10 Nov 2021, 15:00 PM

Krško Now Slovenia's 12th Urban Municipality

STA, 10 November 2021 - The National Assembly changed the law on the establishment of municipalities to grant Krško the status of urban municipality in a 65:11 vote on Wednesday. Krško has thus joined Slovenia's eleven urban municipalities, the biggest of which are Ljubljana and Maribor.

The proposal for the status change was filed in September by opposition National Party (SNS) MP Dušan Šiško, who today stressed Krško was the geographic, economic, transport, administrative and cultural centre of Posavje region.

It has many development and administrative services, and three big power stations, including the Krško N-plant, which also makes it the country's energy centre.

With some 26,000 residents, Krško, which lies in the east on the border with Croatia, is one of the smaller urban municipalities.

With a population of two million, Slovenia has 212 municipalities, of which 12 urban ones - also Kranj, Koper, Celje, Novo Mesto, Velenje, Nova Gorica, Ptuj, Murska Sobota and Slovenj Gradec.

While Ljubljana is the biggest with 294,000 residents and Maribor has also more than 100,000 residents, Slovenj Gradec is the smallest with around 16,600, 2019 statistics shows.

Under local government legislation, an urban municipality must have a town with at least 20,000 residents and at least 15,000 jobs, half of which must be in services and the knowledge-based economy.

It must be a geographic, economic and cultural centre of its area, and the state can delegate some services related to urban development onto it.

10 Nov 2021, 13:20 PM

Two Italians Cleared of Bank Robbery Charges After Evidence Excluded

STA, 10 November 2021 - The Nova Gorica Court acquitted on Wednesday two men from Sicily who had been charged with robbing two banks in Slovenia in August and October 2020 after part of the evidence was excluded. Giacomo Pappalardi and Mario Piacente were released from detention where they had been since October 2020. The prosecution will appeal.

Judge Darinka Kogoj said that Pappalardi, 44, and Piacente, 27, had been proven to have engaged in preparation for the robberies, which is however not a crime.

She said their guilt could not be proven after part of the evidence was excluded, namely GPS data about a vehicle rented in Italy before the robberies for which the Italian prosecution had given the police no order to obtain or use.

Prosecutor Petra Poberaj said she would appeal the ruling. For Piacente, she had proposed seven years in prison, and six years for Pappalardi.

Their defence teams had meanwhile proposed acquittal, with Pappalardi saying today that the court gave "a lesson in criminal and constitutional law".

The court referred the affected banks, NKBM and Deželna Banka, to a litigation.

Several persons are suspected of being involved with the robberies but the police could not say with certainty who was at the banks during the robberies based on video surveillance footage.

The first robbery took place on 31 August in Dobrova and the second on 1 October in Dutovlje, both practically just across the border with Italy.

Both were executed by two men wearing face masks and speaking Italian, who threatened bank employees, with a knife in the first case and with an object resembling a gun in the second, stealing EUR 35,000 and EUR 7,000, respectively.

Things went sour while the robbers were preparing for a third robbery in the border town of Kanal, as Nova Gorica police arrested Pappalardi and Piacente with the help of Italian criminal police in the town of Solkan.

A third suspect, also from Sicily, was identified to have taken part in both robberies, but returned to southern Italy a day after Pappalardi and Piacente were arrested. All three have a criminal record of similar crimes in Italy, so Slovenian police suspected they were a criminal ring specialised in bank robberies.

10 Nov 2021, 11:28 AM

Ljubljana Synagogue Open Again After Renovation

STA, 10 November 2021 - Slovenia's Jewish community has finally got a place of worship as the Ljubljana Synagogue opened in a residential building in Trubarjeva Street on Tuesday in a joint effort by the Austrian Jewish community from Graz and the Slovenian Jewish community.

The two communities joined forces in August 2021 by establishing the Association of Jewish Communities of Graz and Ljubljana, which runs the new Ljubljana synagogue.

The first major event there after the opening will be the celebration of Hanukkah, the festival of light, on 5 December, Slovenian Jewish Community vice-president Igor Vojtic said at yesterday's opening.

"We haven't had such a prayer room until now, but it is key to preserving religious and ethnic identity," Vojtic said at the opening, as quoted by the newspaper Delo.

The community has made efforts to have a synagogue for years but lacked the funds, while it has had the main rabbi for Slovenia since 2003. Services were therefore held at a variety of locations.

Vojtic said that the new synagogue was a result of historical ties between the Jewish communities in Slovenia and Austria.

The Slovenian Jewish community is estimated to have over one hundred members, while there were more than 1,500 before World War II, according to Delo.

Yesterday's opening was also attended by Ariel Haddad, the rabbi for Slovenia, members of other religious communities in Slovenia, including Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore and Mufti Nevzet Porić, diplomats, including Austrian Ambassador to Slovenia Elisabeth Ellision-Kramer, and Slovenian President Borut Pahor.

Predsednik republike na otvoritvi Sinagoge Ljubljana: "Ta sinagoga je tudi zavoljo sodelovanja med Ljubljano in Gradcem sporočilo sožitja" https://t.co/UGGSak0GlM pic.twitter.com/85cpqtCWcd

Pahor stressed the importance of tolerance and an inclusive society. He said the synagogue was a sign of cooperation between the Jewish communities in Ljubljana and Austria's Graz and a symbol of coexistence within an inclusive society.

The synagogue opening coincided with the anniversary of Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass), a pogrom against Jews carried out in Nazi Germany on 9-10 November 1938.

Elie Rosen, Graz Jewish Community chairman and head of the Ljubljana Synagogue, said it was important to launch the synagogue on the exact date, to show that the Nazis had not managed to destroy Jewish culture in Europe.

"9 November is thus not just a bridge to the past but a bridge to the future," Rosen was quoted as saying in a press release of the new association.

10 Nov 2021, 04:55 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 10 November 2021

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:

Covid situation critical as beds filling up fast

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian hospitals are filling up fast with Covid patients as the country reported another 3,344 coronavirus cases and a dozen deaths for Monday. Addressing reporters, Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar said the daily average of new admissions in the past week was nearly 100, compared to 50 discharges. Currently, 874 Covid patients are in hospitals, including 193 in intensive care (ICU). ICU occupancy rate is projected to peak on 24 November at over 250. The country's medical organisations warned the healthcare system is about to collapse, urging citizens to to do their best to avoid requiring urgent medical assistance over the next month or two.

City mayors propose creating legal basis for PC rule

LJUBLJANA - The association of Slovenia's urban municipalities called on the National Assembly to pass legal basis to allow the government to adopt scientifically supported measures to contain the Covid outbreak. The mayors suggested considering introducing the reconvalescent-vaccinated rule (PC), arguing the country is a "hostage of a minority of 200,000 people who oppose vaccination". Echoing the appeal, Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković partly blamed the government for vaccination hesitancy but urged people to show their opposition in the election rather by refusing to get the jab.

Slovenia to join three statements on transport at COP26

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will join at the COP26 conference in Glasgow on Wednesday the statements on international aviation climate ambition, on zero emissions in maritime transport by 2050 and on the promotion of transition to carbonless cars and vans. The decision was announced by the government after a correspondence session. The statement on international aviation climate ambition will be signed on behalf of Slovenia by Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Andrej Vizjak.

Slovenia gains one spot in climate protection ranking

GLASGOW, Scotland - Slovenia ranked 50th on the Climate Change Performance Index ranking for 2022, an improvement by one spot, however scientists warn that the country's performance in fighting climate change is still quite poor. What strikes experts from NGO Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network, which publish the index yearly, as particularly problematic in Slovenia's ranking is its performance in tackling the current situation and achieving goals for 2030.

Committee okays agreement to purchase 45 Boxer APCs

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee okayed in a 11:4 vote after hours of debate the government's plan to conclude an agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation for the purchase of eight-wheeled Boxer armoured personnel carries (APCs). The government intends to purchase 45 Boxer APCs, produced by Germany, for what is the currently estimated price of EUR 412 million.
The committee also okayed unanimously the proposal to conclude an agreement with Italy on solidarity measures to ensure reliable natural gas supply. It is expected to be signed on 2 December.

Cigler Kralj in Bratislava for launch of EU Labour Authority

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj was in Bratislava for the inauguration of the headquarters of the European Labour Authority (ELA), whose key task is to support EU institutions and member states in implementing the wide range of EU legislation governing various aspects of workers' mobility. In his address to the ceremony, Cigler Kralj assessed that the ELA will play an important role in the effective functioning of a rapidly changing EU labour market.

Conference urges EU states to draft child guarantee action plans

LJUBLJANA - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj urged EU member states to draft action plans to reduce the number of poor children by at least five million by 2030 as he addressed an online international conference as part of Slovenia's EU presidency in Ljubljana. The ministry organised the conference Child Guarantee - Equal Opportunities for Every Child to urge EU member states to ensure free and efficient access to key services.

ECOFIN relaunches discussion on fiscal rule reform

LJUBLJANA - Chaired by Slovenia's Andrej Šircelj, the EU finance ministers relaunched the discussion on reforming the fiscal rule, which had been on hold since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. The Slovenian presidency said interest had been shown for further talks on how to ensure greater simplicity and transparency of rules and favourable conditions for further recovery. "Our efforts to promote recovery are paying dividends. The response of EU members to the crisis is showing good results," said Šircelj.

Janša in video call with Cambodian PM

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša had a video call with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen with his office saying the pair discussed bilateral relations between the two countries which they both wish to enhance. The screen-to-screen meeting was held ahead of the Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit, which Cambodia will host later this month. The two officials established there was plenty of potential for bilateral economic cooperation between their countries.

EU Commission to keep monitoring STA situation

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - The European Commission said it would keep monitoring closely the situation of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) after the agency signed a contract on the STA public service for November and December with the Government Communication Office. Spokesman Christian Wigand said the Slovenian authorities must ensure that the independence of the agency is fully preserved. The agreement was also welcomed by the European Alliance of News Agencies, which underlined the need to also secure a contract for 2022 to ensure the agency's autonomy and allow it to perform its mission. Meanwhile, acting STA director Igor Kadunc said the STA had managed to negotiate some key changes to the contract, but also had to agree to some compromises to avoid bankruptcy.

Zorčič addresses Auschwitz memorial event

OSWIECIM/KRAKOW/Poland - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič attended a two-day memorial event in Poland, where he addressed the participants of a symposium on anti-Semitism in Krakow on Monday before visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp today to deliver a speech and lay a wreath at the Auschwitz Death Wall. Zorčič noted Slovenia's legacy of anti-fascist resistance, while he condemned recent tweets by top Slovenian officials with anti-Semitic tones as intolerable.

Ljubljana synagogue reopens after renovation

LJUBLJANA - The synagogue in Ljubljana, which is part of the Ljubljana Jewish Cultural Centre, reopened after renovation. Addressing the event, President Borut Pahor underlined the importance of tolerance between religions and nurturing an inclusive society. Elie Rosen, the head of the Graz Jewish Community and the president of the Ljubljana Synagogue, noted the importance of the synagogue being opened on the day of memory of the 1938 pogroms, also known as Kristallnacht. The synagogue was refurbished as part of the EUR 1.2 million renovation of the whole building. German Embassy chipped in EUR 25,000. The comm

Car maker Revoz shrinking production

NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of Renault, is switching from two shifts to one and a half on Monday, 15 November, to scale down production over uncertainties in the car industry resulting from the global crisis in semiconductors. In the coming months, around 350 of the company's more than 2,400 workers will lose their jobs.

Exports in September up 16.7% year-on-year, imports up 46.7%

LJUBLJANA - The upward trend in Slovenia's trade in goods continues, as the country exported goods worth EUR 3.5 billion in September, or 16.7% more than in the same month in 2020, while imports, totalling EUR 3.9 billion, were up by 46.7%. Slovenia's September figures were also higher than those in the same month in the pre-Covid year 2019.

GEN-I shareholders fail to appoint any candidate for CEO

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders' meeting of GEN-I, Slovenia's largest power supplier, failed to re-appoint Robert Golob as CEO after the supervisory board of Gen Energija, which owns half the company, did not give its consent for the reappointment on Monday. However, Davor Dimič, whom Gen Energija put forward to as successor of Golob, and another candidate for the management board also failed to get appointed in what media reports suggest is a political tug of war. Golob's term runs out on 17 November.

Minister Jaklitsch visits minority in Gorizia

GORIZIA, Italy - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch started a two-day visit to the Slovenian ethnic minority in the Gorizia area as she continued visiting the minority in Italy. She visited a number of cultural and educational institutions and also met Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli and Mayor Rodolfo Ziberna, who presented plans for tourism information signs in Italian, Slovenian and English.

Two doctors detained on suspicion of corruption

MARIBOR - More than a hundred criminal investigators from across the country conducted a series of house raids as part of a criminal investigation into allegations of bribery and abuse of office. Two doctors were detained on suspicion of taking bribes to issue more than 10,000 illegal medical certificates over several years, including Covid-19 reconvalescence certificates and nearly a hundred proofs of negative Covid test results. The pair is thought to have made at least one million euro in unlawful gain.

Olympian Janja Garnbret makes climbing history

LJUBLJANA - Climber Janja Garnbret, who won a gold medal in sport climbing at the Tokyo Olympics, has set a new milestone by becoming the first woman to climb an 8c-rated route on-sight. She made the latest feat during a rock-climbing holiday in Oliana in Spain. In the beginning of November, she managed to climb two different 8c-rated climbing routes in the span of two days.

09 Nov 2021, 21:20 PM

Doctors Urge Caution as Slovenia’s Health System Close to Collapsing

STA, 9 November 2021 - Slovenia's medical organisations have made an urgent appeal to citizens to do their best to avoid requiring urgent medical assistance over the next month or two, warning the healthcare system is about to collapse.

The pressure of Covid patients on the health system is so huge, patients at the moment can no longer get some of the services that had been available before, heard the press conference following a meeting of medical organisations on Tuesday.

Over the next week they expect the situation to aggravate so that doctors at critical points in the system would be simultaneously attending to two patients in need of a ventilator, as there would not be enough staff that can help such patients or suitable beds, said Igor Dovnik, the head of the Association of Private Doctors and Dentists.

Bojana Beović, the head of the Medical Chamber, could not rule out the possibility that doctors might need to choose who got intensive aid, a situation that she said was one of the hardest that could happen to a doctor.

She said staff shortages were acute. All the staff was mobilised at the moment to be deployed where is urgently needed, in particular intensive care units, which need highly qualified staff. However, despite an all-out effort to ensure suitable level of care, the capacities are already stretched.

"This is an alarming situation that we can cope with through maximum solidarity of all health workers on the one hand and solidarity of people on the other who will understand the situation and contribute to making the situation manageable in some way," said Beović.

"Life is open, there are traffic accidents, accidents at work, other infections," she said, warning the workload is bigger than a year ago when the country was shut down. "If we want a normal life, keep schools, the economy open, we must be aware there's a price to this. We must do all activities in a way not to make that price too high."

The organisations, including the trade union of doctors and dentists, called on everyone to do their bit to avoid needing medical aid over the next month or two, including by avoiding situations or activities that could result in injury such as sports or reckless driving, or risking getting any infection.

Dovnik urged everyone who have not yet got vaccinated against Covid-19 to do so, and recommended getting a flu jab as well. "I don't think we could be so lucky to avoid flu two years in a row," he said.

09 Nov 2021, 17:41 PM

ICU Occupancy Expected to Peak 24 November

STA, 9 November 2021 - Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar has warned that, as Slovenian hospitals continue to fill up with Covid-19 patients, the peak occupancy rate of intensive care units is projected for 24 November, when more than 250 ICU beds are expected to be occupied.

Vindišar told the government's press briefing on Tuesday that the daily average of newly admitted Covid-patients in the last week was almost 100, while the average for persons discharged from hospital was 50, and the daily average of deaths at 12.

This week, there are 240 more Covid-19 patients in hospitals than last week, the state secretary said, adding that the epidemiological situation was very serious, and that hospitals were being stretched beyond their normal capacity.

Vindišar noted the predictive model of the Jožef Stefan Institute, under which the peak occupancy rate of intensive care units is projected for on 24 November, with over 250 ICU beds occupied.

Today, the total capacity was increased by two beds to 213, he said, adding that an additional 750 standard beds were available for Covid-19 patients.

More than 190 patients were currently treated in intensive care units, and an additional 681 patients are in standard care.

According to Vindišar, up to 290 beds for ICU patients could be secured in Slovenia. Some capacity needs to be reserved for non-Covid patients, as many other diseases and conditions require intensive therapy, he added.

Vindišar noted that standards for patients in ICUs, who are fully dependent on medical care 24/7, had to be lowered. Before the epidemic, it was close to four nurses per patient a day, and today it was lowered to almost below two.

Economy Ministry State Secretary Simon Zajc meanwhile said that the government decree that brought stricter supervision of the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule, effective as of Monday, "prevents full closure of the country".

He said that the aim of the decree was not limiting economic activity, but supervising socialisation, adding that the government had followed the examples of Austria and Italy, where anti-epidemic measures are also being beefed up.

Damir Orehovec, the state secretary at the Education Ministry, spoke about the mandatory self-testing of primary and secondary school students in school three times a week, which is expected to enter into force next Monday.

Orehovec said that this was an alternative to remote learning, and added that more detail about the measure would be presented to head teachers at a meeting on Wednesday as there were many questions from parents and school managements.

"The most vulnerable groups enter the school and kindergarten space and we need to make sure that both children and employees are provided with safe space where they can learn and work," Orehovec said.

He noted that those who meet the recovered-vaccinated (PC) rule would be exempt from the mandatory self-testing in school.

As of 15 November, primary and secondary school students will be eligible for 15 free rapid antigen tests a month, which they will be able to get in pharmacies. Schools will also have some backup test in case students forget to being theirs.

Get all the latest data, in a nice series of maps and charts, here

09 Nov 2021, 15:39 PM

NGOs Present Policy Suggestions for Parties Ahead of 2022 Elections

STA, 8 November - A network of civil society and non-governmental organisations that is forming the Voice of the People initiative ahead of the general election has addressed a number of requests related to the rule of law, climate change, housing policy, the elderly, and welfare state, calling on political parties to take their positions.

As its representatives told the press in Ljubljana on Monday, the initiative associates 57 NGOs that have come together to address parties ahead of the election with concrete requests for improvement of several fields of life.

Ten sample requests have already been prepared and a total of 100 requests are expected to be made and presented to the parties, which will be called to take their positions on the requests.

Some of the requests were presented today, with the Legal Centre for the Protection of Human rights and Environment (PIC) pointing to the topics related to the rule of law, human rights and democracy.

Katarina Bervar Sternad of PIC said that Slovenia needed politically and financially independent institutions that would be able to effectively protect the interests of society and rights of individuals.

"We need political leadership that understands the principle of separation of powers, transparency and inclusive processes, respects the decisions of the highest courts", and is trusted when it comes to opposing crime and corruption, she added.

Gaja Brecelj of the environmental NGO Umanotera said that Slovenia was warming up twice as fast as the global average and was thus vulnerable to climate change above the average. She called on political parties to listen to scientists and experts.

"They need to understand that living ... with heat waves, droughts and floods is a serious threat to our lives and that people need trust when fighting climate crisis. It's time for a policy that will meet these expectations," she said.

The conference also noted the burning issue of housing, with sociologist Klemen Ploštajner pointing out that Slovenia neither had a systematic housing policy nor stable systemic and sustainable resources for long-term housing construction.

He said that every party and the future government must prepare a plan for how to provide stable long-term financing and construction of public rental apartments.

The initiative includes Srebrna Nit, an association campaigning for dignified old age, whose president Biserka Marolt Meden said that the Covid-19 had pinpointed all weaknesses in the system of elderly care in the past two years.

"More than 2,100 residents died in care homes in this period alone," she said, adding that "we have had in the last year public debates that do not take into account the opinion of experts and civil society".

The association requests immediate systemic measures for care homes and better accessibility of general practitioners, with Marolt Meden noting that more than 100,000 residents in Slovenia did not have an assigned general practitioner.

09 Nov 2021, 11:05 AM

Garnbret Becomes First Woman to Climb 8c-rated Route Onsight

STA, 9 November 2021 - Slovenian climber Janja Garnbret, who won a gold medal in sport climbing at the Tokyo Olympics, has set a new milestone by becoming the first woman to climb an 8c-rated route onsight, according to the Slovenian Mountaineering Association.

After the end of competition this season, she took a rock-climbing holiday in Oliana in Spain, where she achieved her latest feat. In the beginning of November, she managed to climb two different 8c-rated climbing routes in the span of two days.

Both of her ascents were achieved onsight, which means that she made them on her first attempt on an unknown route, without prior information.

The 8c is currently the highest route difficulty rating ever successfully climbed onsight by a female climber.

"I had never actually thought of trying to climb an 8c, but later I decided to give it a go anyway. No pressure, just climbing, it just happened." the 22-year-old Slovenian climber told planetmountain.com.

"This was my first trip to Oliana. On the first day, I tried some different, slightly easier routes, before trying the harder ones," she added.

"I didn't panic, I was very calm. I think I was climbing quite fast and resting where it felt appropriate. I felt super good, very relaxed and focused," concluded Garnbret.

09 Nov 2021, 11:01 AM

Slovenian Press Agency Signs Public Service Deal With Govt

STA, 8 November 2021 - Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the STA (Slovenska tiskovna agencija), and Uroš Urbanija, director of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), signed an agreement on the STA's public service for 2021, UKOM said in a press release. Urbanija told the press the contract said that the STA should receive EUR 2 million for this year.

According to Urbanija, the contract is based on the STA law, which says the STA must publish ledes of news items about events in Slovenia and abroad in Slovenian and English, provide radio news, and photographs from the most important events while news items about minorities and the Slovenian community abroad must be publicly available in full.

"And what is the most important, the content must be accessible to all free of charge under the same conditions. I hope this is a positive message not only to the media using these contents but also to all the staff, as it was unacceptable that the previous STA management had used the staff in desperate attempts to bypass legal provisions," he added.

Kadunc said at a joint statement that he was happy they had managed to sign the contract, "which will enable normal financing and thus also the STA's activities this year, while we will also have something left for next year".

He warned that some issues still needed to be resolved, pointing to the ambiguous provisions of the STA act on the STA photo services. He said it will now be possible to address these challenges in peace while a suitable business plan is also prepared for next year.

"I think it's in everybody's best interest for us to have a good public press agency, which is backed with public funding due to the small size of the market. The job is not done yet, as we must still find solutions for next year that will satisfy both sides," Kadunc said.

He stressed his first priority since he took over as the STA's acting head over on 31 October had been to solve this pressing matter of financing.

According to him, many have shown interest in recent months in the STA working without disturbance while there have been some not very fortunate moves.

"Primarily, the desire was to change the concept under which the STA has received money from the state budget in the past as support for its public service and functioning in a very limited market.

"The concept the government implemented with a decree on the STA's public service envisaged that the STA gets this money for conducting its services. But this seems to be lacking a proper legal basis, which is why the STA is checking the suitability of the wording from the decree," Kadunc said.

He added that the commitments that the STA had made with the signing of the contract for this year "are not such that could not be fulfilled by the agency".

"But of course it is important to put everything in perspective. If the STA is important today, I think it will be even more important in the future. And in order for it to fulfil these expectations, it had a lot of work to do. So do I, who have been entrusted with leading the agency," Kadunc said.

The signing of the contract was welcomed, yet with some reservation, by STA staff, the Slovenian Journalist Association, Trade Union of Journalists, and President Borut Pahor.

The staff pointed out the agency will receive the funds it is entitled to under two laws, but warned certain solutions could indirectly affect the editorial autonomy and negatively affect the agency's finances, especially if they were permanent changes to the agency's business model.

If these changes prove to be harmful, the staff will insist on adjustments that will allow for the agency's work to continue without disturbances.

The staff warned that the STA had paid a very high price for the one-year financial exhaustion. "A number of excellent staff have left us, the agony has compromised the quality of the agency's service to the public, halted a number of development projects and, last but not least, has left us psychologically exhausted."

The STA staff expects this "completely uncalled for pressure on the STA is now over", adding they will continue to strive for a quality and independent reporting and preservation of the STA's autonomy.

The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) and Journalist Trade Union expect the financial draining of the agency to end and the government and STA to come to an appropriate agreement on 2022 financing as well.

The DNS noted today's signing was no cause for special celebration as it merely meant that "the government finally decided to honour the legislation and pay the STA for providing public service after draining the agency for 312 days".

Assessing today's agreement with restraint and caution, the DNS highlighted the basis for signing the contract could only be the law and not the decree, which it deems unlawful. It also warned that more publicly available content of the STA would mean a drop in the agency's commercial revenue.

Both organisations also thanked all who have donated to the STA in a summer campaign which was relaunched in November. The DNS said that in between the campaigns, from July through October, more than EUR 100,000 was raised. The summer campaign raised over EUR 274,700.

The contract was also welcomed by President Pahor, who stressed on Twitter the STA's "irreplaceable mission" in the media space.

He had called on the government several times in the past months to find a way to finance the STA as soon as possible. In the summer he decorated the STA with the Order of Merit for its services to mark its 30th anniversary.

The STA has been performing its public service without pay since the start of the year and has so far managed to avoid bankruptcy with the sale of three monthly claims against the government and a crowdfunding campaign launched by the DNS.

Today UKOM paid the STA's claim for compensation for the public service in August in the amount of EUR 141,000. The deadline for the payment expired today. The STA claimed the money in June based on a government decree. The STA's business plan envisaged EUR 169,000 in monthly costs for public service.

09 Nov 2021, 04:40 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 9 November 2021

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:

Covid restrictions tightened up

LJUBLJANA - A number of new Covid restrictions came into effect today to help contain the unrelenting outbreak of infections. Under decisions taken by the government on Friday, gatherings are banned and the Covid pass mandate now applies from the age of 12. Cloth masks are no longer deemed suitable as sporting and cultural events audiences are reduced to half the sitting capacity. A curfew was reimposed on bars and restaurants, which can only serve customers at table, and nightclubs are shut until further notice. Several pharmacies said they were running out of self-test kits, while there is no shortage of surgical face masks, except those for children.

Coronavirus curve keeps rising

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,282 new coronavirus cases on Sunday to push the rolling 7-day average and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents higher still, to 2,862 and 1,735, respectively. Over 43% of the PCR tests came back positive, and another 13 people died, bringing the national death toll to 5,162. Hospitalisations totalled 843 on Monday morning, up by 46 on Sunday, including 190 patients in intensive care, up by six. With hospital capacities expected to become stretched further, the Health Ministry ordered a mobilisation of the whole health system, including public and private providers.

Janša meets Dodik to discuss situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša met on Sunday Milorad Dodik, the Serbian member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency, to discuss the political situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the region. Janša described the meeting on Twitter as a substantive exchange about the situation in the country. "The future lies in full sovereignty of Bosnia-Herzegovina and EU membership," Janša said, while Dodik informed him of Republika Srpska's commitment to preserve the Dayton Agreement, Serbian press agency Tanjug reported.

Climate summit key step for Earth's future, says Vizjak

GLASGOW, UK - The COP26 climate conference is a key step for the future of our planet and younger generations, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said at a press conference in Glasgow, speaking alongside European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans. "It's time we act responsibly and move up from good intentions to concrete actions," Vizjak said. Slovenia represents the EU and is in charge of coordinating the member states' views as it holds the EU presidency. Timmermans said negotiators and the participating countries still had a lot to do, noting the EU's stance that ambitious targets only count if backed by concrete measures.

STA signs public service agreement with UKOM

LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, the new acting director of the STA, and Uroš Urbanija, the director of the Government Communications Office (UKOM), signed a EUR 2 milion contract on the STA's public service valid until the end of the year, which Kadunc said "will enable normal financing and thus also the STA's activities this year, while we will also have something left for next year". STA staff welcomed the signing of the contract, but warned that certain solutions could indirectly affect the editorial autonomy and negatively affect the STA's finances. The STA has been performing its public service without pay since the start of the year.

Accetto elected new president of Constitutional Court

LJUBLJANA - Matej Accetto was elected president of the Constitutional Court after his peers voted to give him a three-year term at the helm of Slovenia's top court. He will take over from Rajko Knez on 19 December. The Constitutional Court did not release the results of the vote, but one of the judges, Klemen Jaklič, announced he would boycott the proceedings to appoint a "pre-arranged candidate" by a majority that had taken the court to where it became the subject of "unprecedented criticism".

Slovenia to roll out biometric identity cards in March

LJUBLJANA - An agreement on the production of Slovenia's new biometric identity cards was signed on Monday. The new IDs, expected to start being issued in March 2022, will cost 29 euro and contain multiple identity markers and security features. The agreement was signed by Roman Žnidarič, the director of the Cetis company, that will produce the cards, by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik.

Digitalisation in education should be enhanced, EU presidency conference hears

LJUBLJANA - Digital transition is one of the key challenges alongside green transition, Education Minister Simona Kustec said as she addressed a two-day hybrid conference on education starting in Ljubljana as part of Slovenia's EU presidency, which is attended by around 300 participants. "But we have to be aware that digital transition in education is an even more demanding process, which will be successful only if we join forces and act together," she said at the conference Resetting Education and Training for the Digital Age. EU Commission Vice Presidents Margaritis Schinas and Margrethe Vestager stressed the digital transition should be enhanced at all levels.

Sacked Elektro Ljubljana boss turning to court

LJUBLJANA - After being dismissed as chairna of Elektro Ljubljana, the country's largest power distributor, Andrej Ribič announced he would challenge the dismissal in court. He argues he was dismissed for political reasons, saying he was convinced Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec was behind the move, suggesting the reason was Elektro's voting rights related to the government's alleged plan to dismiss the chairman of electricity trader GEN-I Robert Golob. Vrtovec denied any involvement.

Civil society organisations come up with pre-election demands

LJUBLJANA - A network of 57 civil society and non-governmental organisations associated in an informal Voice of the People initiative ahead of the general election presented a number of requests related to the rule of law, climate change, housing policy, the elderly, and welfare state, calling on political parties to take their position on them. The initiative has already outlined ten requests, while a total of 100 are planned.

Govt approval rating lowest in this term

LJUBLJANA - The government approval rating slipped to its lowest point this term in the latest Barometer poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo, with as many as 40% of the respondents giving the cabinet a very negative grade. The gap between the ruling Democrats (SDS) and the opposition Social Democrats (SD) has narrowed, as the two polled at 15.6% and 12.8%, respectively. The SDS and SD are thus less than three percentage points apart, the same as in April.

EU Commission registers Slovenia-led environmental protection initiative

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has decided to register a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) called Call to Action - Environmental Protection in All Policies, with Slovenia serving as the leading EU member state in the initiative, which aims at declaring an environmental crisis in the EU. If the initiative, registered by the European Commission at the end of October, receives at least one million statements of support within a year from at least seven member states, the Commission will have to react to it. "The creation of the ECI is the result of the work of citizens from eight EU countries," Jure Leben, Slovenia's former environment minister, said on behalf of the initiators.

Slovenia hosting European Team Chess Championship

ČATEŽ OB SAVI - The European Team Chess Championship 2021 will be held between 11 and 22 November at the Terme Čatež spa near Brežice in eastern Slovenia in what will be the biggest chess event in the country since 2002. Slovenia will field the strongest team ever, spearheaded by international master Laura Unuk and grandmaster Luka Lenič. The event will feature more than 500 chess players as part of 70 teams from 38 countries. There will be no spectators, however the matches will be livestreamed.

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