall ill with it. "However, healthy youth can also get vaccinated with a booster shot," the committee's head Bojana Beović told the STA.
Daily case count down by nearly a quarter to 1,823
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,823 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, a decrease of nearly a quarter over the week before. The 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 population dropped by almost 130 to 1,447. This morning, 307 patients were in hospital because of Covid, down 23 from yesterday, including 78 in intensive care, down eight from the day before. Ten patients with Covid died.
Regulator urges companies to report impact of war in Ukraine
LJUBLJANA - The Securities Market Agency called on public companies in a letter to appropriately communicate to the investment public the impact of the state of emergency in Ukraine on their operations and the price of securities listed on the regulated market. The call comes after some of listed companies, such as pharma company Krka, saw their shares plummet in the wake of the Russian invasion. Krka gained 2.45% to EUR 92 today, which is still below the EUR 110 it had been before the invasion.
EU approves Slovenia's air connectivity scheme
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission cleared an EUR 7 million scheme to encourage Slovenia's air connectivity that was badly affected by the Covid pandemic. The Commission found the scheme was in line with the EU's state aid temporary framework. The scheme introduces subsidies similar to those approved in November 2020 which ran out at the end of 2021. Aid will be available to all airlines flying to and from Slovenia, but the amount they receive depends on the number their flights and passengers.
Petrovič appointed to European Court of Auditors
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The Council of the EU appointed Jorg Kristijan Petrovič as Slovenia's new member of the European Court of Auditors. His term will run from 7 May 2022 to 6 May 2028. Petrovič, who has served as first deputy president of the Slovenian Court of Audit, will succeed Samo Jereb, whose term ends on 6 May. Petrovič was endorsed by the European Parliament on 20 January by 487 votes in favour and 196 against with 11 abstentions.
Committee okays environment protection bill
LJUBLJANA - The Environment Committee endorsed on Wednesday evening an environment protection bill to which the coalition had tabled more than 120 pages of amendments just before the session. The opposition does not oppose the bill as such but proposed postponing the sitting to debate the additional amendments. Minister Andrej Vizjak argued there was no need for that.
Public debt estimated at 74.9% of GDP at end of 2021
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's public debt as percentage of GDP dropped by 4.9 percentage points last year to 74.9%, the first estimate by the Finance Ministry shows. It follows after the Statistics Office estimated Slovenia's GDP to have expanded by 8.1% last year. The office calculated GDP at current prices at EUR 52.02 billion, which means public debt as of the last day of 2021 stood at EUR 39 billion.
Registered unemployed total down by 4.5% in February
LJUBLJANA - After two months of seasonal growth, the number of the registered unemployed in Slovenia was down in February, with the Employment Service reporting 64,783 jobless persons for the previous month, which is 4.5% less than in January and 26.4% less than in February 2021. The drop is mostly attributed to a smaller influx of newly-registered unemployed.
Slovenia announces participation in Expo 2025 in Osaka
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia intends to take part in the Expo 2025 that will be hosted from 13 April and 13 October 2025 by Japan's Osaka. If the country is to present itself with an independent pavilion, the cost of the project has been estimated at EUR 15 million. The government today authorised Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek to sign a statement of intent for Slovenia's participation at the world exposition three years from now.
Bosio expanding production facilities
CELJE - A ground-breaking ceremony was held in Bukovžlak near Celje for a new EUR 7 million plant of Bosio, which is part of the Austrian Aichelin Group. The company, which develops and manufactures industrial furnaces, plans to increase hire 30 more staff aside from the 115 it already employs. The construction is expected to start on 1 September. The main investor is Aichelin Group, which is investing into the expansion of production to move capabilities from Austria to Slovenia.
SAB proposes changes to election law
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) proposes changes to the general election act under which persons convicted of a crime prosecuted ex officio and those sentenced to more than six months in prison would not be allowed to stand in elections. The party believes this would help restore people's trust in politics and the rule of law, improve turnout in elections, and raise the political and legal culture.
Pirate Party to campaign on freedom and anti-graft combat
LJUBLJANA - The non-parliamentary Pirate Party set out its manifesto for the 24 April general election which centres on measures to preserve democracy and freedom, and combat corruption. They want to strengthen direct democracy, introduce referendum days, limit terms of public officials and make it possible to recall MPs and mayors. They plan to repair the damage caused by Covid-19 and the government's "misguided" actions, and address the challenges of digitalisation and automation.
Slovenia jumpers retain lead in Raw Air
LILLEHAMMER, Norway - Slovenian ski jumpers Nika Križnar and Urša Bogataj placed second and third, respectively, in a World Cup event in Norway's Lillenhammer. The winner was Austrian Marita Kramer. The pair also retained the top two position in the Raw Air rankings. Young Slovenian female ski jumpers were also successful today, as the younger sister of the Prevc brothers, Nika Prevc, won the World Youth Championship in Zakopane, Poland, and another Slovenian, Taja Bodlaj, was second.
Cross-country skier Lampič 3rd in Drammen
DRAMMEN, Norway - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič finished third in the women's classic sprint at a World Cup meet in Drammen, Norway. She finished 1.97 seconds behind the winner, Maiken Caspersen Falla from Norway, and Swedish Jonna Sundling was second. After finishing 12th at the Beijing Olympics, Lampič thus secured her fourth bronze medal this season and the first one this year.
