STA, 6 July 2021 - Slovenian voters who will be unable to go to the polls on Sunday, 11 July, to vote on the changes to the waters act can do so in early voting from Tuesday to Thursday between 7am and 7pm at over 92 polling stations around Slovenia.

Water Act Referendum on 11 July Aims to Protect Coastal Land

A voter can cast their vote in early voting only at the local electoral commission which covers the area of their permanent residence.

While the early voting will largely take place at the seats of district electoral commissions, there are around a dozen exceptions.

For all districts within the Ljubljana Administrative Unit, early voting will take place at the Gospodarsko Razstavišče fairgrounds.

Standard rules to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will have to be observed, with voters having to enter polling stations one by one.

Until tomorrow, voters can apply to vote on 11 July outside their place of permanent residence or at home.

Voters with permanent residence abroad who would like to vote in Slovenia can also still apply tomorrow to do so.

The referendum was initiated by several NGOs associated in the Movement for Drinking Water, which is critical of the new rules for construction on sea and lake coasts and on riverbanks. It claims that the new legislation liberalises construction and might lead to over-development of coastal areas.

Voters - just over 1.7 million are eligible - will be asked whether they support amendments to the waters act passed by the National Assembly on 30 March.

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: 

Janša sees EU's recovery and resilience as key to bloc's power

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša highlighted the EU's post-pandemic recovery and resilience as a clear response to crises as he presented the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency to parliament. He said successive crises since Slovenia's first EU presidency in 2008 had shown that "we've been poorly prepared for the majority of these crises, that there is a lack of certain common instruments that allow the Union to face crises". He hopes the time has come "for the EU to refocus on looking for strategic answers to strategic questions". His presentation elicited criticism from the centre-left opposition parties, with some describing it as short on detail and others expressing doubt about whether the government can deliver.

EU presidency, funds top agenda of EU Court of Auditors visit

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the European Court of Auditors headed by president Klaus-Heiner Lehne started a three-day visit to Slovenia, with the Slovenian EU presidency's priorities and oversight of the spending of recovery and resilience funds topping the agenda. Lehne and PM Janez Janša also exchanged views on the EU's future challenges, while Lehne and Foreign Minister Anže Logar discussed cooperation with Slovenia's EU presidency. Talks with a National Assembly delegation headed by Speaker Igor Zorčič revolved around the role of national parliaments and the work of the Court of Auditors.

Slovenian military to prioritise climate and Western Balkans during EU presidency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - During Slovenia's EU presidency, the Slovenian Armed Forces will carry out tasks and activities in line with the presidency's priorities. The main focus will be on the impact of climate change on defence and military mobility, and the Western Balkans, where the emphasis will be on crisis response, Brigadier Milan Žurman, the head of Slovenia's Military Representation to NATO and the EU, said. Moreover, Slovenian military will focus on increasing cooperation between the EU and Western Balkan countries and among the countries themselves, improving potential civil-military cooperation in the event of natural and other disasters, and enhancing military mobility.

Minister wants unions at negotiating table, not at anti-govt protests

LJUBLJANA - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said he was doing everything in his power to get trade unions back to the negotiating table after they quit the Economic and Social Council (ESS) in May, yet under the condition that they refrain from taking part in anti-government protests. The trade union confederations quit Slovenia's main industrial relations forum in mid-May, accusing the government of having practically abolished social dialogue. They were unhappy with several bills within the ESS's purview being sent to parliament without prior debate on the forum.

More restrictions on services lifted

LJUBLJANA - More restrictions on the services sector have been lifted. Casinos fully reopened today and there are no more restrictions on the number of customers in shops. The rule of reconvalescence, testing or vaccination remains in place indoors. Customers, including in shops, who can prove they have been vaccinated, tested or have recently recovered from Covid-19 no longer need to wear face masks indoors. Masks are also no longer obligatory for visitors or performers at outdoor or indoor culture events provided the rule of reconvalescence, testing or vaccination is heeded.

Eight positive coronavirus tests in Slovenia on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Eight out of 604 PCR coronavirus tests came back positive on Sunday for a positivity rate of 1.3% while there were no deaths. The 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents remained flat at 24 and 19, respectively. Hospitals are still treating 58 Covid-19 patients, two down from yesterday, including 16 in intensive care, which is also two fewer. An estimated 425 infections are still considered to be active.

PM warns 70% vaccination rate needed to avoid new lockdown

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša called for joint efforts to convince people to get vaccinated against coronavirus as he warned that a vaccination rate of 70% would have to be achieved until the end of the summer if Slovenia is to avoid new lockdowns. "If we do not achieve a vaccination rate of 70% by the end of the summer, everything will be closed in autumn," he told the National Assembly at the outset of the plenary session. "This is the only way to prevent having to pass legislation making vaccination mandatory for certain categories," he said.

Slovenia's jobless total down in June y/y

LJUBLJANA - A total of 71,094 people were registered as unemployed in Slovenia at the end of June, 5.4% down on May and 20.5% on June last year, in what is a nationwide decrease, show the Employment Service data. Employers reported 35% more job openings in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2020. June saw 3,532 new job seekers, a 4.6% drop over May and down 53.3% over last year's June. The Employment Service received 16,195 job openings in June, 23.4% more than in May and 54% more than in June 2020.

Survey: Climate change serious problem for most EU, Slovenian citizens

LJUBLJANA - As many as 92% Slovenians citizens consider climate change a serious problem, which is one percentage point below the EU average, the latest Eurobarometer survey shows. 11% of Slovenian respondents meanwhile consider climate change the most serious problem the world is faced with, which compares to the EU average of 18%. As for politics taking action to fight climate change for the EU to become climate neutral by 2050, 90% of Europeans and 89% of Slovenians said greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced to the utmost.

MFRR warns of attacks on media in Slovenia at multiple levels

LJUBLJANA - The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups, stressed that media freedom was at risk in Slovenia. Attacks on Slovenian media take place at multiple levels, both legislative and administrative, and on social networks, the group said in Ljubljana as it presented its report released at the end of last month after a virtual fact-finding mission to Slovenia in late May and early June.

Warnings on illegal returns of asylum seekers in online debate

LJUBLJANA - The illegal returns of asylum seekers from Schengen countries are systematic, said the participants of an online panel discussion on Slovenia's contentious practices in the field of migration. They agreed that this was not an exclusively Slovenian issue, noting that changes that would put human rights at the forefront were needed. Turning asylum seekers back in Slovenia did not start with this government, but it has intensified under it, said Jošt Žagar of the Infokolpa initiative, which organised the panel together with the Border Violence Monitoring Network.

Suspect planning shooting spree pleads not guilty

KRANJ - A 20-year-old man suspected of having planned a school shooting spree pleaded not guilty as he appeared at the Kranj District Court, TV channel A Kanal reported. However, he did admit to having bought a pistol and an automatic rifle for EUR 5,000 on the dark web, for which the prosecution indicted him. At one of the coming hearings, a psychiatrist should tell the court whether the suspect showed diminished capacity when buying the weapons. If found guilty, he could get a prison sentence of six months to five years.

STA, 5 July 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has called for joint efforts to convince people to get vaccinated against coronavirus as he warned that a vaccination rate of 70% would have to be achieved until the end of the summer if Slovenia is to avoid new lockdowns.

"If we do not achieve a vaccination rate of 70% by the end of the summer, everything will be closed in autumn," he told the National Assembly at the outset of the plenary session on Monday.

"This is the only way to prevent having to pass legislation making vaccination mandatory for certain categories," he said.

Slovenia initially set the target of 60% vaccination rate by the beginning of summer, but as of Monday 39% have received one shot and 33% have been fully vaccinated.

Janša warned that the delta variant of the novel coronavirus, first detected in India, was 60% more transmissible than the alpha variant, which was first identified in the UK, and even some countries close to Slovenia had forecast that there would be a new wave as early as the end of July.

He said that vaccines were "to a large extent the appropriate answer", noting that despite sufficient vaccine supplies, Slovenia and certain other EU countries were "victims of a certain conviction ... that others will get vaccinated and I will be among the 30% who do not have to be".

He said certain EU member states were already mulling mandatory vaccination of adults, while certain others were considering mandatory jabs for groups such as health workers, employees at nursing homes, teachers, and staff working in critical infrastructure.

The majority of countries are also discontinuing free testing. "Why should those who have been vaccinated pay for you to get a free test because you refuse to get vaccinated?" he wondered.

Janša also argued the media could do much more to counter anti-vaccination prejudice. "At this point the most that can be done is for media to organise debates and answer people's dilemmas and fears."

As for criticism that the government has failed in how it has handled the pandemic, Janša said the opposition had tried very hard to make the battle against the pandemic as difficult as possible and to unseat the government.

STA, 5 July 2021 - The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups, stressed on Monday that media freedom was at risk in Slovenia. Attacks on Slovenian media take place at multiple levels, both legislative and administrative, and on social networks, the group said.

Presenting its report released at the end of last month after a virtual fact-finding mission to Slovenia in late May and early June, representatives of MFRR partner organisations highlighted government attacks on the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and public broadcaster RTV Slovenija today.

With the report noting that Slovenia has seen press freedom deteriorate ever since Prime Minister Janez Janša returned to power in March 2020, MFRR representatives said today that aggressive efforts were under way to take control over public media.

A mix of legal and administrative pressure is being used as well as attacks, often personal, aimed at undermining the integrity and independence of these institutions. "What is worrying is that this is happening during the pandemic, when objective reporting is crucial," said Jamie Wiseman from the International Press Institute (IPI).

Tim Schoot Uiterkamp from foundation Free Press Unlimited (FPU) said that during the mission in Slovenia representatives of the Slovenian government had mostly justified their actions by arguing that the media landscape needed to be balanced and that a network of fierce government opponents controlled the media.

Government officials also pointed to the problems that existed before this government. Schoot Uiterkamp said that problems from that period had been detected but that the current government had used those weaknesses and deepened them rather than trying to eliminate them.

MFRR representatives warned that the Slovenian government was copying the illiberal model of democracy from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and that the ruling Democrats (SDS) had set up a network of party media before taking office, and now they were discrediting media and journalists and trying to present the media landscape as a battle between the left and right activism to undermine trust in the media.

"We are concerned by the spreading of this model," said Schoot Uiterkamp, adding though that not everything was lost in Slovenia's case.

What is positive in Slovenia is that media and the civil society have recognised the threat and shown some solidarity. The stronger and the more independent the public media outlets are, the easier they can resist to such pressure, said Renate Schroeder, the head of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).

Schoot Uiterkamp urged Slovenian journalists to remain alert, continue to show solidarity with their peers and continue to resist pressure, as this was what differentiates Slovenia from Hungary and Poland, where no such resistance could be felt.

He also called on European institutions to monitor the situation closely and respond to developments in Slovenia, and to adopt as soon as possible a directive against strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).

He said Brussels should also launch a mechanism of withholding EU budget payments to countries where governments bend the rule of law.

Laurens Hueting from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) assessed that at present there was no need to launch the procedure foreseen under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union and expressed hope that this would never be necessary.

You can see the full report here (PDF)

STA, 5 July 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša will present Slovenia's EU presidency priorities to the European Parliament at a plenary session on Tuesday in a very different atmosphere than in 2008. Socialists, liberals, the greens, and the left have all announced they will be critical. Janša's political family is reserved.

The presentation of priorities of the country starting the six-month stint at the helm of the Council of the EU in Parliament is customary and is followed by a debate with MEPs.

Janša will address MEPs for the second time as prime minister of a presiding county. In 2008, when he presented Slovenia's first presidency priorities, MEPs were mostly interested in Kosovo, which was about to declare independence.

This year, the situation is much different. The first two days of Slovenia's presidency were marked by two incidents. Frans Timmermans, the European Commission vice-president from the ranks of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), eschewed a traditional photo-op at the takeover of the presidency due to Janša's comments about links between Slovenian judges and the Social Democrats (SD).

This was followed by a statement by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs at Friday's briefing for Brussels correspondents dedicated to the start of the Slovenian presidency being interpreted as taking aim at Timmermans with a pearls-swine metaphor. Hojs has denied the accusation.

This, along with the failure to appoint European delegated prosecutors and Janša's attitude to media and his support to Hungary in a debate on a controversial law that according to the European Commission discriminates people based on their sexual orientation, will set the mood for Tuesday's debate.

The biggest political group, the right-of-centre European People's Party (EPP), is reserved. Janša will take part in a meeting of the group on Tuesday evening, where he can expect questions about his support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the debate on the rights of the LGBTIQ community, as the EPP finds the controversial Hungarian law unacceptable.

Orban's Fidesz left the group and the EPP party a few months ago.

The EPP warns that politicising such issues in Hungary, Slovenia and Poland feeds populism in these countries. Unofficially, the group is concerned about the divide between the eastern and western EU countries, which the debate on the rights of the LGBTIQ community laid bare again.

The second and third biggest parliamentary groups, the S&D and the liberal Renew, announced they would be critical, especially due to Slovenia's failure to appoint delegated prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), and Janša's attitude to media.

The Slovenian prime minister can also expect criticism from the European Greens, the fifth largest group, who announced protests in Strasbourg for Tuesday morning together with the organisers of Friday's anti-government protests in Slovenia, as well as from the Left (GUE/NGL), the smallest political group.

The Eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) said the Slovenian prime minister must be given a chance.

The far-right Identity and Democracy Group (ID) did not take part in Friday's briefing where groups presented their views ahead of Tuesday's debate.

The agenda of the plenary will include the rights of LGBTIQ persons in Hungary, the Article 7 procedure of the Treaty on the European Union against Poland and Hungary, and rule of law conditionality.

The plenary will also be attended by Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar, who will represent the Council of the EU in relations with the Parliament. He will take part in the debates on the rule of law and the fundamental rights in Hungary and Poland, the rights of the LGBTIQ community in Hungary, global EU sanctions related to human rights violations, the situation in Ethiopia, Antarctica and the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.

STA, 5 July 2021 - More restrictions on the services sector will be lifted on Monday. Casinos will fully reopen and there will be no more restrictions on the number of customers in shops. The rule of reconvalescence, testing or vaccination remains in place indoors.

Shops will no longer be restricted to accepting only one customer per 10 square metres, and bars and restaurants will no longer need to secure a distance of three meters between tables and face masks will no longer be required indoors.

Casinos had so far been allowed to offer up to 75% of their gaming capacities, and now this restriction too will be lifted.

There will also be no more restrictions for convention activities. So far, 75% of seats were allowed to be occupied with one seat empty in-between.

However, the rule of reconvalescence, testing or vaccination remains in place for customers inside bars and restaurants, casinos, accommodation facilities, night clubs, and for visitors of congresses.

Employees of hair salons, beauty parlours, and providers of non-medical counselling and therapeutical services, education and training etc. will also still need to be vaccinated or tested if they are not reconvalescent.

Customers, including in shops, who can prove they have been vaccinated, tested or have recently recovered from Covid-19 no longer need to wear face masks indoors.

Masks are also no longer obligatory for visitors or performers at outdoor or indoor culture events, where the rule of reconvalescence, testing or vaccination remains in place.

Restrictions regarding the number of visitors have also been lifted for libraries, archives, museums and galleries, for cultural events and for visiting cultural heritage sights.

All restrictions for sports and recreational activities have also been lifted for both individual or in group activities. There are no more restrictions on the number of spectators at sports events and they no longer need to wear face masks.

Clubs and discotheques will remain open from 5pm to midnight.

This is the latest in a series of easing of restrictions driven by a favourable epidemiological situation. The new rules will apply until 11 July.

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: 

Slovenia qualify for the Olympic basketball tournament

KAUNAS, Lithuania - The Slovenian national basketball team will compete in the Olympic for the first time after NBA star Luka Dončič led the team to a 96:85 win against Lithuania in the final of one of the four qualifying tournaments. Dončič scored a triple double with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Vlatko Čančar added 18 points and Jaka Blažič 16. In Tokyo Slovenia will play in group C alongside Spain, Argentina and Japan.

Roglič leaving Tour de France early due to injury

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič has decided to leave Tour de France early due to injuries he sustained in early stages of the race, his Dutch team Jumbo-Visma said on its website. The 31-year-old Roglič, last year's Tour de France runner-up and the winner of Tour of Spain, suffered two falls in stages one and three of the Tour. "We have made the decision on the departure together. In these circumstance, it would be pointless to continue," Roglič said.

Garnbret bags another World Cup victory before Olympics

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Janja Garnbret continues to excel at this year's climbing World Cup, having won her fourth event this season in Villars, Switzerland on Saturday, which raises hope for the Tokyo Olympics, where she will be the country's main contender for gold. Out of the eight finalists in Villars, four were Slovenian.

Nine coronavirus infections confirmed on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Nine new coronavirus cases were confirmed in 845 PCR tests in Slovenia on Saturday, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said. There were no Covid-9 deaths. The 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents both dropped by one to 24 and 19, respectively. There were 60 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, down one from the day before, of whom 18 needed intensive care, one more than the day before.

STA, 4 July 2021 - The Slovenian national basketball team will compete in the Tokyo Olympics after NBA star Luka Dončič led the team to a 96:85 win against Lithuania in the final of a qualifying tournament on Sunday.

Dončič scored a triple double with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Vlatko Čančar added 18 points and Jaka Blažič 16.

Slovenia heads to Tokyo with a 4:0 record in the qualifying tournament, having defeated Angola, Poland, Venezuela and now Lithuania, a European basketball titan.

Indeed, this will be the first time after 1992 that Lithuania does not compete in the Olympic games.

In Tokyo Slovenia will play in group C alongside Spain, Argentina and Japan. The first game, against Argentina, is scheduled for 29 July.

STA, 4 July 2021 - Slovenia's Janja Garnbret continues to excel at this year's climbing World Cup, having won her fourth event this season in Villars, Switzerland on Saturday, which raises hope for the Tokyo Olympics, where she will be the country's main contender for gold.

"My first impression after the event are great. I can't remember the last time I climbed all four routes at an event. I think it was a truly perfect weekend. I enjoyed myself, and felt good," said Garnbret, adding she was happy with her performance, including her speed.

"I broke my personal speed record, going under eight seconds for the first time, and got yet another confirmation in the difficulty level, which is a great sign for Tokyo," she said.

Out of the eight finalists in Villars, four were Slovenian. Vita Lukan was fifth, and Lučka Rakovec and Mia Krampl sevenths and eight, respectively.

Italian Laura Rogora was second and Natalia Grossman from the US was third.

Garnbret will not compete in the next two World Cup events in Chamonix and Briancon, France, to prepare for the Olympics. "I look forward to just being home the last three weeks before the Olympics, training, working on the details, so I'm looking forward to leaving for Tokyo and competing at the Olympics," said Slovenia's best climber.

STA, 4 July 2021 - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič has decided to leave Tour de France early due to injuries he sustained in early stages of the race, his Dutch team Jumbo-Visma said on its website.

The 31-year-old Roglič, last year's Tour de France runner-up and the winner of Tour of Spain, suffered two falls in stages one and three of the Tour.

He continued to race despite the injuries and pain, but after finishing 35 minutes behind the winner on Saturday, the leadership of his team decided he would not continue. The race was won by Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar, who has taken the overall lead at the race.

"We have made the decision on the departure together. In these circumstance, it would be pointless to continue," Roglič said. "My priority now is to recover and focus on new goals. I'm very disappointed that I have to leave the caravan at the Tour but I remain an optimist and focussed on the future."

If Roglič recovers in time, he could still compete at the Tokyo Olympics. He is to compete there at a road race on 24 July and at a time trial four days later.

Despite a two-month absence from racing, Roglič came to the Tour as one of the top contenders for victory next to Pogačar, but his hopes were crushed by the two falls early in the race.

The first fall was caused by a woman holding a sign out in front of the cyclists, resulting in a massive pile-up. Roglič injured his shoulder in the fall.

In stage three, he fell in the finish of a quick race in narrow streets, injuring his behind, which made it difficult for him to sit on the bicycle.

In stage five, Roglič did well in the time trial, finishing seventh, 44 seconds behind Pogačar, but in the challenging stages seven and eight he fell behind, losing all hope for an overall victory.

The race will continue today with stage nine from Cluses to Tignes.